Poignant, very poignant. I love Maglor, and sometimes I wonder if he would kill himself in order to be released from exile and join his kin.
I also wonder what he felt about Elros's choice.
Maglor's guilt show plainly, but I think he might, maybe, have sailed one day. I hope so.

Oh... poor Maglor. He suffered so much, poor Elf. I hope you write more in this fandom!

Your take on Maglor's fate was interesting and intrigues me even after reading it. It was sad to me as well but it was also touching. I'm reading the Silmarillion a second time now but pausing just after "Of the Fifth Battle" and now reading "The Children of Hurin" novel I bought a few years ago so your story was timely since I'm in a deep Silmarillion mood and of course know how it turns out. And yet do I? Who can tell the fate of one like Maglor? Ah, but you did and nicely at that. Thank you.

A good little one-shot, drabble-type look into Maglor’s conflicted mind. There’s certainly a lot of stuff going on in a relatively short piece. The mood of loss, guilt, and mental conflict felt very appropriate for the character of Maglor, and there was a definitely angsty feel to the piece. It was elegantly written, even in the stream of consciousness format, which was appropriate for the mind of an ancient elf prince, especially a poet elf prince. The elegant writing also gave the piece a Tolkienesque feeling, even while the stream of consciousness gave it a more modern feeling. That confliction, the formal elegance against the more modern stream of consciousness, not only complemented the confliction going on in Maglor’s mind, but also was fitting for an ancient character living in a modern time.

I like how you have portrayed Maglor’s view of his wandering as his own personal punishment. I have always thought that Maglor’s fate might have been the least enviable of the seven brothers, the last of his kind forced to watch the world change around him and everyone forget his people. It reminds me of the old people you see who have been forced to watch all their friends die around them; even though they have lived long, living long and having nothing left from your younger life isn’t exactly the most enviable fate. And that’s Maglor’s fate to the umpteenth degree! His melancholy at the fact that the Secondborn have forgotten their origins, and no one around him knows the Valar or the Eldar anymore was poignant. It makes the War of the Jewels seem even more petty, that several ages later no one even remembers that the Wars happened. I liked how you portrayed Maglor’s attitude toward the Wars and the Silmarils, that he sees their pettiness now. I loved that he refers to the Silmaril as a “bauble,” as if the jewel that so many people died for was nothing more than a child’s toy. His comment about realizing that the war was not worth the price seemed very in character. Of all the brothers, Maglor seems to me that one who most realized the terrible price they were paying all along; he seemed the most rational of the brothers, and the most compassionate, so his attitude that no jewels could compensate for so many deaths, seemed in character for him.

I liked that he refers to Feanor as his “hated-and-loved father.” Since in The Silmarillion, Tolkien doesn’t ever really reveal how the sons view their father or what they think of him after his death, I like how you have explained the father/son relationship of Feanor and Maglor here, that Maglor both hates and loves Feanor, which I guess is understandable, that even though Feanor brought such evil about, he is still Maglor’s father and Maglor is bound to him by blood. I also liked that Maglor doesn’t blame all his misfortune on Feanor, which I think is easy to do. I like that your Maglor realizes that he himself is to blame for his actions, and he can’t blame it on his father. While I can see Celegorm, Curufin, or Caranthir blaming their actions on Feanor or the Oath and feeling little personal guilt, Maglor has definitely got a conscience, and it felt in character that he would take responsibility for his actions, instead of blaming his father or the Oath.

All in all, quite well done. His realization that he is cut off from his family, not even able to see his living foster-son, was heart-breaking, and overall, you do a good job of making me pity Maglor, regardless of what he might have done in the past. It’s a sad piece, and you do a good job of portraying the tragedy of Maglor’s character.

Keep on writing!

-Sauron Gorthaur

I am flabbergasted that I have never reviewed this. I read it, and thought it was excellent, and thought I had reviewed.

I think this one shot of Maglor is absolutely fantastic. I can see Maglor thinking now and again, could I sail? Could I sail? And toying with the idea. But whether or not the Valar would let him come back, I couldn't say any more than he could. I always thought of Maglor as being good hearted, as you well know. ;) But at the same time, I can see him having the understanding that his actions persuing the silmarilli were so serious that he can't undo them. This story really helps me feel pity and sympathy for Maglor. Poor guy. Poor, poor guy.

WOW-how-how! That is... amazing is all I can say, it's so well written!

That was beautiful. Being alone is noones freind.

This was so sad. Lovely writing.

This is a truly beautiful piece. It captures Maglor's personality so well, showing his repentance for past crimes so clearly, his love for his foster sons and his family. The fact that he has a noble and kind heart - even though circumstances drove him to unspeakable actions - shines through. And all the while there is that haunting sense of never-ending solitude permeating everything, Maglor's knowing that earning forgiveness is very costly and difficult.

Certh

This is beautiful! Poor Maglor.

Aw, poor Maglor :( Walking alone by the ocean, singing to himself. That's so sad!
Nice little story here. I loved the emotion in it. The description of his situation was also great, and really realistic.