Random Story Recommendations — Issue #II · 4:28am Dec 4th, 2015
Hey look. Roman numerals. Aren't I pretentious.
Whatever. Here’s some story recommendations.
(For the record, the first review was actually written when the story was still in the "New Stories" box, but I'll be holding off publishing it until I have a few other stories I wanna recommend. So if it's gotten more popular over the ensuing weeks… then… who cares, exactly. Get off my case.)
Coming Home by The Cyan Recluse
Publish Date:November 21st, 2015
Genre(s): Adventure, Drama
Central Characters: Queen Chrysalis
Status: Complete
Coming Home is a Drama/Adventure story that focuses on Chrysalis leading her changelings on one final, last-ditch effort towards the Frozen North, with the baseless belief that she will find some sort of salvation there. The story manages to do quite a lot of things in just over 4000 words; it creates a believable origin story for the changelings, it builds a solid and sympathetic Queen Chrysalis, and it gives the Crystal Ponies and changelings a backstory together that was both tragic and heartwarming.
This story presents itself in a format that I find myself surprised to say I really liked. Typically I despise stories that use coloured text/italics to signify varying POVs, and likewise typically I hate stories that go postal with the horizontal rules. The story shifts between an ambigious flashback POV, Chrysalis's journey, and Chrysalis's dreams. Executed poorly, this would be a major turn off for me. But instead, these three POVs blend together well. It made for some very creative moments, especially when the lines between Chrysalis's reality and her dreams started becoming practically non-existent.
This story could have maybe been a little longer... I could easily see it pushing 10,000 words and still work. It would have been interesting to see Chryssie's journey in a bit more detail; we were more or less presented the bare-bones concept of the journey instead of the specifics.
The Scraping by DEI Caboose
Publish Date:16th Jul 2015
Genre(s): Dark, Sad, Tragedy
Central Characters: Princess Luna, Nightmare Moon (implicitly), Princess Celestia (implicitly)
While this story doesn't really do anything particularly groundbreaking and original (its an interpretation of Luna becoming Nightmare Moon), I can't help but marvel at the way it is done here.
I found this interpretation to be neat because it takes on the "madness" approach to Luna's fall, and does a pretty good job showing Luna clash against it and try to fight her venomous thoughts back. Too often, she is shown as entirely blameless, which I suppose has its appeal for incredibly devoted Luna fans who can't see her doing any wrong, but I myself have always felt the redemption arc is what makes her an intriguing character. Without her guilt (whether because of Celestia being portrayed as an evil bitch or Nightmare Moon some mind-controlling parasite) Luna becomes kinda bland to me. This story is more or less on the fence of the possession route... Luna indeed is being possessed by something, but it is left unclear and it is entirely possible the only thing "possessing" her is her own inner demons.
Many of the sentences are abrupt and choppy, which really help drive home the unsteady "madness" of the story, and gives a good image of Luna in a heavy debate with herself.
Like I said, nothing groundbreakingly unique is done here, but the way it is done definitely warrants checking it out.
Eh, sorry. I lied earlier. Only two recommendations today. I’m working on my long overdue review for the Pleasant Commentator group anyways.
