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Hiya! I'm trying to get through the Inky nominees I never made it to during the review events, so here I am! To be honest, I haven't seen any of the Star Wars movies since I was a teenager, and I barely remember them, so even though I am definitely missing a lot of information here... this was still beautifully written. And it made me want to get into Star Wars! There's so many moents in this that I was like "WHAT IS HAPPENING EXACTLY?", and I mean that in the best way, because I feel like I'm missing out on this big, beautiful storyline now (even though I realize this may not be a canon ship, but there's a lot of moments clearly specific to Star Wars things that I'm so curious about now). Anyway, even though I can't be all that specific with this review, I can say the writing is gorgeous, the flow of it, the poetry of it, the emotion of it. Beautifully done, as always!
hiii (again)!! dropping by for the project tempus linea event :)
so i gotta admit straight up that i'm really not a fan of reylo - i didn't get the idea of it when i watched the films at all, i just didn't see anything of it yk - so this is a bit odd for me to be reading, since i don't usually read fics of pairings i don't like or don't see - but i promise to have an open mind!!
i think my favourite thing about this is the whole concept of it - the way you use space in it and the idea of squeezing a lifetime into a handful of seconds. it added a real weight to the story - for rey more than anyone else - and the way she kind of talks through the story with this real wistfulness in her narration and voice, and the genuine kind of sadness - but also a sense that she's sort of finished grieving. (because i think those few-lifetime-long-seconds were kind of bookended with the knowledge that he was dying and would die, no matter what. and that sense that all the time had passed allows for the grieving perhaps just to feel like it's happened)
i lovelovelove the way it's sort of left up to the reader to decide whether they think that lifetime of seconds actually happened - that somehow time bent and twisted so that a lifetime was compressed into seconds - or whether it was some sort of a dream or a mirage or something less-than-exactly-real but which still matters. it's so clever and so interesting - and i love how rey sort of thinks at points that it both was and wasn't real (and that's a point in and of itself: why couldn't it be real, even if it was a dream or a vision or something??)
also the science-esque discussion in this, the talk about endpoints and paradoxes and stars, it all fitted so so well into the universe - it made sense as an additional layer, for rey's character but also for the star wars universe in general. it made the whole thing, even though it's less than 1000 words, feel super sci-fi-ish, even without having to talk about spaceships and so on :P
the solemnity in this was so beautiful too - it felt, in its way, almost like a eulogy, though this one was being spoken directly to ben solo/kylo ren. for all the gentleness of it and the fondness - and it was those things - it was really very serious and very heavy and it felt kind of slow, especially at the beginning and end and i loved that :)
laura xx
Okay, so I’ve never seen Star Wars, but that was absolutely no detriment to enjoying this story! It’s beautiful, and the narrator’s voice is so captivating!
I love how you play with this image of paradoxes, especially that idea of never being able to reach anything because half the distance always remains, is that Zeno? Love the idea that the Ancient Greeks have some sort of footing even in space times (though I guess according to the Star Wars timeline, our narrator here would have influenced the Greeks – either way, it’s a great way of showing how experiences can be so universal, no matter where or when you are!)
I love how you start out with this idea of vastness, of galaxies and infinite space, and then slot the ‘A life’ right in there, how it culminates in that, like a human life is the greatest thing that could ever exist, even in the face of all of infinity, and I think it’s such a brilliant way of showcasing how much admiration the narrator holds for Ben – even to the extent of being able to break the universes’ paradoxes for them, so I love how you tied it back to the beginning there! This kind of circular thought pattern, if that makes sense, feels very fitting for someone who seems so reflective and philosophical as the narrator, just like how, for them, an exploration of the infinite is always going to lead to the particular, and right back to the infinite, in the form of the “fathomless, exquisite mind” – I don’t know if I’m making sense anymore, what I’m saying is that I love the circular, almost spiralling patterns of though of the narrator! They’re very captivating, and easy to lose yourself in!
I love the tragedy of this shared vision (alternate reality?) of the life they shared together, of what might have been, and how, even though it never could be real, that didn’t make it feel any less real to them – straight back to paradoxes! The way you go back to the beginning by counting down in halves is excellent, too, and so effective! There’s something both heartbreaking and comforting about the thought that, even though their time is running out, it’ll never run out completely, so in a way it is both fleeting and infinite.
This was stunning, good luck with the inkys!
I love how you approached the concepts of time, space and love in this story. The paradoxical ideas of unlimited and limited. So, which do you think it is: endless or finite? The beginning is all about the unlimited (with excellent possible examples. It reminds me of my son trying to explain to me the theories of infinity as a mathematical concept.) but then they have 10 seconds. The countdown suggests limits, but within the limited 10 seconds, Rey has unlimited possibilities. The countdown format worked well to help us see her vision and hopes, but still connect it back to the upcoming end.
Very interesting story. Risking since it’s different than you usual style, but you did it very well
Melanie this was such a beautiful thing to read! I loved the pacing of this. How it seemed like in the beginning, time stretched out infinitely, like they had all the time left in the world. And I think that's how it kind of feels whenever you're young. And the older you become, the quicker things transpire as we slow down. And somehow you managed to convey that with the pacing of this narrative and I really appreciated the ebb and flow that this narration took on.
"Often we sparred; sometimes we flew; always we lived — and even that you couldn’t do with any subtlety."
^^ This was such a beautiful line. I really enjoyed that in particular.
There's a poignant quality to this piece. And I think that often happens with introspection. But you get the sense that Rey is kind of at the end of her life with Ben and she's looking back and analyzing everything for what it was in the grander scheme of her life.
"Five seconds left, and we had a child, one that neither of us abandoned as we had been. Sometimes we had no idea how we managed to not mess it up."
^^ This too hit me like a punch to the gut. Breaking cycles, yeah it's a thing not easily done, but they did it. And there's a sort of satisfaction in knowing that it's possible.
And you did all of this in 500 some words?! Gahh you are good! You are very, very good, my friend!
~ Courtney
AHHHHHHHH THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND HEARTBREAKING!!!! I ADORE the way you linked distance and time and infinity together!
Mel
this is so amazing! I've always loved this pairing like the most compelling and interesting relationship/connection they've always had in star wars canon or honestly maybe just any fandom in general. It's perfectly played here. I thought you did a brilliant job at capturing their bond, having Rey reflecting on their journey together felt so beautiful and mournful but it's like she understands their fate as star crossed lovers but will always choose love regardless.
Her desires for the easy life for them, her dreams for a longer life together. I love the emphasis on timing that you've used here, the passage of time. They were able to come together properly for only a second before it all ended. The angst of the piece is just perfect. The spirit of the reylo ship is so alive in this piece. Romantic, passionate but tortured and angst filled - so sweet but bitter too.
abbi xx
reviewed for r&d
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