Ghost Lights by Winston
Adventure Sad
108,921 words total

This is a sequel to a previously reviewed story — Seashell by Winston — and most of what was said in that review applies to this one as well.

Grammar: 9/10
Like the first story, grammar and spelling are generally great, but I do see more errors here than I did in the first one. I did find one instance of a missed word.

but it's not always all ponies assume it to be

There appears to be a "what" missing between "always" and "all". Other errors are minor, the occasional missing comma, the odd bit of clumsy sentence construction, nothing becomes a real problem.

Characterization: 10/10
This story continues the characterizations from the original. It is set some time in the future, and the development of canon characters mostly makes sense given the settings, remaining faithful to what one would expect for their canon depictions. There are a few moments where descriptions of canon characters by characters in the story do not match their canon personalities; but that quickly turns out to be a case of an unreliable narrator (saying more would give away spoilers).

Use of show canon: 9/10
This story continues some time after the original left off. Show canon is integrated well, and developed in ways that make sense for the most part. Like the first story, however, there are elements that don't fit in as well, mostly involving depictions of modern Equestrian prejudices and such. Elements that just feel a bit off with what we know of Equestrian society in the show. Not enough to harm my enjoyment of the story; however.

Plot consistency: 10/10
The story is consistent, and focused primarily on the character development of Azure Sky; and in that respect, feels a little more like a character study as seen through Sunburst's eyes than a straight narrative.

Use of OCs: 10/10
This story focuses around two characters from the first one, Sunburst and Azure Sky. Sunburst is pretty much what one would expect from the original story, and the development of her friendship with Azure Sky makes sense. Azure's development is very well handled, and given the glimpses of backstory we get, is handled logically and consistently.

Coherence: 10/10
Overall it's very well written, holding well to it's format and perspective. Character actions and thoughts are logically derived from backstory and circumstance, and there are no out of place moments or plot devices. Pacing is deliberate and even, it's not a story to rush through, one wants to linger on every page to pick up all the nuances.

Extra things depending on genre: 7/10
This isn't really an Adventure story. While it has elements of adventure in it, they're the not the focus, merely the setting. What this is is a rather poignant coming-of-age story for Azure Sky, and journey of self-discovery for Sunburst. Both ponies learn a great deal about themselves, and grow into new and better people as a result. LIkewise, Sad doesn't really fit, as it is not a sad story, despite some melancholy elements. Despite the personal trials they both endure, each ends up in a much better place than they started. This would have been much better tagged as a Drama; and that's the only significant flaw in the entire thing.

Touchy topics, if any are present:
Gore, death, mutilation: 1/5
One minor incident of an animal being killed as part of one character's backstory. It's dealt with very realistically; and provides a strong sense of motivation for one of the characters in a believable way, without feeling gratuitous or gimmicky.

Total: 63/70 for a score of 90% - Enthusiastically Accepted

Additional comments:

This story breaks the strictly epistolary format of the original, and does it effectively, putting a lot more of the characters' acts and feelings into it. Overall, it's a very interesting story and reads well; expanding on the first story quite effectively. The characters feel very real, and really come alive as people. I very much enjoyed this story, far more than the first one, which I also liked quite a lot. This is something I would highly recommend to anyone