Reviews (37)

kzt82ULpi · 23 October 2013 · Chapter 7: Complications at Crickhollow

Wow, congratulations Nichole Have a Magical trip with your frined & godchildren. I am savin' up to take the kids (all 9 of them) to Disneyland.Have Fun, I know you all will.

lmw · 17 March 2005 · Chapter 8: Badness to Worseness

I have just found your stories and enjoy your writing. This story is good. Ifeel so bad for all those involved, each with their own problems and fears, and no-one able to confide in the others. I can't wait for more.

Ariel · 25 February 2005 · Chapter 8: Badness to Worseness

As I have come to expect, a well written chapter and lovely, precise and in character characters. It's such a compelling tale I found myself itching to wash Peregrin's dishes! LOL. I am very glad you are planning on finishing this tale. I am reading it, and enjoying it immensely, and I don't often read WIPs. If you ever need more encouragement, please just ask - I will happily shower you with it if it will cheer you on to the finish.

onlylonely · 5 February 2005 · Chapter 8: Badness to Worseness

I love this story because the characters are all very human (or should I say hobbity). Your events are not unrealistic and everything has a realistic feel of life to me. I love Faramir, who does feel a bit like Frodo, but has a quality of his own. Poor lad, he shouldn't carry on such foolishness like not crying. Sam's state frightened me a bit because of all those images of Mordor flashed back and it felt almost like I was back there, watching the two of them at the mountain. Pippin is self-pitying himself and that never does a body good. Now that he's ill too, who will help them? Pippin may be worrying about Sam but I worry for the both of them. This is one of the best post-Grey Havens stories I have ever read. Unique with the appeal of a child's perspective, including very canonical views of others.

Marion · 25 January 2005 · Chapter 8: Badness to Worseness

Again a rather short review. Two things. First: poor Pip is convinced everything is his fault. Which it clearly isn't. Sam was foolish enough to leave quarentine of his own accord (Sam's throwing stones whilst living in a glass house himself, if I get my sayings right) Merry and Estella are blind and rather obnoxious in their judgemental treatment of Pippin and Diamond. And look, Pippin left their smial in distress and they haven't heard of him in a week, but all they can think about apparently is the inventations of the Yule celebrations. I *so* want to rattle their tiny brains! It looks like Diamond might not be returning from North Cleave, and rightly so considering the way she's being bullied in her own home by her husbands' 'beloved' kinsfolk (Merry and Estella included) And it becomes more and more clear that Merry would not be the wonderful parent he thinks he would be. First he tells Faramir his Da is a fool, and now, when he thinks Faramir is being cheeky and patronizing, he thinks it is 'cute behaviour'. Argh! Faramir is a very charming, very intelligent and very sensative child. He has his cousing Merry wrapped around his little finger. He has just found out that his actions of belligerence have consequenses he doesn't like, because in the end, he *does* love his parents. Getting your way isn't always as fun as you think it is when you're a kid. You know, if I were Pippin, I would've left Faramir with Merry and Estella and go with Diamond to Gondor for a year. "Well, you think we're doing it all wrong Merry and Estella. Here's your chance to do it better." "You said you were rather in Buckland than in Tookland, Faramir. Be a good boy. Bye!" Rather strong medicine, but it would do Diamond a world of good, and it might be benificient for Faramir and the Brandybucks.

Marion · 25 January 2005 · Chapter 7: Complications at Crickhollow

Hi Zebra, long time no hear from me, heh? Sorry I didn't review this chapter months ago, but Real Life has been hectic & stuff... Besides, I usually reviewed on your homepage, but your no longer putting new chapters (or anything on it) Anyway, I will rectify my error of not reviewing right now, although it will be a short one (RL, you know :-) I love the irony of this chapter! Pippin has been so careful in bringing Faramir out of the quarantined area, having him checked by a healer etc, and is being chided by Merry and Sam for wanting to do so. Then Sam comes all mightily to talk with the wayward Thain, and he brings the disease with him!!! Tsk, tsk, Samwise! Not so very clever of you, heh? Sorry for gloating, but after all the abuse Pippin has to live through - Merry thinking him a fool and a bad parent, Estella thinking him a 'blowheart'and a fool, Sam throwing him out of Council when he refused to leave his weak child in a quarentined area and thinking him to be a fool, even Faramir getting in to the act (encouraged by Merry and Estella) - it so rewarding to find that Mister Mayor Samwise is rather stupid himself. Hah! More on Faramir in my review of the next chapter...

babzee · 25 January 2005 · Chapter 8: Badness to Worseness

The heart-squeezing angst in this story is killing me! It's beautifully written. Your characters are wonderful -- very fully-realized and hobbity. I adore poor little Farry. Your Merry and Pippin are excellent. But it's killing me! I'm so hoping for some happier times for all of them -- soon! Poor Pippin and Farry -- they so need to communicate.

Bodkin · 25 January 2005 · Chapter 8: Badness to Worseness

Oh, I was glad to see this again! I hope, in one way, that Merry doesn't get stuck looking after Pippin and Sam with nothing but a couple of rum cakes to feed them. In the end, Farry would understand, but in the meanwhile he would see Merry's absence as a terrible betrayal. On the other hand - Sam and Pippin do need help. Or food, at least. A hobbit who is not eating is soon no hobbit at all.

Eliora · 24 January 2005 · Chapter 6: A Dreadful Mess of Everything

“…Just don’t ever think that your pain is the only one that’s real, that your love is the only one that means something.” Oh! So eloquent!

TopazTook · 24 January 2005 · Chapter 8: Badness to Worseness

Thank goodness, thank goodness, thank goodness: an update to this story! Yay! Please keep it coming...particularly since you've left them all in such an awkward spot. Will Merry keep his promise to Estella and Faramir and return to the Hall? Somehow, I have a bad feeling about that.... But if *someone* doesn't find them soon, how are Pippin and Sam going to survive pox and near-starvation? [BTW, I wonder about Fatty, since he's supposed to be such a close neighbor. How come he hasn't noticed anything going on at Crickkhollow?) Now Faramir is *really* going to have to worry about his Da being sick. And why aren't they getting any letters from Diamond? What's going on with her? Has the pox epidemic wreaked havoc with the Shire post system? I like the whole chapter and the whole story, but a couple of particular things to comment on in this chapter: the hobbit at the beginning thinks that Merry always knows the right thing to say. How ironic,s since it's the very fact that he *doesn't* that is partly responsible for him and Pippin being in their current mess Also liked that Estella *still* can't think of herself as Estella Brandybuck: she's just got "Bolger" stuck in her brain, LOL. It rings quite true. Please take longer lunch hours...or something, LOL. I very much want to see the rest of this story.

Grey Wonderer · 24 January 2005 · Chapter 8: Badness to Worseness

It was a nice surprise to find a new chapter up. I am very worried about Sam. He's been so sick and now Pippin seems to have it too. I am even more concerned that Merry will stop by to see how they are and wind up unable to go home. I wonder if Sam did get this from Pippin or if he contracted it another way. If so, I do wonder if others in Hobbiton have it now. So many questions, but I suppose I will have to wait for the next chapter.

Marigold · 21 October 2004 · Chapter 7: Complications at Crickhollow

Zebra, I am waiting anxiously for the next chapter! The story is at such an exciting point, with all sorts of thrilling things about to happen that I don't know if I can stand it much longer! It's been months, and my heart can't stand it - please update soon!!

SilverMoonLady · 3 October 2004 · Chapter 7: Complications at Crickhollow

I just discovered this and oh, my goodness, wow! I just read the whole thing at a sitting, and may I say I am impressed! I'm very curious to see how all this will be resolved... I like the direction you've taken in characterizing all the players here, and the tensions among them; good, detail oriented stuff, very thick and well-expressed. Impatiently yours, SilverMoonLady

Ariel · 29 September 2004 · Chapter 7: Complications at Crickhollow

I don't know if I have reviewed this before, but I've been reading it for a while and enjoy it a great deal. While I am no one to talk, I was wondering if there was another chapter on the horizon somewhere. This is a splendid tale with well crafted characters that aren't just a rehashing of the book but a plausible and gripping story in its own right. I really enjoy it and I hope there is much more of it to come. Especially since you have just gotten to the nice juicy angsty part... LOL!

FantasyFan · 17 August 2004 · Chapter 7: Complications at Crickhollow

What do you mean this isn't an exciting chapter? Sam's got the pox, Pippin's stuck in Crickhollow taking care of him, and Faramir's going to think he's been abandoned. I think it's plenty exciting. It seems to me that this is about half over - you've set up all the conflicts, and separated all the characters, and I'll be eager to see how it's all resolved. I'm hoping for a happy ending, though hard problems don't usually have easy solutions.

Bodkin · 17 August 2004 · Chapter 7: Complications at Crickhollow

This is most interesting - hobbits who mess up their lives, don't speak at important moments, brood over their distress and generally behave like people. How is Pippin going to manage to look after Sam in the absence of that critical item - food? Will they be surviving on pickled cabbage? Poor little Faramir - I can see why he likes being with Merry and Estella. I want to know what happens next!

Grey Wonderer · 17 August 2004 · Chapter 7: Complications at Crickhollow

A Bridge chapter? Not exciting? Surely you jest! Poor Sam and Pippin! I don't know how Pippin can go for help without risk of infecting anyone else with Sam's pox and he most certainly can't go to Brandy Hall and risk the health of Estella and Faramir. I have no idea what he will do. I loved Estella's speech to Merry about how he can't be perfect and I also loved the fact that Pippin had never told Faramir that he'd been sick as a child. That would be so like him to want to keep that in the past. This was worth the wait and I plan to stick around as long as it takes. This is still one of my favorite stories and it gets better all the time.

jesslotr · 17 March 2004 · Chapter 6: A Dreadful Mess of Everything

ohh.. updated.. brillant. I am really enjoying this series, and cannot wait until the next installment.

SoundofHorns · 15 March 2004 · Chapter 6: A Dreadful Mess of Everything

The wait was well worth it. You've made me cry...truly truly excellent, I can't praise this story enough! Merry, Pippin, Faramir...breathtaking! Thank you!

Kit5 · 8 March 2004 · Chapter 6: A Dreadful Mess of Everything

Wow...that was a blow up to end all blow ups! Quite frankly, I think at this point, all of our hobbits need a good swift kick, except Estella, who's pregnant. :-) I feel so very bad for Pippin, and for Merry, and even Faramir, who is being a bratty adolescent but one can't blame him, if things are really such a shambles at home. Pippin's words to Merry about his hurts and his love not being the only one to matter-powerful stuff. You can still see that Merry and Pip love each other, but they have reached a real crisis point in their relationship. It's hard to believe at this point that they would still ride off into the sunset together, but they have too much for it all to come to nothing. It was a long time in coming, but it was worth the wait. :-)

powerwriter · 8 March 2004 · Chapter 6: A Dreadful Mess of Everything

I thought that I had left a review for this, but I guess I didn't. I'm glad to see it's updated! I was utterly disturbed and intrigued by this story. It's extremely different, and has this saddness about it that sinks into your bones. I am enjoying though, just to let you know ;) I'd never thought of Pippin's charater like this before, but how you write could happen. I just wish he'd see right for once! I'm glad Faramir is finally standing up for himself. To me he kind of seems a bit like Frodo. Good story, please continue soon :)

Laura · 6 March 2004 · Chapter 6: A Dreadful Mess of Everything

Goodness...I just found this story and now I'm on tenderhooks for the next bit! You write with good charcterization, and very believable dialogue.

Grey Wonderer · 6 March 2004 · Chapter 6: A Dreadful Mess of Everything

This is such a powerful chapter and it is filled with so many things. Estella's thoughts about Pippin, Merry's feelings about Diamond, Pippin's hurt, Merry's hurt and anger, Faramir's love for Merry, and you roll all of it together into one stunning chapter! When I saw the alert in my email, I rushed over to read this one and you have not disapointed me! It was worth the wait. I can't imagine how you plan to solve it all, but I will hang on your every word. So glad you were able to start this one again. Wonderful story-telling!

Aralinde · 16 January 2004 · Chapter 5: Lying and Pretending

This is a great story! You left off at a real cliffhanger...can't wait for the next chapter :)

Grey Wonderer · 21 October 2003 · Chapter 5: Lying and Pretending

This is very different from the other hobbit stories that I have read and I find it very interesting. I am looking forward to seeing if Pippin's little one continues to play Merry against Pippin. I also like the fact that Pippin and Estella have a little secret now. Can't wait to read more. Also am wondering if Diamond will turn up in future chapters.