Review for ‘The Spirits of Equestria’ By Tidal
-There are very few writers nowadays that actually attempt to put effort into the background underlying their stories. Anyone that can do this immediately scores points in my books, mainly because they have proven to me that they are not just shallow ship-writers. And although once and a while, I enjoy a good, simple ship-fic, I much prefer a well-thought out adventure-esque story with a compelling plot and insightful characters.

And this fic is the ticket.

Execution:
-On an internet of misunderstood and hated OC’s, writers are very hard-pressed indeed to come up with an original character that the public doesn’t immediately hate on. Tidal’s Aeolus accomplishes just this, bordering on the dangerous precipice of cliché and drab, but clutching firmly onto the cliff with the help of his mysterious backstory and his lack of memory. And while I will admit that the whole ‘amnesia’ plot device for stories is horrendously over-used, I think that it works well for this fic, blending the usually flat and one-dimensional Mane-6 with Tidal’s world of gods and titans, creating a seamless transition between intriguing and compelling. Fantastic storytelling and the imminent threat of Aeolus’ rival brining doom upon them all brings forth a feeling of impending danger; one the reader never quite gets over.

Mood:
-I always find it amazing that people can take the world of MLP, with its bright, happy endings and lessons and warp it into a constant minefield of dangers and threats. Many fics do this, but few can accomplish the feat of actually pressing that feeling down on the reader like this one can. Dark and foreboding in his arrival to Equestria, Aeolus manages to make us sympathize with him, while simultaneously keeping us on edge about his true motives and plans; even if he doesn’t remember them. For the chapters that are up, it seems to us that a light and happy ending is on the horizon, with Aeolus meeting the ponies of Ponyville, and Pinkie’s usual shenanigans serving to complete the illusion. But that doesn’t get rid of the fact that impending disaster is hanging over our heads, and no matter how far Aeolus runs, his fate is always just a typhoon away. (If you read the story you'll get that.)

Grammar:
-Being the Grammar-Nazi that I am, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of issues with the spelling and punctuation in this fic. I still found a couple hidden here and there, but it was never enough to put me off the story, or to affect my experience in a negative way. Fairly well done through and through, grammar-wise. But there’s always something amiss, which is why I give this fic a well-deserved 4/5 for grammar.

Tips:
-While ‘The Spirits of Equestria’ is definitely an epic tale waiting to happen, I find that in some places, things are just lacking. The majority of the story is well paced, moving constantly and smoothly, but I found that some of the moments in Ponyville were somewhat forced, and rather detrimental to the story. On this same point however, I know how hard it can be to write small, inconsequential tidbits when you feel excited to get to the good part. It is not so bad however that it completely wrecks the story, but is merely a small road-bump in the spectrum of this adventure.

Rating:
-Compelling and relatable OC’s combined with a darkly undertoned atmosphere sets the stage for this fic, as we join Aeolus, a demoralized spirit on his quest to regain his memory and save Equestria from his nemesis, and polar opposite, Typhoon. While that is no doubt an honorable notion, I can only help but wonder if that is the only factor driving our protagonist onward. A colourful and believable backstory fits perfectly into place, and, unlike most backstories, serves to accentuate the plot and characters rather than just seem like a pointless add-on. Bravo.

On the Cromegas_Flare Scale: {I recommend this story}
-Tidal overcomes the fatal challenge of creating an OC that I like in this fic, and applies that same OC flawlessly into his surroundings, inducting new challenges and obstacles on a chapterly basis. But, the reason I gave this fic the rating I did was because of the hard to read, (and dare I say it?) dry points in the story that somewhat deduct from the would-be flawless presentation. I complement Tidal again on his successful addition of backstory and information, and I sincerely hope that he doesn’t stop here.

On FaleYur’s Scale: {7/10}
-A solid 7/10 graces this fic, well-earned throughout its dark and foreboding duration. Tidal has outdone himself with this story, and I urge you, I implore you to heed my advice and check it out. I was shocked and appalled to see the less than stellar reception of ‘The Spirits of Equestria’, and I think that we need to fix that. An enjoyable read, coupled with an undeniably awesome background gives this fic a permanent place in my favorites list.

This was my first requested review, done for the amazing Tidal. Oh, and just in case you didn't get enough links to his page, here's another. One more for good measure.

On a side note, my next review for this group will likely not be up until next Sunday. Not the Sunday coming up, but next next Sunday. As in the sixteenth. If you want to request me to review your own fic, you have ample time to do it, but I suggest telling me as quickly as possible. Just throw a PM my way, and please keep it Adventure.

Once again, check out Tidal and some of his other projects, and if you got a second, head on over to my page for monthly reviews on my top five fics, changed every four weeks. Hope you enjoyed!

~FaleYur

Wow! I'm so glad you enjoyed my story! I will take your words to heart and spice up dry moments in the future, and I'm glad you enjoyed my back story... I spent a long time creating the characters and story for it! Happy it was recognized!

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Nicely done I must say.

I just would like to remind you to use the Grading scale for the grammar. (PM me if you think otherwise, I would also like to talk to you on some other things to. Don't worry they are great things.)

Mr. Flare

Awesome! your story is great. I couldn't agree more with FaleYur. I'm glad you got a review. Now if only someone will review mine dangit.
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Oh and if you guys wanted to, go ahead and check out my page!
FaleYur kinda forgot to tag my page... Honest mistake its ok!