Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXXIV · 9:14pm Jun 15th, 2023
So this weekend I’m going to go see the musical Wicked with my mother. That’s right, my mother. Neither of us noticed that the show was happening on Father’s Day at the time we booked it six months ago. Le oops. I know Dad wouldn’t want to go though, he’s never liked musicals. He’s one of those “singing and dancing is so unrealistic” types of guys. He also finds zero value in seeing live shows when he can listen to the music for free or a fraction of the cost on an iphone. My mother gave up on bringing him anywhere when, after taking him to a Journey concert, the primary thing that had his interest during the show was the architecture of the venue.
Is it any surprise he has exactly zero rhythm?
Oh, well. Dad’s gonna Dad. He’s at that stage where he’d got everything he wants anyway, and so is just happy to go out on Father’s Day or something light of that sort.
That’s all I got for this week. It’s been a slow period, not much new going on. Perhaps next week I’ll have more, but for now? Let’s get to the reviews.
Stories for This Week:
Lesbian Sheep Syndrome by SilverNotes
Anon Lets the Darkness In by Britanon
The D.H Postal Company by Jessi
Stitched by Jest
Inner Strength by Krickis
The Castle by Discombobulated Soul
Erasure by 6-D Pegasus
Lovey Dovey and the Uncertain Stallion by Crystal Wishes
Summer Island by Bachiavellian
Cerulean by Cherax
Total Word Count: 260,691
Rating System
Why Haven't You Read These Yet?: 1
Pretty Good: 5
Worth It: 4
Needs Work: 0
None: 0
Lesbian Sheep Syndrome
12,083 Words
By SilverNotes
Pegasus Lamb Chop is a sheep guardian who just immigrated from Griffonstone to Ponyville. Luckily, she was able to get a job at Sweet Apple Acres watching over the Apple Family’s herd of sheepfolk. This is all fine and dandy until one ewe named Fleeca asks for Lamb’s help in wooing her best friend Dolly. What follows is a lesson in cultural differences… and in absolutely not taking romantic advice from one Rainbow Dash.
This was a fascinating one. While the surface of the story is about Lamb Chop and Rainbow Dash trying to help Fleeca court Dolly, that simple concept is constantly circled and propped up by a thick theming of cultural shifts and trying to fit in. This is approached from multiple angles: Lamb Chop caring for sentient sheepfolk rather than the non-sentient sheep of Griffonstone, living among creatures that don’t universally signal their emotions with wings, being among herbivores rather than carnivores, and learning how sheep society operates are all addressed.
If that seems like a lot, that’s because it is. Silver Notes tackles the problem by having a few long bouts of extrapolation relating to several subjects. While extrapolation is often the worst way to go about things, I feel like Silver Notes did well with it in this case. This is helped along largely by how very different and interesting the subject matter is in and of itself, but their narrative style also pulls its weight.
One thing I particularly like is how the first chapter tells us exactly what’s going on. It’s quick, only ten words. Once it’s past, it’s past, and it won’t be brought up again until the conclusion. But it’s there, I picked up on it immediately, and it was very gratifying at the end to discover that Silver Notes didn’t write those ten words willy-nilly. That’s not the only instance of this kind of thing in the story either. I greatly appreciate how Silver Notes took the time to drop these early hints about what was to come, even knowing that less attentive readers might miss the hints entirely.
Great worldbuilding (apparently borrowed from Estee), interesting characters, with pitch-perfect Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Oh, and Twilight too, for what little we see of her. The writing style effectively combines extrapolation that tells all with Show that tells little to make for a whole piece and yet still leaves some interesting questions behind in a good way. I would like to point to something that Silver Notes did wrong, but I’m drawing a blank right now.
This is just a fun, endearing story about a pegasus stuck in an odd social situation who makes the mistake of accepting help from the least likely mare to actually be helpful, with a healthy dose of cultural worldbuilding to add some spice. I can’t think of any reason not to recommend it.
Bookshelf: Why Haven’t You Read These Yet?
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
A Moonlit Storm — Pretty Good
Anon Lets the Darkness In
5,209 Words
By Britanon
Anon wants to read a truly frightening horror story, but alas, Equestria is populated by a race of equines with the mental capacities of children. Their idea of ‘scary’ is rather pathetic. In dire need, Anon swipes a story from the Forbidden Section of the library (which library is unclear). Little does he know that this book was forbidden for a reason.
This was a silly and highly entertaining one. Told in Second Person, it involves Not You reading a book cursed such that the author of said book will haunt the reader for seven days. Alas, a pony’s idea of “haunting” involves making spoopy sounds and imagery, eating your food and sleeping in your bed. Also, the ghost doing the haunting is a pony, so… more ‘cute’ than ‘scary’.
I am amused. I really like the idea of ‘Kinderquestria’, as the author dubs it, where ponies are so skittish they flee from vacuum cleaners and lightning storms. I am fondly reminded of all those “behaves like a cat” images on Derpibooru.
There are only a few issues, mostly minor and nearly all related to grammar. The story definitely needs a proofing run. The only other issue is a technical one:
As you settled down, she gave one last big yawn and then scooched up next to you. Sort of like she was trying to snuggle against you, though since you couldn't physically interact with her it was almost like parts of you were literally inside her.
No, not in that way you sick fuck.
Wait, that last line is breaking that narrative style to address the reader, but the reader is supposed to be the protagonist, so is Anon having these thoughts and if not then why are we bringing this up at all and it doesn’t match the tone and theming of the overall story in any way Britanon do you realize how screwy this is?
Yeah. That one line needs to go. It is not funny, it doesn’t match with anything else in the story including the narrative style, and it alone jumps what has otherwise been an E-rated story into T territory for no discernible reason.
Other than that? A fun little story about how ridiculous ponies can get when kept within the limitations of a children’s show. Definitely give it a go if you like the idea of a pony ghost pouting and embarrassed because they aren’t all that scary after all.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
The D.H Postal Company
8,718 Words
By Jessi
Derpy isn’t just any delivery mare, she’s the full-fledged owner of her own delivery company. While there are certainly ponies under her who perform deliveries, she wants and needs to do the job herself as well. Today she’s got a particularly challenging route to a town in the Crystal Empire. There are mountains and storms and frigid temperatures, but Derpy always prevails. After all, words must.
I really like the idea of Derpy being the big boss of her own delivery business, so much so I actually wrote it myself once. Here we find a Derpy who is capable, willing, and ever-determined, a far cry from what we normally see in stories that feature her in any capacity. She’s also a strong enough flier that she can reliably take delivery routes that would be off limits for anypony who wasn’t, say, Rainbow Dash.
But that doesn’t mean she’s safe, hence this story. Jessi covers a lot of different elements here, demonstrating Derpy’s role, her unyielding determination to make her deliveries despite all common sense telling her to hold back, and why. It goes beyond that though; tacked on is a new friend in the form of a mountain guide, a near-ceaseless examination of the art of pegasus flight, and a look at who Derpy is as a person.
I think the biggest potential pitfall is the writing style, which is… thick, for a lack of a better description. Jessi goes far out of their way to describe in intricate detail the specifics of Derpy’s flight. How do the wings work both together and independently, how does reacting to the air with each wing create different results under different circumstances, how to go from propelled flight to a hover, and so on and so forth. And that’s just for the flight; everything is given this level of attention.
Some will love it, some will hate it. Personally, I think that it can work wonders for mood and atmosphere in a scene if handled appropriately, and that’s what happened here. But I also feel that Jessi leaned on it too much, especially in the first half.
Then there’s the dialogue of Clootie Dumplin, which is Scottish and heavy in the extreme. While I was able to decipher what was being said most of the time, once or twice I had to rely on Derpy’s responses to grasp the intention. If you’re the type that hates thick accents being written out, you’ll have a conniption over this. Apparently, Jessi sees this as a positive.
In the end I found this a decent overall story. It’s a great look at Derpy as something other than a comedic sideshow or, just as common, a lump of sad struggling to get by because of her physical and/or mental disabilities. Someone bothered to treat her differently, and that alone made this worth checking out. It’s just how it’s written that may make potential readers stumble.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Stitched
18,151 Words
By Jest
Sequel to Rarity, I'm Pretty Sure You're Dead.
Rarity worked herself to death. Literally. Now a lich, her flesh is rapidly rotting. Zombarity needs to get a Rarity suit completely identical to her original, living body before she becomes Rareleton (Skellity?). Luckily, she has Princess Twilight around to help her.
Well, this was weird. Which was undoubtedly the point. Written with questionable quality at the start but gradually getting better, the story mostly follows Twilight and Rarity struggling to get to the Canterlot Carousel in hopes that Sassy Saddles can assist them in the suit creation process. It’s a bit of a mixed bag (so to speak). I found the parts with the two fillies wholly unnecessary and largely serving only to extend a plot that didn’t need extending. On the other hand, the bar full of rough and tough tailors was a great scene from start to finish.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t as interested in this one as its predecessor. I think that’s one part the consistent incorrect word use and one part tangents making the premise overstay its welcome. If you can get past those issues, however, you may get something out of this. Especially if you’ve got a thing for dark humor. Just don’t think about it too much.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Rarity, I'm Pretty Sure You're Dead. — Pretty Good
Inner Strength
142,501 Words
By Krickis
Sequel (kinda (sorta (not really))) to Looking Glass
Alternate Title: Luna Best Pony
Princess Twilight Sparkle has a crush on Fluttershy. Which would be great except that A) nopony knows she’s gay and B) Fluttershy has a crush on Rarity. One of these issues will be resolved shortly. The other one? Not so much.
This is one of those stories where you have to buy into a few things before you can really enjoy it. The primary hiccup, at least to me, is this idea of homophobia (a term that I don’t care for, by the way, because it is wildly inaccurate) being a very real thing in Equestria. I’m sorry, isn’t this supposed to be a land of harmony? “Equestria, a land of friends”? I’ll grant that maybe my opinion is impacted by the overwhelming number of stories that depict Equestria as a place where homosexuality is readily accepted as normal, but I find it very difficult to think that anypony would have any reason to be afraid to come out in the land of love and tolerance.
Which is a problem, because the entire story hinges on that as the principal conflict: Fluttershy and Twilight are in lesbians with one another, but are afraid to come out even to their friends. Worse, this fear is born out when Applejack, receiving the obligatory negative stereotype of rural folk, is cast as having a problem with it. And then the vast majority of the story centers around the wedge between Twilight and Fluttershy as they disagree on the need to go public about their relationship because the meanies out there will hate them.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the subject matter isn’t important or that it can’t make for a good story. It’s just the fact that this is the case in Equestria that bugs me. It makes me wonder if the exact nature of the conflict between this and Playing House (to which this is somewhat concurrent) shouldn’t have been reversed.
All that being said, there are two things that must be acknowledged. The first is that Krickis very intentionally chose this route for the story on the basis that this subject is, in fact, not all that common in FiM fanfiction. Given that doing things differently was the entire point, it makes the complaint moot. The second thing of note is that this is essentially one giant, subjective nitpick. This is the kind of thing I feel I should note as a critic, but I expect most readers will accept the subject at face value.
Assuming you do accept it at face value, you’ll find a solid overarching story. It begins as a typical love triangle scenario but eventually shifts to the ongoing relationship of Twilight and Fluttershy. To Krickis’s credit, this is not at all depicted as flowery and perfect, and neither are the leading mares. The relationship starts off awkward, Fluttershy faces a constant stream of mental issues involving her sense of self-worth, and Twilight worries ceaselessly about worst case scenarios. But that’s also what makes the story shine; Twilight and Fluttershy are flawed, but they also have strengths, and lean against one another’s strengths as the story goes on to create a relationship that only grows stronger with time. It’s a delightful example of Krickis’s ability to make complex, interesting characters with complex, interesting relationships.
In short, the story is very character-driven, which in my opinion is the best kind of story. And it doesn’t stop at the two leading ladies, either. The first of note is Applejack who, despite my earlier ragging as the overly stereotyped rural yokel, actually has some solid moments. Despite her clear discomfort with the subject of Twilight’s and Fluttershy’s relationship, she still acts as a good friend. In fact she regularly demonstrates that she’s still the most fair and impartial pony in the room. There were times where the leading ladies would have issues and want to talk to somepony about their problems. They always dismissed talking to Applejack by default – sometimes her name doesn’t even come up – and every time they did I got the distinct feeling that was their biggest mistake. I might be reading too much into it or giving Krickis too much of the benefit of the doubt, but I can’t help thinking that this was intentional, i.e. a way to demonstrate how Twi’s and Shy’s irrational fears prevent them from making the best decisions in a given situation.
Then there’s Luna. For one thing, this is one of the very few stories I’ve read where she’s depicted as actually doing her purported job. Which is to say, stopping nightmares. I don’t know how many stories I’ve read in this fandom where ponies have nightmares and Luna not only doesn’t show up, but isn’t even mentioned. I swear it’s like 99% of writers have forgotten what Luna’s #1 royal task is.
That aside, Luna is great in every scene she appears in. She delights in being mysterious, knows when to be serious and when to be playful, and consistently acts as a guiding hoof for Twilight and especially Fluttershy. This is a depiction of her that is both fun and respectful in equal measure, and I loved it.
Moving on, there’s also the subject of Fluttershy’s father and the abuse she suffered as a foal. I like Krickis’s approach to this. The nature of the relationship has a distinct and clear impact on who Fluttershy is as a pony without being a continuous, looming specter of angst. The inevitable encounter with the stallion himself is treated almost like a tangent rather than the critical plot point it is meant to be, but I’m not sure if that’s a flaw. I imagine most authors would have treated it as a huge ordeal (and Krickis indeed did in Playing House), but the way it’s handled here felt like a highlight for Fluttershy and how far she’s come as a character, and I can’t say it’s a bad thing.
In short, the drama around Fluttershy’s father is a critical underlying aspect of the story, at least in regards to her self-image and relationship to Twilight, but it’s also not treated melodramatically or exaggerated, and I greatly appreciate both those elements.
I could keep rambling, but I think I’ve gone on for long enough. In the end, I really liked this one. It lacks the attention to detail (read: length) of Krickis’s other big relationship-centric tale, Playing House, but still does well with the time it is allotted. The characters and relationships are complex in a realistic and interesting way. Although I question the appropriateness of the setting for the central conflict, the conflict itself is well-handled from start to finish.
All in all, another solid piece from this author. I’m looking forward to the next one.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Looking Glass — WHYRTY?
Playing House — WHYRTY?
Great and Powerful, Darling! — Pretty Good
Breaking the Ice — Pretty Good
By Blood or Choice — Pretty Good
The Castle
12,335 Words
By Discombobulated Soul
Requested by LH45
From the orphanage, Twilight was summoned to the Castle. She doesn’t know why or for what purpose. She only knows that the evil alicorn, Celestia, demands her presence. Now faced with darkness, monsters, and horrible truths, she must seek out a means of saving herself.
This story will be jarring for anyone who expects to go into it with a clear path and purpose. Chronology is unclear, the sky is yellow, the sun is green, doors lead to hideous worlds full of terrible and forbidden truths, and eldritch horrors lurk around every corner. Discombobulated Soul provides just enough information to create a proper chain of events to follow, but never enough to clarify everything. Even the conclusion chapter, which seems designed to clear much of the clouds, doesn’t pull back all the shade, instead preferring to leave things vague.
The downside is, of course, that you’re just going to have to form your own ideas for the whole story. The good side?
This is every bit as creepy as Discombobulated Soul was likely going for. I mean, really, it’s a creepfest, filled with effective imagery and impactful implication. Regular contradictions and confusing elements suggest that Twilight is either insane or trapped in a world with completely different rules from the Equestria we know. Perhaps both.
I’m saying this all in vague terms, but it’s largely because I don’t want to spoil things. I know – or at least, think I know – the answers to several if not all of the questions. But figuring it out? That’s part of the value for this story, and it wouldn’t be neighborly of me to ruin it for potential readers. If you can spot the hints – and there are several – you can get a good idea or at least a strong theory of Twilight’s situation early on. This is one part that I feel was handled quite well.
My only serious criticism is in the hidden messages. Literally, Discombobulated Soul hid words and phrases within the story. But “hid” is a very strong word. They’re not really hidden at all. In fact they feel hamfisted. Granted, my bar for hidden messages is pretty high; most people might find it clever. Yet coming off of such ARG-esque stories as Broken Bindings and the (sadly deleted) The Mare That Time Forgot, I tend to expect more. So while I did go out of my way to figure out each of the hidden messages, I’m afraid I need something more subtle to be impressed by such things.
That one admittedly subjective issue aside, I thought this was a worthwhile bit of madness-themed horror, inspired by or at least tonally reminiscent of the likes of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. The Need to Know crowd may find the ending disappointing, and it’s certainly not a story for the Happy Ending Crusaders, but if you’re looking for something creepy and unusual that forces you to put the pieces together on your own, then this is certainly a worthwhile endeavor. Truth be told, I enjoyed it a lot, but I’m putting it on the middle ground because I’m not sure how far its reach might be.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Erasure
7,274 Words
By 6-D Pegasus
Requested by 6-D Pegasus
It’s been less than a week since Starlight moved into the Palace of Friendship with Spike and Twilight. What’s weird is that, suddenly, she seems very eager to be with the little dragon. It soon becomes overbearing, and Spike quickly realizes that something is wrong. Well, nothing for it; might as well ask her what’s really going on.
So many authors tend to overlook Spike (guiltily points at himself), which is a shame as he can be quite the interesting character if handled well. This story tackles something overlooked by the show: in all the alternate timelines Starlight created, what happened to Spike? Her guilt over the truth and Spike’s cluelessness make the core of this story.
The one thing I didn’t like about this one was how Telly the writing style sometimes got. Here’s the single best example:
Oh what do I do, what do I do?? Unsure of what to do, Spike sat there with his claws on his head and…
6-D Pegasus, why is the narrative Telling us that Spike doesn’t know what to do? His thoughts have already done that for us, so all the narrative is doing is being redundant.
There’s that, but there’s also the extrapolations. Large chunks of the story are devoted to explaining the present circumstances. And while I think 6-D Pegasus did this better than what I usually see, it’s still not as good as if the author had allowed the ongoing events to clarify these things on their own. We also didn’t need 200+ words describing all the specifics of the day before.
Such issues aside, this was a somewhat touching story that explores Starlight’s and Spike’s relationship and might in a way explain why they became so friendly after Starlight moved in. It essentially involved Starlight’s ongoing guilt over her past actions and Spike being the forgiving and kind guy you just about have to be when you grow up with Twilight don’t-move-my-ink-bottle-one-millimeter Sparkle.
It certainly helps that I’ve never seen anyone address the “What happened to Spike?” issue in this particular manner before. Which is odd, because you would think it would be an easy and obvious direction for people to take it.
It could use a little polishing, but this isn’t a bad story by any means. Definitely give it a go if you’d like to see more StarSpike friendshipping, which is a truly rare genre.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Lovey Dovey and the Uncertain Stallion
34,434 Words
By Crystal Wishes
Sequel to Lovey Dovey and the Business Pony
Two weeks ago, Magnate met Lovey Dovey and his whole world was turned upside down. He’s willing to give this whole ‘relationship’ thing a chance. What he never expected was for Lovey to show up at his Manehattan apartment announcing that she’d just sold her home in Ponyville so that she could live with him.
Wow. It’s been almost five years since I read the prior story, and four since I read anything by this author. And yet the moment I picked this up and Lovey made her appearance, I remembered her character with stark clarity. The simplest explanation is that Lovey is a mix of Princess Cadance and Pinkie Pie; her mannerisms are wild and she has abilities that are definitely reminiscent of the pink party animal, but all of her talents and abilities revolve around love. So much so in fact that she can literally see the connections of love between individuals, which she refers to as “Love Lines”.
But she can’t see her own love line, which she took to mean she was destined to never be in love herself. In the prior story she was asked to find a partner for Manehattan business pony Magnate, a no-nonsense, imminently practical stick in the mud who, she was shocked to discover, also didn’t have a love line. This led her to firmly believe that the two of them were meant for one another, and through no small amount of pestering she convinced him to give it a go. And now we get to this story.
This is one part romance and one part character study of both members of the relationship. Lovey is ever-excitable and desperately eager to make a relationship with Magnate work. Magnate has never imagined he’d ever willingly be in a relationship, and his growing feelings for Lovey are terrifying to him. Their blatantly different personalities and responses lead to a clash that, if you’re into these sorts of things, is very interesting.
Along the way we learn a lot more details about how Lovey’s love lines work. In my review of the previous story I spoke poorly of them, because they made it sound like pairings were nothing more than ‘destiny’, which to me cheapened the entire experience. Where’s the fun in a romance if there’s no actual risk of the romance failing? I suspect Crystal Wishes saw that complaint, because here it’s clarified that love lines are not as set in stone as they previously appeared. It’s great that Crystal Wishes chose to expand upon the concept, and I especially like how this story further explores how growing up with them affected Lovey’s development in both positive and very negative ways.
But my favorite part in all of this has to be Derelict Apathy. A retired therapist, Derelict is the Maud Pie to Lovey’s Pinkie Pie. She’s droning and dull in appearance and tonality, possesses the patience of a saint, and has the ironic effect of stealing the show with every scene she appears in. That she’s critical to resolving the ongoing crisis between Lovey and Magnate makes her presence that much better.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this. It’s well written with great combinations of humor and seriousness, working to make the starring relationship both realistic and fun for the shippers out there. Granted, this is a romance first, so if you’re not here for that then you may not get as much out of it. I’m also a little disappointed that we never got a resolution regarding Magnate’s parents. Last but not least, while reading Crystal’s Wishes isn’t remotely necessary to understand this story (and thank goodness because it’s huge), it would help to read Lovey Dovey and the Business Pony first, if only because it introduces these characters and how they met in the first place.
A worthwhile read and a welcome return to the romance-centric works of Crystal Wishes. Definitely give it a go, especially if romance is your thing.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Crystal's Wishes — WHYRTY?
Lovey Dovey and the Business Pony — Pretty Good
Lucky Guy — Worth It
Summer Island
10,814 Words
By Bachiavellian
Even if her wings don’t work like they should, Scootaloo can still fly. She now captains the Selena, a small one-pony airship, with which she works as a trader. One day Sweetie Belle contacts her wanting to go on a journey. A journey to where? Anywhere, really. As long as it’s away. What kind of old friend would Scootaloo be if she didn’t oblige?
This was a treat. It’s also curious; even though Scootaloo appears to be the main character given her place on the cover and the narrative being in her voice, it feels in many ways more about Sweetie Belle. This is in some ways a side effect of the narrative style, which focuses heavily on not giving away the point of it all. The reader is required to read between the lines and take in the meaning of dialogue from characters who don’t always feel like being forward.
That’s not to say things are confusing and you won’t get it. Far from it. Bachiavellian does an excellent job of it, creating a story that is heartfelt and emotional without being direct about it, whether it’s unrequited feelings or fears of losing oneself or even seapony songs. The result is a pleasant adventure, arguably even laid back in its manner, but with a notable sense of depth in its handling.
I greatly enjoyed this. Given its strong rating and view count, I suspect you will too. So go ahead and try it out. You may just come to like the idea of Scootaloo as an aviator.
Pre-Post Edit: Upon re-reading this review prior to posting, I am startled by how short it is. Must have been really busy that day or something. I just thought I’d slip in here and reiterate to y’all that this is an excellent story, and it feels like I should have discussed its complexities a bit more. Like the seaponies, or the hinted past of the two protagonists, or the well-developed atmosphere. I dunno, I feel like I really didn’t sell it well enough on the first go.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Cold Case — WHYRTY?
An Old Coot — Pretty Good
Rainbow Dash lives many lives. Some of them are even related.
This is an anthology of stories centered around the one and only Rainbow Danger Responsibility Dash. None of the stories are directly tied together and it’s likely that most of them aren’t even in the same continuity. Subjects range from her utter failure to speak poetically to the pony she loves, a fantastical story about how she was born, and dealing with hard breakups, just to name a few. Some of them might even be linked in some way, such that I began to wonder if maybe there wasn’t some common thread underneath it all. I doubt it, but it would be neat if I was proven wrong.
Cherax handles each short with finesse and skill. One story showcases a strange dream of Rainbow’s that may or may not mean something in lovely cloud-based imagery. Another really accentuates Rainbow’s relationship with weather via vivid imagery (a recurring theme of the anthology), yet another playfully but fully displays her anxiety towards public displays of affection. In every scene, with every interaction, there’s an unmistakable certainty that this is Rainbow Dash through and through, whether she’s being fussed over by Fluttershy or fighting with Applejack for reasons she’ll forget in ten seconds.
This ended up a delightful character study of everyone's favorite skittle horse. The writing is evocative, the atmosphere is always just right, and the various aspects of Rainbow’s personality are put on display every time. I love how it treats her as a complex character without sacrificing the silly pony we all see on the surface.
If you like the bluebird pony, then you’ll definitely want to give this a go.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Sundowner Season — WHYRTY?
September Stories — Pretty Good
Stories for Next Time:
The Day The Sky Fell by ibanix
Chryssy please! by AlphaRidley
The Lords of Harmony by Whinifree
A Solid Foundation by thedarkprep
Twilight Holmes: Sabotage After Sunset by bats
Intermission by Soft Shake
Forget Me Nots by Sun Sage
The City Must Survive by The 24th Pegasus
"They're Not Touching You!" by JMac
I Won't Stop by waaaaaaah
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Wicked is an awesome musical! I hope you enjoy it!
I do love me some airships.
I'll have to give Summer Island a read.
i had the chance to see a performance of wicked when i was too young to properly appreciate theatre, and yet i still remember having a terrific time. hope you and your mother enjoy the show too!
See, I couldn't finish Lesbian Sheep Syndrome. Just didn't vibe with me. Hearing that it's drawing in part on Estee's work makes sense, since I never liked their style much either.
My story has just been published. Itis called "Sunsets Shattering.". Could you please eventually look at it and leave a small comment on things I need to improve on, as this is the first chapter of my first story. It is only 3,000 words long.
Sunsets Shattering - Fimfiction
For someone who quite likes musicals, I don't go to see nearly enough of them. Someday, I'll get the chance for Wicked. It's gonna be around pretty much forever at this stage.
Couple of fics of interest this week, like Summer Island. Okay, mostly Summer Island. And not just because I've read it before.
And it being a holdover from my old defunct Favourites list has nothing to do with it either. 
Airships, far-off lands, Scootaloo challenging flying in other means, about the other character who it's not from the perspective of it a very subtle, naturalistic immersive way? Sign me up!
I hate musicals. I saw one by mistake once. But I'm very much into other kinds of music.
Very much agree with this.
Haven't read that one by Bachiavellian, but I like everything I've read by him. If you're taking recommendations, try "Shoots and Roots," which is his RCL-inducted story.
I've read the first five chapters of "Cerulean." That's all the was published when I read it. I agree that the stories don't seem to have a common thread and may not even be in a continuity, but that they're all pretty good. I especially liked chapter 4. The resolution Twilight brings about would have been a cop-out, except that Dash had already made her decision before that point, so it wasn't forced on her.
Very fair.
A lot of really solid stories here! I'm glad Lesbian Sheep turned out to be one :D
Wicked is great, hope you have fun.
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I can do that, but it will take it a while to get on my hard schedule. You'll probably have posted a few chapters by the time I get there.
Or, if you want something much more immediate, you could always go for the paid route. I've only just started offering this in the last couple weeks and haven't made it official yet since I'm still working out the kinks, but feel free to take a look at my rules and pricing doc. For the size of the chapter and using the lowest tier, you wouldn't be paying much.
I don't have much energy nor time to write a lot here. There was a lot that went into Applejack's role, it was not about picking stereotypes, it was about her being open for the role I wanted filled in the story (that of someone who has to spend time slowly coming to terms with it while always desperately wanting to help their friends)
Also, I wrote a thing in response to the general attitude towards homophobia in Equestria. It is not directed at you, though this was the catalyst. It's just a thought piece because i decided it would work better as a blog than as a comment. That said, it's somewhat sizable and you are not under any obligation to read it, of course.
I finally worked up the nerve to read through this--anxious individual that I am--and I must say that I'm quite pleasantly surprised by the lack of well-deserved criticism for The Castle. Either the standards I hold for my own work are utterly overblown and hopelessly unfair, or you simply withheld the hammer blows in an appreciated effort to save my self-esteem.
To be honest, I fully expected the story not to make it onto a bookshelf at all, messy and heavily experimental as it is. How shocked was I to see it make the Worth It shelf, and more so at your kind words in the review.
That said, I am glad you enjoyed yourself despite the fic's many flaws. The concept actually originally stemmed from me wondering if I could write a story whose chapters were less than a thousand words, as I tend to take up many more than that. Yes, the messages are quite blatant, but I was mainly worried about them being seen, as I feel they are necessary to make sense of the events. Maybe sometime I'll make a proper ARG type fic, but for now I'm just happy it got such positive reception.
Ah, well, I won't spend any longer trying to justify myself. Just know that you have my gratitude for being so generous, as it's really helped my crippling ego. If you want a much better written tale, perhaps check out Libero - when it's finished, that is. Knowing me, that likely won't be for a while, anyway.
Good luck with your work! You really are helping a lot with these reviews, even if it perhaps doesn't seem that way all the time. I know I certainly appreciate the critique, at least.