Gift Horses by Jedishampoo (PG)

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Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Pairing: Faramir/Eowyn
Author on LJ: jedishampoo
Author's Website: Jedishampoo's page
Why this must be read:

I get the feeling that het is the new slash in the Tolkien fandom, with many of the better archives that have sprung up in the wake of Peter Jackson's vision of the books being het in their focus. To be blunt, much of it doesn't seem all that inspired: lacking the transgressive nature of slash and furnished with Tolkien's rather pallid notions of the female sex, it tends to lack fireworks.

'Gift Horses' is an exception. It deals with the realities of gender roles in Middle-earth, giving an unsentimental look at Eowyn & Faramir's courtship, and features a beautifully characterised Eowyn who's a long way from the fanfic norm. There's enough subtlety in the writing to allow the reader to place their own interpretation on the real emotions underlying Eowyn's thoughts.

Jedishampoo is relatively new to the fandom and, as a bit of a closet het fan, I do hope she stays and writes more!

Gift Horses