Fic Rec Fridays 2020 - part 18

Desperate Magic (5327 words) by The_Kingmaker
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Characters: Thorin Oakenshield, Thorin's Company, Bilbo Baggins
Additional Tags: Everybody Lives, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary:

Bilbo is left to tend Thorin as he hovers on the brink of death after the Battle of the Five Armies. Is love enough to save Erebor's king, or is this the last farewell?

"It reminded him of plucking daisy petals to the litany of loves-me, loves-me-not. Yet nothing so simple as love lay on his mind. He barely dared to think it, but his question was not a matter of the heart. It was more basic, more instinctive, and he couldn’t help but feel that with each strand of hair he tended he was divining Thorin’s destiny."

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Now, how to review this without giving too much away? It’s tricky, but I’ll do my best.

Perhaps it will suffice to say that the premise is remarkably original, and enchanting in every sense of the word. Or that the rich, evocative prose is a delight to read, and the deliberately unhurried pacing combined with the intimate, atmospheric character of the narrative will keep you spellbound until the very last line.

And that is all I dare to tell you, save that this lovely little tale is best enjoyed with growing anticipation and a bated breath. Mood-uplifting properties solidly demonstrated on a limited sample size of one (1).