I'm pleased to have run into this story.  Brooding analysis and self-reflection from darker characters never ceases to interest me.  I'm fairly new to Silmarillion-era fic, and this is the first Maeglin story I've read.  He's a favorite character of mine, and I really enjoy your characterizations of him and Eöl.  Eöl is so very ruthless and eloquent here.  The idea that unsated desire, though painful, is more substantial than sated desire--that does seem to fit those two.  I'm looking forward to finding the time to finish reading this.  Cheers! -Huin

The treachery of Eol's handiwork is nicely echoed here..  also the 'I never meant to kill him' curveball worked well; yes I fell for it - well done!

Oooh Spooky: but more importanly - very insightful!  You stuck just the right tone of one who recalls something long forgotten (or in this case repressed) that is pertinent to their present circumstances.  This aligns beautifully to Maeglin's story as published - proceding straight away to next chapter...

Powerful stuff, a highly relatable account of an extraordinary situation; and for all your 'stylistic liberty' you walk closely in step with JRRT's original - liking this very much!

A very sympathetic portrait of a troubled soul, and that's just Idril!  I too don't see her as perfect, even though at the end she is ultimately proved right; yet your allusion to her feeling spied upon and somehow violated is a fair justification for the dislike of her cousin.  It was inevitable here that Maeglin's nature would mostly echo his father; nevertheless you pull this off with great aplomb by exploring and displaying all the gloomy colours of his rainbow... nicely done!

A effectively discriptive chapter charged with atomsphere and tension; your comparison and merging of Maeglin with his partly forge knifed worked well, tempered and twisted fits him nicely.  The whole confrontation aspect had an operatic feel about it, preceeded of course by a lamenting aria from Maeglin, and could have easily been composed by Verdi...

A chilling account of the depravity of Morgoth and the grottiness of Angband; little wonder then that Maeglin was so reluctant to speak of it.  Isn't it interesting that Morgoth despite his prevalence throughtout the First Age and his becoming ever more earth-bound therein is so difficult to describe in physical terms; a thing I have struggled with in both pen and pencil.  This is no criticism against your piece, indeed you overcome this with great originality and suitable darkness of tone...