rate_review Reviews

Nuit I never realised that I had not written something here. I thought that I had. And now even though it is late I want to tell you just how much I loved this story, even the moments when I was crying so hard that I could not see. It was a beginning this, you were the start of him touching so many lives and making us all the better for it.

XXXX

Thank you Peach (the site was down for a while after you posted your review so I didn't get to reply immediately) and Cait. This story is dear to my heart and I am very happy that it touched yours, glad you found something X

that was absolutely stunning. the voice was beautiful, so clear, so evocative. i'm australian and that's the joe-love i've always pictured. thank you. you made my night.

I can not tell you just how much this story touched me. I enjoyed reading every second of it- all at once mind you and it's left me with a sad smile on my face and tears in my eyes that I couldn't help but cry. I wanted to keep reading- keep Joe alive- I wanted more when this story was already more than I could have asked for. Thank you for taking the time to write it and thank you so much for sharing it. It's a wonderful story that I am very sure I will read over and over again. Peach

So finally it is done and I can put aside my red pencil and say all the wonderful things I have been meaning to say since you started.

You have breathed life and rich meaning into this story of Joe Byrne and the Kelly Gang. Evie comes across as a real person who generously shares her story with us. I can hear her voice in my head and see the places and times she tells us about. The back story you have created for Evie gives her words and her emotions credibility and makes her visions of Joe all the more revealing and poignant. Through her voice and her narrative we experience the struggles, the fears, the joys, the passion, and the tragic loss of Joe with her. She is an amazing character, and I am so proud to see her blossom and become the type of woman I can admire.

As for Joe, we have seen him as a rascal, a rebel, a loyal friend, a horse thief, a trusted lieutenant, an outlaw, a lover, an addict, a warrior, a hero, and a man who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders for himself and for the ones he loved. He is all that and so much more. What woman can resist him? All I can say is my trademarked “Oh Joe!” XXX

Beautiful, just beautiful. What a ride this has been from Evie's stumbling into the adult world to the horror of Glenrowan and the sadness of the aftermath. But it was wonderful for Evie to really take her own life in hand and strike out on her own knowing that she and Joe had made more of eachother than they were. The characterisation has been fanstastic - well beyond Evie and Joe, the story was full of richly developed characters, particularly Evie's dad, Maggie and Ned. Thankyou for writing it.

Chapter 13

This next to last chapter has left me an emotional wreck! When Joe meets up with Evie after Aaron's death I was literally applauding you for fleshing out a part of the film that left us feeling confused and cheated. Joe shooting Aaron deserved more than one line and a look of regret. You've done a brilliant job of showing us what Joe would have felt after murdering his childhood friend. He is so tortured it is heartrending and perfectly realistic. I love the way Joe manages to shake off some of his gloom when he sees Ned. It shows how much Ned and the cause means to him and it's wonderfully effective. The chaos of the preparations for the showdown is beautifully done, your attention to detail making this scene come alive. But then you went and ripped me apart emotionally with the love scene and their subsequent farewell. We always knew how it would end but that doesn't make it any easier to accept, especially when you have created a love as beautiful as this.

Chapter 14

It's midnight and I'm sleepy and freezing but I couldn't sleep if I didn't get my thoughts out. When we discussed this chapter I asked you if Evie would find Joe's body etc and you said no, that you had something else in mind. Well, you obviously knew what you were about because you really did make me cry, truly, not just figuratively. The 'vision' of Evie collapsing under the weight of her grief, alone and in shock amidst the chaos of the slaughter made me ache in a way that I won't easily forget. The fact that she wasn't at his side when he died, that she didn't have the chance to hold him as his soul moved on made her grief that much more painful for me. This story is full of unforgettable moments but the scene that really stood out for me is the one where Evie realizes the box and the egg are broken. Perfectly symbolic and utterly heartrending:( You really know how to push my emotional buttons, don't you;)

I want to thank you for letting me be a part of this, for allowing me to take this turbulent emotional journey with you and Evie and Joe but mostly I'd like to thank you for sharing this gorgeously written story. I don't know what ideas you have whirling around in your mind right now but I'd love to see you write more stories when you are ready:)

I am so sad this is over. I've been dreading reading this last chapter. I hate love stories without happy endings. But Nuit, honey... I wanted to tell you... this is by far the best fanfic I have ever read. And the way you've described Joe and Evie and the whole story, it's spot on. No one knows him better than you, love. It must've been really hard to write. But you did it. And I'm very very proud of you!!!!!
Anyway, I shouldn't have read this final chapter at 8.30am, now I'll be sad for the rest of the day. But it's good to have the full story now. Did I tell you how much I adored it already? I guess I did.
Love you!!
XXXX Sandra

Oh, nuit! I can barely type this review through the tears. It wasn't so much the death of Joe Byrne that got to me, but the open rawness of Evie's grief. I could feel what she felt. I have to keep reminding myself that she didn't exist, well, she did to me. This is by far the absolute best story I've ever read. I loved getting caught up in the place and people of times past. It was a sheer joy to read and a heartache as well, I loved how Evie made peace with it. Brought Joe with her wherever she went and acknowledged that he would always be with her because he had helped make her who she was. That was exquisite and powerfully truthful Thank you so much for this gem or a story.