like this

Ooh! I really liked this story. It was perfectly sombre, with just the right balance at the end.

The ending was depressing, with Elrond's line; 'Celebrian.. Go. Sail. ...flee"but just perfectly depressing and touching.

The story was very well written. I loved the promise behind it, and cannot think of a single critique for you, as everything looked absolutely wonderful!

Poor Celebrian. I feel bad for her. She just wants to leave he crazy place(and let's face it, it is crazy) she lives in, and go to where she'll be forever happy and at peace, but it breaks her hear to leave her children and Elrond.

This was a very beautiful piece, showing the story of an all but non-existent character in the canon. I loved reading it, and I loved reviewing it. Favorite added.

I do want to say that the song lyrics technically break site rules, as song fics aren't allowed on FFN, even though I really loved the way they worked with the story.

Aww. This was beautifully done! There are definitely not enough fics about Celebrian, but I think this one made up for them all. 3

I'm not too familiar with the Lord of the Rings fandom, which is probably why the beginning of this story seems slightly vague to me - even so, maybe I would recommend including the name of the main character a little earlier, instead of repeating the "she", which could clear up things for the reader, and make it seem a little less confusing. The lyrics of the song fit very well with the message of this story; good selection with that! The beginning seemed to be a little misleading, but the confusion cleared up near the end of the fic; the style of writing seems to be full of suspense, and it doesn't seem rushed at all. The word choice is great, and there are some lovely descriptions such as [bright lights of the west] and [salty water of the sea]. The pain of Celebrian is conveyed very nicely through the beginning, but it is not overdone, as there is an inkling of hope near the end of the story, so good job with creating those sort of descriptions; There's a great emotional depth throughout this, describing her journey and the only way that she would be able to find peace in the end.

However, there were some small errors in here, such as; there are some small repetitions of the word properly, but is that to properly emphasize a point? Other than that, everything seems fine, and great job with this!

xx clara

The writing of this is very interesting; there's something harsh and suspensful in the style, something that seemed at the beginning to be misleading but made perfect sense right at the end! Very clever writing. The way the sentences flowed into each other through content but not style was superb!

On that note, you could have broken it up a /little/ more. There was a tad of filler, eg "They were weary and grieved" didn't need the first two words. The repetition of "probably", while is a literary device on its own, is also unnecessary when creating that fragmentation.

The images here are gorgeous as well: the hauntingness of this dream reality is very nicely orchestrated. The sensation of Celebrian being in the middle of it all is very nicely drawn; in every paragraph her presence is very strongly portrayed - the only thing that remains constant in these flashes.

The second scene was less poignant than the first, but it gives meaning to that first fleeting scene. The passage of the elves to their final haven was very nicely reflected upon here: looked upon very cleverly. Their reasons for sailing - I never really thought about it before, but you brought the scene out quite nicely. It does make me wonder though how Elrond is able to endure: is it something to do with their bloodlines.

As my other review was so short, I wanted to make it up with another one. Wouldn't be a cheater :)

I have never read a story with Celebrian before, or with any Elf who is fading, an I believe you portrayed it very well with the weariness of the world, and burnt-out sensation. And the fear, let's not forget the fear.

All around her familiar faces, if memory serves me right, this was also the first lyric of Mad World, right? Brilliant idea, and so poignant with her ordeal.
I loved the tone of this very much, you're truly talented, especially for this fandom.

Even if you hadn't mentioned “Mad World” in your A/Ns, I probably would have recognized the reference in the first line – I really love that song. :) I would probably have not thought of it in the context of LotR, but now that you've put the idea in my head, it makes a lot of sense.

For some reason the “nay” stood out to me as sounding a bit silly. Maybe it's because I'm too used to hearing animated Thor say that, so my mind associates it with a sort of overblown pretentiousness that doesn't seem to fit with the established mood here. So, it's probably a completely legitimate word, but given the only context I've really seen/heard it in, I can't take it seriously.

I don't know what a fea is, and Google is no help. :/

I think over all the descriptions of depression work really well here. I can understand Celebrian's experience, because I have gone though depression myself (admittedly not to the severity she is experiencing here). The most powerful image for me, though, is Elrond's pain as he tries to reach out to her, to help her. The love they still feel for each other here is so tragic.

I like how this acknowledges that she does truly love her husband and her children, and how she is legitimately incapable of “snapping out of it.” I think a lot of people who don't understand depression actually do everyone a pretty big disservice when they assume that a depressed person is being selfish or just “trying to get attention” or whatever. Celebrian is experiencing something pretty severe here, perhaps a break with reality. And for all their knowledge, the Elves don't have an equivalent to antidepressants with which to treat depression.

I appreciate the struggle she feels here, when she's finally about to leave. She doesn't want to leave her husband and children behind. It seems there isn't a good option for her. It's too bad that she can't simply sail west for a little while and then return once she's feeling better, once her mind has had time to heal. But I guess it's not that simple.

I chose to review this little one-shot, not because of its size, but because I was very much interested by its summary. My first guess of the theme was correct and, although short, this story didn’t disappoint. In fact, as far as writing goes, this is a proof of how beautiful your words and descriptions can be. I would say you have a very readable style, but that wouldn’t make you justice. It’s not only clean and clear, as it has a wonderful flow and manages to convey many emotions. As a reader I find myself captivated by your writing.

[On a little note, the sentence “(…) insides wiggle like beloved fishes” made me laugh :P]

Now, this is a very controversial theme on the Tolkien verse. We never actually know if Celebrían was raped, but what we do know is that she was indeed “tormented and captured” by orcs. It’s indeed curious that you leave that part of the plot vague (Tolkien did so too), though I think it was for the best.

I wonder about what happened in this particular situation. It has occurred to me that there is no mention of orcs sexually assaulting elves or humans in any of the texts. This could be due to the fact that Tolkien didn’t want to shock his audience as it was a sensitive matter, or because orcs aren’t interested in sexual relations with other races? Hmm, curious.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with the story of Eol and Aredhel? I’ve read a forum discussion once on the evolution of Tolkien’s view on whether Eol had “wed” Aredhel without her consent and this was still a dubious matter. Tolkien does give us some references when some form of sexual assault was committed – here I refer the pursuit of a girl by outlaws and the “taking of wives” – but in this case he refers that Celebrían received a “poisonous wound”. I would guess that being tormented would be enough for her to lose all will to live in ME, but one can only make suppositions in this case.

However, there is a reference to Tolkien’s statement that an elf would die if such a savagery was committed to him/her. The counterview is that an elf wouldn’t automatically die, but it would be a voluntary reaction to such a case.

I find Elrond’s care and compassion for his wife a beautiful demonstration of how much he loves her. As you mentioned, “(…) she was living forever in fear”. No matter what happened, this was a far too terrible situation that causes Celebrían too much pain. She’s lucky to have such caring children and a husband who loves her so much that he would let her go. You conveyed that message in a very clear and endearing fashion, I can’t compliment you enough for it.

“(…) her féa would appear to depart.” I enjoyed this passage very much. Just as before, it conveyed how much Celebrían needed an escape and her own peace of mind. Elves are connected to the world until its very end, but some lose the will to live after centuries or millennium of walking among others. It’s a tragic fate, though it suits them. Elrond would never want his wife to fade just to stay by his side; he wants her to be at peace. That’s a very beautiful way of showing true affection.

Hopefully this review was helpful, even if I left the grammar nitpicking untouched. I just can’t see anything I’d change or re-write here.
Happy writings )
-Rita

How on earth did this fic escape my notice?

Beautiful. You capture Celebrian's pain and sadness and 'hollowness' that followed her ordeal on the High Pass so accurately, without going into gory details in the least. You just use simple words, combining them so effectively together. That's a rare thing to find in those stories exploring Celebrian's life after the Orc attack.

Your Elrond was so patient, so understanding. And the lyrics, of course, so fitting.

I noticed one tiny slip-up, namely a "proper" that lacks a "ly" at the end in order to make it a correct adverb, but I see another reviewer has already mentioned that.

EC

Picked this because of the song, big when I was in high school (Oops, am I *that* old?). Also don't see Celebrian featured very often. And of course, LZ lyrics often refer to LOTR. Was this song *intended* to refer to her? It fits perfectly. Your knowledge of the vast canon of LOTR is good (I had to look up details like "fea"). I'm not exactly sure what ample price she paid, so perhaps more hints? What we're shown is her fear of the orcs winning the day in the coming war.

Celebrian's distraction, sorry, fear and longing are well-portrayed. For any woman to give up her children (though grown) and a beloved husband, her personal torment would have to be as vast as it is shown to be here (she won't get to see her daughter's wedding!). The details of why the west attracts her (it's where her mother came from) and why her "spirit is crying for leaving" support her decision. And of course, Elrond will eventually be joining her.

Nits:
Scene 1, paragraph 2: "properly" because the word is defining verbs.
Scene 2, paragraph 1: should be [to a land where she {{would}} be forever safe and at ease]

First, I have to say that I picked this story first because I have been raised on Led Zeppelin (thanks, Dad!) and the idea appealed to me right away. I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed!

I'm a mentally visual person and I have to say you hit all the right buttons for me describing Celebrian's turmoil. The familiar, beloved faces that now frighten her. Even the man she loves. The awful nightmares that seem to haunt her, even during waking hours. The fact that she can no longer see the beauty of the world around her. Poor Celebrian :(

And I can seriously feel Elrond's pain through his few words, even though this is not his POV. How her agony is affecting him so deeply. How he wants to see her recover, but seems to sense that she can't. how he finally has to let her go into the West. He's obviously hurting to let her go, but he knows he must so that her sanity will be saved. That scene at the end where they last embrace and he tells her to go and sail is heartbreaking and lovely all at once.

I absolutely love how you wove in a couple of the lyrics into the narrative. (Especially when listening to the song, heh) The very last line about the high price to pay for peace (everything she has known, including her soulmate) is also very fitting. Fabulously done! :D

Ya know, I usually don't like reading these stories, simply because of the fact that such events as this happened in Tolkien's lore was horrible to read about. Alas, JRRT does love to impart grief. Such is why I hardly like reading stories about when Elrond departs (that really kills me) or similiar situations. It's just too sad to think about, knowing that nothing could be done to change it.

But I'm certainly glad to have read this. And I say that sincerely. :) It was short, but it didn't lessen the quality of it. What I loved most about this one-shot is that you managed to convey something other, something more than the typical way writers go about to write this horrid event in Elrond's life. Rape (and all else the Orcs did) is ghastly, of course, horrid beyond imagine for anybody. But Tolkien was very specific (in a vague way of course) as to what happens when such happens to an Elf, what precisely it means to the faer and how the shattering of all bonds and the breaking of soul and body effects said Elf: it's far more than just a horrid experience. It's a living death. And through the way you wrote it, you were able to convey that fact exceptionally well. So *thank you* for writing the Lady of Imladris' end of life in ME far better and more accurate that the nonsense that exists about it out there! It was certainly needed!

Phrases that conveyed how she was hollow within, how she might as well have been a ghost for how she walked about Imladris, of how she couldn't see or understand beauty or life anymore, how nothing now matters...very nicely done. It's so saddening knowing that she loves her husband and children more than anything, and yet, it's not enough. Nothing could be enough. She's simply broken.

There was only one mistake that I could catch (if you opt to change it since it's not a big deal at all, or even a small deal): In “To the sea that she would have to traverse”, “sea” should be capitalized since it refers to the Belegaer, and therefore conveys the symbolic reference to what forever separates the lands mortal and immortal. Knowing when to capitalize "sea" and when to leave it as a common noun certainly can be confusing, but in the way you applied it here, it ought to be capitalized. :) See, a mountain out of a mole hill! lol.

I truly did love this piece, though. Yes, it was short, but sometimes the greatest depth of emotions can only be conveyed through the smallest sentences. And you were spot on with that idea here. I loved it and was happy that I decided to read it. :) I had my doubts, I'm ashamed to say, but I was definitely proven wrong. Just goes to show, once again, that you shouldn't pre-judge! :)

Well, in risk of repeating something like a foolish parrot, I'll leave it here. Wonderful one-shot! I honestly can't think of anything that would improve it, and trust me, I'm trying to think of something! :P Very well done, though. Very well done. I look forward to what's next!

Gwed

Oh, that's lovely, achingly so.

I love how careful and discreet you are, conveying just enough of her torment without going overboard, as most stories about Celebrian do. We need no sordid details to see her pain.

And then, of course, the hint of hope as she sails.

Wow, this is wonderfully well-written. You really can feel the emotional depth that you have described, a sort of aching, melancholic sadness that penetrates to the very soul. That is what this conveyed about Celebrian's feelings of her ordeal. That she could only find peace by sailing west and get rid of the ghosts plaguing her mind. You made her seem very real. The lyrics also add a special touch to the writing, sprinkled throughout.

Again, a beautifully done piece.

I hadn't thought of her departure in terms of the Let Zeppelin lyrics, but they are apt here. A short tale - with nice insights. Thanks