Derek's 'Stories You Should Read' #2 - Through the Well of Pirene · 8:48pm Sep 18th, 2013
Daphne has tried to live her life as any normal teenage girl would, focusing on school and the intricacies of adolescent life in an effort to forget her more imaginative childhood. Now, however, her kid sister has been kidnapped by forces she cannot understand, and she is forced to give chase into a land she had once thought only make-believe. Cast adrift in a strange and magical world, Daphne must find her sister, before she can use the Golden Bridle to take control of Equestria as the pawn of a dark and terrible master.
For those of you who have a pathological hatred of HiE fics, this story isn't for you. Heck, you probably took one look at the picture and 'nope'-d so hard you broke your keyboard.
For those of you who enjoy engaging characters, balanced plot, artistic language, and the sort of fantasy adventure that you normally have to pay money for, this story is just what you want. It's the sort of tale I love to read because it makes me jealous of the author's talents and sits as a goalpost for my own success. Don't be surprised if the author, Ether Echoes, ends up putting out real novels in their future, because from what I've read, they've got honest talent beneath the thin-veneer of pone pone pone.
At first, I didn't know if I was going to be a fan of the story. It has a bit of a slow start (I know, I know - glass houses) and took it's time fleshing out its characters by letting you really get to know them. The first person narrative really helps in that regard, allowing us to switch between the thoughts of two sisters separated by age and interest but united in the bonds of family. The characterization is the true highlight of this story. Most writers on the site struggle to keep characterization engaging and consistent even when they're using characters from the show, who have already been characterized for them. Here we have an author who takes two unknowns and makes them fully realized and incredibly textured. Even the supporting cast are cast from the same mold, coming through not as stock archetypes but as individuals in their own right.
The second real pleasure in this story is the language. It is just so well done. While the pacing can seem a bit slow at time, you never feel bored with what you are reading. The author understands that to be truly engaging one has to keep their story rich enough to satisfy our craving for detail without driving us to start skimming over it all. This makes Through the Well of Pirene a joy to read. I feel like I am learning a bit more about the art of writing with every new chapter.
The third and final element in this triangle of fanfiction excellence (note to self: don't ask family members for metaphors) is the richness of the fantasy world the author creates. It fits solidly within the My Little Pony world, but is so interesting and new that one cannot feel as if they are cracking open a new fantasy series for the first time. I have to avoid the spoilers here, because I want all of you who decide to give this amazing story a shot to experience it all as I did, but the story has me hooked and I find myself intrigued and interested in the background details and small little splashes of color that truly make this a budding fanfiction masterpiece.
If the author can keep up this kind of a writing to the very end, it will stand amongst any other story here in terms of quality. Give Through the Well of Pirene a try, and I guarantee you won't leave unsatisfied.
Thanks for the promotion!
And hey, you people who hate HiE - come give it a look, too, if you're willing to have an open mind. I went into Pirene deeply dissatisfied with the state of most Human stories and endeavored to shatter that mold hard.
What can I say, we bronies like our ponies pure.
And we hate all huuuumaaaaans.
All joking aside, HiE is great when it's well done, and I respect Daemon's judgement (I'm an incorrigible fanboy, yes, yes I am), so expect a new reader this week-end.
This story has been added to my Read Later List, that glorious virtual mound which eclipses the Sun.
In all seriousness, I am truly intrigued by this story. I like to think that I can, if not judge a book by its cover, at least judge a fanfiction by its long description, and that single paragraph is one of the most interesting descriptions I've seen. Expect to see me there... eventually.
Also, I see the new chapter of Asylum, and shall be getting to it soon. Barring unexpected updates, it's the next chapter I'll be reading.
1358675
Gladly!
1358940
Come soon! I will be very happy.
1358971 I'll try. With 197 unread chapters, I may be a while.
Daemon*, is there any reason why there are six links to a grand total of two different pages in this post? Maybe that's my sleep-deprivation talking, but I find it amusing.
*I refuse to use real names on the Internet, regardless of the title of this blog.