Read it Later (494) + Happy New Year! · 7:16am Jan 1st, 2015
Hey guys! Happy New Year. Here's to another year of horsewords, because why not? 
Here are a bunch of reviews! I've been reading some since my last blog, but haven't found the time to write about the stuff.
The Incredibly Trying Performance of Octavia, written by Ponibius, along with the fic reviewed below (The Incredibly Conflicted Mind of Pinkie Pie), is an independently authored side-story to Chengar Qordath's The Life and Times of a Winning Pony. It, however, doesn't require reading the main fic (although you should! It's a really fun read).
Its adherence to conventions (✓) was not a problem.
The style (1) is quite nice and effective, and supports the theme. It would have been a "2" had I not had a feeling that the author isn't a musician. If you don't know much music, it might not bother you too much, but, well, I, at least personally, have never seen a piece of music described as follows, even in my music history text (where things got a bit ridiculous):
The light and the darkness met, tentatively at first, but then clashing with increasingly violence and ferocity. Vinyl’s illusions of shadows and light danced and crashed in the background. The light charged in, trumpet blaring to drive the darkness back only to overextend itself and be encircled and swallowed by the darkness. The darkness would then expand, working its way through the cracks and fissures in the light to corrupt and decay it from the inside only for its spread to be spotted by the light and then blasted away to restart the process anew.
Still, if that's not enough to distract you too much, then it's a worthwhile read.
What of the theme (1)? I think that it's well executed enough to merit a "1". The emotions really shone through in the text, and that made for a strong message.
Overall (1): I'd stopped following Ponibius' other side story to Chengar Qordath's work because of its pacing, but after having read this story, I think I'll give it another go.
The Incredibly Conflicted Mind of Pinkie Pie, by JakeTheGinger, is Pinkie's perspective of chapters 18-21 of The Life and Times of a Winning Pony, and it'll get awfully confusing if you haven't read the main fic.
Conventions: 0. They weren't too bad, but there were some mistakes.
Style: N. Unfortunately, Pinkie's voice was off, and I couldn't finish the story because it is through that voice that the story is told: we are in first person, and "I" am as annoying as all Hell. I did get through most of the story, but ultimately abandoned it.
Replace "clop to" with "immerse myself in"
Please, authors. If you're going to do first person, make sure the voice isn't too annoying.
Theme: 1. The situation is all-too-relatable; although it seemed petty to me at first, and I was tempted to stop reading right after the conflict was introduced, I realized that many interpersonal issues in my life were exactly as trivial as a failure to communicate, and that this sort of blowing-out-of-proportion happens all the time in real life.
Overall: N. Unfortunately, the voice just killed the story for me. Again, authors: no one wants to be an annoyingly immature character, so don't make your reader pretend to be one.
I found Like Shattered Glass, authored by Arwhale, because its sequel found its way to the feature box.
Conventions: ✓. The story was technically proficient.
Style: 0. Maybe a bit too technically proficient, so much so that it became sterile, style sucked dry by the mechanical sentences that conveyed their meaning but lacked another dimension. So, it was flat reading, but the exciting events made up for some of that.
Theme: 1. Rarity gets some character development, which is the theme. Things just sorta... happen in this story, though, so I can't say that the theme is crafted, but it's there!
Overall: 1. The narrative distance is immense, and I think the story would be that much more effective if it we were brought closer to the story where it mattered. There is a scattershot development to the theme, where things just happen and no one is at fault. While one might claim that this causes the story to lose aim, I personally think that it's fitting: although no one is responsible, that doesn't matter: we can all help.
A Solemn Summer Night, by KrazyTheFox: I am a sucker for this sort of sad, fluffy story, which I know is overdone but dammit I want more.
Conventions: ✓.
Style: 2. The first chapter's style is a perfect balance between impressionistic and concrete. I love the atmosphere painted therein. The first part of the second chapter is a sudden jolt into reality, appropriate but jarring, and the chapter concludes perfectly. The prose is a journey that lasts just long enough.
Theme: 1. Again, I'm a sucker. You know what to expect.
Overall: 2. I was touched by this story. It packs a power punch in its short length, although I suspect it'll really only appeal to shippers.
Dance 'Til We're High, by PresentPerfect
Conventions: ✓
Style: 2. PresentPerfect weaves a really nice, delicate fairy-tale atmosphere. The resolution's style isn't quite as fantastic, but the first part more than makes up for it!
Theme: 0. I... actually can't tell what the theme is. Nothing has changed with any of the characters and while the story's not quite pointless, its theme, if it exists, is sorta weak.
Overall: 2. This is by far PresentPerfect's most popular story, and I can see its appeal, to shippers mainly. If you can stomach the shipping, then I heartily recommend the story.
Anyway, expect some more reviews soon, of which up next is A Ballad of Eeyup and Nope, by ambion.
Yeah, the resolution's style is what long-time writers call "pulled out of my ass". :B And there's no themes cuz there aren't any.
I wish anything else of mine was more popular. D: