Elleth, I loved this, as I knew I would. Being a mod on this group, I could see all the requests and claims and was very excited when I saw you'd claimed mine! :D Thank you so very much.
I loved the detail of Indis presiding over the assembly (and Nerdanel's involvement, however brief) and the image of her calling the lords to order. I am guilty of not thinking much about Indis and so have always fallen into the default assumption that she went back to Valmar after the Darkening, but I am intrigued by this more active version of her, who seems more than willing and able to claim her place as the queen.
I wanted to smack some of those cruel to Nerdanel, but her reactions--almost as if she were doing a type of penance, not only for herself but her kin--felt so right to me. Miriel's role as the one to jar her from this mindset was perfect. I don't see it anymore--I think the Tolkien fandom (at least where I play) has on a whole become more aware of gender issues--but I remember a prevalent view once upon a time that could be titled Pin the Blame on the Women of the Noldor. The fall of the Fëanorians was not really their fault ... oh no no. It's not as though, for example, that they chose covetousness or swore an oath or lifted swords against their kin. Rather, the fault lay with Miriel, Indis, and Nerdanel in varying degrees for their selfish decisions that harmed Fëanor in some way. /sarcasm
So I loved Miriel's insistence that Nerdanel not follow the same path as she, nor waste her talents in penance when she could better serve her people--and herself--otherwise.
The description of the weaving of Fingolfin's coronation was simply wonderful: One of those descriptions in good Tolkien fanfic that itself weaves art, history, and magic in such a delightful way.
Finally, I want to say how well I think you nailed Miriel's voice. Her own admission of callousness and distance from the concerns of the living shine through. Some authors can write in character's voices in such a way that I can almost hear that person speaking, and you have done that here.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2014-01-01 03:53 pm (UTC)I loved the detail of Indis presiding over the assembly (and Nerdanel's involvement, however brief) and the image of her calling the lords to order. I am guilty of not thinking much about Indis and so have always fallen into the default assumption that she went back to Valmar after the Darkening, but I am intrigued by this more active version of her, who seems more than willing and able to claim her place as the queen.
I wanted to smack some of those cruel to Nerdanel, but her reactions--almost as if she were doing a type of penance, not only for herself but her kin--felt so right to me. Miriel's role as the one to jar her from this mindset was perfect. I don't see it anymore--I think the Tolkien fandom (at least where I play) has on a whole become more aware of gender issues--but I remember a prevalent view once upon a time that could be titled Pin the Blame on the Women of the Noldor. The fall of the Fëanorians was not really their fault ... oh no no. It's not as though, for example, that they chose covetousness or swore an oath or lifted swords against their kin. Rather, the fault lay with Miriel, Indis, and Nerdanel in varying degrees for their selfish decisions that harmed Fëanor in some way. /sarcasm
So I loved Miriel's insistence that Nerdanel not follow the same path as she, nor waste her talents in penance when she could better serve her people--and herself--otherwise.
The description of the weaving of Fingolfin's coronation was simply wonderful: One of those descriptions in good Tolkien fanfic that itself weaves art, history, and magic in such a delightful way.
Finally, I want to say how well I think you nailed Miriel's voice. Her own admission of callousness and distance from the concerns of the living shine through. Some authors can write in character's voices in such a way that I can almost hear that person speaking, and you have done that here.
Thank you again, Elleth! *hugs*