Fic recs, May 5th: No Second Prances edition! · 9:15pm May 5th, 2016
Fimfiction, I am very disappointed in you. :| It's been nearly a week since No Second Prances aired, and there is one whole story shipping Starxie? What gives? Who do I have to kill to see a little smooch action? Fuck's sake. News.
Corejo is doing a print run, not of Reading Rainbow itself, but of the poem within the story! Now that's something unique.
You know how I tend to announce when readers I follow do readings of stories I've already reviewed? I haven't been doing that with Dr. Wolf lately, instead just quietly changing the links in my reviews, because he's not reading new stories so much as gussying up his old readings.
But hot damn. He has turned Hoopy McGee's The Keepers of Discord into a feature-length, semi-animated "movie"! If you haven't read this excellent story yet, this is gonna be your best shot at experiencing it!
And once you're done, head below for a quick look at the latest post-episode cash grab!
H: 0 R: 2 C: 2 V: 2 N: 3
An Unlikely Love: The Tale of Two Friendship Students by StormLuna
Mature: Sex
Genre: Shipping
We begin with the single penned-in-the-last-week Starlight Glimmer x Trixie Romance-tagged fic. It is, sadly, not that great. The writing is flat and telly. There are consistent misspellings. The first scene is kind of a retelling of the first scene of the episode, but not? (Well, this was started prior to the episode, which might have something to do with it.) The characters do not sound like themselves, or actual people, at all. There are give-away-the-story author's notes, bolded headings, pages and pages of character backstory; just a whole lot of things you do when you're not yet ripened as an author. So, no, I didn't enjoy it, which was disappointing. The shipping happens in chapter 3, and that's when I said fuck it, there's nothing worth reading here.
Not Recommended: DNF 3/10
Dinner and a Showmare by DEI Caboose
Genre: Episode Followup
Princess Celestia meets her student's student's new friend.
Look at that title. Does that not scream 'shipping' to you? D: What's with people? Anyway, this is the first of these stories actually written after the episode aired, and I do detect at least a hint of shippery at play, but there's a reason that Romance tag is missing. :C As a story, there's not much to this, just sort of a logical extension of the episode, with Twilight catching up with Celestia just before she's about to leave the dinner, and Trixie explaining what happened. The writing is a little rough, with some punctuation errors, and it gets simpler as it goes, but it's okay.
Vaguely Recommended
Trixie and Starlight Glimmer Almost Take Over Equestria by Fattymagee1
Genre: Comedy
It was all a ruse.
There's a lot of comedies in this list. This one starts off with a blow-by-blow of the manticore scene that's just a little too uncomfortably close to actually watching the episode. That at least serves a purpose once things go off the rails. The writing is a little inelegant in spots, with typos and odd phrasings, but it marks a steady increase in quality over the past three stories. I had a few laughs, and I was highly amused by how the villains of the piece end up being defeated. Not a bad little diversion. :)
Recommended for Laughs
Slow Clap by Matthais Unidostres
Genre: Slice of Life
This bills itself as a deleted scene from No Second Prances, with Discord gloating over Twilight breaking up Starlight and Trixie's newfound friendship. There's really nothing more to this, and unfortunately, it distinctly does not fit with the episode, given its serious, dramatic, emotional tone. I get the feeling this is the author talking at the characters through Discord. The writing is all right, but definitely needs proofreading. Overall, this is just okay.
Vaguely Recommended
After Another Prance by Kaciekk
Genre: Episode Followup
This is another "what happened at/after the dinner" fic, and it's got some problems: flat writing, character voicing, not to mention lots of fanwankery revolving around Vinyl Scratch. The other one was better.
Not Recommended
Forgiveness After Betrayal by - LunarRepublican -
Genre: Drama
This story does something I hate: the description builds up the story to its climax, whereupon the reader goes to read the story and has to read through that buildup again. The dialogue also has some issues, while the narrative is full of homophone errors. (I really should stop being surprised that these stories feel slapdash and rushed; I mean, what did I expect?) Lastly, it feels unfocused, though I rather like their talk about what they must have been doing when Rainbow Dash first performed a Rainboom. But the point is Trixie asking why Starlight didn't let her get eaten by a manticore, and… is that really something that needs to be asked? It makes for a very strange conversation. But overall, this isn't bad, if you like slice of life and can get around the writing problems.
Recommended for the Forgiving
Protagonist by CCC
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Metafiction
Twilight, Trixie, Sunset and Starlight discuss the possibility that their world is fictional.
Two weird things about this: the presence of Sunset Shimmer, and the fact that Trixie is cast as a philosopher. I would have expected Twilight (or Sunset) to be in that role. But she is otherwise in character, and both her philosophizing and the reason for Sunset being there are a hoot. This is a good'n. :)
Recommended
Megalomaniac by Mistress Spectrum
Reading by NeighlyReads
This one has a reading! I'm gonna have to give her a second shot, I think. Her voice is a little nasal and I think she has an odd accent, but I can't quite tell how bad the background noise is.
Genre: Drama
This is more or less the same as Forgiveness After Betrayal focusing on Trixie going through with the dangerous stunt after Starlight left. It's over-dramatic, doesn't want to admit it's about suicide, and as telly and rushed as the rest of these.
Not Recommended
Relax, I'm a Professional by KingMoriarty
Genre: Comedy?
Starlight and Trixie answer questions for the press after the magic show.
Starlight Glimmer takes a very intriguing turn as Trixie's sudden PR agent in this one. It also has the decency to address the suicidal overtones of the trick head-on, for all that I don't agree that's what was being portrayed in the episode. The end result ends up being funnier than the tags would suggest, so don't let the Dark drive you away. Plus, it's the only other one that's written well!
Recommended
I had one more story picked out, but I think I'm done here. :B
Yeah, seen most of these and I have to agree with you about Slow Clap.
You sum up exactly why I don't really like accusation fics in general. Ugh, just ugh.
"Two horribly annoying idiots named Trixie and Starlight fell in love and pressed their pony mouth parts together. They went on to do things I'd rather not picture them doing and spawned many annoying pony babies, thereby dooming Equestria to another generation of stupidity and mediocrity. Celestia wept. The end."
You're welcome :V
Okay, I can write you a Trixie x Starlight story, but they both have to be uncontrollably pooping. I write for my audience, you know.
*Gives you a knowing glance*
Did you just...
Did he just...
Am I...
OH HELL YEAH!
3922671
hot
3922694 Man, you should have asked for a commission before outright giving that idea away.
3922671
You're really bad at this :C
3922694
what the fuck
That's quite a few stories based on the most recent episode. If I still published, I could've ended up adding another one to the mix and somehow further complicated things, though writing has never been my specialty. Anyway, I should get around to reading some of the recommended stories, as Trixie is admittedly my favorite pony now.
Here's hoping we get more awesome Trixie stories in the future.
And to be perfectly honest, I have a bad feeling about the stories that will be based on this weekend's episode. It's—a long story.
It's always kind of awkward for me to listen to readings of my own stories, not that I can really explain why. Maybe because it feels like I'm feeding my ego? I'm not sure. But I have to agree with your assessment of the Keepers of Discord reading with the semi-animated art: Hot damn!
Dr. Wolf did a fantastic job on the reading (as he always does) and Skyward Sylphina's art is just perfect for the story. And there's a character sheet, too, if you check the deviantart page! Whee!
3922671
Might I suggest the title Trixie and Starlight make out and doom Equestria for that story?
3922912
I find the worst part of listening to readings of my stories is hearing all the crap I could've done better. :B Otherwise, I love stroking the ol' ego. :D
3922858
You're right, I should have identified the ponies in question better. Now it's edited and I can be proud of my magnus opus.
3922912 3922697
950 more words and then straight to the top of the featurebox!
3922927
Also, I've just spent the last hour and a half listening to that reading and I really have to agree on its amazing quality. All y'all reading comments here really ought to give it a shot. I think that's literally the first audio-reading I've ever listened to for over an hour — that it could draw me in for so long is something special.
Every time I changed tabs back to the video I'd get some awesome new art, too.
Lol. I wrote my story pretty inebriated (which is how the absurd idea came to me in the first place) so I apologize for the typos and odd phrasings. I forgot to even proofread it once before I submitted it and then I just forgot about it altogether because real life. I'll go back and fix those soon.
Thanks for the review. I'm glad some people found my insanity somewhat enjoyable.
3922963
If you make it sound sarcastic or crackficcy, it will only increase its popularity: all the ponies who need to pretend they hate clop will be able to masturbate to it as well.
Bitter, me?
3922858 Don't act all coy. You know you want it.
3922912
I feel the exact same way.
I haven't listened to the recording of Pirene except for the first chapter.
Don't think it's ego, though - it's a more obscure feeling by far.
Oh, hey, a plug. Thanks!
I'm taking your Twilight alicorn picture idea, and merging it with a Trixie Glimmer story. It'll be called "Killing Ideas: The Present Perfect Files."
Sorry PP, but if McCarthy wants me to write ship fics with her OC she can pay.
3922694 there already is a story where Trixie and sweetie Belle get banished to a world filled with poop and worms and they eventually shape it as gods among the worms into a Utopia and Regidar and I both like it but I can't remember what it's called.
3922843 Isn't there some kind of law against taking money for a job and returning garbage? If there isn't, there should be...
3922963
I've changed my mind on the title. I now think it should be Snogmageddon.
3925243
Don't tempt me.
More, I mean. Don't tempt me more.
Well this is a privilege! Not my best story ever I'll admit (I pretty much thought it up as I went along) but it's always nice to have your work reviewed. Thank you, PresentPerfect.