You Might Like This Recs: March 2015 · 2:16pm Apr 13th, 2015
Of Angels by PaulAsaran
I never thought I'd read a story that would make me actually like Angel Bunny. This one did. It's a very short peice, but beautifully and carefully constructed - it feels like each word has been carefully chosen. Definitely worth your time - although the coloured text in the first chapter is vital to understanding the story, so reading it on a kindle or the like may not be the best idea.
Apple Knots by BlazzingInferno
Nothing much actually happens in this story, but that's not the point of it. This little short is all about characters, and in that field it excels. Lotus, first of all, is a well thought out interpretation of one of our favourite massage ponies, and really stands out as her own character. But the way BlazzingInferno has captured a great deal of Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight and Applejack's personalities with very few words and from someone else's perspective is wonderful to read. This is another short piece, so do yourself a favour and take the time to read it.
Strange Gifts by Defoloce
I admit I wasn't sure about adding this one yet - it's only 1 chapter in, and clearly hasn't "taken off" yet. Then I remembered that the only real criteria for this group is liking the story - and I certainly like this one so far. We start off with several strong OC characters, that we easily get to know in the space of a few thousand words, and some very nice portrayals of some more familiar characters - along with the setup for an interesting plot, some worldbuilding and excellent writing to boot. One to watch, although if you prefer your stories a little further along you may want to wait until a few more chapter are out.
Pioneer by OleGrayMane
I'd first like to say that OleGrayMane is a fantastic and deeply underrated and underviewed author. Previous works of his have regularly been favourite stories of mine. But I don't recommend stories based on the author - I do it based on the story itself. And this is quite the story, even though I can't really tell you a whole lot about it. Technically it was very tight, the characters felt real and the conflict genuinely interesting. But that's honestly all I can tell you, because my reaction to this story was very, for lack of a better word, visceral, and I don't think I can make myself re-read it to give you a further account of it's technical prowess and storytelling genius. This hit close to home. Very close to home, and as I commented on the story itself, in it's worst and best aspects, in things that I have lost and things that I know I will never have. We say that stories feel like a sucker punch sometimes but I genuinely felt moved, unnerved by this story. Something struck home. I'm going to need some time to figure out what. Whatever my personal reaction to it, this was a fantastic story. Go read it.
Icky-Sicky Pinkie Pie by ThatOneWriter
I need only three words to describe this story: Way. Too. Cute. This is an utterly adorable little shipping piece, and TOW captures Pinkie's voice perfectly in it. It's also surprisingly close to the feel of the show, considering that it is a romance story. All the characters and interactions, even the story itself felt like they could be part of an episode. A lovely little read.
Daring Do and The Tiny Tornado by Metool Bard
Metool Bard is a consistently fantastic and consistently overlooked author, and their latest effort looks to be no different. One chapter in, we already have an interesting and canon-compliant setup, with a strong OC and lots of great character interactions. One to watch - both story and author-wise.
Pretty Simple by Gulheru
Gulheru has done a wondeful job with this little character study. It tells the story of Discord's first interaction with that little ball of cute we all know as Dinky Doo - and it's so fantastically in character, and so adorable that I couldn't stop grinning throughout. It's not very long, and definitely worth your time. Go read it.
Selling Out by Kaorin
Another short one, though perhaps on the opposite end of the spectrum to the previous. This is a cuttingly cynical (and rather depressingly realistic) take on what might happen to the Princesses once Equestria no longer has need of them. Definitely worth the read - although if you particularly abhor corporate culture, this one might be hard to stomach.
This Mirror Left Blank by Norm De Plume
I probably shouldn't be promoting my competition, but this is too good for me not to. As an entry for the Everfree Northwest contest, it's a mere 3000 words, but contains such a fascinating idea that you should really take the time to go read it. I won't spoil anything for you, but it provides one of the first explanations for Equestria Girls that I really like.
Hurricane Watch & Thrice At Sundown by Fahrenheit
Two very different but equally excellent pieces by (in my humble opinion) this fandoms best new author. Hurricane Watch combines fantastic world-building with very engaging versions of Commander Hurricane and Princess Platinum. Thrice At Sundown, on the other hand, is a story about old-age done right. I really can't recommend it enough, as it's one of the best things I've read in a while. And if my recommendation is not enough for you, the inestimable Ponky has also promoted them over in his blog.
Ynanhluutr by Imploding Colon
Fly well, East horse.
Beep Boop, I Will Destroy You by NightWolf289
I went into this expecting a silly little story about a young Derpy dressing up as a robot. I mean, with a title like that, what else are you expecting? I got that - but I also got a lot more. I got a story about friendship, about family and about childhood. There was all the cuteness and sillyness that I expected, but there were also some genuinely touching moments, and the ending was unexpectedly powerful. This one is a hidden gem that really should be brought to light, so go read it.
Spotlight Review is here.
I read it later list hates you, but my heart rejoices.
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I'm sorry I didn't see this sooner! Thanks for reviewing Apple Knots, I'm glad you enjoyed it
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Thanks for writing the story!
Heh, no problem.
I've honestly been a bit rubbish about letting people know about these mini-review things (read: completely forgetting to). I should really start doing that...