Reviews of Neither Death nor Pain

SimplegirlfromLP · 8 May 2019 · Chapter 999: Living

What a wonderful love story and to get a little of Eomer and Lotheriel in was just icing on the cake. Your portrayal of Faramir and Eowyn was spot on and how I would imagine them. Faramir the loving and doting husband, yet still strong and able to manage Eowyn's strength. Sign me up. Enjoyed Eowyn's vulnerability which most fics are not able to portray so well especially with all the trials she has had to suffer. ;) I really appreciate how submissive and respectful she was of her husband and it didn't make her appear weak. Any scene with Faramir being attentive, loving and passionate towards Eowyn...purrrrrr. One of my favorite scenes was when Eomer arrived... ...and then the door opened, revealing Éomer-king of Rohan in the hall. Still in full riding gear, he looked magnificent, truly regal, despite the obvious contrasts between Rohirric and Gondorian royalty. Be still my heart. Thank you for posting and writing such thoroughly wonderful story.

Glory Bee · 29 November 2011 · Chapter 999: Living

I was searching for an Eomer and Lothiriel fanfic that I had not read and was fortunate to happen upon this was was a beautiful piece of writing. A very precious ending, breastfeeding makes such magical memories :)

Mirkwoodmaiden · 17 December 2009 · Chapter 1: Tidings

I just found this story as I was searching for something else and I'm glad I did. I love stories about Faramir and Eowyn. It's really good the characters seem so real and the characters' dialogue is well written! As soon as you started writing about the game of tag and merry and pippin I thought of Dom monahan and billy boyd fooling elijah wood about the game of Tig and I started to laugh! good to know that others watch commentary on the extended editions.

Camp6311 · 15 March 2004 · Chapter 999: Living

Just finished reading this story, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Faramir is my favorite character, and you write him so well. I liked that you included his musical abilities. As a loremaster, I would think Faramir would be a very talented musician, and that's a side of him that's rarely seen. Reading this story also brought back to me memories of my own son's birth. The emotion that you feel the first time you hold your firstborn baby in your arms is just indescribable, and this story brought a lot of that back. I liked this line too: "Her arrival made the time seem to have crashed down suddenly upon Faramir, for now the child's arrival was truly imminent." Even after 9 months, you are never ever truly prepared for that first one. I'm now enjoying reading about Éomer and Lothíriel romance.

Shireling · 18 February 2004 · Chapter 999: Living

Mellyanna, I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed this story. Every chapter has been a real treat. You have captured the characters really well and have constructed a thoughtfull and entertaining story. This will definately be on my list of favorites. I do hope it gets lots of attention and I will do my best to spread the word. Well done Helen

daw the minstrel · 20 December 2003 · Chapter 7: Poems

It's interesting that Eowyn has a Gondorian children's disease. I wonder if it's like the Native Americans getting measles and so on when they had contact Europeans. I liked seeing the glimpse of Faramir the poet who is also Faramir, captain of rangers.

daw the minstrel · 13 December 2003 · Chapter 6: Letters

Well, you had me fooled on the pregnancy. Sigh. That would have been nice. I wonder what's wrong with Eowyn? Shame on Arwen and Aragorn for taking Faramir's letter! At least they had the good grace not to read it.

daw the minstrel · 8 December 2003 · Chapter 5: Night

I imagine that Eowyn *will* tease Faramir. No one from Rohan is likely to understand falling off a horse. But what is going on in that clearing? The section with Aragorn and Eowyn was lovely. Her love for Faramir was very romantically expressed.

Author's reply

Heehee! Well, I'm sure she would understand falling off one's horse--but not when he's an adult who's been riding for years! And thanks for the comments on Aragorn and Éowyn. Their relationship has been very interesting to explore in this story.

daw the minstrel · 5 December 2003 · Chapter 4: Arrivals

I wonder what's going on in the forest? Your description made it sound very beautiful indeed. Faramir is such a romantic. Eowyn is lucky to have him, but evidently he feels he's lucky to have her too.

Author's reply

Well, if she were to ever turn him down, I'd take him in a heartbeat. ;)

daw the minstrel · 2 December 2003 · Chapter 3: Separation

I liked the parallel scenes of Faramir and Eowyn watching one another sleep. How sad the miscarriage was. I think women had to be very brave in the face of pregnancy and childbirth when so many women died young of complications from childbearing.

Author's reply

Yes, in a time like ours, where we have so much technology, it seems very scary to think of giving birth without all the monitors and painkillers and whatnot. But over the last couple years I've had two rather scary reminders of the limitations of our technology through the unfortunate experiences of friends, and that was where a lot of this chapter came from.

Lyta Padfoot · 2 December 2003 · Chapter 3: Separation

Poor Eowyn and Faramir! That tissue warning was not nearly strong enough. Aragorn was wonderfully in character in this chapter.

Author's reply

Well, for future reference, when I give a tissue warning, I really mean it... I don't like to pull the angst card too often, but sometimes it just works for me. At any rate, thanks for your comments--I'm particularly pleased that you liked Aragorn in this chapter. He's had a distressing tendency to just show up in my fics, whether he's invited or not, so I'm glad that he's at least in character. :)

Lyta Padfoot · 30 November 2003 · Chapter 2: Gifts

Separate beds? Thats one tradition I'd be happy to ignore too! I suspect Eowyn's pregnant. I wonder if she realizes it yet? Her question to Faramir in the previous chapter leans toward yes, and yet...

Author's reply

Heheheheh, yes, that's a tradition I'd forego as well. For a lot of the customs, like sleeping in separate beds, I've drawn on early nineteenth-century England. I know the cultures are totally disparate, but Gondor strikes me as a land of great history in the midst of great change--which is, to a large degree, England in the nineteenth century.

Lyta Padfoot · 30 November 2003 · Chapter 0: Vows

As much as I adore a well-done Eowyn story, a well written Eowyn story with a shirtless Faramir is like real whipped cream on the cake instead of Ready Whip or similiar products.

Author's reply

*giggles* Thank you! I rather like that idea myself...

Lyta Padfoot · 30 November 2003 · Chapter 1: Tidings

I assume you are referring to the "Cup" incident on the commentary track. I had to bite hy hand to keep from laughing too hard in the computer lab as I read the part with Faramir employing the gag with Eowyn. It should be interesting to see what you've cooked up for the trouble in Ithilien.

Author's reply

Yes, that's something I gleaned from the commentary. It was just too cute to resist, and I was at a serious loss as to what to do with the scene, which was mostly just exposition on their relationship.

daw the minstrel · 30 November 2003 · Chapter 2: Gifts

Oh goody! A baby for Faramir and Eowyn! At least, I assume that's what Eowyn's problem is. It sounds as if the Steward and his wife are going to be parted soon though. That won't be good, particularly if Faramir is going into danger. And if Eowyn will be staying with the king, she's going to have to face him more that she had hoped to!

Author's reply

Mmm, we'll see. ;) I don't want to tip my hand just yet, after all. :D

Shireling · 30 November 2003 · Chapter 2: Gifts

Melyanna, What a treat to find a well written story about Faramir and Eowyn. Your feeeling for the characters comes across really well and I look forward to following where you take them Helen/shireling

Author's reply

Thank you! Glad you're enjoying it. :)

daw the minstrel · 27 November 2003 · Chapter 1: Tidings

Now that was nice. You have done a really good job of conveying the physical attraction between these two people. You don't tell us; you show us. No wonder Aragorn felt as if he were intruding. I look forward to seeing the development of the mystery.

Author's reply

Thanks--I enjoyed showing the relationship through Aragorn's eyes.

daw the minstrel · 26 November 2003 · Chapter 0: Vows

This was very romantic and sweet. I was struck by Eowyn's wondering what her husband had to offer her to make up for what she was giving up. She really did have to move to an entirely different culture and leave everyone she had known. How difficult that must have been. Shirtless Faramir is good.

Author's reply

Thank you, and thank you for commenting on that aspect--it was something I was quite worried about conveying. In some respect everyone who marries goes through this kind of change of culture, yet for Éowyn it seems more pronounced, because she is giving up everything she has ever known. She loves Faramir, certainly, but there are many, many more things she's giving up. Yet in the end it's up to the both of them to make the transition bearable. And I think shirtless Faramir is good too. ;)

Reviews (18)