Name: AltraX (Signed) · Date: 26 Jun 2017 08:53 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hiya!

 

Ever since Fantastic Beasts came out and started in on this whole story line with Grindelwald, I've found myself more and more drawn into the dynamic of not only Grindelwald, but the relationship between Grindelwald and Dumbledore as well. I think the big part of my interest with the two characters is how they grew and changed from wanting the same things and lead completely opposite lives, because they went from this thing that could have probably easily taken over the world to these two people who had to stand against each other, despite every other feeling they had for one another...like, it's such a complex web and more and more since the film came out, I've been finding myself reading stories about the pair of them. Long story short, that's what brought me here and I quite like what you've done here.

 

I have never gotten a clear image of what Albus was like when he was younger. I think it's mostly because every time I try, what I come up with seems more like a stretch of the imagination, but I do really like what you've done here. I like that he's one to find books as a release, as a place to go to escape for a while, and be somewhere different.  I like that he gets so lost in that world that it takes him time to adjust, to learn that the outside world needs to be lived in and experienced as books don't leave you in the present.

 

I love how you transition through Albus growing up and becoming friends with Gellert. It's a nice flow to the story, and the references to books, and how Albus should have learned something from them as life went on was cool. I loved how it all tied together, how it helped finish the story with the Hero vs Villian and how it wasn't necessarily clear who was on which side, if there even were sides...like, it was really good reference, and really helped create Albus into this very real character, and Gellert's as well. I really struggle with his character, and his relationship with Albus, because I have this idea of what Tom Riddle was like, and how everything was for his own gain, and it was more manipulation to get what he wanted, and with Gellert, I just struggle to separate that. I don't quite know why, but like...you do a good job here of showing that Gellert and Albus's relationship wasn't about obtaining a task for themselves. It was more than that and there were feelings there and just...you do a good job! I really enjoyed this!

 

 

-Mikaela xx

Author's Response:

Hi Mikaela!

 

I think some of the information that we've got from canon, and of course now Fantastic Beasts, means that Grindelwald is a really fascinating character.  Of course, I find the parallels that can be drawn between his rise and WW2 very interesting, though I don't touch on it much here, but writing about them was so fun.  (As a side note, if you're interested in their relationship and beautiful writing, check out Aphoride's AP, and especially L'optimisme!)

 

Albus Dumbledore is a very intimidating character for me to write, because I think that everyone has such a clear idea of him in their minds - and of course, he has a very distinct way of speaking and thinking.  There's more room for interpretation after what we find out about him in the Deathly Hallows, but the starting point for writing about him had to be the thirst for knowledge and the escape into books which we already knew about.  The first line came to me really early on in the writing process for this, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the way I used that theme to shape Albus's life and tell his story, as well as some of the ambiguities in the Hero/Villain dichotomy.

 

Thank you for this review!

Name: Stella Blue (Signed) · Date: 27 Jan 2017 11:20 PM · For: Chapter 1

*Transferred from HPFF*

 

SIAN. This is GORGEOUS. Not only do I love all things Albus/Gellert, but this is just such a beautiful representation of them and ashdfjahsdki. Teach me your ways. I'm going to try to review coherently but be warned there will probably be significant keyboard smash/gushing and mostly consist of my quoting your own incredible words back to you.

Before I even get into the story itself, your WRITING. It's better than some professional authors, I swear. It just flows so beautifully, with metaphors so evocative, and you craft such timeless art with your words. Speaking of words, I do not have enough words to describe how AMAZING your writing is. Gah.

I love the use of second person, too - it's so personal here, but a bit detached, like the narrator is writing a letter to Albus after a long time; and that POV really brings the story to life.

it was your time at school that made you realise, slowly, that you couldn’t bury your nose in dusty pages and expect to live in the present -- this! ugh, I love it so much because it just works so perfectly with the narrative and I could absolutely see the young Albus being like this - and it fits in with his later assertion that "it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live". Perfect.

I also love how there's about 6 lines of dialogue in here but in those few lines and the little character moments, their personalities are three dimensional and real and so present. You wrote their love in such a beautiful way - it was at the same time so happy and bittersweet, because Albus is afraid to write the words (which, once again, ties in to the books theme just too perfectly.)

And on the topic of the recurring theme of books and of life being a fairytale and who's the hero - I really loved that aspect because in Albus' eyes, surely Gellert was a hero for a while, as his first love and whatnot, but it all changes and then they're both simultaneously the hero and the villain (because they don't know who did it) and in the end Albus has to simultaneously listen to his heart and fight against it. He stops dwelling on the dream of his past, and on the fairytale it was once, and remembers to live for the present. It's really sad because you can tell that Albus still cares for Gellert, and maybe wishes that he didn't. THIS: Albus, as you fought your heart and your lover simultaneously; you stole the pen from Life and wrote the ending of the story yourself. -- I just love that line as it sums up so many of the themes that you've brought up in this story, not to mention is just so expressive and beautiful.

i have to quote you again: You never stopped to think that hurricanes always release the debris they have gathered up, scattering them around, miles away from their point of origin, useless and discarded. -- asdfhlahsj. JUST WOW. THAT IS ALL. UGHHH I LOVE THIS

I apologise if this review makes no sense at all, but I really did love the story so much, even if it reduced me to inarticulate keyboard smash. HULK LIKES STORY.

Please keep writing forever
♥
Kristin

Author's Response:

(Response transferred from HPFF)

 

Kristin! ♥ Ah, I don't even know how to reply to the amazingness of this review and thank you so much - that's pretty much all I can say here right now!

*flails* These are the sort of compliments that just make me blush forever because I'm not worthy of them, but THANK YOU SO MUCH and ♥. 

The second person just worked so well for me here that I couldn't imagine it being written in another voice; I feel like all of us here have a connection to the value of reading and writing and the second person kind of fits with that as well as speaking to Albus through it.

Ah, I'm so pleased that you thought I managed to write the characters and personalities well! I was so wary of writing these characters because there are some truly amazing authors on this site who have written such wonderful stories about them, and so crafting their characters in this story was such a challenge. I'm thrilled you liked the way I wrote them, though!

Yay, I'm so glad you liked that part! It was so much fun to play around with the theme of books and life as a fairytale and writing and all of that - I'd wanted to write using that motif long before I actually got to write this story and I'm so glad that it worked here and there wasn't too much purple prose and confusion about what's happening. It's fantastic that you liked the way that there's so much ambiguity here in who is the hero and the villain and the way that all played into their characters.

This review made perfect sense and just left me speechless for about seven whole months so that I couldn't respond acceptably. THANK YOU SO MUCH and I'm so pleased you enjoyed this ♥