Comments

The Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more than just an archive--we are a community! If you enjoy a fanwork or enjoy a creator's work, please consider letting them know in a comment.

For the review challenge in the form of a letter from a character:

Letter from Fëanor:

Oh, Dawn, what can I say to this? Nice piece of research? Knowing you, I trust that you did not cherry-pick from the extant texts to paint a particular picture.

I never said to anyone that Indis was unintelligent or incompetent either. I will, however, not refrain from remarking that she went after what she wanted and she got it. Not surprisingly, it was not all that she had hoped it would be. However, hindsight is better than semi-conscious obfuscation. I have learned a bit myself, grudgingly, about looking back and seeing things I had missed in the heat of events. If I ever meet up with Indis again, I will not apologize; I never was actually uncordial to her face that I recall (expect for the occasional adolescent surly grumbles). But I will perhaps look upon her somewhat more sympathetically. Like her, as much as I loved my father and always will love him, I have an enhanced perspective now which presents to me a more realistic picture, one that contrasts to my previous hero-worship of Finwë. I can see that I blamed Indis for things for which he was more than half responsible.

 The fragment from Nerdanel pains me for a series of subjective reasons. Even in the instances where the facts cast me in a less than stellar light, I believe uncovering and disseminating the truth of these histories, much distorted in the past, is of importance. Thank you for sharing this material.

Ah, Fëanor, you know me well! "Cherry-pick" is so negative in connotation, don't you think? I will say that I was selective among the extant texts in choosing examples that ran contrary to the prevailing scholarly writings about your stepmother. Even you cannot deny that she is unfairly reduced in these texts.

"I will, however, not refrain from remarking that she went after what she wanted and she got it."

Of course she did. That's part of what attracts me to her in the larger picture: that she *wasn't* merely acted upon, wooed, seduced, married by your father but saw her chance and took it. It wasn't what she thought it'd be, but I think you'd might agree with me that part of that was the culture in which she was raised, which didn't exactly give a realistic picture of marriage or relations (however you choose to interpret that) between the sexes. She was also handed a marriage that *no one* in Eldarin society could have been properly prepared for, as so much of her marriage to your father was utterly unprecedented.

"I can see that I blamed Indis for things for which he was more than half responsible."

Yes. It is interesting to me how many people find Indis's behavior in marrying your father improper but do not find the same of his relinquishing his marriage to your mother and choosing a *second* spouse (whereas Indis had loved no one to that point). I admire your father for many things, but in other regards ... well, I can see where you got your impetuosity and your stubborn streak. :)

What a beautiful coming of age (and beyond) piece, having grown up with many tales of lore, traditions to honour the Valar ingrained in her, I just love how she feels inenvitably drawn to Finwë. It makes me wonder how she would have become, as his wife, had she had known what happened to Míriel. To read that her family kept her out of it, as a willful lamb being brought in for slaughter... it just reads as a first wrong done to her because Fingolfin must have picked up his skill for diplomacy from someone. It makes me wonder how she would have ruled if she could have fully developed in a skillfull leader, diplomat and politicians. The seeds were sown there, I think. But she can never let go of what she had been taught. I love the build up to the coronation, as if she wants the Valar to show the disapproval prior the crowing, as an excuse to use and postpone for herself, a kind of affirmation that this was probably not the best idea. Forgive me for speculating so, but I have all these thinky thoughts right now and I am just blurting them out here. She should have been better loved. She should have been given the chance to get to know Fëanor better, to bond with him before marriage at least. Customs amongst her people be damned, can you imagine how things might have been if Indis and Fëanor have not been at odds so much? Intriguing thought, surely. And no, I am not going to explore that, but maybe someone who comes across this review might think: hmmm, that is a nice bunny! :D

Wonderfully done Dawn, I can go on for a while about this piece, but I can really imagine why this song grabbed you and how this bunny resulted in this piece. It is a perfect fit.

I am so sorry for the delay in answering this, Rhapsy. I am now wondering if our notification woes didn't begin sooner than we realized, as I never received notification of it! :(

I very much wanted to create the impression that Indis passed on her forbearance and skill for diplomacy to her sons, so I am glad you caught that one. I love your thinky thoughts. :) I agree that Indis deserved so much more, and she unjustly assumes a negative role when it needn't have been that way. I found myself quite liking her as I wrote this. I've felt badly for her for a long time. She was put in something of an impossible role: the first second wife of the Eldar, and under such prominent circumstances (and as stepmother to Feanor!)

Thank you so much for your comment, and I again apologize for taking so long to acknowledge it!

Hey Dawn, in the midst of B2Me 2015--2015, FFS!--I'm dropping in with a belated review. I was having a bit of drama during last year's B2MeM and hardly ended up reading anything, and lo and behold, as I was browsing tags on the B2MeM LJ comm, this story appeared!

This is wonderful. It's so well-written, and your elucidation of Vanyarin culture and religion is absolutely convincing. I felt a certain claustrophobia for Indis, so sheltered as a young Vanyarin noblewoman. The ending is quite bittersweet; I leave with an impression that Indis still has much grief and loss to come, but perhaps is also coming into her own at last, not in the shadow of uncles and husbands.

The interspersed archival documents were a great innovation. I noticed Himring commented in the LJ comm that that was reminiscent of LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness, which I agree with.

I'm also delighted that the song prompt I suggested was able to help you spawn this story, and only wish I'd read it sooner!

Author's Response:

Eek, thank you for such a lovely review, and especially belatedly! :D It's always fun to get a new comment on a story that hasn't gotten any attention in a while.

I loved the song for the prompt. I knew as soon as I heard it that I would like to write something from it. But I was being a good coordinator and letting everyone else choose their prompts first. As soon as I saw it made it through the first round of selections, though, it was mine! All mine! ;)

The Vanyar are a culture I'd never explored much before this point. I was always preoccupied with those busy Noldor! :) As always, the chance to go to new places and with new people was one of the most enjoyable parts of writing this story. I'm glad it felt real to you; that is a great compliment--and comforting!--given my newness in writing about the Vanyar.

Thank you again for the prompt, for reading, and for commenting! :)