Story Reviews » SA Reviews #125 · 8:48pm Apr 4th, 2018
Seattle's Angels is a group that promotes good stories with low views. You can find us here.
Corejo, as a Seattle’s Angel, had experienced many weird things during his tenure as a reviewer. Multiple base explosions, the fabric of spacetime ripping apart with seeming regularity, and the slightly disturbing obsession Red had for nuts.
Even with all that, today was already vying for his top five list in terms of stuff he didn’t expect to be a part of when he woke up that morning.
“Okay class!” Ferret announced from her position on top of a teacher’s desk. Before her, a room full of kids and a few adults sat at wooden desk, pencils and papers at the ready. “Today beings the first day of the School of Reviewers!”
Corejo raised his hand.
“Oh, and I see we already have a question. What is it?”
“Yeah, uh, what is even the heck? Why do we have a reviewer school?”
Ferret sighed, as though unable to believe Corejo could ask such a thing. “C’mon, if Equestria can have a School of Friendship, I don’t see why we can’t have one for reviewers. Besides, membership acquisition has stalled, so what better way to prepare the next batch of Angels?”
“Okay, but that doesn’t explain what Intern is doing.” Corejo pointed towards the corner of the room where Intern was mopping the floor.
“Janitor. Every school needs one. Now stop asking questions with obvious answers and show these bright-eyed students how it’s done.”
ROUND 125
Fate is a cruel mistress, and so is the sea. Daring Do is but a filly, a filly on vacation with her family. During a routine cruise, her life is turned upside down and she learns what it means to be an adventurer. Everypony knows the tales of her heroism, but here is the origin of the famed explorer.
Hey look, a Daring Do origin story! Who doesn’t love those?
This one comes aboard the SA train as the introspective pick of today's features. Leave it to a shipwreck that strands a filly Daring alone on a deserted island without her little brother and you catch the first glimpse of a coming-of-age story worth your time. What happened to her brother? Where is everypony else? What are those eyes looking at her from the dark?
What this story lacks in length it makes up for in intrigue—not so much for the outcome Daring has to piece together, but in how this establishes her character. Her grit, her drive. And also how she gets her swanky, trademark hat.
This one’s a bit more introspective than the rest of the round, but don’t let that deter you. It’s a shortie, but a goodie.
Let’s start with some good ‘ol Daring Do. I know I’m in for a good time when the tan pegasus crosses my desk for one of these reviews, so let's get crackin’.
For this story, we are given a potential origin for Daring and her motivations for being an adventurer. Even as a filly, pre-cutie mark no less, Daring got hit by some harsh world lessons. And it seems she has the bad luck of breaking her wing at the worst times. Wonder if that’s a recurring thing in her books…
But hardship isn’t the only thing Daring experiences here. There’s a definite undercurrent of wonderment as Daring spends some time working out how to survive. She sees a sight that sparks the beginning of her wanderlust and promises to live her life to the fullest in honor of the ponies that came before her. There’s some Tomb Raider vibes given off here, so if you liked the most recent iteration of the series, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.
About the only criticism I can hold against this is that I wanted it to be longer. A little more time could have been given to Daring’s struggle for survival. However, I still got what I wanted and there’s no feeling like wanting more after reading a good tale.
Practice laps. That's all Fleetfoot wanted from her week off. A chance to build wing muscle, rack up her speed stats, and feel the wind in her mane. She's a racer. It's what she does.
Fleetfoot didn't ask to be put on search-and-rescue detail, and she definitely didn't ask to get saddled with the slowest Wonderbolt on the team.
She didn't ask for what came next, either.
Fleetfoot is not a monster fighter. She’s not an Element of Harmony. She's not a medic. She's not a hero. Fleetfoot’s just a pony who can fly really fast. But right now, she's all Silver Lining's got.
When the tremors fade, Fleetfoot turns on the flashlight. “Lining?” Again, her voice is the only sound in the forest.
The flashlight glints over a grey feather spinning through the night. More twirl through the air below it. The thin beam of light follows the feather trail down, down, down to a blue and grey heap in the dirt.
Goddamn, I love this story. Just read that quote up there. Really read it. Goddamn.
From the character interactions to the thoughts running through Fleetfoot’s head, this right here is an example of the caliber every writer should strive for. Nuance is something that most writers lack, but Patchwork shells out by the pound. Whether it be a mention about daily Wonderbolt life or the stillness in the treetops, and every sentence is packed with some of the most endearing character building I've seen these last seven years. I legit cried a few times because of how beautifully the writing comes together. But before I gush on and on about the writing, the story itself is just as wonderfully impactful.
What we have here isn't so much a standalone story, but rather an augmentation to a particular episode from the show, one I won't mention in order to avoid spoiling the early mystery. That isn't to say you can't enjoy this story without knowing that episode, but that knowing that episode casts this story in a different light than if the story's backdrop were an original idea. What we're seeing is a small fraction of the other side of the coin that we saw in the episode in question, much in the same way Slice of Life was an inversion of perspectives.
Honestly, I could keep spouting off about this one until the cows come home. But I'll spare you my fangasming. In short, it's stories like these that remind me our little review group is still worthwhile, and it's stories like these that remind me just how awesome this fandom is.
There’s a certain level of skill needed to write a story that takes place during another story. Especially if the other story is well known. You need to make the story you want to make interesting so that the reader’s attention isn’t wandering over to that other story.
Now I’ve written story enough to make me tired of that word.
So, this adventure stars everyone’s favorite Wonderbolt with the lisp and the events she gets caught up in on a routine search and rescue mission. Fleetfoot is handled well here, having learned a few things from her experience during “Rainbow Falls”. She’s still got a sarcastic streak but is a little more considerate and caring for her fellow teammates this time around. And that streak will be tested once that simple mission becomes one of survival.
I always liked the way the Wonderbolts are depicted as a military unit whenever they aren’t doing shows. Fleetfoot, despite seeing herself as a just a fast flier, has a load of skills from her training that she puts to use here. From medical to pep talks, it’s interesting how a character can think of themselves as one thing when they’re so much more than that.
To figure out what the heck I’m rambling about, go read it!
This story follows immediately on the heels of "Swarm of the Century"
The parasprites have been sent packing and Ponyville is in pieces.
Who is this nondescript stranger, and what might she have had to do with the disaster?
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen this episode. It made me a happy man when RT plopped this story on my plate, along with a healthy dose of nostalgia. And after a quick jaunt down memory lane via Netflix, I settled in for this fun, little gem.
I do have to say that the character tag is a bit of a disappointing spoiler (in that I wish I hadn’t seen it and spoiled the surprise), but to that end, it doesn’t take long to figure out just who this mysterious stranger is via the dialogue. And the story itself is no disappointment. Rather, the comedic bits kept this one going far smoother than I had anticipated.
Whisper is a simple story. A cute story. There’s no powerful climax or gripping suspense, but it hits that sweet spot of endearing and silly pony fun we’ve come to expect from the show itself, and that, I think, is something to appreciate.
The comedy of the piece relies heavily on Pinkie Pie sight gags, which although tend to be rough around the edges never stumble over themselves, something I would attribute to directly skimming from the show itself. If that sort of thing is a deterrent, then this might not be your cup of tea. For the rest of you, though, this here is a nice little bit of early-fandom writing that might be just the pick-me-up you need.
This story fills my round quota for plugging a fic that includes my favorite character. I’ll avoid spoiling it here (even though it’s spoiled in the character tags) and get on with the review. Though, really, if you can’t tell who best pony is by now, you’re not paying attention.
Anyway, we’re going way back in time for this one. Back when season one was still fresh and new, and Warren Hutch was one of the leading authors that showed just what fanfiction was capable of. So it’s a little surprising that this story of his has the views it does, but that’s great because I have an excuse to post it here!
Set right after “Swarm of the Century”, we get a look at how this event could have started in the first place. The mystery to who the culprit is gets solved fairly quickly, but even so, the buildup to the reveal is great. A screen scroller, if you will. Afterwards, the feels come a knockin’ as the ponies help this character out and get things back on track. The writing is still great and the concepts of friendship and togetherness still holds up.
Check this out!
A strange, romantic tale written in the tradition of nineteenth century horror.
Everyone in their sleepy little town knows that Marvelous, the clockmaker, has eyes for only one mare - the beautiful Little Lovely. Despite her mysterious illness and his amusingly obsessive nature, there's no question that they make a perfect couple.
But when the truth of Little Lovely's affliction comes to light, Marvelous begins to realize that her true beauty is ... on the inside.
I'll be honest, I didn't see that this story was marked Mature when I first selected it for recommendation. Still being honest, I never once got the impression that the Mature tag is warranted here. Sure, there's some squick that might toe the line of body horror for the most squeamish readers, but the tonality of those moments strongly disavows the mental images we in the 21st century have come to associate with the words “horror” and “gore.”
With that out of the way, this here is definitely the most surreal story of the lot. Like any old-fashioned horror/mystery, Little Lovely starts slow, electing for intrigue rather than intense action. It's the gradual build up toward the carrot dangling from the tail-end of the synopsis that makes this such a powerhouse of a story feature.
And the diction is beautiful besides. Mr V makes good on the whole “19th century” aspect. The narrative leans toward the elevated and elongated, but no one paragraph ever feels protracted.
And that dreaded [Gore] tag? Again, I felt that it borrows from an older definition of the word. You're not about to witness Saw 3 in book form or anything. Still, if the mere idea of intestines is too much for you, then it's a good idea to stay away.
Regardless, Little Lovely is at its core a tight-knit story that I wholly recommend with a haunting yet beautiful ending you won't soon forget.
I’m not sure how to properly talk about this story, but I’ll do my best. It is one thing, yet not quite. I feel it goes in one direction and then changes before my brain can process. However, one word I can use to describe this is as follows: unease.
Going into it, I read the description and saw the tags, so I was prepared for some unpleasant stuff about to happen. So as I read along, I kept expecting the horseshoe to drop, and drop it did, but not before a whole lot of buildup happened that kept me on edge. The descriptions and the characters both have an oddity about them, even as they go about their lives in seemingly ordinary ways. They speak politely, aristocratic to a T, and somehow that only adds to the wrongness I felt.
This is far from a bad story. It’s meticulously written, painstakingly put together word by word to craft a scenario that will raise the hairs on your back as you go further in. Proceed with an open mind and you will have an experience that will linger with you for some time to come.
Ferret tapped her desk with a ruler. “I hope you all took notes because there will be a test!”
The class groaned.
“So with our first lesson done, now’s a good time for recess. Everyone head to the lockers and change into your gym clothes, then head out into the fields.”
“But there’s still snow out there!” someone in the class pointed out.
“And your point?”
“It’ll be cold!”
“It won’t be for me.”
“But you have fur!”
“Semantics.” Ferret stomped on a button built into the desk. A dunce cap was lowered on the student’s head by a prize machine claw. “Now if there are no further questions, get dressed. Intern, shovel out a path for us!”
As the students began to filter out, Corejo wondered if it was too late for a career change.
Feel free to visit our group for more information and events, and to offer some recommendations for future rounds. See you all next time!
Ah, those first and last fics! :D
Oh man, Little Lovely was great! Warm, fuzzy, and bloody all in one! :D
Sweet Little Lovey sticks with you. "unease" is a great description, but also wholesome?
Is it weird that I'm just a little terrified to bring my little story before you guys? It's not that I think you're bad people, I just probably feel a little too attached to what I wrote to be comfortable with putting it before critical eyes just yet. Maybe eventually, but right now I'm just a little bit of a scaredy-pone.
The recommendation thread on your site isin't working.
Wow, you guys recommended Whisper. Now there's a blast from the past.
4833132
What about it isn't working?
Dangit, guys.
Can you somehow add hours into my day to make up for the stories you've added to my "Read it Sooner?"
4833577
Site page comes up saying error, content not found.
4834417
Which link are you using? I was able to access the link at the top and the two at the bottom no problem on my account and while logged off.
4834426
the official story recommendation thread
When I click it it says 404. page not found
4835964 It works for me.
4835966
On your phone?
4836810 phone and browsers in different computers.