Story Reviews » Reviews! Round 65 · 2:07am May 6th, 2015
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“Well, it’s official,” said Raz, stepping back from RedSquirrel and holding up the frighteningly sharp scientific instrument. “Ferret’s tail is point three fluffons fuzzier than yours.”
“No!” Red gasped. “It’s gotta be wrong! Check it again! I got bets riding on this!”
“Sorry buddy,” Raz said. “Science doesn’t lie. But you’ll always be the fuzziest to me.”
Red stomped his little paw. “YOUR FEELINGS CAN’T REPLACE BROKEN DREAMS!”
Ferret just smirked and stroked her tail. “Looks like someone is a sore loser~,” she sing-songed.
“I am not a sore loser!” Red screeched, his squeaky voice reaching levels of soprano saltiness previously unheard of. “It’s invasive species and bias against squirrels wrongly convicted of destroying bird feeders that’s the problem!”
“Don’t feel bad, Red,” said Raz, gently patting him on the head as Ferret sauntered away. “Look at it this way: now that you know you’ve lost, it’s all a smooth ride of mediocrity from here.”
Red slumped. “I’m so moving back to Scotland.”
“No time for that,” said Raz, holding up a squirrel-sized harness. “Since you lost, it’s your turn to go fic-fishin’.”
ROUND 65
Events have not been kind to Trixie since we've seen her last in the show, but hardship breeds wisdom. However, before she has any time to think things over, she is involved in an accident, earning the enmity of somepony very powerful. To escape her troubles she accepts the offer to join an expedition with a mysterious goal. Trixie has once again bit off more than she can chew. Before long she'll be out in the cold...
I am a sucker for redemption fics. My favourite flavour of redemption fic is Blueblood, since he has so little characterisation in the canon. But Trixie is definitely a close second. I like them when the redemption follows canon or ignores, there’s just so much you can do with her. You can make it very focused on her, or you can make her part of a broader scope.
This is one of the latter. This is an incredible adventure story that really sweeps the characters up in this event that starts out seeming pretty huge and then suddenly becomes so much bigger than them. It’s sort of like climbing the local sledding hill, only to take a step and have it suddenly heave and rumble and rise up til it’s the size of Mount Everest.
This story starts really solidly for me. It’s Trixie having made up with Twilight and trying to rebuild herself, running afoul of some high power nobles. With death threats hanging over her head she decides to head home and check in with her family. This is where the amazing characters really start to shine. Her family is brilliantly done and they feel really solid. You can really see where her roots are and how she came to be who she was. When her newly built wagon is burned down as an obvious indication of intent, she decides the best option is to get out of the country for a while.
She throws in with a caravan heading out past The Crystal Empire for unspecified reasons, but apparently big reasons as Celestia herself is organizing it. Trixie is naturally suspicious of some of the other members of the group but they head out without issue. The relationships between each character is wonderful as they are all complex layered individuals, and grow and change as things progress.
The story really builds upon itself, with more and more being revealed as they go along. The relationships shift and develop and as the group slowly learn that while their reasons might be varied, they’ve gotten into something far bigger than themselves and will need to depend on each other if they want to survive.
The world building is really at the fore as they travel. From the high delicate spires of Canterlot, to the Frozen North and glaciers, everything is stunning and really shows that the author has put a lot of thought into their world. The locales they travel to feel like real places and the way they challenge the characters and show off their victories and failures helps hammer home how much of a struggle things are at first. As the characters adapt to their circumstances, the world helps display this, shows how much out of their element they really are.
When the reveal of the real reason for the caravan comes to light, it’s flawless. The way each characters deals with it really shows a lot about them and how they handle the changes that are thrown up for them is really amazing. I found myself caring for the original characters more than I expected and at times I was more focused on their struggles than I was Trixie’s.
There are so many things I wish I could touch on but they would ruin the incredible ride the story takes you on. All I can say is if you love adventure and world-building, solid original characters and exceptional character growth, this story will not disappoint.
I don’t like Trixie. I really don’t. So it takes something more than trying to make me care about her, especially with something as tired as making her redeem herself. She doesn’t quite achieve that here with Chasing Winter, I don’t think, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t make for an excellent adventure.
The story starts off with Trixie in a low point of her life. It turns out she wronged some fairly powerful ponies, when an old friend offers her a way to stay safe and let this all blow over: joining a hastily-assembled expedition out of the kingdom into the frozen north. And right from the beginning, we can tell this story won’t be so much about the expedition itself, but all the characters taking part.
Chasing Winter is really more about its characters than anything else. Even those with minimal presence feel like they belong, like nobody is a nameless drone. I really loved the care put into their interactions, and it’s those interactions that show they’ve all become something bigger than they were all individually. More or less, Trixie is among company, and while wary, they gradually grow to trust and depend on one another. They visit many locales on their journey, and while the world building is nice and appreciated, it’s great to see all the worldly elements playing to test the characters more.
If there’s any complaint to be had, it’s that the story can be a little purple and telling than usual, and the pace takes awhile to pick up in the first few chapters. But once it does, and things start happening, the story really shows its strength and develops into a harrowing journey.
Anyone looking for an adventure upheld by some great characters should check this one out. It definitely made me like Trixie a little more. I still hate her, but just a little less.
STORY 2
Peristeronic, by Hawattie
Little do we know, Pigeons have a secret military operating within every major city in Equestria. This is the story of one of the greatest and most important covert operations ever carried out by the pigeon military; to ruin Prince Blooblood's day.
My favorite comedies are ones that take an absurd premise and run with it as straight-faced as possible. Peristeronic is one such story, and takes the absurd to such a cartoonish level I can’t even believe it exists.
The story follows a group of three pigeons, part of a secret pigeon organization bent on world domination, or at the very least something thinly similar. Militaristic in strategy and doorknob-esque in intelligence (or regular military intelligence, depending on who’s asking), they will stop at nothing to see their agenda fulfilled. For some reason, this entails the wittily named “Operation: Crap on Everything” and Prince Blueblood, enemy of the pigeon state.
Peristeronic takes the idea of a secret, covert war and kicks it down a steep embankment. We’re given snippets of regular pony life, which only helps to uphold the absurdity of the pigeon operations by juxtaposition. It’s stupid and hilarious, and being fully aware of this lets the story fill itself with all the terrible puns and jokes only an eight year old could think of. But the story tires to be serious with its unseriousness, which only adds to the effect.
Anyone who loves a good comedy should check this one out. It’s short, sweet, and intelligent with its incompetence. I couldn’t really ask for more.
I sometimes wonder what kind of blissful ignorance the ponies of Equestria live in. Do they know that their country is constantly being threatened and targeted for extermination by bazillions of bad guys, from changelings to Sirens to centaur demon-gods? Do they know that they are, in fact, the very goal of many of these cretins, the means by which Equestria will be overthrown? It seems they don’t, because for some reason they’re always surprised when the next big disaster shows up. But then, who can expect a disaster to come from pigeons? Nobody, that’s who, because pigeons are inept and stupid and this is a story about that.
You didn’t see that coming, did you? Neither did Prince Blueblood, who is Pigeon Enemy Number One for some reason and has an army of pigeons out to get him without him knowing about it. This isn’t a story that relates in any way at all with canon except by tangents, because it has Blueblood in it. But it is a story about what you can do with the “secret war” trope and turn it on its head. It’s rather like watching one of those subplots you see in cartoons about the side characters on a mission that parallels that of the main character, who is technically Blueblood in this tale, but actually entertaining. It’s a constant barrage of pigeon puns and scenes of hilarious mood whiplash as the pigeons take their moronic tactics and utter incompetence with nothing but the utmost seriousness. It’s also great if you enjoy Prince Blueblood getting dumped on, stories that need little or no explanation, or need something to quickly make a bunch of brony friends laugh at an awkward party. There’s little here to talk about besides the sheer comedy factor, but there’s plenty for you to read and enjoy.
How do you show a friend how much you appreciate him when he prefers to keep to himself? Dreamy Ink, with Lovecolt's help, set out to do just that.
I love stories that try to do something with the way their written to help tell their stories, as opposed to simply telling the story on its own. It’s an ulterior quality that helps set the atmosphere to just the right level and evoke just the right response. In that regard, Brasta’s Birthday Bottle is a fine example.
The story begins with a group of friends at an art gallery, enjoying each other’s company. But then it’s revealed it’s one of their birthdays, and the story quickly turns into a short quest to find him a birthday present. However, it feels incredibly relaxed, to the point to becomes less about the gift and more about what it represents. Rather, its delivery.
Seriously though, Brasta’s Birthday Bottle is incredibly relaxed. It feels much longer than it really is, in part because of the whole artistic themes going on. It’s poetry, as a matter of fact, or at the very least something like it, accompanying a dancing magic for a very specific scene. It almost feels like a movie, but anything beyond that I think would be spoiling the story. It’s a think piece, but it isn’t. It acts simple, but it’s also complex.
Anyone who wants to read something slow and appreciate some finer details would enjoy this story. It’s a really personal story and I loved it for that.
I freely admit I’ve not read the stories these characters are from, but I really feel this story allows me to get to know them without issue. I never found myself scratching my head at their actions or discussions, never felt like I was being left out of a loop.
Anyways, I’m a sucker for stylistic stories. If a story has a very distinct style, that can often sell me even if everything else is very weak. This story thankfully manages to have a very unique style and a solid core.
The story follows the two friends, Dreamy Ink and Lovecolt trying to help each other decide on gifts for their friend Brasta’s birthday. The names should make it clear this is a very languorous, relaxed feel for a lot of it and later drifts into a very dream-like state and does so beautifully.
It’s a very simple piece, the theme of how do you tell friends how much they really mean to you underlies the style and it’s really well done. It feels very true and honest with the character interactions. Dreamy does worry about being misunderstood and wonders how he can get his message across but make sure it sounds like it’s coming from him and not from anyone else.
I do need to tell folks that this story does use real world religious themes, specifically focusing on the Wiccan and spiritual side of things for Dreamy Ink. I think it’s handled well and isn’t overly forced, but I know some folks prefer their ponies don’t get into real world religious stuff, so consider this a warning.
Some ponies come into your life and quickly go. Some show up on your doorstep with a squadron of hungry soldiers and refuse to leave. Much to Princess Platinum's chagrin, Commander Hurricane belongs to the latter category. It's a shame she can't tell him off without summoning an eternal blizzard.
I love a good ol’ pre-Equestria fic. Not necessarily ones that try to play with history, mind, but stories that simply take place in very different time periods. The era of the three tribes is a little underrepresented in that respect, let alone a good one. So it’s always a treat to see a story like Hurricane Watch appear every now and again.
The story begins with Princess Platinum “entertaining” the company of Commander Hurricane and his entourage, while they wait for Starswirl to return with hopefully a fix for the endless winter they’ve all been having. But it’s then revealed that maybe, juuuust maybe, Platinum could raise the sun and fix this mess herself. So they take a short climb up a mountain to see if she actually can, and to the surprise of nobody, she’s not really keen on the idea.
Hurricane Watch is written from Princess Platinum’s point of view, which caught me a little off guard at first. But the author great competence and her narrative voice was painted beautifully. I got a thrill out of her snark and general disdain for pegasi, and Hurricane’s hardness was just as swell. Their characters are strong and opposing, and it’s a great thing to see them develop from merely butting heads into some sort of cooperative effort. Not to mention, there’s some dandy world building to boot. Subtle, just the way it should be.
This is a really great story, and regardless of whatever preferences one may have, I’m going to recommend this everyone. It’s short, to the point, a great example of historical ponyfiction, and all around entertaining.
There are not enough stories about pre-Princess Equestria. Most bronies, when they grab their time machines and spin the dial, only dare to go so far back as Nightmare Moon, or a little before or after. Others dare to push it juuuust a teensy bit further and speak of Starswirl, or perhaps the Princesses when they were young. But what about the rulers who were there before them, whom the mane six starred in a national play about? I speak of course of Princess Platinum and co. of Hearth’s Warming Eve fame, and the stories that have yet to be told about them. Friendly author Fahrenheit, however, took up the challenge and gave us this hidden gem.
Principally, it’s a tale about Commander Hurricane and his antagonistic friendenemyship with rival ruler Princess Platinum as they wait for Starswirl the Bearded to return with their respective assistants and maybe a way to save the world from eternal winter. But as the cold deepens, they take a short but very entertaining journey to a mountain that supposedly will give Platinum sole control of the sun, and therefore, the weather. Strength of character is absolutely necessary in a short story, and Hurricane and Platinum pass with flying colors. The story is told from Platinum’s point of view, and we get a lovely insight into her mind as she desperately tries to keep her fraying nerves from falling apart and maintain her decorum and dignity. Underneath it all is the sincere desire to be a good ruler. This bumps up against Commander Hurricane’s sarcasm and disbelief that Platinum is anything but a pompous spoiled girl. Watching the two of them clash and sometimes cooperate is a joy, one I hope other authors will take some cues from.
Oh, and did I mention the worldbuilding? There’s plenty of that too. It’s also a great example of how it should be done: subtle, informative, original, and completely non-intrusive. It never feels like the author is simply sidestepping the story to gawk at some random tangent like a tour guide being paid by the hour, and this above all else cements my recommendation of this story as a solid thumbs up.
“So, no hard feelings about the whole ‘my tail is fluffier than yours’ thing, right?” Ferret asked as she and Red stared out the window. They had been sitting in companionable silence for the last hour.
“Nah,” said Red at last. “I learned something today. What’s important isn’t the fluffiness of the tail, but the quality of the one who owns it. You may have unseated me as the fluffiest Angel, but what is that compared to the power of our friendship? As long as I remember that, I can keep my sanity and my dignity.”
“Good,” said Ferret, patting him on the shoulder. “If it makes you feel any better, there’s nobody else I’d rather have as the second fluffiest. Between you and me, we’re the only fluffy critters this place needs!”
Red couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Ferret.”
“No problem. Now let’s go gnaw on someone’s pen collection!”
“Hey guys, look what I found!” shouted alexmagnet as he burst through the front door.
Red and Ferret whipped their heads around, eyes wide as they saw alex hold up a cat. It twitched its tail.
Its very fluffy tail.
Feel free to visit our group for more information and events, and to offer some recommendations for future rounds. See you all next time!
Red and me know where the razors are kept. That cat is going down.
Thanks for introducing me to three new authors with some cool-sounding stuff! (The fourth, I just plugged in my blog a few hours ago. Great minds think alike.
)
3048245 Oh no, I'll gladly adopt it. All my other cats have sadly passed away...
goo.gl/WsGXKH
That's just a joke. It's all in good fun.
3048335
You haven't lived a full life until you've got a pair of pitchfork-wielding, torch-toting ponies chasing after you.
Precisely how has the "fluffon" unit of measurement been defined?
And, can it be combined with other S.I. units to describe additional quantities/qualities?
Guys, the fluffon scale was abandoned months ago. Everyone's using the poofalic scale now.
I've always been fond of the fact that SA tries to introduce up and coming authors to the wider fimfic community, but this is the first time in a while there were stories and authors I had never heard of on this list. I could not be happier about that.
3048335 I love that gif so much.
In the Seattle Angel's megazord, who drives the head?
3049819
Officially, Pav (he is listed as the group's founder). De facto, it might be alex. Off the record, it's questions like that that are why Seattle's Angels no longer has a megazord.
3051338
Are you sure we got rid of it?
3052424
You guys have left behind about 3-4 dozen demolished secret bases over the last two and a half years. If any part of that megazord was still salvageable by the time you were through with it, I will be genuinely surprised.
Might I suggest the Outlaw Mares trilogy for your Trixie-realted perusals? It seems criminally under-read, although the last in the series is incomplete as yet.
3049505 That's a swell avatar you got there.
3061037 Your's is great too. Thats 3 aku's i've seen around, including myself.
3061232 You, me, and Skeeter?
3061900 Yep. Haven't seen any other aku's hangin around
3061950 Don't think the site could support anymore