You Might Like This: January

You Might Like This

So, some of you may remember my last blog post where I plugged a group I was helping organise and stuff. Well, it's been pretty successful, and I've decided I'm going to be posting small little review type things where I talk about why I liked the stories I decided to feature in the group this month. Bear in mind, I wouldn't really consider these proper reviews, and since this group is for things I like, that means I like all of them. If I seem negative or something, don't feel like it's a bad review, it wasn't meant to come across like that. Anyway, without further ado, let's get going.

Also, we have a spotlighting system for our favourite story in the group, and for my little review of that, I'll just be copying and pasting that. However, you can have a link to the thread here so you can see the other admins' picks as well as mine.

Archmage by Loyal (Not linked because NSFW)

One of the best premises for a fanfic that I've ever read. Really, the idea is brilliant, and the story introduces some extremely interesting concepts as it goes on. The ideas for different schools of magic are very interesting, and some of the historical aspects that are brought in sound extremely interesting and I wish we could learn more about them.

However, I would easily say that the biggest problem with this story is that it doesn't know how to pace itself. Almost every problem I have with it could be traced back to pacing. In the beginning. The pacing is fairly solid, up until you have Twilight start to learn the magic of the night.

This story is 207k words long. That could all have been about Twilight learning the magic of the night. I wouldn't have complained. It needed so much more time to develop its ideas, instead of just saddling us with rough concepts and having Twilight master them super quickly. Same thing could be said about all of the other branches of magic. There could have been a huge series around this, each book centred around Twilight learning a different branch of magic. There are other problems I have with the story, but none as systemic as the pacing.

However, you shouldn't let that put you off overmuch. It's still a strong story with a fairly well written Twilight, a great premise, some great worldbuilding, and a fun story. Really, it was all that I wanted it to be, it just had some missed potential.

Better a Diamond With a Flaw by shortskirtsandexplosions

An excellent character piece for Diamond Tiara. Not much else to say. It shows her at her worst, but it also tries to show why. It gives an insight into the daily life of a pretty horrible child, and rather matter-of-factly, shows why she is the way she is.

However, it doesn’t try to justify her, or make out that she’s good, but just raised badly. It just shows her as she is, with no barriers, no walls. You don’t have to sympathise with her, you just get a bit of an insight into why she acts the way she does. You get to see a clear view of her, and make your own decision. It’s refreshing, after seeing so many stories that try to just paint diamond unequivocally in a positive light. This story shows that not everyone has to be good at heart, but they don’t have to be bad either.

Or maybe it's just sad Diamond Tiara and I’m overanalysing.

A Sky and Its Anchor by blue harvest

Pure romance, with nothing else in the way. The story is essentially told through a continuous stream of consciousness from our narrator, lying awake late at night and pondering her lover. The story is adorably sweet, and the love there is almost real. The style may be a little off-putting to some, but I think it is good enough to be worth a try, regardless of your style tastes.

Salvation by Cold in Gardez (Not Linked Because NSFW)

This story is essentially a really long character analysis of Rarity. Rainbow Dash is an important character to be sure, and she has a lot of depth and baggage associated with her as well, but it is Rarity who steals the show. The way she is portrayed, as more adult, more worldly, and sadder is just brilliant. While she is undeniably different from the character we know and love, she never once feels out of character. She has grown and changed.

Aside from that, it weaves a great psychological and rather bittersweet tale, with themes of regret, of homesickness, and of loss. Not an easy read, but definitely worth one.

For Sonnets and Harmony by The Wizard of Words

An interesting idea with a solid execution. Not very much I can say about this without spoiling it, but the characters are all handled very well, and the plot has remained fairly solid and hasn't meandered too much. There are some pacing issues I have—the story likes to use big time skips—but overall, it’s definitely not bad. If you like Octavia as a character, I’d say it’s definitely worth reading, and it’s a fun adventure to boot.

Morning Routine by ZOMG

A cute slice of Twilight and Rainbow’s life together sometime during their relationship. it’s short and sweet, and that's all there is to it, really. Twilight and Rainbow have some fun banter, and it does dive a little into why they got together in the first place, which is what most stories of this genre ignore, so kudos to him for that. Short and fun, worth your time.

It's Just Anatomy by eLLen

I didn’t expect to like this. Cringe comedy, EqG, and a random tag? That’s just asking for trouble. Still, it surprised me quite a bit. It’s actually very funny, with great characterization all around. Other fics have tried this, but most just come off as ham-fisted and unnecessarily sexual. With this story, everything feels natural, and it works really well. A must if you’re a comedy fan.

A Spoonful of Sugar by Thornwing

Very Similar to Better a Diamond with a Flaw, just from another perspective. It paints a very sympathetic picture of Silver Spoon, almost trapped by the relatively domineering person of Diamond Tiara. It’s rather short, so we don’t get much, and there isn't much to say, but what we do is very good.

I'd Do Her by Fire Gazer the Alchemist

Funny as all hell. A great idea, executed very well. Didn’t exactly go the direction I was expecting, and I would consider that a good thing. The characters are handled very well, feeling almost like an episode of the show, albeit a bit more mature. It’s paced very well, and it has a few fun background gags as well. Waiting eagerly for the sequel.

And finally, my spotlight pick:

Appledashery by Just Essay

Nothing I tell you all will live up to how good this story is. I don’t expect anyone to read it. I wish people would, but most people aren’t willing to invest the time into something so long and still incomplete. What I have to say to you, is ignore all of that and go read this now. This story is absolutely phenomenal and deserves to be read by so many more people than are currently reading it. It’s got everything in it, romance, adventure, highs and lows, mystery, and far more besides. Every character is written brilliantly, with some absolutely amazing side characters and villains. Nothing I say can do this story justice, so I’ll just leave it here. I hope a few more people choose to give it a try.

Any fan of Romance needs to read this. Any fan of Rainbow Dash needs to read this. In general, if you like stories, you should probably read this.

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Thank you to anybody who decides to read this far. The group could always do with more members and more recommendations. We have a self-promotion thread here and a general recommendations thread here. We hope to come up with ways so group members can interact with us, and in the forums more, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

Have another adorable picture