The Hall of Fire

Well, looks like my whole "Dumbledore is not dead" theory is washed up... Spoilers, after a fashion.... During tonight's RCMH reading, JK Rowling said that Dumbledore is definitely dead, and that we all need to start moving through the five stages of grief. She needs to help us get past de...

Not really the mood I was going for here

I read that book a few times. Parts of it are excellent, while other bits are poor or at the least dated. Here's my favourite passage: When Dildo's eyes became adjusted to the pale light, he found that the grotto was almost filled by a wide, kidneyshaped lake where a nasty-looking clown named Goddam...

My current tip for everyone are the Robin Hobb books. The Assassins Trilogy The Liveship Traders Trilogy The Tawny Man Trilogy Each are seperate, but they are intertwined. Easily the best fantasy I have read in years. I enjoyed Wheel of Time, but stopped at about Book 6, until he finishes it. Likewi...

I'm glad it works for you Ath. I wish it could work for me. Like Ax said, the "bones" of the story are excellent, its just the execution that disappoints me so much. And I would agree about the Narn being the Yin to its Yang, though I doubt that we'll agree on why. Where the Lay fails to s...

Thank you Ax. You nailed it. Its a little like Watership Down (if you'll pardon the comparison). Frith and the Black Rabbit of Inle and El-Ahrairah all work because they're the legends that the modern day rabbits believe in. We're not expected to accept them as fact, merely to accept that Fiver and ...

Haul of Fire?

I don't know where else to put this, but occasionally normal people speak in a way that I find either profound, or particularly prosaic, even if I don't agree with them. This is not intended to be a repository of Winston Churchill quotes or quips. In fairness, it may turn out that quotes from here e...

I'm avoiding it for the present since there's already been a significant amount of what I would consider spoilers. Please remember that even such comments as those related to Joe are spoilers to some of us. I will now be reading the book with precoincieved "expectations" of Joe, because of...

Hall of Fire?

Well, Ax has explained with far more eloquence, and indeed education, what I have felt from the first reading. This story does not "fit" Middle-Earth. Where Tolkien is at his best is when everything feels real. His particular magic is allowing us to truly believe in creatures like Orcs and...

Not to mention, the more specific "you" in the Opera thread. I'm only getting a chance to listen to it now, so I'll save my thoughts for when I've heard more!

P.S. Lúthien is the Soprano in Adams Opera of Leithian (and his fiancée I believe?)

Fantastic Brian! I'm loath to put my thoughts on this chapter here. In everyone elses rapture, my thoughts would feel like a cold shower. Suffice it to say that this chapter is far from the high point in the legendarium for me. One of the lowest points rather. I have no desire to always be the guy k...

Can I just say how much I HATE this concept? It seems so "un-Tolkien". It's more like something out of Gattaca or Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Dodgy sci-fi fare, not high fantasy. Thank God none of this made it into Lord of the Rings or the Silmarillion. (However it may be hinted at)

Don't be silly. It would be ridiculous to crochet a sweater. They concentrated on shawls and throws mainly. Look for the "Made in Mandos" tag.

Welcome to Aldaron! I suspect this is the Author/Composer of Leithian - The Opera, who I invited to visit us here!

But the crochet helps.

Crochet mainly.

Libretto also added, again with full permission!

Faithful to what? They have pretty much a free hand in that period. All we have are some basic events in the Appendices. Going back 80 years before the Hobbit brings us to 2861. Here's what we know about the previous 10 years and what is to come in the next 80. 2850 Gandalf again enters Dol Guldur, ...