Story Reviews » Round Robin Reviews # 3 · 9:02pm Apr 3rd, 2016
The Round Robin Reviews are written by different groups and reviewers taking turns each week. If you are a story reviewer or part of a group that reviews stories and would be interested in joining the Round Robin Reviews, feel free to PM me (Wanderer D), Professor Plum, or ElDorado to tell us about it.
Greetings, readers of Fimfiction, and welcome to Rage Round Robin Reviews. We here at Rage Reviews are known for our highly critical preferences when it comes to literature, but even jaded individuals like ourselves come across things we enjoy every now and then. Whenever a story presents strong, endearing characterizations, impeccable grammar, and memorable settings amongst other such qualities, we sigh in relief that good fiction does, in fact, exist. As such, every month a number of our reviewers get together to present a collection of stories that they feel did something right, something that other writers can learn from. We’re pleased to now be able to share our monthly spotlight with all the readers, rather than just those who happen to be a part of our group.
All the stories selected here were done so at the discretion of our official reviewers, meaning it’s their personal opinions on the matter. And so, without further ado, let’s get into the meat of this post. We promise not to shout (well, most of us do).
JumpingShinyFrogs’ pick:
Genre Tags: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Dark, Drama
Description:
After getting a taste of Friendship and questioning her allegiance to Discord, Twilight Sparkle chose instead to accept the will of Chaos and remain a student of the Emperor. Now, she has been charged to return to Ponyville and plant Seeds of Discord around the Tree of Harmony, but there are more things than broken friendships awaiting her arrival in Ponyville.
Reviewer's Note:
This is one of the most well-crafted AUs I've ever read. The characters are all in character, but you can see how they've been affected by the circumstances that the AU puts them in. The AU itself is fascinating as well, with Discord being more than 'Rah rah, evil dictator etc.'. I find it interesting that not everyone hates Discord. It's a refreshing change from most other AUs of this type where everyone is upset because of their tyrannical ruler. I also love the way the Royal Sisters are used in this AU. I won't spoil anything, but it might flip your expectations on their head. But far and away the best part of this fic is Twilight Sparkle herself. Her internal struggles between her enjoyment of having friends and her desire to serve Discord as an Agent of Chaos are very interesting and compelling, yet the author somehow manages to keep her in character the whole time. I find it very easy to believe that Twilight would behave this way in this sort of situation. Overall, this and its prequel are both wonderful stories that really deserve more attention than they get.
Charles Spratt’s pick:
Genre Tags: Dark
Description:
Vinyl is in a tough spot. She's behind on rent, and Octavia is not going to pay for her, again. What makes matters even worse is she's doubled booked herself to play at two popular clubs. She has no way of meeting all her obligations. Not unless there were two of her…
Reviewer's Note:
This is a criminally underlooked gem. This story's plot reminds me a lot of 'Rise of the Machines', where robots become self-aware and attempt to overthrow their creators. Similarly to those sorts of stories, a lot of this story's creepiness factor comes from the fact that the creation is willing to destroy the creator without a second thought. That's unnerving enough on its own, but what really sells it for me is how the clone's reasoning for doing so makes a lot of sense. The clone and its motivations are by no means malevolent, but the idea that it wishes to eliminate the original could easily make it so that the original ceases to exist. That it could take her place with nobody being the wiser makes it incredibly creepy regardless, and the ending manages to make it even better. Due to how open to interpretation it is, the audience has no way of knowing which Vinyl we're looking at, which just makes the final line all the more unnerving. When your dark story is able to make one pony being nice to another pony creepy, you know you've done something right. It's a very enjoyable, dark, and atmospheric fic that really deserves more recognition than it gets.
A British Gentleman’s pick:
Genre Tags: Adventure, AU, Human, Drama, Tragedy
Description:
Discord's the only creature in Equestria who can recognize the human for what he is -- not the long-lost Seventh Element that never actually existed and couldn't have existed before the human arrived, but a meta-reality warper, an entity far more powerful than Discord with the power to warp the minds of all around him and the very rules of magic to make sure that he's always the Big Hero. And the role the human's assigned to Discord is the Villain to beat down or kill.
Pre-reform Discord's fine with being the villain. But on his own terms. Not dancing on some alien interloper's puppet strings.
Without friendship, or even allies, Discord's going to have to find a way to defeat a creature who can alter fate itself and who can even mind-control him. Or he may just end up worse than dead.
Reviewer's Note:
Browse the new fics list or the feature box for any length of time, my good ladies and gentlemen, and it is inevitable that you will encounter 'Anon'. Anon is a somewhat peculiar fellow: he (members of this odd breed are invariably male) has no distinctive human features, no distinctive human name, no distinctive human character.
Anon is a void; a vacuum; an empty space where a character should be.
These eldritch creatures are clearly not human.
So what are they? Or what is he? What is his deal? How is he able to effortlessly attract the fancy of whatever pony (or ponies) happen to take his interest? Why does Equestria so neatly fit his every whim and desire?
This splendid deconstruction of the tiresome HiE wish fulfillment self insert fics and their equally tiresome second person counterparts that 'Anon' so neatly represents answers these questions and more. It is pure, soothing bliss for any reader who is sick of the endless parade of poorly thought out second person HiE's that 'bless' the feature box with their presence.
Our eponymous 'hero', to use the term in the loosest possible sense, is an unreformed and thoroughly unrepentant Discord, who has a rather unenviable task: how to handle a far more powerful reality warper than he himself, one who twists and distorts everything about the world on a far deeper level, one who can control everything and everyone.
Even Discord himself.
Discord and Equestria might be in for a rough time, but the reader is not: this is a magnificent fic, with an ingenious premise, great characterisation and some excellent action scenes. As a deconstruction, it works brilliantly, mercilessly skewering the shoddy, self serving world building and ill thought out headcanons that comprise so many HiE's on the site.
This fic is the best of its type on Fimfiction, and is highly recommended.
Kamikakushi’s pick:
Genre Tags: Alternate Universe, Dark
Description:
Twilight Sparkle goes to a conference and talks with some ponies about some numbers.
Reviewer's Note:
This is a very underrated fic. While not complete and with few prospects of ever becoming so, the first chapter manages to grab the audience and pull them into a very disturbing reimagining of Equestria where ponies are extremely xenophobic and fascist. Without directly telling us a lot, the details given are more than enough to let your mind fill in the big picture, informing a lot about the world the story takes place in. There are parallels drawn between this story’s ponies and Nazi Germany, and it's delightfully chilling to see the mentality and justification of the characters we know for their actions and beliefs as they still feel close to their canon counterparts. This is an excellent example of how an alternate universe fic should be approached.
Waterpear’s pick:
Genre Tags: Sad
Description:
"When I read their letters... I think about how temporary everything really is."
A lonely princess pores over her studies in a frigid castle, desiring nothing more than the warmth of an old friend. Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria, wears a heavy crown wrought of burdens too numerous to bear, but perhaps a special visitor can ease her pain, if only for a moment.
Reviewer’s Note:
This is a story where Twilight comes to terms with her own immortality and with her friends' distance from her life. It isn't bleak, and it doesn't portray immortality as a hideous curse. What it does do is show the passage of time and the pain it causes—the drifting away of good friends, the creases on their faces as they age—as well as the joy. The ending is absolutely beautiful.
Orion Caelum’s pick:
Genre Tags: [Crossover] [Dark]
Description:
After being driven out of Ponyville following the incident with the Ursa, The Great and Powerful Trixie flees into the Everfree forest, where she meets a mysterious masked stallion named Herald. Herald offers Trixie a chance to learn ancient magic that will truly make her the most powerful unicorn in Equestria, by offering her a book that not even Twilight Sparkle has ever read. But there is a reason Twilight's never read this book, and there is more to Herald than there appears…
Reviewer's Note:
This story is one of the most brilliant crossovers I've read on this site. Not only does it take a niche, often hard-to-understand concept like the Cthulhu Mythos, but it takes it, runs with it, and makes a bloody good story out of it. The story keeps distinct dramatic tension throughout, and Drhoz is able to balance both the abilities of the ponies and the abilities of the Outer Gods to provide a fulfilling climax and ending.
Seriously. Read this story. I command you, by the power of Shub-Niggurath, the Black Goat with a Thousand Young.
[Ed: Rage Reviews does not condone the worship of elder gods]
FanOfMostEverything’s pick:
Genre Tag: Drama, Slice of Life
Description:
Once upon a time, Silver Spoon's life made sense. She had the right friends, the right house, and the right school for a young lady coming up in the world. Once upon a time, Silver Spoon lived amongst proud towers in a vibrant, bustling city that never slept.
Now she lives in Ponyville. Not so terrible once one gets used to it. Silver's learned to appreciate some ponies, harbor grudges for others, and tolerate the rest. But sometimes, she wonders if one pony in particular is as popular as she thought.
Reviewer's Note:
I have a soft spot for good use of characters the show rarely utilizes, and stories that fill in the blanks it leaves. The Silver Standard does both and then some, painting a portrait of Silver Spoon as a semi-disgraced young Manehattanite who finds herself in a vastly different social environment. The story seamlessly incorporates canon, gives rich characterization to an entire generation of background foals (including one of the most awesome Dinkies that I've ever seen), and makes even pre-"Crusaders of the Lost Mark" Diamond Tiara somewhat sympathetic without whitewashing her. This is quality work, plain and simple.
And so ends this round of reviews. We thank you for sticking with us until the conclusion and invite you to check out our quaint little group at your earliest convenience.
Fare thee well!
Silver Standard is the best ongoing story on the site. No question.
Wow, a lot of alternate universe here.
Good bit of Dark too. Which isn't a bad thing, just worth noting.
There a way I can do a review for this? Or is it your own?
3846332
To quote the very first paragraph:
I wanted to like 'The Stars Will Aid Their Escape' a lot more than I did, cause I do love me some Lovecraft. It ultimately left me wanting though the ending is killer.
If I may. allow me to recommend RelaxingDragon's 'First Week of Winter.' It not only blends John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy into a single satisfying narrative, it also does a splendid job toward the end in bringing some Great Old Ones into play.