Fic Rec

[dreamflower]

While I am quite sure that most of the folks on my flist have probably read this one, since it was posted in 2006, I just finished it for the first time, and am just blown away by it!

It's by mariole, and it's called By Life or Death. It's an AU in which Strider and the hobbits encounter a LIVE troll right after they found the petrified ones.

An epic battle with the monster and some brilliant h/c, especially for Aragorn and Frodo (though others come in for their share as well), some wonderful angst, lots of love, loyalty and friendship and terrific characterizations of all five heroes (I'm blown away by her Aragorn, as I don't think I'd ever seen her write him before; I'm used to her wonderful hobbits)--well, I'm still a little breathless.

So, maybe if you are new you haven't read this; if it sounds like it might appeal, I highly recommend it! And perhaps if you vaguely remember it from the past, you might want to renew your acquaintance with it--it is certainly worth a re-read!

Comments

[addie71.livejournal.com]

She is a wonderful writer. :)

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I remember reading that, quite a while back. Epic battle with that troll, and good h/c, definitely.

[dreamflower]

She truly is! I also like her ST:Reboot fic, and the only RPF I have ever really gotten into was her story about the Beatles, "The Space Between Us All". But her LotR fic is amazing.

[dreamflower]

That was some incredible action with that troll battle, and the h/c was so nicely done--even though spread out through several characters, you never felt anyone was neglected!

[shirebound]

I remember that!

[dreamflower]

It's really a great story! I still can't believe I never found it before!

[periantari.livejournal.com]

yeah i really like that fic! Thanks for pointing it out again. :)

[mariole.livejournal.com]

Dreamflower, how very sweet of you to rec this! This story was such an experience for me-- it was the first LJ story I began posting before I had the whole thing written. Although I knew the major movements of the piece, it really opened up for me how exciting it was to get people's comments and use them to shape the work as it grew.

I have a soft spot for this one. I remember delving into the Silmarillion to make sure I had all my supporting research right. Thanks again. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[dreamflower]

That is always a fun thing to find out, and one of my own favorite things about writing fanfic. A similar story for me was "Chance Encounter"; I called that my "bunny chase".

I know I was delighted to find it--I have such a hankering for nice long plotty canon-based stories that focus on friendship like I used to find so often and can scarcely find any longer--it was gorgeous to find a new (to me) one, for even though I love to re-read stories that are old favorites, what I love most are new stories like that from my favorite authors.

[dreamflower]

It's really a wonderful story!