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| The King and the Steward by Itarille | 56 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 3/4/2025 |
| (or perhaps the Steward is not the messenger but simply making condolence visits? Even so, it speaks to his conscience, empathy, and sense of duty to his people) Author Reply: Faramir purposely visited the boy. Not to break the news of his father's death (that happened much earlier, the father was killed during the siege), but to reach out to him. | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 3/4/2025 |
| Oh! That wonderful smell of art supplies! You capture the store, as seen through Dirhael's perspective, very effectively. I am guessing that the blacksmith is dead, and that is why no one is working at the eleventh hour, and the Steward has just brought the news to his son (or maybe apprentice, but the depth of anger and despair speaks of a son hearing of his father). O man o man, you don't know with what anticipation I was watching to see how Faramir would deal with Lord Hador's cutting (or trying to cut) Dirhael... thus they may claim the closest kinship to the men of the North... Beautifully done! Incredible diplomacy. And this gave me shivers (in a good way): “What I heard gave me hope that even if Minas Tirith should fall, and we were reduced to exile, it would not be the end of Gondor. You endured, and kept doing your duty—if you could do it, so must we.” "another son who had lost his father" – Oh, you've reduced me to tears now. While I'm also remembering that Faramir is yet another son who has lost his father, and in the same war... Faramir is not making it easy for Dirhael to maintain his grudge or keep his distance, is he? To quote from the classic Casablanca, in the scene where two men walk away into the fog: “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” Very well done. I am liking Faramir (and Dirhael) more and more (though it doesn't seem possible). Author Reply: The blacksmith was not dead, he just had a family matter to attend to, and finished earlier that day (eleventh hour is 5pm). The boy was the newest apprentice, so the cleaning tasks fell to him. His father (not the blacksmith) was killed during the siege, and he did have reason to blame Faramir about that. At least in his mind. But that's another story. I like writing about Lord Hador :) I pictured him as an annoying but harmless character. Complained about everything under the sun, haughty and hungry for power, but would fight valiantly to defend his land whenever needed. Ah yes, Faramir also lost his father. And unlike Dirhael, he didn't have the consolation that his father died valiantly in battle. I like the allusion to Casablanca. Thank you so much! | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 3/4/2025 |
| You endured, and kept doing your duty—if you could do it, so must we. I like that. :) Author Reply: Thank you! I'd like to think the Northern Dunedain would like that as well. | |
| Robbie | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 3/4/2025 |
| I love this story! i'm a great Faramir fan, and treasure stories describing him as a new steward. I especially like the way you describe him, letting us see all those traits we love, but not exaggerating and heaping feats, but telling gently, hinting and often through the eyes of others. I always look forward to the new chapters of this story. I also found I not just like to see the others from the fellowship interact with Faramir, but for the developments with Dirhael, and am even becoming in Dirhael, himself, a bit. (A lot of OCs don't get that far with me.) I also read your other stories, and (begging your pardon for saying as I shouldn't, as Sam would say, and for lacking in the right words to say this better) wanted to tell you I like them, too, and in my opinion your writing style has improved over time and wanted to let you know.Thank you for sharing! Author Reply: Thank you! It's always a pleasure to hear from a fellow Faramir admirer. I'm glad you found my description "not exaggerating, but hinting". I tried hard to achieve that,though sometimes I slip into heaping compliments :) I'm glad you liked Dirhael. And thank you for commenting on some improvement on my writing style! I do hope to keep improving over time, as I read and write more. | |
| PSW | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 3/2/2025 |
| I read this in a hurry when it came out because I was excited to see it, then went back and reread it but forgot I hadn't already left you a comment. Then when I realized it took me a bit to get back to it. But I have a moment now ... :-) Very nicely done! I enjoyed the detail of them sitting on the floor for their conversation - that seemed like a good move on Aragorn's part, a reassurance that not only did he remember who they are but that he is not now suddenly different because he is a king. The conversation was straightforward and didn't pull punches, which I suspect you're right that they prefer - he is indeed not a lesser man speaking to lesser men. And the conversation with Dirhael was well done separately, both to reassure and speak facts. It's good that Dirhael chose to return to the north - I doubt he would have been happy in Gondor for any length of time. Very interesting and insightful take on this situation! (And I'm happy to note that it doesn't line up exactly with my own ideas so mine will be different enough to be worthwhile.) Looking forward to more of this story. Author Reply: Thank you! I pictured them being more comfortable sitting on the floor. I'm glad you found that believable. Even if your ideas lined up exactly with someone else's story, I still think it's worthwhile to write them down. But of course different ideas would make it more interesting. Looking forward to reading your story! | |
| Erulissé | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 3/1/2025 |
| Ahhhhaaa!!! That makes sense. I had been looking for a button that doesn’t exist. 😅 I am not an author on SoA (yet), but my best friend and I are in the process of publishing her/our first novel. I am not the best at coming up with original ideas, but she’s an absolute genius in that department. I am better at the editing and sprucing up parts of writing than she is though, so we make up for each other’s deficits quite well. She came up with the entire story line and it is very much her story, but I would say I probably did close 20% of the writing as well. I am definitely more the editor when it comes with to the story. We are getting reviews from beta readers now, and it’s been so cool to get feedback from people reading this story that we’ve been keeping secret for almost 3 years now. It’s so exciting to actually be finishing a big story like this and be so close to the publishing time. We have started other books in the past, but this is the first time we have finished a story, and our first publishing experience. I am hoping to become an author on SoA soon, I have several story ideas but real life has been keeping me from sitting down and typing. Hopefully before the end of the year? We shall see. Author Reply: "Oh, how exciting to see your novel being published! Wishing you all the best! Author Reply: "Oh, how exciting to see your novel being published! Wishing you all the best! | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 2/27/2025 |
| I forgot to mention in my previous review that I loved the way you described the Rohirrim and Dirhael's perceptions of them. I remember the time when I felt more comfortable sitting on the floor... It's a bit hard to get up from the floor these days, so I don't sit there very often anymore. Nice detail, though. A pause followed as the men of the North, long accustomed to standing alone against the pressing foe, took a moment to comprehend friendship, alliance, and sundered kinship. This is definitely a shift in perspective and may take some time to get used to. Author Reply: In the book, Gimli mentioned that the Rohirrim seem almost like mere boys compared to the dour Dunedain. That got me thinking, how the Dunedain looked at the Riders of Rohan. Ah yes, sitting on the floor... must enjoy it while we still can. Thank you for leaving a review! | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 2/27/2025 |
| “I do the very task before me. Take the first step, and accept that I am not all-knowing.” I've heard this expressed as "Do the next thing." I'm glad for the talk between uncle and nephew, and Dirhael's change in attitude, seeing the White City with new eyes. As one with an artist's bent, he's probably a keen observer of detail if his vision is not clouded by emotion and even prejudice. Wonderful! (By the way, in answer to your question, I still have to be careful of my eyes these days, but at least I'm not staring at a laptop screen 8 or more hours a day anymore. My eyes tire fairly easily, but luckily when I can't manage the focus I need to read, I can still write because I learned to touch-type decades ago. I've done a lot of writing without looking, over time, LOL. I post chapters when I'm fresh so that before I post a chapter, I can read it over (and then I read it over again after posting because there are invariably typos I've missed. Such is life!). Author Reply: It sounds like a very useful skill to learn, typing without looking! My current job requires me to stare at laptop screen most of the days. It's great that you found ways to keep reading and posting. Yes, Dirhael is a keen observer of details. He will observe some interesting details in the next chapter. | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 2/27/2025 |
| I re-read this chapter and had a couple more thoughts. (I must have skimmed it the first time... I remembered the second half clearly but not the first half. Perhaps my eye fell upon mention of hobbits and pulled my attention away from the weapons practice. Quite possible.) I understand and appreciate Dirhael's joy in archery practice. It can resemble a sort of meditation. I'm sorry to see his mistrust continuing (and jealousy?). But he reveals his perceptiveness and honesty here: A thought struck Dirhael. During their stay in Cormallen, the Ithilien Rangers had spoken reverently of their Captain, who had led them safely home from perilous ventures; who had guarded their backs as they retreated from Osgiliath, pursued by the Winged Terror; and who would not slay even an Orc needlessly, and never gladly. So the Steward was that Captain? He seemed indeed one whom Aragorn would trust and favour. If only he can connect the dots a little further... that the Steward is one that Dirhael can also trust and favour. Author Reply: Thank you for re-reading! Dirhael will continue to connect the dots in the subsequent chapters. After all, most of my stories (if not all) can be summarized as: various people come to realize Faramir's worth in various ways. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 2/26/2025 |
| Dirhael had never considered the possibility of Aragorn feeling uncertain. “What do you do when you feel adrift, Uncle?” Aragorn shrugged. “I do the very task before me. Take the first step, and accept that I am not all-knowing.” This is wonderful, as is this entire chapter. Author Reply: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. | |