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Anérea has requested the following types of constructive criticism on this fanwork: Description/Imagery, Fulfilled Intent, Mood/Tone, Organization/Structure, Research, Spelling, Grammar, and Mechanics, Style. All constructive criticism must follow our diplomacy guidelines.

I like this a lot, how the second part complements the first!

How they discover the Flame Imperishable in and through each other, both macrocosm and microcosm.

More than a purely romantic rapture, although of course that, too!

I am so glad you chose to write about this! Your writing style suits it so well. You really captured the faerie and magic of their meeting while also making it just the right amount of relatable to us poor mortals in the way that the Silmarillion does not. 

I loved this: "In him she beheld the mind of Ilúvatar reflected anew which otherwise had been hidden even from the Ainur, and she saw in him a world like unto Arda, as vast and manifold and thorough in its crafting, yet so small as to be wholly contained within."

What a beautiful way of thinking about and describing Melian's love for Thingol <3. 

Thank you! I'm glad you like the concept. I've often seen people say it's easy to understand what he saw in her, but can't fathom what she sees in him, and I think in a world that you yourself sang into existence, something not created by you would be fascinating. I guess it could have been anyone, but fate made it Elwe. (I believe Eru is a hopeless romantic at heart!)

I have liberally appropriated bits of phrases from the Silmarillion and then attempted to emulate the style to make a kind of word-collage, so the first half of the quoted sentence is basically Tolkien's. It which was a very interesting challenge! Some words I would naturally use felt wrong, such as trill, inhale, miniature, scale, and complexity, so I ended up burrowing down a fascinating etymological rabbit hole, in the process learning some Old English/Anglo Saxon words I wish would come into common parlance again!

I love how you mixed phrases from the Silmarillion with your own and how seamlessly both fit together.

The mists as the breath of the trees is a wonderful image. And it's beautiful how they are both something new and wondrous to each other and their own way to the Secret Fire.

I love that Melian's interest in Thingol makes sense here - I've sometimes wondered what drew her to him.

And I adore the imagery in the first chapter of the trees/forest as a living entity, breathing.

Oh, I'm so pleased her interest her makes sense for you.

I think my idea of the forest being a mist-breathing entity came from Peter Wohlleben's books The Hidden Life of Trees and The Heartbeat of Trees, both of which are fascinating and I can highly recommend. (I've found the audiobooks to be the perfect bedtime listening for someone who doesn't fall asleep easily: interesting so they don't bore and irritate me awake but not too thrilling that I can't fall asleep!)