To Be a King by Keiliss

Fanwork Information

Summary:

The watch fire is lit.

MEFA 2008  Races: Elves: General: Honorable Mention

 

Major Characters: Círdan, Gil-galad

Major Relationships:

Artwork Type: No artwork type listed

Genre: General

Challenges:

Rating: General

Warnings:

This fanwork belongs to the series

Series: Balar fics
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 3, 079
Posted on 25 July 2007 Updated on 25 July 2007

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

To Be A King

Timeline: F.A. 511

Comments

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Very interesting view at the beginnings of Gil-Galad's kingship. He was indeed faced with many different groupings who were not particularly interested in being ruled à la Fingolfin or Fingon.. So Gil-Galad must carve out for himself a new sort of role. You did a good job of portraying a young, still-learning elf in an unusual position. Lovely.

The end of the First Age was such a complicated time politically, yet Gil-galad's authority was pretty much unquestioned later. I guessed part of that might have been due to consensus politics, the rest to personal charisma? (I love playing with ideas like that, lol)

I really enjoyed writing this, and I'm glad you liked it - thanks very much for commenting :)

~Kei

Again, I really enjoyed this story. I wish I had more specific feedback, but I figure it's better to let you know it was read and enjoyed than to say nothing at all. :)

I will say that I love about your work how natural the politics of the era feel. This is always a struggle for me. (My husband studied political science, but this was always a weak area for me; I have to ask for his help with stories sometimes! :^P) But this feels so natural and believable in your stories. Also, the dialogue is fantastic!

So it seems that I can provide some more specific feedback after all. :)

Anyway, thanks for sharing another wonderful piece. I look forward to more to come.

Thank you so much, Dawn. Just being told it was read and enjoyed is lovely - though I like how you expanded that into a really nice review *smile*

When I write (or read) I always wonder what's going on behind the scenes, who's talking to whom, who's trying to gain what advantage... I love the depth those kinds of detail give a story.  Plus I'm South African, we're all politically aware to the point of being total pains in the neck on the subject, lol.

And I'm so glad you like the dialogue - it's the part I always enjoy writing the most :)

~Kei.

I really like this story.  Gil-galad ended up king in at a time when no one in their right mind would want the position, yet he manages to make a rather impressive success of it.  Of course, if the valar hadn't arrived they would probably all have been dead anyway, no matter who was in charge.

The Valar's intervention might have been a mixed blessing though, what with all those lands breaking and being drowned. We're never told how many elves died during that - they couldn't all have managed to put to sea. 

Yes, my mind goes in strange places, lol.

Thanks for reading and commenting, and I'm happy you liked this. I have plans to go on with the story when I've cleared a few other things - I certainly enjoyed thinking myself into the time and place and he really is my favourite elf to write.

Kei/