Basic statistics: Fanfiction(Lord of the Rings); ongoing; 27 chapters.

"Sub-creators", J.R.R. Tolkien called us humans. We are always creating our own things within the created world; and that is apparent as much in the realm of fanfiction as anywhere else. I was wary of LotR fanfiction at first -- with good reason. But I have found beautiful fics out there, by beautiful people. The Silverleaf, by SunnyTreasures, is one of the best.

With skill and detail SunnyTreasures recreates for us Lothlorien in all its beauty, and brings to life little-recognized characters such as Rumil and Celeborn. Not once does the canon leap out of character with her: nay, they are only deepened and enlivened the more. As for her own characters, they are rich and complex as the others. Not a Mary-Sue will you find in Sunny's marvelous work.

Her writing is like reading Tolkien itself at times: the prologue in particular has the beautiful, archaic flair in all its grave simplicity. She is mistress of suspense and excitement, poignancy and sorrow; all emotions and visuals are clearly drawn. I cannot love this book enough. I have said, in all honesty, that I would love to see an original work of hers sitting in the bookstores!

The occasional inclusion of direct Elvish conversation, much as Tolkien did, adds to the depth and quality of the read; she also does an amazing job with Tolkien's mysterious web of timelines, no easy task to navigate!

Riniel must be my favourite female OC in LotR fanfiction. If ever a mortal entered the mind of an elf, it was SunnyTreasures without a doubt! Riniel is so believable, so approachable -- and yet, so Elvish. She is a dear, and innocent, and wise, and I would trip over my tongue if I met her.

The general grammar is well-executed, and the lovely flow of the writing itself makes the occasional flaw virtually unnoticeable.

Verily, the best fanfictions are not those which tell the same story over again, but those which tell the untold stories, the ones which might have been; and that in such a way that one feels the author himself might have written such a tale. This Sunny has done, and I am proud of her. What a work, mellon nin.