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Keiliss, well done!  I really enjoyed this story at many levels.  Typically, I've always had something of a soft spot for Celeborn (and I love how you've drawn him in "Footsteps") but many ficcish Galadriels often leave me a bit cold. Your characterization melted any frost I had for her.  You made her far more empathetic (at least to me) through this narrative - very nice touches with her woodland visits to the children of Men, her concern for her adopted people, her love for her mate, and her profound connections to her brothers.  She obviously pays a heavy price for her heightened mental acuity.

And your portrait of Melian?  Oh, man, that is just fabulous! Incarnated as a human yet otherworldly.  Your verbiage captures that idea so well:  "dragonfly favour,"  her title of Daurnana are among many that convey your vision.  I get the impression that even Thingol finds her scary! Cultural variations among the Elven tribes has always intrigued me, and you have certainly captured that beautifully in "Footsteps."

Thanks for entertaining me with a well-crafted story from your secondary world of Tolkien's secondary world (I guess that would be a tertiary world). 

 

Hi, 

I had no idea how to handle Melian when I started this, but it made a sort of twisted sense for her to seem totally alien to the elves, and her history suggests the only thing that really held her attention was Thingol... once I started I had to be careful not to get too carried away, because she was such fun to write. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the result, and I'm also so glad you liked Galadriel. I seldom feel much connection to the Third Age Lady of the Wood, but Galadriel the Rebel, potent, gifted, headstrong, really speaks to me.  I don't know if Tolkien ever realised it, but he created very much a 'modern woman', lol.

Tertiary world. Heh, I like that, yes. This was a lovely review, all the more so because The Apprentice is on my list of 'must reads' and seeing your name was the necessary prod to get me moving.

Thank you, you have been most kind :)

I am sorry that I missed this story when you first posted it. What an excellent piece! There is so much that I adored about this story: the tenderness of the love between Galadriel and Celeborn, your gorgeous descriptions, the insight into Galadriel's prescience. I went from grinning ear to ear to having tears in my eyes; this is simply a remarkable work of fiction! *adds to favorites*

I’d never written het before, or an adventure theme, or used a map to plot a story, so I got to stretch myself a bit here, lol. Covering most of the First Age wasn’t planned – that would have scared me off – it just happened, and I’m always thrilled to find someone has enjoyed the end result. Your comments are a wonderful compliment, Dawn, as was your stunning MEFA review which I admit I read twice with a silly smile on my face. Thank you so much for both, they’re very much appreciated.

My first note is of the impression of Melian, as you describe her, from Artanis' pov. Not at all the Melian I always saw in my mind before.

I had some resentment to Melian's "probe", which felt more like an intrusion: "Finrod jerked, startled, but Artanis kept still, permitting rather than fighting the invasion. She had walked in forests with Yavanna and recognised strength beyond her ability to resist."

Wasn't such unauthorized act a sign of the dark one? I think I read something about that somewhere. Not sure.

Melian looked up at him, her face warming into an adoring smile. "The Night Walkers cannot come where we are, my King," she said confidently. "We have no need of the Lights. Let them do what they will, Doriath is safe. I have said it, and it is so."

If there's one thing I'm sure about after this "adoring little smile", is that I do NOT want any of the Ainur closer then the way Gandalef was permitted by the rulers of the Elven realms on the 3rd age.... *shivering in fear*

I can see how this Mealian can be the same one as decribed in "Secret Garden". Not a fairytale princess at all.

As for the rest of the story, it is a very emotional touching one. I came to love Galadriel (can you imagine), depicted as she is here. I loved the relations you created between her and Celeborn, the history of the 1st age, as viewed via their eyes.

Thank you for another wonderful tale.

 

I keep resetting it, but SWG still doesn’t give me review notifications 8 times out of 10. I’m so sorry Scarlet, I almost missed this great review.

I wasn’t sure how to write Melian, but she struck me as kind of ‘wild Maia’, a rebel and outsider amongst her own kind and also VERY different from the elves. She is their queen, but also an alien being with her own agenda and priorities. I’ve always hated how she just walked off and left them after Thingol died, as though they held no further interest for her now he was gone. It didn’t take long from there to get the fey, strange person I see when I think of her *g* ----  and it passed from her to Luthien, a whole other story of unusual decisions, LOL.  I’m glad her behaviour in Secret Garden made more sense after reading this – I should really have added a note at the end about the connection, I think.

I wrote this with a vague outline and a map at the top of the page (first time I’d ever done that) Each time I hit something I’d never tried before I just kept going and got this really good feeling when it worked. Never forgotten that, it made writing this very special. It gave me a softer view of Galadriel than I got in Doubt, too – more vulnerable – and cemented her as someone I will always like writing. 

I’m so happy you liked the story in its own right, Scarlet. Thank you *hugs*