Harmonists Contest Reviews #4 · 3:08pm Mar 21st, 2015
Today we take a look at My Deadly Shot: Trixie is Lethal by Wave Blaster
This story achieved joint third place in the Harmonists contest, and was quite fun to read. The story isn't that difficult to sum up: Trixie/Deadshot is hired to snuff out a target that supposedly nopony can kill. We follow her, Sonata, and Gilda (for some reason) on her quest to achieve this. If you're a fan of guns and mercs, this is for you.
But here's my problem, and it damn near almost had me knock this story off the podium: it fails to integrate the MLP universe. Yes, it's AU... but we don't gain much by it being AU. I'll explain.
Typically, a story featuring a certain character or setting uses said setting and character. It plays to the strengths and weaknesses of the characters chosen, which the readers and author already know and are familiar with. Here, Wave has chosen Trixie as his protagonist. But he really shouldn't have.
Trixie has barely any characteristics aside from her name reminiscent of her character from the show. She's no longer a magician/showpony/whatever globally accepted headcannon we're looking at: she's a mercenary. Why? Because the story needs her to be Deadshot. Really, the story misuses Trixie's character rather alarmingly. It'd be like if I needed a character who's bookish and quiet, and so I pick Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie to be my protagonist. It doesn't fit.
To the story's credit, though, it does explain how Trixie transitioned from what we know to Deadshot. But it does so rather quickly and via exposition. In my opinion, we should have seen a lot more of Trixie's character throughout the story, instead of having to accept that she became a merc. That's the biggest problem I have with this story, and one of the many reasons I distrust crossovers, especially of this type: it's warped a character I know into something else when it could have taken a lot more effort to simply have her integrate the universe properly.
But the enjoyment you get from the story made up for it. It was an exiting adventure, and if you can overlook Trixie's character and like a bit of gunslinging adventure, this is definitely a story you won't regret reading. It's not perfect, and I know I spent a lot more time discussing the negative than the positive, but it did come in third for a reason. Enjoy the simple things, and have fun with a little action-fic. That's all it sets itself up as, and it does this well enough for me to accept that.
Have a good one.
*faints*
Aaaaand, he's out!
Good evening, everypony. The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived so we can-- Is that Wave Blaster in the floor?
One punch! One! Punch!
The Surprised and Astonished Trixie can't believe it. Someone finally knocks down Wave Blaster and Trixie missed it.
2897667 Aw, ponyfeathers, now I have to clean this up.
2897679
Don't worry, we have some experience on this.
Indeed, The Careful and Kind Trixie has put up with this *ahem* writer and his antics before. Let's go, pink annoyance, you take him and The Coordinated and Guiding Trixie will guide you.
Okie Dokie Loki.
2897731 I wouldn't feel too bad. You know how I go on about hating crossovers? This is why.
In stuff like shipping and dark, it's really all on the author when he/she messes up. Crossovers are devious, though. As a genre, they get people to warp characters to suit the theme of the other universe. It's an actual trap, and people fall into it.
2897737
Oh, don't feel any bad, Wavey always overreacts when he receives a critic.
Actually, he's handling this way better than the Adjectivally Alliteratively Amazing Trixie expected.
Too bad he's in love with that concept. He really believes that crossovers are his call in life.
Which is painfully ironic to the Literate and Cult Trixe, specially since Blaster's magnum opus about the best pony around is not a crossover.
2897786 Crossovers is the only genre I think baits authors into making mistakes the most. It's amazing, really, that something so popular is also so tragically treacherous. Literally, only one that I've read hasn't fallen into the traps I mentioned, and the only other one I appreciated I appreciated for it's intelligence in delivery. That's two in total. Out of how many? No clue. Too many.
Crossovers is like a spider's web. You think it looks pretty and shiny until the god-awful spider is ripping your innards out. The trap I mentioned? Only the tip of the iceberg. There's more: so much more.
Be very wary with crossovers, my friend. They are not easy to tame.
2897796
Well, is not like this fic was a total wreck.
Of course, The Great and Powerful Trixie's presence made it all--
*EPIC! door kick*
"Get away from my computer!"
Anyways, if you're feeling in the mod of an old fashioned debate, here's my actual response:
http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/458474/my-deadly-shot-wave-blaster-vs-the-review-readers-you-decide
See ya.