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No Better Name  by Cairistiona 22 Review(s)
LisaGReviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/15/2018
I can read all your stories over and over and still enjoy them immensely! I really do hope one day (SOON!) you publish the 3rd Rushlight story. :)

Author Reply: Thanks... I'm very grateful you enjoy my stories enough for rereads. I'm not currently writing LOTR fic, in no small part because I hit a big writer's block with the 3rd story. So "SOON!" probably isn't going to happen, but one day? I never say never. Thanks again for reading and re-reading!

ElentarriReviewed Chapter: 13 on 8/15/2016
"Book Three of the Rushlight Trilogy to follow in the hopefully not too distant future."

Beautiful story. Any chance of seeing Book Three, or anything else you have written recently? Assuming that real life isn't butting in and all that.
;)

Author Reply: Hi, Elentarri! Thanks for the kind words. :)

I wish I could say that something LOTR was coming soon, but that muse seems to have gone silent for a lot of reasons, not least of which is a massive writer's block brought on by a lot of real-life stress and changes that occurred since publishing my last LOTR story. I've been writing, but in the Captain America fandom. I still hope to return to Bowen's story, because it does still eat at my brain and I don't like leaving it unfinished (the WIP is roughly 17 chapters but needs probably 17 more to tell the tale I have in mind).

I'm sorry I'm unable to promise anything more firm than "hopefully someday maybe", but thank you for asking!

cairi

SnehaReviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/1/2014
It was so good. My internet went off for a few days when I was right in the middle of this story. I couldn't bear it. Thankfully it is working now. I will miss Bowen. I love Lord of the Rings but it is filled with the sorrow of so many partings. I felt it here too. I hope you are working on your third? I would love to see Bowen's reaction to Arwen!

sidhReviewed Chapter: 13 on 7/30/2013
My heart, my heart...I cannot remember leaving a tale and feeling so good. Bowen is such a wonderful character, truly the salt of Middle Earth and that's no lie.
I really love the relationship between Halbarad, Denlad, Aragorn, the sense of family you manage to instill that carries so well through the whole story.

Please tell me more about the third installment and that there are many, many chapters with your "most welcome" hurt/comfort, illness, and pulling the rangers back together after they prevail.

I adore this and am printing it out. It is a keeper.

sidh

Author Reply: Thank you, sidh! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story so much. Bowen Rushlight has become one of my favorite OC's, and "salt of Middle-earth" was my mind as I created him, so I'm very gratified you picked up on that aspect of his character. I've grown just as fond of him as I have of my Ranger OC's, to be honest. :)

The third story will focus a lot more on Bowen and his family, as it takes place some 24 years later. That's a big jump, I realize, but it puts us in Bree during the Ring War, which of course includes the battle in Bree and the scourging of the Shire. So there won't be as much Aragorn and Company, but there are still key moments, including, I don't know, Bowen meeting some King that shows up... ;)

I hope you enjoy it as much as you did this one. Thanks for your kind words--they're greatly appreciated!

Whispy Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 7/26/2012
Oh, this is too great...I love Bowen and family, and can't wait to see part the third!

Whispy

Author Reply: Thank you, Whispy! I'm so glad you liked the story and Bowen & family. :) I'm working on the follow-up. It's been a bit of a rough year for writing for me but I'm hopefully back on track now. Still, it's a very loooong story so it will be a while yet before I post it, but I hope it'll be worth the wait.

Lily BagginsReviewed Chapter: 13 on 11/5/2011
Well, I simply can't wait for part three---I'm dying for it!

Somehow, I really did enjoy the fact that Bowen still has no idea who this mysterious Strider is---but of course he can tell something about Aragorn is "different." And that's all he really needs to know for now.

Will he indeed be putting his newly-gotten swordsmanship skills to the test? Most likely, I suppose, in some years' time. I sure hope his little family all turn out safe and sound in the end.

The very last scene---with Aragorn rearing up on his horse and all the rangers' swords raised---may go down as best EVER closing story scene. That was powerful and simply wonderful. I felt a quiver in my own belly as I read it.

I thoroughly LOVED this story---it's always enjoyable to see our favorite LOTR characters through others' points of view, but it does take skill to pull it off, and this was just perfect.

Author Reply: Thank you so, Lily! I'm very glad you enjoyed this--I was wondering, to be honest, because it's not the usual h/c tale that I write, where we get to see into Aragorn's mind. But it was a lot of fun to see how he might be viewed by outsiders and I'm glad you felt I did a good job at that.

And isn't that funny how it's not really a problem that Strider is still a mysterious? I guess because it's only right that he wouldn't reveal himself. As secretive as they had to be with him, it wouldn't have been in character for either Aragorn himself or any of the men to have revealed Strider's identity, and it would have made Bowen into something other than a somewhat above-average man of Bree for him to have figured it out any more than he did. But the day will come! *g* I just need to get it all written. :)

Thanks again for reading and for all the reviews--I appreciate each and everyone one. :)

LayneReviewed Chapter: 13 on 11/3/2011
That a very fine thing they did, teaching Bowen on the arts of defence, the swordplay and all. And oh, I do hope that he'd get to know who Strider really was - his King.

Thank you for a great read!

Author Reply: Thank you, Layne! So glad you enjoyed the ending! We'll see about that reunion between them in the third story. :)

rsReviewed Chapter: 13 on 10/30/2011
Oh Man Cairistiona!

You outdid yourself. This was awesome! Love your characterizations. I loved every single one of them..I especially love Ruddy and the silent Ranger!

Favorite moments: The mustard poultice episode; Strider's charade game; Flora finding out about the mustard poultice; Flora in labor shouting orders to Bowen while she's in poor Denlad's arms trying his best not to drop her!; Halbarard--the horny-toad ranger and baby-making machine!; Bowen's conversation with Strider, "who are you?"'; the sword lesson; and the Ranger salute to the Rushlights! I'm definitely sure I missed a bunch of things but those were the ones I remember!

Cannot wait for the next installment. A most enjoyable read!

Author Reply: "Halbarad the horny-toad Ranger"

*spews coffee all over screen*
ROTFL!!!

Thank you, RS, for that very fun visual image. *g*

And seriously, thank you very much for all your comments here. I'm very glad you enjoyed this story. I hope it gives you lots of fodder for future artwork. Not that I'm hinting or anything. *g* I'm especially glad you liked the humorous parts. I try to keep the humor realistic, growing out of situations that really could happen (like her ordering Bowen around while poor Denlad's back is slowly compressing into knots).

Now yes, onward to the next tale!

*cracks whip at myself*

Ow.

NathReviewed Chapter: 13 on 10/29/2011
*envies Bowen his teachers*

A good ending to the story, with much to enjoy in the teaching scene; the salute at the end was magnificent.

(about the glowing swords in a comment below, afaik, and without checking, the swords that are mentioned as glowing are Sting, Orcrist and Glamdring)

Author Reply: I thought there were probably other glowing swords, but I didn't have time to actually research it before I replied to Darkover. So thank you for helping us both out!

So glad you liked the story and the ending! I confess I'm still daydreaming about that gleaming sword salute. *g*

Thanks for reading and for all the reviews!

Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 13 on 10/26/2011
This has been a most enjoyable story. I've grown fond of Bowen and his wife and loved meeting your Rangers again. I eagerly await the sequel

Author Reply: Thank you, Linda! So glad you enjoyed it. :)

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