Story Reviews » Round Robin Reviews # 4 · 2:52am Apr 17th, 2016
The Round Robin Reviews are written by different groups and reviewers taking turns each week. If you are a story reviewer or part of a group that reviews stories and would be interested in joining the Round Robin Reviews, feel free to PM me (Wanderer D), Professor Plum, or ElDorado to tell us about it.
The Royal Guard—Prelude to Summer Edition
Every few weeks, we recommend six high-quality stories from a variety of authors and popular genres. From action/adventure to slice of life, from drama to comedy, from stories about ponies kissing to stories involving pink hairless apes, we feature a wide variety of stories so that every post has something for everyone.
We’re always looking for a tip-top tale, so if you’d like to submit your fic, here are some links you’ll probably find useful:
-The Royal Guard Group
-Submit Your Story!
-The Royal Guard's Official Handbook
Finally—and I cannot emphasize this enough—we are always recruiting. If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a prereader, then don’t hesitate to send us an application. If you have any questions about the application process, please direct them to Prak.
AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO... STORIES!
This Week:
Action/Adventure
Harissa, by Orbiting Kettle
Drama
The Visiting Hour, by Horse Voice
Romance
There’s a First Time for Everything, by Dubs Rewatcher
Comedy
Pinkie Pie’s Glamorous Giggle Gas, by Magello
Slice of Life
How Sunset Rose, by Oroboro
ACTION/ADVENTURE
PR Recommendation: Harissa is a story of shadowy magic, distant empire, and royal heartbreak... and it's named after a hot sauce. Close to half of this (not very long) story is devoted, in fact, to the creation of said hot sauce.
Does this sound like a bad idea? Well, prepare to be surprised, then: Harissa is very, very good within a pretty sparse wordcount of 6k. The author sets up a distant world, and a secret history and character arc for Zecora, in about half of that time—while the other half, the half with the hot sauce, serves as a perfectly placed series of counterpoints. It's a contrast that not only accentuates the more fantastic elements, but serves as a crucial part of them by the ending.
In short, this story offers up unique world building and character development for a relatively underused character, and it'll definitely be worth your time for a read. —R5h
DRAMA
PR Recommendation: Bon Bon goes to visit Lyra in the hospital. It looks like a standard visit to an insane asylum, until Lyra's madness seems to point towards a secondary explanation. But Lyra really IS crazy, right?
Horse Voice is a master of the disconcerting, and this story is a good example of the form, where the audience is left questioning their experience and wondering if the world is a much darker place than they previously imagined. Bon Bon's visit with Lyra in the hospital leaves both Bon Bon and the reader with a lot to think about. —Titanium Dragon
ROMANCE
PR Recommendation: Wow. Pinkie Pie is really bad at this.
It's funny, isn't it: Pinkie is arguably better at friendship than Twilight "Literal Princess of Friendship, it's in the job description" Sparkle... and yet when she screws up, her screw-ups are correspondingly epic in proportion. She just gets too wrapped up in herself and gets all sorts of insensitive. So when Pinkie Pie convinces herself that she's in love with Fluttershy—a pony more sensitive to insensitivity than most—the magnificence with which she torpedoes their first date is something to behold.
Speaking personally, I'm not a fan of 'cringe comedy', so I came into this story with a bit of worry. As it turns out, my fears were unfounded: this story manages to be funny without relying too much on awkwardness. The ending is surprisingly heartfelt, too—or at the very least, surprising. I don't want to give too much away, but if you're looking for an unconventional whirlwind romance that showcases Pinkie at her best and worst, then this is probably the story for you. —R5h
COMEDY
PR Recommendation: At once a completely solved murder mystery and a simple but effective comedy, "Pinkie Pie's Glamorous Giggle Gas" by Magello is a comedy that manages to capture both the spirit of a the best kinds of infomercials and the foolhardiness of weirdly colored mini-horses. Despite the story's relatively short stay, Magello manages to capture the attention of the reader with nothing but subtle wit and charm, and by the end, it actually managed to make me laugh.
Fans of well-executed comedy will enjoy their time with this, and I couldn't recommend it any more than I already have. Well done, Magello, very well done. —Daikatana
SLICE OF LIFE
PR Recommendation: On its face, this is a story about how Sunset became Celestia's student by performing a marvellous magical feat to catch the attention of the Princess of Equestria. Dig a little bit deeper, however, and you realize that this is also the story of how Sunset Shimmer stopped being Celestia's student.
A story rich in symbolism, this story does an excellent job of simultaneously telling two stories, one by developing Sunset Shimmer's character, and a second by implication.. —Titanium Dragon
HUMAN
PR Recommendation: There are friendship stories, and then there are… friendship stories. I’m not sure which category this one falls into. On the one hand you’ve got the cliché ex-baddie that needs a friend, and on the other you’ve got the subtle yet charming ridiculousness that is On Wings of Ashes. I say subtle because you’re not going to be beaten over the head by these jokes, and I say ridiculous because these same jokes are poised to sneak up behind you with an airhorn in hand.
Then there’s the characters. This story should be required reading for anyone who dares write Sonata Dusk. Pascoite adeptly presents a Sonata that is oblivious to the finer points of reality without simply being dumb; she’s neither genius nor simpleton nor average, she’s just… Sonata, and she’s very amusing to read about.
And then there’s Vice Principal Luna. I’m not sure if I should start with a joke about who she is or praise for how well she’s been written. I’m not even sure I like this version of her, and yet I can’t imagine this story without. You’re in for quite a ride, dear reader. Buckle up. —BlazzingInferno
Addendums
If you guys have any questions about our sitepost policies, or our approval guidelines, feel free to browse the handy dandy Official Royal Guard Handbook, and if you still find yourself lacking answers, feel free to ask Prak so that he can find the right person to give you what you need.
See you guys next time!
Thanks for the feature, sweeties.
Sounds good
Question Wanderer, do you guys only review stuff in the Royal Guard?
3876284 I'm not involved with them, best way to find that info is checking with them directly.
3876284
Hello! I am here from The Royal Guard.
I'm afraid I'm a little unclear as to what you mean. "Do you guys only review stuff in the Royal Guard"... are you asking if reviews are the only thing that we do?
3876538 3876336 Thanks Wanderer.
What I meant R5H was that do you Round Robin Reviewers Only review stories successfully submitted to the Royal Guard or do you just pick and choose? Or do you get recommendations from somebody?
Cause I definitely have a few recommendations.
3876611
Stories are submitted by their authors. Do not submit other people's stories.
3876611 You can also check the other groups that appear in the Round Robins to see if they take recs