R4 (Reactions, Reviews, Reference, Redirection) #0099

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Here are five old reviews:
Blinded by Fashion by Esle Ynopemos
A Full Royal Petition by aduck
Fluttershy Gets Replaced By A Sherman Tank by Estee
Dancing on Silver Strings by Mystic
It's Not Funny, Spikey Wikey! by TheNewYorkBrony

Blinded by Fashion by Esle Ynopemos
[story link] [my original review]

This would make a fun episode. Not that the style is quite there, but the story would be funny with a visual element. Then again it did a really good job at giving us the perspective of someone who has been struck blind, so you’d lose that. So maybe it’s better as is. Which is praise in itself. The author did a really good job using the advantages of written language to good effect. It would be a challenge adapting the story to another form of media and keep the same level of quality. Would require just taking the basic concept and re-writing it. Anyway, this was a very funny story. Very episodic with a setup/problem/resolution arc that was nicely paced.

A Full Royal Petition by aduck
[story link] [my original review]

This was a very fun story. Lighthearted fun and comedy. Plus some indirect worldbuilding (which is the best kind of worldbuilding). Tucked in here is one of my favorite types of stories involving Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle, her after she’s made the inital adjustments and gotten used to immortality but still is getting used to the more exotic parts of the whole immortal god-queen thing. This is another one that could easily be a episode of the show. It has just the right kind of silly humor in it. I really liked the backstories for the characters we meet that are touched on, but never fully explained. Spike in charge of a retirement home was actually something that struck me as something that fit him really well. Plus the Canterlot-wide pillow fight as the grand finale was funny as heck.

Fluttershy Gets Replaced By A Sherman Tank by Estee
[story link] [my original review]

This was hilarious. If only most crackfics were this nicely constructed. I was reminded of A Self-Referential Story, in a good way. This was fun, but not mean-spirited except in a few tiny ways that were more comedy slapstick then actually mean. Comments about the fandom and fan fiction in general. I spend a good amount of this story laughing out loud. Additional Edit: Also, this is another wonderful example of comedic chapter titles.

Dancing on Silver Strings by Mystic
[story link] [my original review]

Pretty good, but a bit vague. I must admit the specifics of this story passed by me. I got the basic gist of it but the ending left me a little confused. This is the second or third fic I’ve read that has an encounter between Princess Celestia and Discord right after Twilight Sparkle and friends rush off into the maze during the Return Of Harmony episodes. Just seems like a good spot to fill in for those two immortals to have a confrontation. This is a pretty good story about the two of them and their relationship. I’ve read better, but this is above average in quality. I’d recommend it.

It's Not Funny, Spikey Wikey! by TheNewYorkBrony
[story link] [my original review]

I actually had a hard time telling if this was a humanized version or not. Had to go back and double-check once I had finished it, found a mention of hands. Not sure if that level of ambiguity is a good thing. On one hand it means the author was more focused on the character’s personalities instead of the nuts and bolts of physical stuff. On the other hand it kind of removes some of the uniqueness of the setting and means there is little to no focus on body language, which is someone bad storytelling. Guess it’s just a matter of preference. Anyway, this was okay. If you like Spike/Rarity this is a decent slice of life, but nothing special. For those who don’t like that pairing this certainly won’t change your mind. I will mention that it takes place probably about a decade or so in the future from the show, so it is a aged-up spike. Not that the story makes much of an effort to emphasize that.

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