Rarity and the Curious Case of Charity review! · 11:56pm Sep 7th, 2014
Okay, real quick:
Direction updates Thursday.
About Last Night on Sunday.
And a one-shot Monday.
Now then, back to reviewing. Here's the latest chapter book:
Chapter One
The mail in Equestria is poor, apparently. And Rarity is on pins and needles, because she applied to be a mentor for the summer. She sends her sister to check the mail... and that’s all that happens. No! The last book was good at avoiding uneventful chapters!
And I’m sorry, but Raponyzel was just painful.
Chapter Two
I like Sweetie imitating her sister’s bad habits. That’s something young ones do. Anyway, there’s a letter in the back Sweetie can’t reach. It’s... an invitation to Cloudy Quartz’s birthday party. She moans until _____ shows up with another letter. (Seriously, Rarity can’t remember her name.) This one is the letter she’s been waiting for. She has been accepted, and her apprentice arrives tomorrow.
Chapter Three
Rarity and her five friends go to meet the apprentice at the bus stop. After a few pages of filler chat, the train arrives, and they realize they don’t know what she looks like. After a bit, they find a pony that appears to be lost, and guess it must be her. Will this be a repeat of Games Ponies Play?
Chapter Four
Thankfully not. This is Sweetmint, Rarity’s new apprentice. And it seems she’s starstruck. And it turns out Sweetmint is her nickname... her real name’s Charity. Spike also seems infatuated with her.
Chapter Five
Rarity has tea with Charity. They keep talking about a famous pony named Coco Cheval, which I guess means Berrow wasn’t in tune with the writing staff about Coco Pommel. I wouldn’t mind, but the book mentions a few other season four stuff, like the Pony Tones, so... what the heck?
The two talk about Rarity a lot, but the conversation never stays on Charity, even when Rarity tries to push it there. Charity says she’s up for a contest on making a line with Rarity, and if they win she gets her picture in a big fashion magazine. Rarity becomes determined to win, and even pep talks the nervous Charity on it.
Chapter Six
It seems Rarity never actually thought how to be a mentor, and is just looking busy rather than, you know, teaching her. Then she decides to help make Charity’s contest entry rather than working. Then she bails on that to help a customer.
Chapter Seven
It turns out it’s Fluttershy, who wants to invite them on a picnic. They accept, despite being busy. Hey, this is sounding more and more like my writing process! While Charity decides what to wear, Rarity realizes all her clothes are ones she designed.
Chapter Eight
When they arrive, Spike greats Charity instead of Rarity, who gets sad that she isn’t stringing Spike along as effectively anymore. Twilight shows her sanity by noting how creepy Charity is. Applejack invites Charity to do cannonballs in the water with Rainbow Dash and her. She seems up to it, but after Rarity expresses displeasure, she refuses.
Chapter Nine
Twilight points out to Rarity that Charity is pretty much acting like her, but she blows her off, mainly because she’s enjoying the ego boost. Rarity hides from Golden Harvest when she sees her, and admits to the others she has designer’s block. Much to Rarity’s surprise, Charity still wants to help her.
Also, a model named Honey Flanks? I’m pretty sure that’s a dirty joke somehow.
Chapter Ten
Rarity enjoys having an assistant, but after working her hard, she insists on an afternoon off. Filler happens, Charity decides to spend it at the spa...
Chapter Eleven
Rarity finishes up, then decides to head for the spa herself. She leaves a note for Charity, who decides to take them to the concert herself. When Charity arrives, she’s mistaken for Rarity, because she dyed her mane purple.
Chapter Twelve
Rarity arrives home and thinks the dresses have been stolen, because Charity never left a note and the obvious idea never occurred to them. Rarity goes to face Golden Harvest, and is surprised to find her saying they were delivered by her. Then she sees Charity.
Now realizing her apprentice is a psychopath, she confronts her. She forgives her for delivering the dresses, and decides to talk later in private.
Chapter Thirteen
Rarity calls a meeting in the Castle of the Two Sisters, where she says charity is trying to steal her life. They confirm that they noticed this. Rarity then runs off without asking for any advice, making this whole chapter pointless.
Chapter Fourteen
Charity is out seducing Spike when Rarity shows up... now looking like Charity did at the start. This instantly solves the problem. No, really, they move right to the make up speech.
Chapter Fifteen
Charity and Rarity design a dress together. The end.
This is following the pattern of a lot of build up, no payoff. Seriously, everything up to chapter 14 is summarized on the back! Really hoping book five is better.
Friends Forever #7 is next.
Sounds like a dessert of which the name eludes me at the moment.
Charity.
Like in Twilight's fanfic in Friendship is Witchcraft.
This sounds like the standard fare of what to expect from these books. Is it by the same author as the others? He's apparently writing episodes in season 5. I have no idea what to expect.
I really think you're being too hard on these books. They're not intended to gripping novels like Harry Potter. They're intended for a younger audience, and to help provide Bronies with something to do to pass the time in between seasons.
G. M. Berrow is a great writer, and I look forward to what she brings to the table in Season 5.
I really like this book, but between this and the Pinkie Pie one, I go with the Pinkie Pie one by a razor thin hair.
Applejack's sounds really promising though.
2436434
I'm not expecting them to be great, but they're still pretty bland to me. They just tend to go nowhere.
2436443 It's what called "Slice of Life", it just feels a bit different seeing it in book form compared to fanfic or t.v show episode form. Most books usually have lots of action. These are more subdued.
2436449
I understand that, but it still doesn't grip me. Mainly because they don't seem to be paced well. They aren't doing slice of life well.
2436451 For what it's worth I think they're doing just fine.
Oh and fyi, that pegasus that Rarity couldn't remember? It was Derpy. Berrow didn't wanna risk another Derpgate, so she had to come up with an excuse as to why the character couldn't be named.
I've only read the first two chapter books myself, but that was my impression as well.
As I was able to ask her about a few things at the Grand Brony Gala I can tell you that Coco Cheval and Coco Pommel were just developed at about the same time from the same obvious reference. She's been dealing with Hasbro for the most part, so she was not at the time in contact with the writers.
2436457
Yeah, I know.
2436580 Well, I didn't think anything of it.