Fanfiction Spotlight #43

Fanfiction Spotlight #43
Posted 4/30/2016

Good Morning My Little Readers and Writers! Today marks the second to last Fanfiction Spotlight before the con! Remember that Everfree NW is only 2 weeks away! Yay! I hope to see you all there!

This week we have two serious pieces, and an adventure.

The lovely [https://www.fimfiction.net/user/Winston]Winston was kind enough to write a guest review for us for a story about a mother’s love and hopes for her child. Then we have a piece about Luna and Tia and why you shouldn’t get rid of the moon. And finally, there’s a small piece that’s written in a unique, letter style format that is definitely worth the read as it’s a good example of short fiction done right.

As always, hope you all enjoy!

---- Guest Review by Winston ----

Those Who Live Forever

by Moose Mage
Words: 5,242 Complete: Yes
Recommended by [https://www.fimfiction.net/user/Winston]Winston

What parent doesn’t want the best, the very best, for their child? What parent wouldn’t want them to have their chance at greatness? Their chance to live forever?

Delores certainly does. She wants it strongly enough to brave a visit to distant Canterlot to make sure her daughter April gets a shot at it.

But for all her determination, fate is capricious, and nothing is ever certain.

Moose Mage does a wonderful job of building an evocative image of the world as it appears through the lens of a mother’s love and the high hopes she has for her child. Her aspirations, desperation, and helpless disappointment are all on display here, and all are spot-on. The story stays focused on those things without wandering off into any weeds, making it quick 5,000 words that does a great job of capturing the essence and experience of a mom’s best wishes for her daughter.

If you enjoy stories that are on the more serious side, then this insightful and well-wrought exploration of hopes and losses is one I think you’ll find very much worth your time.

---- Review by Silver Flare ----

Eclipse

by 8686
Words: 64,513 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Silver Flare

This week’s story begins with a melancholy Luna, recently returned from exile, trying to rejoin her sister in ruling Equestria. As much as Celestia assures her sister that all has been forgiven, it does little to ease Luna’s mind. And it does even less to bridge the gulf between the two of them. So, Luna decides that a small gesture is in order, something symbolic, so she can begin to fully regain Celestia’s trust. The solution is simple: get rid of the moon.

What could possibly go wrong?

The ensuing adventure, as it stands, would be reason enough to recommend this story. A trip into tartarus featuring lots of ancient greek-inspired critters which speckle a dark and twisty heckscape that would make Dali reach for a canvass? Moar plz. Yet it’s the slowly evolving relationship between these two that really makes Eclipse stand out. It meanders a bit in the middle, but the ride is entirely worth it. Celestia and Luna deserve way more depth and development than the show gives them.

Of course, that’s what we’re here for, right?

---- Review by Heartshine ----
A Hero’s Homecoming

By Whiter Penmanship
Words: 1,490 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Heartshine

Sometimes stories don’t have to follow the traditional formats to still tell a story. Whiter’s story this week does an excellent job doing just that, but in the format of a letter.

Whiter Penmanship gives us a short, poignant piece about a mare who has words she’ll never say to a husband actively struggling with post traumatic stress disorder after serving Celestia’s Royal Guard. What I love about this piece is that we have only two named characters, and that’s all you need. Whiter does an excellent job developing a situation through the words of a long letter that he’s able to tell a story without ever really falling into what we’d call a ‘standard’ story format of dialogue and prose.

I really enjoyed this piece, and I felt it needed to be included because it’s an excellent example of how short fiction can be done well.