Hi!

I have read the last two chapters a long time ago, but somehow never got around to actually review...

I love this story as a whole! It is an amazing read! And I don't know how often I have reread it... but I enjoy it every time :-)

The next time I reread it, I will try to leave more precise reviews... because this story (and you!) certainly deserves it!

As for the last chapter: I especially loved the conversation between Boromir and Aragorn. It shows that they will be able to work together and perhaps even become friends (until now I would call them "friendly rivals")

There is just one thing I wondered about:

("I do intend to keep that bargain, Sire," I said.

At that last word, he grimaced. "None of this 'Sire' nonsense," he ordered. "Not in private, anyhow. After all that we have endured together, I am certain that you can bring yourself to call me 'Aragorn.'"

Startled anew, I had to grin. "Damn!" I exclaimed. "You certainly do impose challenging tasks upon me. Now I shall find myself biting my tongue, whenever I start to call you 'Sire.'")

("We are in public now, so I need not turn myself inside out in attempting not to call you 'Sire' – Sire, I thank you for this with all my heart.)

That he has to force himself not to say "Sire" seems a bit ... well, wrong to his character. (At least that's what I thought)

I don't see Boromir suddenly having a problem with calling the king "Aragorn". After all, he knew him under that name months before he became king! And I don't see Boromir as someone in awe of an authority person. (In fact, this stories Boromir didn't even really "want" a king. And to me it seemed, as if he always saw himself as an equal.)

As I see it, he would probably start calling Aragorn "Sire" because he respects him as king (and because it is seemly and expected of him) But I don't think he would have a problem stopping it, after Aragorn requested it. ... Or was Boromir only joking about it all? And I just didn't get it?

Sorry for this long ramble. (I hope I managed to explain understandable what I meant!) This is really just a minor point, but somehow I stumbled over it while reading...

I loved the whole Captain of Anduin thing :-) And the conclusion of the Eowyn-Boromir-Faramir-Merry love quartet was very realistic!

I would love, if you have ever the time and muse to write a sequel to this! ;-)

Anyway, I just wanted to thank you. A really big !THANK YOU! for taking the time to write this epic and sharing it with us! I enjoyed every minute reading and rereading this! ...

This is not a story. Now this, this, is a rare thing. A true masterpiece.

It is an honour to read it.

WOW! I honestly cannot believe you came back and finished this after all this time! It gives me hope for all of the other fics that have left be hanging.

Fantastic story! I am in awe of the scope of this tale, and the attention you paid to each detail in the writing of it. You show equal skill in your handling of both characterization and plot. It feels like it could have really happened in an alternate Tolkien universe. Your battle scenes are enviable. Your ability to write characters both familiar and new is excellent. Your Boromir is fleshed out in ways that even Tolkien did not have time or space to accomplish, and yet you do not take any liberties with his character that would cause me to raise a questioning eyebrow. Your creation of Svip is truly amazing. He is so strange and unexpected, and yet he fits seamlessly into Middle Earth, and your descriptions endear him to the reader from the start. Remarkable! Never stop writing!

LOL Boromir the Bully. That would be a fun name to see in a history book.

Wait. They just LEFT? Just like that? How could they? How could Aragorn possibly let them? In canon, Aragorn was crowned on the first of March. Since here he had to wait for the deliberation of the council, it must have been later. He married Arwen on Midsummer's eve, that is the 21st of June - 111 days after his crowning. Assuming that the elven host would still depart at the same time, since they could not have left before April 6 (the Elves' new year, when Celeborn, Galadriel and Thranduil met up to divide Mirkwood) that means they'll be there in (at the most) about three months. Are all those people really not going to attend the wedding? It's just that I don't see Eomer and all the others returning to Minas Tirith barely 3 months after reaching their home and beginning to effect the recovery from the war.

Otherwise, I thought everything was handled beautifully. It just sticks with me, however, this seeming neglect of Aragorn and his personal desire - he's been betrothed since he had returned from Mordor after being Thorongil, which means he's waited some 30 years. Not to mention that Elrond needs to bring him the Scepter of Annuminas. And if he passes through Orthanc, maybe he'd discover and bring the original Elendilmir. Really, what date are we on?

A good closing chapter. A few loose ends being tied up, some bittersweet moments, and an ending on a positive note. What more can a reader ask for? Thank you for the enjoyable hours of reading you provided to me.

Great chapter, a wonderful ending for an amazing story! I love how you write Boromir and his interactions with others. Thank you very much for never givin up writing this story, and for not rushing the ending!

I am so completely in love with your story! Thank you for finishing it at long last. It was totally worth the wait )

Thank you so much for this story. I have loved every chapter and the ending was just as wonderful as the first part. I am sorry to see it go. I will miss reading the further adventures of Boromir and Svip. Thank you again for sharing your great story.

Congratulations, you finished it! I've enjoyed the story very much, an interesting approach and a very memorable original character. Now to read it properly, since I've for gotten much of how we got here!

epilogue please?

I'm really enjoying this story, and I love your Svip!

hmm I do not agree with Meneldur at all, I think most of Boromir's interpretations in your story are pretty much spot on...that is, if the politics in middle earth 'actually' work in the same way as in our world and Tolkiens story is like any epic - a greatly edited narrative were the ugly politics are toned down and made into hero stories.

I mean, we are dealing with a country where one house, native to the country, has ruled for many many centuries and is supported by quite a few powerful families within the country. (This might be a short time for the elves, but not all for men...) Then suddenly a person, who is pretty much an outsider, comes in and claims to be the rightful ruler...this person has his own foreign powerful alliances and brings foreign warriors into the country.

In most circumstances in our world, this would have meant civil war...(and the main reason there wasnt might very well be that everyone was tired of war, see below)

The claimant is already 90 and has trough the ages had many ancestors before him who could have claimed the throne...why oh why did he claim it now?

Honestly, that Aragorn claimed the throne now because he wanted to marry Arwen is the most kind interpretation to him (less kind of course to Elrond, considering that his conditions upon Arwens hand in marriage are rather those of a powerhungry ruler who wants to win influence in another nearby counry...)

The other one (in real life politics the most likely one) is that he chose this time because Gondor was war-torn. He had now a legitimate excuse to enter with his troops into the country and people might assume that he could pour in more troups drawing from his alliances with the elves, if there were to be a confrontation. Meanwhile, the armies of those families who could have countered his claim would have been depleted by the war, and no-one would want another war at time. Thus, Aragorn chose a prime time to move his claim foreward, a time when he could expect minimum oppostion in this weakened country...

I just discovered this story when you updated. I have really been enjoying it. I thought I would say how much I like this story even tho I am only about half way thru. I love a really long, really good book. I'm looking forward to reading the rest!