oshun's Favorites

A Jug of Wine — And Thou by Agelast

A Vision of Hope by Olorime

I know I read this story before. I forgot to review--pulled and never came back no doubt. It is stunningly executed. A really different exploration of the subject of the attachment between these two.  Lots of interesting elements introduced--the similarities and differences between the two, the picture of Maglor and Maedhros and their relatomship. I wished it could have been much longer or continued, all the usual greed at not wanting a good tale to end. Thanks so much for sharing.

All Our Yesterdays by Keiliss

I was so excited today to wake up to an email directling me to check this site for a new addition by one of my favorte writers and to find this story posted there. I had read it before and liked it very much, but since then, having more carefully read your novel Even Quicker Than Doubt, it has taken on depth for me. I find that it stands up well to closer scrutiny. I love your Elrond, Erestor and Glorfindel; love the warmth of your characterization and storytelling, which is tender, hopeful and yet completely lacking in sentimentality. I recommend it most highly. So happy that you chose to post it here.

Anadûnai by darthfingon

Great story. So happy to see it here. I know it is a pain in the butt to post a bunch of stories, but I would so love to see all your stories here--at very least your Lauron-Nama story cycle.

*Hey, it is the only Silm-only archive.

Another Man's Cage by Dawn Felagund

Becoming Bookverse: Jackson's Films as an Initiation Point for Tolkien's Book Fandom by Dawn Felagund

Really glad you wrote this thoughtful examination and comparison. (Wow! That survey and its update never run out of the ability to produce content! Great work!) I am looking forward to watching the new series. That does not mean that I expect to view it without criticism. I think I expected to see The Hobbit movie and like it with a similar balance of affection and complaints that Jackson LotR films had engendered in me. Wow! Was I wrong! I have not yet re-watched The Hobbit films. While, I watched and re-watched the LotR films countless times. Thinking about The Rings of Power, I realize that hope does spring eternal and find myself optimistic. Bottom line I want to like the series. 

I wonder how much and over-the-top the pattern of gross, super gratuitous violence, and its relentless humiliation, rape, torture, and the objectification and hyper-sexualization of its female characters turned off a lot of viewers (myself included--although I took a number of long breaks, in the end I eventually watched them all). My daughter told me at times while I was watching GoT, "you have a strong stomach, mother." I wonder how the fact that most people will be willing to watch Rings of Power with their kids will affect the number of viewers. The producers are gambling that it will.

Bone-White by Dawn Felagund

Broken Star by pandemonium_213

By Stars' Light by Erfan Starled

Oh, so excited to see you have posted this tory here. Means I get a chance to re-read.

By the Light of Roses by Dawn Felagund

I have been waiting for Dawn to post this here so that I could recommend it as a "favorite." Beautifully written (even comparing Dawn to herself!). Wonderfull details of psychological insight, description, social commentary--the usual Dawn take on the complexity of the Feanorians. And a real tour de force in that she takes the most hetrosexual male in Tolkien's canon bar none and gives him a slash love story. (Well, love story is hardly the term for this exposure of a family and a society at the brink.)

Detour by Dawn Felagund

Awww! I am such a total fool for a reunited Maitimo and Findekano. I cannot stand this! I really love how you have done this. I love the crazy world of Finarfin's new Tirion as you have written it here. You surpass even me in your optimism.

I absolutely died at the dreamy picture of Fingon in the history book--that should have tipped him off! There was no way it was going to be able to walk away from him. And Maedhros certainly cannot be as dull and unattractive as he believes or Anaire would not have made that trip to drag him back to see Fingon.

The lower circles of any city are usually compelling for me. Otherwise, I could live somewhere lower rent and boring rather than here in the bedlam that is current day NYC with all of the noise, danger, and harship and intensity that makes it fascinating to me.

I got a huge kick out of reading of their last time spent together before the Nírnaeth Arnoediad. Go head, just rips our hearts out because you know you can!

This is a lovely story and beautifully written. I needed a happy ending. I'll take any crumbs anyone offers these days. I slept easier last night after hearing the news of the federal court ruling blocking the deportation of refugees and immigrants detained in airports all over the country. It's only a tiny particle of what is needed to undo the damage he has already wrought, but it was something. Sorry! to interject this here. But real life has always crowded its way into fantasy no matter who is writing or what they want.

OMG! I almost did not mention the school and its students. Eloquent, Dawn! Clearly there is some channeling from real life there. Writing what one knows certainly can give authenticity to the details!

Elegy for Númenor - Volume 1: Journey to Umbar by elfscribe

I cannot recommend this story highly enough.

Essecarmë by Dawn Felagund

This is one of my absolute favorites of all of your stories that are based in the universe of your novel [Another Man's Cage]. It is a magnificent extension of those well-developed and much-loved characters at a somewhat older age. The complexity of the relationship between Maedhros and Feanor carefully considered in your personal canon is to this point in your storytelling wrenchingly emotionally valid, complex and heartbreaking. One sees a moment of devastating rejection for Maedhros. It can be interpreted as an almost petulant punitive reaction on the part of Feanor, for real or imagined willfulness, self-assertion and/or presumed lack of sufficient loyalty within the tangled mess of the relations of Finwe's sons and grandsons. The moment also seems to have been foreshadowed in AMC, while this story appears to look forward into canon to a breach that will widen until the point at which Maedhros steps back from the burning of the ships at Losgar.  

As a huge fan of your personal canon of AMC I was so excited to read this expansion and still am eagerly looking forward to what you will do with character of Maedhros and the family relationships in future stories that fit within this universe. (You had better find the time to write these stories.)  The point of view of Maglor is so human and vivid as well. His reflections paint a picture of virtually every single family member--well done, a really feat of storytelling in such a short piece.  One can imagine from how Maglor describes and interprets this incident the ripples of tension and anxiety throughout their entire immediate family.

Warning: wrote this review basically for the MEFAs 2008, so don't be surprised when you see it there. Just wanted to share with readers here.

Even Quicker Than Doubt by Keiliss

I am so thrilled to see that you have decided to post this story here. It is one of my absolute favorite fanfic novels. I am posting a cut-and-paste of parts my review of it from last year's MEFAs (unfortunately, not because it was so eloquent, but because I am congenitally lazy and want to do whatever I can to encourage people to read this story. I'd probably write it completely differently now, but maybe it will act as a teaser and entice some readers.)

This story is filled with great characterization, setting and mood. The youthful Elrond is absolutely adorable and memorable. The way the author casts the differences between Elrond and Elros: the Elf side flightier and the Man side more stoic and solid, is a refreshing departure from the more common noble-elf routine. I was able to accept the setup of Elrond's and Elros's choice/separation as a heartless crime of the Valar--or at very least really badly done. And the maia Eönwë (Manwë's herald) is priceless, thoroughly creepy, arrogant and convincing; not likeable but a great character. There is a wonderful young dog (and I am not particularly a dog person) who is developed as a character as well and serves as a catalyst for important reflections on the personalities of others. Galadriel is presented as a believable pain-in-the-ass, while still retaining her dignity and remaining one of the "good guys." Gil-Galad is kingly, masterful and lovable. Glorfindel is incredibly appealing whether one is viewing him from his own POV or that of one of the other characters. Erestor is a priceless gem with his own well-documented history.

The story is visual in a seemingly effortless way, which as a writer I realize is actually quite difficult. It makes me want to film it. I love the differences between the early-Second-Age and late-Third-Age versions of all of these characters--making implicit that a lot of life and living goes on in the interval. I also love the way the writer distinguishes the bred-in-Aman elves and those who awakened at Cuiviénen from the ordinary born-and-bred-in-Middle-earth elves.

Five Bells by Dawn Felagund

Wonderful story!

Hearts Like the Sea by IgnobleBard

Beautifully told with a langurous pace that befits the period within which it is set. I like to call it a tale of prehistoric elves. I think it is lovely and unique. A must read.

I'll Be Yours If You'll Be Mine by NelyafinweFeanorion

Not nearly enough long, modern AU, fun fics get posted here!! This one is terrific.

Light of the Westering Sun by Dawn Felagund

Great story.

New Directions. part two. by hennethgalad

Ossë's Gift by elfscribe

Pieces of the Stars by Nibeneth

I love your style! I love the warmth of the characterization and the richness of details of everyday life. It's epic--in the just the way I like fanfics to be epic. I feel we are dealing with living and breathing people here. Their deeds are legendary, but they are alive!

Saltation by pandemonium_213

Series: Balar fics by Keiliss

I love this series for Gil-galad.

Series: Beyond Doubt by Keiliss

Star's End by Keiliss

I had not read this in a very long. I still don't know how you wrote it. It's very beautiful and not at all an obvious choice. I don't think I've ever liked or understood Arwen as much as I do in this piece.

This was chilling for me: "The end result of a great love; isolation." This is very true and a lot people do experience it. I included that concept in a story I am working on about Nerdanel--from a very different angle and at a very different point in her life.

Still loved the references to Elrond and Elros that I recognize from your other work.

Anyway, just wanted to tell you that when I read it that it moved me as much, actually more, than the first time.

Still Waters by Olorime

Copying my SV comment: You hit a fair number of kinks of mine with this one, dear. Not the least of which is Finrod himself. He is one of those Silmarillion characters that I have learned to love more with increased familiarity. I loved the part about Amarie. I know others have written lovely stories taking a different angle, but I would have thumbed my nose at the Valar and the Vanyar and run off with Finrod in a second to the ends of the earth and beyond. (Ok. Well, maybe that hasn’t always worked out perfectly for me. But I probably wouldn’t do things much differently if I had a second chance.) So you hooked me early in the story and kept a hold on me.

The storm at sea, the interaction with Ulmo, the fight over the fate of Finrod. You have a big story here! Wow! And the threat that Finrod would meet a worst fate coming from Namo, was just the kind of thing I’ve learned to expect from him. But then we wouldn’t have the song battle of Finrod, one of my favorite parts of the Lays of Beleriand. I’m going on too long. You hit so many points for me. Snow at Finrod's death! This is a real fairy tale. I love it.

Very lovely story and you should be very proud of it, as IgnobleBard said, a perfect Valentine fic. Thanks so very much for sharing it with us.

Tales of Thanksgiving: A Drabble Collection by Dawn Felagund

Wonderful fics.

The Apprentice by pandemonium_213

One possible interpretation of what made the Gwaith-i-Mirdain tick. Great storytelling.

The Elendilmir by pandemonium_213

This is more wonderful than I even remember from reading the draft. It is thoroughly satisfying to meet your original character Samaril again, so altered and yet so absolutely unmistakably himself. I forget sometimes drawn in your stories for themselves and the unfolding of them how incredibly beautiful your writing is. Reading this again, with the space of a few weeks, I am struck by the second time around by the language (I know I am a fast and greedy reader--sure it won't take more than once for this to hit others). Elendil is spot-on and Samaril reaction to him is perfect. I was completely and immediately drawn into the time and place. Cannot wait to read it as you post it here. (Thanks for the lovely credit. I did absolutely nothing but enjoy it and, of course, you can take any old bit and piece of my canon any time you want to. It flatters me and tickles me to pieces.)

The Fall of the House of Fëanor by Dawn Felagund

A treasure of favorites of mine.

The last stand by Rhapsody

One of the best stories I have ever read about the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Breathtakingly beautiful and sad, as well as completely original in concept.

The Library of Tirion by Angelica

A fabulous resource.

The Scribe and the Heir by Dawn Felagund

The Secret Chronicles of the Ainur by Russandol

A treasure of favorites of mine.

The Sovereign and the Priest by Dawn Felagund

The Thrall by Ithilwen

Fascinating view of Maedhros and excellent development of an original character who follows the Fëanorians (far too few of those are written).

Threnody for the Dispossessed by Kenaz

Adding this to my favorites really quickly! This is a fabulous piece of writing and speculation on the two characters, Maglor and, especially, especially, Daeron. I loved it in every way. Beautiful writing and the tone is perfect.

Time's Arrow by Russandol

To Be a King by Keiliss

To Give in Return by Dawn Felagund

A treasure of favorites of mine.

Trinity by pandemonium_213

I was so excited to read this here this morning. I knew that you had talked of writing this story, but I didn't realize it had been written. Been fascinated by Oppenheimer myself. My mother-in-law lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where there is a whole folk history of Los Alamos and those who lived and worked there. Anyway, even after I found it I was a bit shy of jumping right in... I should have know better with you, but was still afraid of of finding narrow moral absolutes which the subject matter can provoke. Not at all--wonderfully complex. Love the writing style. I had some favorite lines that I cannot resist repeating: 1) "Oh for God's sake, Robert. That's just superstitious nonsense. You know as well as do." 2) "...his enunciation carrying a refinement that suggested the Upper West Side but with a touch of a yiddishe grandparent somewhere in there" (I know that accent! You make me feel clever somehow.) And I laughed out loud at, 3) "It's just your eyes. You both must have unusual refractive proteins in your irises. That threw me off." (Laughing at my self here, of course: I am such a sucker for details about how "the light of Aman was not  dimmed in their eyes" when describing the Noldor. Love that stuff. But I was so glad to hear Oppie's theory confirmed.)

Thank you for a wonderful read. Looking forward to your future efforts.

Unsnarl My Body by Agelast

Mine!! She wrote in response to a ficlet I wrote for her.

Where The Shadows Are by Kenaz

Great Gil-galad and Elrond!

Winter's Drums by pandemonium_213, Huinare

Amazing story!