I'm dazed by your brilliant work. Though my English isn't very good, I can still appreciate the beauty of the words. I can't think of anything to say but thank you.

Simply a dazzling piece of writing. There are some truly awe-inspiring lines in here:

'...her cruelty in bringing him into a people that had noticed my sculptor's muscles and saw fit to record in its books of lore that I am not beautiful.'

'We of the firstborn are not immortal. We are not even long-lived. It is only that our world, and all of Ea, will end at the same moment as our lives.'

The lyrical quality of Nerdanel's narrative and her stoic acceptance of her fate is truly moving, and your evocative portrait of her truly brilliant.

That tasted right. It smelled right. The color was right. It feels right.

Congratulations.

Excellent work. All of it was quite poignant and fraught with emotion, but the part where you described Tuor:
Her husband was a human, short and broad, with hair on his face and thick muscles that seemed suited for cutting stone. He smiled widely, in awe at the greatness around him, but I wondered if Idril was aware of her cruelty in bringing him into a people that had noticed my sculptor's muscles and saw fit to record in its books of lore that I am not beautiful.
...was especially sad and immediate. Keep uHer husband was a human, short and broad, with hair on his face and thick muscles that seemed suited for cutting stone. He smiled widely, in awe at the greatness around him, but I wondered if Idril was aware of her cruelty in bringing him into a people that had noticed my sculptor's muscles and saw fit to record in its books of lore that I am not beautiful.
Keep up the amazing work! You're a fantastic writer.

*speaks around the lump in her throat*

The history of the First Age from the Valinorean perspective . . . this was an eye-opener. The tragedy is made more palpable by what you did with Nerdanel's sculptures (brilliant, by the way)- this way, the story doesn't simply come to them through messages. Your interpretation of the doom of Mandos - "no less true for those who remain" - is so right I wonder why I didn't see it before. We see too little of Nerdanel as a character in her own right, and you do her full justice.

Please stay in the fandom. You do wonders for it, Deborah.

This deserves a more perceptive review, but all I can say is thank you, wow, thank you, and wow.

I love Anaire's quoting, actually.
This was beautiful. I haven't read a good Silm fic in a while. I was beginning to despair, thinking I had to go back to Nol, Itarille, and everyone else's writings to read something good.

Wow.. I'd have to quote this entire thing to find things that are my favorite. Your language and word choice is exquisite. You capture Nerdanel so perfectly. One of the best. Yet in the end, I love her image of Feanor.
"But no stone fire that I could ever forge would consume itself, would burn itself into the remnants of flame." Perfect characterization and realization of Feanaro's character.
"A true image would consume Beleriand, Valinor and Ea itself. It would burn those who watch it into destruction, yet they would yearn to be destroyed, only to once have been so bright."
Wow.. I've never seen it put into words as well as that. Fëanaro had something that burned, scorched every being he came in contact with, yet they loved the fire, grew closer to it, until it grew too hot for any of them to control.
Favorite story. Haven't added any in a while.
Brava!