Comments on Under strange stars

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Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this! It is wonderful to hear that people enjoy what I wrote. The sequel is coming together nicely.

Ot was my favourite character to write, I learned a lot about camels while researching him. Unfortunately Elrohir and Glorfindel won't be bringing him along to Rivendell ;-) 

 

I read this last night in one fell swoop. What a thrilling ride! I really like the idea you are exploring here, and how you have given voices to people and places that we normally do not see a lot of in fanfiction. I love the Haradrim here, they are just as I imagined they would be. And you hint at so many great ideas about them, through the imperfect lens of Glorfindel and his prejudices. Spending time among them, and trying to understand how to convince Elrohir to come back with him. I could definitely feel the harsh environment of the desert, and hear the complaining bellows of the camels. 

The battles between the Haradrin and the Umbarians are great - they must be so hard to write?!? For all that this is a nearly blank spot on Tolkien's map (here be dragons indeed!), of course there must have been differences in opinion and ways of life, and I enjoy seeing that here, even as it has developed into a cynical and harsh conflict.  

Elrohir is a tortured spirit at this time, and not, I think, what Glorfindel expected to find. That it is the thought of Elladan that will eventually drive Elrohir back to Imladris is really poignant. I look forward to the next part, and where (and how) Elrohir ends up going!

 



Thank you for reading and commenting, this lovely comment made my day!

Tolkien did not give us much to go on, but what we do know about Umbar is that the Numenoreans colonized it in the second age. The Numenoreans who settled there were the King's Men who worshipped Melkor and cruelly oppressed the native peoples of Middle-earth. The details of the conflict between the Haradrim and the Umbarians are made up, but the heart of the matter is very much canon. 

Elrohir is having a very hard time indeed, and Glorfindel is trying his best but they have very little common ground to start from. Imladris is going to be a culture shock, to say the least. I almost feel sorry for torturing the poor boy like that.

I'm working on the sequel, it's coming along nicely.

Thanks again for letting me know you enjoyed this story!

This story had me on the edge of my seat the entire time!

I love how palpable Glorfindel's frustration is, and how fleshed out the Haradrim are. I like the contrast between Glorfindel's age and experience, and his enforced reliance on Elrohir due to his lack of knowledge about the desert. It makes for an interesting leveling of the playing field between them.


Great story! I look forward to seeing what happens next!



I'm thrilled that you liked the story!

Much of the Haradrim way of life is based on what I could find about the real-world Tuareg people from the Sahara desert, Arab nomads and camel caravans along the Silk Road. I learned lots of interesting camel facts while researching this story. 

Under the circumstances Glorfindel and Elrohir do meet as equals, which I think is the only way Glorfindel could have convinced him. I'm working on a companion piece showing their first meeting through Elrohir's eyes. turning the perspective around is an interesting exercise. The final result should appear here over the summer.  

Thank you for reading and commenting! 

This is much belated, but thank you so much reviewing.

Where the Elves fall under the responsibility of the Valar, Men supposedly cut out the middle man and answer directly to Eru. In the east and south of Middle-earth many took to worshipping Morgoth instead, but Tolkien explicitly tells us that some did not. i imagine that the Haradrim are among those peoples who preserved their original religious beliefs.