Comments on Kingless

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Anne Wolfe has requested the following types of constructive criticism on this fanwork: Characterization, Conflict, Description/Imagery, Fulfilled Intent, Mood/Tone, Organization/Structure, Pacing, Plot, Setting, Spelling, Grammar, and Mechanics, Style, Worldbuilding. All constructive criticism must follow our diplomacy guidelines.

Such heavy losses--after such trauma it is not surprising that they felt they could not continue as they had been.

But while the kingship and their losses cannot be restored, still in another way they are trying something new.

They have lost so many people! No wonder they don't want to have anything more to do with the war.

To me, they feel angry towards those who followed Thingol. Which is understandable in the situation. It could look disloyal and like the easy way to accept a new king so soon.

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The question of whether to follow Thingol is one where I'm personally somewhat sympathetic to both sides. The promise of supernatural protection from Melian would probably be a very appealing one in a continent reckoning with the return of Morgoth. But on the other hand (as the narrator of this piece thinks) Thingol is the one who called Denethor's people into battle, and Narrator strongly resents that Thingol gets to return to Doriath as king when his actions have caused the Laiquendi to lose so much.

It's very remarkable to me that the Laiquendi experience a single battle in the war between the elves and Morgoth before they decide to have no more part in it. A group of semi-pacifist elves who have consciously decided not to be led by a king can seem rather out of place in the Silm, but I suppose that's part of what makes them so interesting!