You are an excellent storyteller and this story has kept me gripped.

I have to say that your Aragorn is very different that the way I imagine Tolkien's creation, but I liked your depiction of Arwen and Faramir.

I'm very glad the story has a happy ending.

Congratulations! An excellent tale. I'm very glad I found it towards the 'end' of its writing. I don't know how I would have endured the wait.

I am in the midst of a tale that is now in its sixth year of writing. I pray I will be able to end it this year.

Looking forward to more of your writings!

Blessings
Agape

Sorry, sorry, sorry. Real life hit me with a bomb and I haven't been able to get here any sooner. I read earlier, but reviewing has been waylaid. Until now. I'll try to make it good to make up for my absence.

And so the story comes to an end. You know I am very sad about that. I would see you write this angst and heartbreak forever if I could. But such a thing isn't really fair to you, nor is it fair to your characters. All of them deserve a little "happily ever after" time, especially after seeing what a dreadful ordeal you've put them through.

I love that you end the story where you began it, with Arwen and Aragorn looking out, watching Legolas and Gimli arrive. The difference is the positive note of this occasion. Arwen is happy. Aragorn has restored faith, and, traveling without urgency, Gimli and Legolas are well (somewhat).

Thranduil seems to have forgiven Aragorn, as demonstrated by his gift, but at first it is not clear if Legolas has forgiven. He is... a little stiff. Of course Arwen wants to fix that -- she is riddled with guilt, of course. But if Legolas is unforgiving, it is not of her that he has difficulty. I think he would do it all again if she asked... well, maybe not, but he is still very accommodating. I do appreciate that he wouldn't tell her what is eating at him though. I suppose that is a little payback for having divulged as much of himself as he has. Some things must remain a mystery and Arwen has no right to that knowledge.

Obviously all of them notice Legolas' distance. I like that Gimli likens it to PTSD. There *was* a mighty battle. I can't imagine going through all that without some repercussions. But Aragorn doesn't seem so easily convinced. In choosing to visit Legolas in his room, he is somewhat crossing a boundary. And were Legolas less healed that might be almost something taboo. Yet Legolas accepts him into his private space without hesitation, so we can see that Aragorn too has been forgiven.

Yet the door was locked, and that signifies a certain amount of fear. Fear of... what? Being attacked again? He knows Aragorn will not do that, but someone else might, and he feels... vulnerable... Something I think he has never experienced in his adult life. He had to kill off a portion of himself so that he might live and I think his ease was one of the things sacrificed in that. He will never be so confident again, at least not on M-E.

But he is trying. He recognizes that he can yet heal more, and part of that healing centers around resuming something of who he was before. Further, he likes the idea and that is a good thing. It will be a long time coming, but I do think Legolas can return to who he was. Yes, he is scarred. Yes, he now lives with fear. But in the end, he gained some knowledge of himself and learned something of both the darkness and light, as did Aragorn. So much was lost. But much was regained. And in the end there is promise that all can be restored to something comparable and good. The story ends on a good note as we always knew it would.

But that means we are done. How sad for me and for everyone else who has loved this story. I will close on my part by thanking you once more for creating this marvelous tale but am happy to hear you are not done. I look forward to reading more from you. I hope it will be soon. Until then...

Most sincerely yours,
Anarithilien

So... it's over.
don't know what to say. I've followed this story from the beginning and it really has been a treat to read it! You are such a talented author and your story is amazing!
the last chapter was very enjoyable- I loved the ending. I don't think there could have been a better ending for the story. From the ending, I can see hope for Aragorn and Legolas and everyone else.
oh and I loved the fact that Thranduil gave Aragorn the necklace. That's such a wonderful gesture. If I were Aragorn I would be like: 'Take it back! Take it back! I can't have it! Take it back!'
Best of luck in future endeavors and with life in general. I look forward to reading more from you!
Sofia

First, I have to say that I am heavily obligated to thank you a thousand times over for sharing with us your talent through this remarkable story. I was intrigued by the prologue, and as I read on, became absolutely enthralled by TPD, to the point where I stayed up until 5 in the morning for three days straight to read as much as I could before getting an hour or so of sleep.

Rape is not a subject to be written lightly about, and it is sadly trivialized by immature authors who only see the romanticized "deflowering" of the hero/heroine. Morbid as it sounds, I appreciate how you forced us to face this terrible reality, which some deny unless confronted with the truth. Your portrayal of rape as a weapon in this story, while not explicit, still made me exceedingly uncomfortable as you delved deep into Legolas’ emotions and physical and mental pain. I admit that those particular scenes disturbed me so much that I was tempted to give up reading TPD entirely. Then I had to remind myself that as the author, it wasn't your intention to write gratifying yaoi, but to condemn this horrific crime. As it is, I'm glad I stuck with TPD to the end.

One theme I was drawn to was that of addiction. To me, the way you presented Aragorn in the first half so strongly resembled what I might expect to be in the life of a person who has become a slave to his or her addiction, be it marijuana or social networking. In a tragic failing, Aragorn overestimates his strength of will and drowns in the depth of the palantir. Meanwhile, his exploitations prove to be the undoing of his relationships with his family and friends, not to mention the undermining of his rule as king – essentially, the destruction of his life – his death. Granted, his conscience (I believe personified as his love for Arwen?) prevented him from harming his wife, but it still ultimately failed to see the greatest danger – himself. Thank the heavens Aragorn had a friend like Legolas, ready to lay down his life for his friend.

What I loved the most was your underlying theme of redemption. I love redemption stories. They're a reminder of how human we are (even the Dúnedain and the Elves!). Even if we screw up, if we are penitent, there will be a second chance given to us. Case in point: When he finally realized the damage his addiction to that cursed palantir was doing to his relationships, Aragorn was able to tear himself away from it for the sake of his friend. When given the chance, he was willing to do penance for his mistakes; if it was not given to him he sought for it freely, whether from Arwen or Thranduil. I admire how later, you built up on this theme and had Aragorn make the ultimate sacrifice for Legolas, which I saw as both a penance for his crimes and an act of love for his brother. I applaud your skill in writing for being able to make such a theme resonate with me, as I’m sure it has with other readers.

There is so much more that I could say about TPD and I've hardly given this beautiful piece of work the review it deserves. There are so many other themes - betrayal, friendship, love, and trust, to name a few - that I could expound upon, all of which I truly appreciate. Suffice to say that all the time you put in and sacrifices you made for TPD have truly paid off, and you have written a true masterpiece. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for giving us This Present Darkness. I sincerely look forward to reading more of your work!

- Eccentrifuge

My Dear Amazing One, *still savoring* It took me while to emotionally digest and get back to a review *g* Bravissimo!! Huge congratulations and tremendous *appreciation* for completing the journey! *and the crowd goes wild* It is beautiful and sad to be finished. What work, what endurance - what a joy to take a breath and look back! *g*

Someday there *is* going to be a college class called “FanFic 101” and this story has to be on the reading list! So rich, so many layers, and dangerous, wonderful feelings - words seem inadequate. It was truly a soul’s (several actually) epic journey to self knowledge and reaching more light after much darkness. I am reminded again of Alan Watts (20th century philosopher, western born with eastern mind *g*) who described the endless struggle of light and dark as neither side *ever* completely winning, or completely losing. It is the journey that counts. And you took us all the way - it was a trip we will never forget.

I am thrilled you may be making a hard copy available!! Where do I sign up?!! And - I do know some artists who might donate work - Hm, perhaps this has already been accomplished. *fingers crossed for your satisfaction* (will email you off list too)

Last question, would you mind if I rec TPD on some other adult LOTR lists I belong to? Just checking. A fabulous work completed is worth celebrating! Hope we cross virtual paths again. Appreciation & loving admiration, Ana Library Elf

WOW. Just... WOW. I can't believe I got to follow along through that amazing journey. You delved into some of the darkest stuff I have ever read, but you did it with absolute, complete maturity. Brilliant handling of the characters; your respect for the source material drips from every paragraph, even if Tolkien never imagined such evil as Dragaer's. And nothing bad can be said of any of the writing, at all-- fantastic work!

I find myself unable to continue reading your story. And yet, every time I walk away I find myself drawn to it again. It's like watching a horror film. You know it's only a story, and that it's only going to get worse, and that it's going to stuff you up emotionally, yet you keep watching, for the thrill and curiosity, and simply for the hope that it will end pleasantly.

However I can't keep reading, not anymore. I don't want to.

This story is amazing. I sat at my computer for 4 days, hardly moving, until I finished it. It's incredibly well-written, so I applaud you quite a bit there. It's probably the best story on here- at least, it's the best of any I'VE ever read. Not my favorite story, though that's not your fault. I am rather opposed to rape of any kind, be it mental or physical, so I kind of clashed with this story a few times, if you catch my meaning. But, I applaud your audacity in putting this story out there. I imagine it would be hard to post a story that circles around points as...delicate as rape. I dunno, maybe that's just me. It's really a wonderful piece of literature, and I wish you luck getting it into hard copy (I might be a little late on this, I'm not sure. Good luck anyway!)

Looking forward to more stories from you--no pressure though, I can wait for them. =D

PS. I think this is the longest review I've ever written. O_O

I usually stray away from fics like this. Truly, I do. But as soon as I read the beginning chapter, I was captivated. You are a fantastically talented writer. I would make the suggestion you become a full time author in the 'real world', but most fanfic writers prefer to stay in fantasy.

I'll be back soon for some more of your fabu-licious stories!

D&D

Amazing. I like your oath...good idea. I hate coming across a story and finding out that it will probably never be complete. I personally cant wait for the the hobbit to come out. Its my favorite! Just to let you know I am a Senior GFA major at the MD Institute College of Art in Baltimore and I have been doodling this story!...but the downside is that I am not good at photoshop, but I can draw. If I did draw something up, where do I send it too? my email is . I hope you get many offers! Look for an illustration major!

As sad as I am to see the end of this riveting tale, I have to say that you summed it up just about perfectly, giving us, in turns, humor, angst, acceptance, and hope.

It was not to be expected that after all that has passed, Legolas would be "normal" - and I am glad to see that you addressed that. With the return of the Call, however, there is hope that one day, in Valinor, he will be fully restored.

Similarly (although, being focused on Legolas, the thought never occurred to me - although it should have), it was only to be expected that Aragorn would suffer his own lingering trauma. In this vein, it was a nice touch working in Faramir's dreams of the pyre, and the Dwarven sigin-narag. (One can only guess at what dreams Gimli might have.)

And yet there is hope - hope for Legolas' eventual complete spiritual restoration, and hope for Legolas and Aragorn's friendship. In their discussion and plans for the orc hunt, we can see a new beginning - a new (echoed in the sunrise) dawn.

So very well done.

Amazing.

I can't believe we've finally made it to the end. The ending was beautiful, hopeful with a touch lingering sorrow. You've invested so much of yourself into this story, and I hope your book plans go well. You deserve all the praise you've garnered over the years. I thank you sincerely for sharing this with us.

Until next time!

Best story I have ever read. Perfect ending and I'm glad you didn't make everyone completely healed. Good work!

HI!! Wonderful ending! you made cry, literaly. util we meet again
sam