• Member Since 3rd Sep, 2011
  • offline last seen 31 minutes ago

PresentPerfect


Fanfiction masochist. :B She/they https://ko-fi.com/presentperfect

More Blog Posts2550

  • Saturday
    Twilight the 没用

    Yesterday, a fellow named SoothingBell asked if they could translate Twilight the Useless to Chinese, and no way was I gonna say no. :D

    And they turned it around in 24 hours, amazing!

    https://fimtale.com/t/64723

    4 comments · 129 views
  • 1 week
    Idle musing

    so-called because that's what led me to the realization

    What is so compelling about the idea of "warrior woman runs afoul of a wizard and is flung centuries into the future" that I made it happen twice?

    ...And with slightly more musing, I also realize, in a roundabout way, it was with the same wizard. >_> Huh.

    Read More

    7 comments · 163 views
  • 1 week
    Fic recs, March 20th!

    Posting a day earlier than usual because the next reading is a long one!

    H: 1 R: 2 C: 1 V: 1 N: 3

    Read More

    6 comments · 187 views
  • 1 week
    Fic recs, March 14th!

    Lotus Moon has done a reading of Fleety's What's Philomena's Name?!

    Hey, help out Regidar, he's looking for experimental fics! Self-promotion allowed!

    Read More

    5 comments · 234 views
  • 2 weeks
    Fic recs, March 8th: Top Ten of 2023!

    Whaaaaat, two review blogs in a row?

    Well hell yes, because I have done much better with the top ten this year and I am inordinately pleased with myself! :3 here's the explanation of the setup, for all that it has never adequately explained what's going on to like, literally anyone:

    Read More

    19 comments · 270 views
Sep
10th
2016

Fic recs, September 9th! · 1:02am Sep 10th, 2016

I'm going to be finishing my audiobook tomorrow, though likely not posting the review before Sunday, and there's a story in this I wanted to get out first. So, to the news!

ABagOfVicodin has begun a reading of BlazzingInferno's Water Pony! Illya Leonov and ShadowOfCygnus read Bachiavellian's An Old Coot! Scribbler has done a reading of Ave Celestia's My Roommate Is Not a Vampire, with DracKeagan! And Goombasa read Titanium Dragon's Forever and Again and Again!

Wuten has a Patreon! $10 will let you vote on what story he works on next. :)

I consider it a failing of mine that I like keeping up with who's dating who in a fandom. I just found out Kilala and Lopoddity are an item (I am likely the last to know this), and after reading and comparing both of their 'verses, this just tickles me to death, like, I feel really good knowing this has happened. :D Anyway, reviews!

H: 0 R: 1 C: 3 V: 1 N: 0

Rise of the Phoenix Empress by Chengar Qordath
Genre: Historical AU
Sunbeam Sparkle, Archmagus and Grand Vizier of Equestria, was a ruthless, efficient pony. Some might have called her wicked. When a terrible retribution stemming from a simple accident sent her on a quest for ultimate power, though, the question of her morality was given a stark answer.
After reading A Moment in the Sun, I gave Chengar Qordath a watch, which of course also meant adding all his stories to my RIL. This one I took note of in particular; it’s not marked as a prequel or anything, but the character mentioned in the description is referenced in Moment (and, if I'm not mistaken, The Freeport Venture -- spoilers, that's the audiobook), so I wanted to take a look and see what it was all about.

First and foremost, it suffers from comparison to AMitS. It does have some similarities; for instance, the main character, who is quite nearly an antagonist, finds herself relying upon the hope of Celestia turning her into an alicorn. Old-timey Equestrian is used (this passes the Luna Test), but is more at home in the dialogue than in the narrative, where the occasional "e'en" or "'twould" drives home just how non-archaic the rest of the language is. Sunbeam Sparkle is such a transparently-designed grey character that Celestia all but calls her one. The plot hinges on Celestia overreacting to something in ways that I at once could and could not believe; it doesn't help that Sunbeam's transgressions are mostly told to us rather than witnessed, and that we see them through her eyes means they tend to appear reasonable. Either way, the first chapter is horrendously over-dramatic, and quite a lot of the story feels contrived to set up a path for the characters to walk.

And yet, when they do walk that path? It makes for a solid story. This is almost as good a tragedy as AMitS and ultimately is about the connection between a mother and her daughter (where the mother happens to be a sociopath). Sunbeam's harsh pragmatism is oddly satisfying. Most of all, the ending, the way she's 'defeated', is fiendishly clever, and more or less makes the whole piece worth reading. This obviously spins off a universe unrelated to Moment or Freeport, despite the shared character, but I find myself just needing to continue reading to see where it goes. Also, Midnight Sparkle is best goth princess. :V
Recommended If You Can Stand Melodrama

What Lies Beyond the Dance by Erisn
Genre: Comedy
Starlight Glimmer banishes Twilight to a place outside of time. Not that there's nothing there, mind you.
I've discovered lately that I am weirdly protective of Celestia. I mean, there's all kinds of ponies I'll waifu at, but she's one of the few characters in the show I truly, madly deeply care about. So when this story casts her as an uncaring, unfeeling god-being — similary to The Immortal Game, but more explicit about it — it comes as no surprise that I didn't really enjoy it. I mean, if nothing else, I came into this looking for time loops and an alternate retelling of The Cutie Re-Mark. Instead, I got the chess game of the gods, and it just wasn't all that interesting. There are a couple good jokes in here, though it often veers into meta and referential humor territory, and there were a lot of little editing mistakes that nagged me. Really, there's nothing remarkable about this one way or the other.
Vaguely Recommended

Fake My Death by Flutterpriest
Genre: 2P AiE Comedy
Lyra needs you to help with her death.
I'm reading this because Flutterpriest said he would read Enigmatic Otaku's fics if I gave him a good review. :V Anyway, this was just what I was hoping for: lots of Lyra shenanigans, Anonymous as a perfect foil for the aforementioned, and lots of good running gags. It's not exactly a laugh-a-minute kind of fic, but it's the sort of thing that will get me to read a 2P AiE. It could use some extra proofreading, but overall, I definitely enjoyed it. Here's hoping this works. I'm pullin' for ya, EO!
Recommended for Lyra Fans

I Will Face Celestia and Walk Backwards Into Tartarus! by Protopony350
Genre: Dril Tweets, the Fic
Dril arrives in Ponyville to cleanse it of sin.
This one is totally my fault. If you're not familiar with Dril, you'll be in for quite a ride with this one. And if you are, well, you'll not expect the way he's been used here. I certainly could not have foreseen this. It's not the greatest crackfic around, but if you have a healthy respect for the terminally wacky, it should scratch the lol itch.
Troll Recommended

The Farmer in the Dell by Dave Bryant
Genre: Slice of Life
The quiet, pastoral life of an old farmpony is shaken by an unexpected arrival.
I adore the way this piece is written, with a quiet matter-of-factness that wouldn't be out of place in a fable, were it not for the lack of fabulism. And for being such an old fic — written within a month of A Canterlot Wedding — it doesn't strike me as your standard 'changeling fic'. No lines are wasted trying to fill in all the details of what changelings are. Instead, it builds a picture of a quiet, humble life with a stolid protagonist, and then, well, into every life some changelings must fall. I'd heard a lot of good things about this one back when it was new, and I'm glad I finally got the chance to read it. :)
Recommended

Report PresentPerfect · 696 views · #fic reviews
Comments ( 11 )
Majin Syeekoh
Moderator

Why didn't you talk about the pooping

Shit. I even earned a recommended. Alright Enigma. I'll read your damn ember story.

Thank you, Present.

Kilala and Lopoddity

I've only heard of the former through the few stories I've seen touted to be part of that 'verse, and I've never heard of the latter. So no, you're not the last to know about this.

I haven't read any of these stories. ;_;

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

4201848
You're welcome :V

4201849
Lopoddity created the Pandoraverse, which I did an edition of earlier this year. :B It's like the Kilalaverse, in that it follows the exploits of the mane six's children in the future (and has some absolutely terrible ships :V)

4201856 I've never heard of the Pandoraverse, either. :raritydespair:

I apologize for nothing.

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

4201876
You obviously need to read more of my journals, then. :B

Next chapters of my rambling will have a certain Wonderbolt Co captain and farmer...

Ah, man, I've had a PDF of Farmer in the Dell for years. IIRC, I found it purely by accident on deviantart. I guess this means I need to read it.

PresentPerfect
Author Interviewer

4202633
Whoever could you mean :V

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