Fic recs, June 1st! · 1:38am Jun 2nd, 2023

Scribbler's newest reading is Chinchillax's Everypony Lives, with Neighrator, Agent0Fluffy, Quill N Lead and Mindscape!

I feel like it's gonna be at most 4 more blogs before I'm caught up on audiobooks, by which I mean audiobooks that aren't done by Pony & Wolf. Then I have to decide if I want to try and clear through as many of those as possible or add in another reader, which brings its own set of problems. :B

Happy Pride Month!

H: 1 R: 2 C: 2 V: 1 N: 1

Fluttershy's Last Wish by StarlightGem2803
Reading by Midnight29
Genre: Character Death
I don't need to summarize this; just look at that description and you'll immediately know what the last wish was. It's just one of those things I've seen done time and again, it's so very obvious, heck, Fallout: Equestria of all things did it better, because there it was used for comedic irony more than anything else. Other than that, though, this does at least deliver a decently emotional look at Twilight saying goodbye to the last of her friends (and it's rare that Fluttershy is written to be the last to go), and I can't fault the writing.
Recommended If You Like Sad Stuff

April Foooooools! - Twilight Sparkle by birdyluvmccool
Reading by Lotus Moon
Genre: Comedy
Twilight Sparkle pranks her friends.
So, first of all, I find it hard to believe April Fools' is Twilight's favorite holiday. When has she ever been a prankster? So for the first half of the story, I was thinking, perhaps hoping, that the joke was that she sucks at pranks. Because, yeah, most of these are pretty lame. But no, I think in the end, this is just an underwhelming effort by a new author. (Sad they didn't stick around to get better!) The chapters are very short, and, more importantly, very formulaic. Twilight pranks one of her friends — generally by 'casting a spell' to turn something they're doing bad — then "flies off" to prank the next one, in order. Then they each find out what happened in order (except that AJ was already aware of the prank in the first part, unlike literally everypony else). Then they come to Twilight and each demand she change the prank back, which she does. And the only reason I'm not saying don't bother with this — well, beyond that it makes more sense if you imagine this is an AU, since they all seem to know immediately that Twilight was the cause — is that the actual punchline was something I was hoping for. But that's it.
Vaguely Recommended

Charmed Robbery by 20 KM To Nerdiness
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Random Comedy
First of all, I have to take a moment to appreciate this author's handle. Just… that's fantastic, come on, drink it in. And second, I have to not write a summary, because you simply need to experience this yourself. Nothing can prepare you for what lies within this story, and I was thoroughly amused, pleased and surprised, all at once. :D This is some marvelous nonsense!
Highly Recommended

A Darling Little Secret by Gusto Starstorm
Reading by Scribbler, et. al.
Genre: Slice of Life/G3 Crossover-ish
Shopping in Canterlot ahead of Nightmare Night, Rarity runs into a surprisingly familiar looking pony.
If you come into this expecting deep G3 MLP lore or explosive drama bombs over the central secret, you may find yourself disappointed. What you should really be looking for is good character work, plus a few interesting and unexpected things. For instance, this feels like it was written in the middle of season 5 rather than last year, since it brings Twilight's old friends into the fold of knowing her new friends and being on quite good terms with them. Though, Moondancer aside, we've seen them all in Ponyville before, so maybe that was the angle? Regardless, I liked it. Also, there are a few drops here and there about background happenings that were quite tantalizing and made this feel like part of a larger work, but in a good way. Everything added was wrapped up by the end, and I highly appreciate that. But most of all, this is about self-expression and self-realization. It's maybe low-key about gender roles as well, making it somewhat trans-adjacent. However you slice it, I found it worth my time, and quite a solid piece on its own merits. Good stuff!
Recommended

Oh, for the Love Of… by StoryEdge
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Random Comedy
Will the Cutie Mark Crusaders ever find their marks?
I had to read this twice because I got to the end and had one of the biggest "that's it?" moments ever. Though, in this case, it wasn't because the story ended too early, but because the final punchline just… isn't one. What's "AAA" supposed to be? Is this meant to be funny? It's just Twilight saying things, I swear. The one actual funny scene happens after her spell gets interrupted, specifically the method by which Owlowiscious avoids getting turned into a banana. But if that sounds funny? This probably still isn't worth your time. It's just very thin overall, and with no payoff, there's not much to recommend.
Not Recommended

Boop Chance of Romance by Quoterific
Reading by Lotus Moon, et. al.
Genre: Slice of Life
Twilight looks forward to spending quality time with her favorite foalsitter.
This is an incredibly cute story that thankfully uses its cover art as a midpoint rather than an endpoint. The very first scene, when Cadence shows up at Twilight's house, reminded me of the criticism I levelled at another story featuring a young Twilight recently. When writing her, you have to remember that she's a kid first of all, but more importantly, a kid with zero people skills. Just as she's portrayed here, she's going to be brash and even a little rude at times because that's just what happens when you're "book smart rather than common smart". Well done in that regard. In a few others, though, this does have flaws. There's a major POV shift when Shining Armor shows up, for instance. That was the major one, big enough that I've already forgotten the other, but also everyone's weirdly a little bit racist? None of it is enough to undercut this less-than-momentous first meeting of one of the show's big couples, though. If you feel like you want more filly Twilight or Cadence-meets-Shining moments in your life, you could do far worse.
Recommended for Fans of Twilight, Cadence, and/or Shining Armor

“If” or “The Power of Toast”, a portrait of an alicorn. by Owlor
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Philosophical
I'm probably the most powerful pony in Equestria, yet I'll bet you never heard my name.
Hey, remember "Princess Erroria"? :D That background animation mistake in the magic kindergarten scene? Haven't thought about her in forever! And while I'm not sure this is the greatest use of her, it is nevertheless a fascinating meditation on power. I mean, someone who declares themselves the most powerful but spends their time shuffling cards is pretty intriguing, right? Can't say I've seen too many stories like this one!
Recommended