Review #40 - Conscientious Objector, The Joy of Being Pranked, A War of Words - The Opening of the Guard · 4:05pm Jan 13th, 2017
I'm just a step away / I'm just a breath away / Losin' my ratings today. / I am just a story / Not super-story / Someone save me from the hate:
Conscientious Objector by Inspector Brown
The Joy of Being Pranked by Inspecyor Brown
A War of Words - The Opening of the Guard by Georg
Conscientious Objector by Inspector Brown
(Slice of Life)
A short story written to answer the following question: Why wasn't Starlight Glimmer included in the episode "28 Pranks Later"?
Review
Pinkie tells Starlight about the counter-prank she is organizing with the cookies. Starlight thinks that Rainbow will take it to heart, and retreat from society, so she refuses to have any part in it.
This pacing in this is pretty great, though Starlight's rant does get a little rambly. It has very few errors within the text, which is really nice. And it seems rather planned out, but that leaves it kinda dry. The tag works well, though.
Score: 7/10 Recommendation: Intermediate.
Personal Thoughts: This one seems as though the author tried to make it too many things, which does leave it slightly dry.
The Joy of Being Pranked by Inspector Brown
(Comedy, Slice of Life)
This is a sequel to Conscientious Objector
Although Starlight Glimmer promised to stay out of Pinkie's zombie prank, she can't help but swoop in to help Rainbow Dash pick up the pieces of her shattered heart. But Rainbow Dash has some surprising insight on the affair, and might end up changing her mind.
Review
Starlight watches how the prank unfolds. After it all happened, she offers therapy to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, however, tells her,
“Now, I’ve said ‘boodlefutz’ to my friends a whole bunch of times, and they didn’t get mad with me, because it’s not a nasty word. Then, I say it to you, and you decide you just don’t like the way ‘boodlefutz’ sounds, and you get offended, and start saying nasty things to me that you can’t take back. A while later, you look it up, and realize the word you took offense to is really not offensive at all. Which of us is at fault in this scenario? Is it me, for saying a word that triggered you, even though I had no way of knowing it would trigger you? Or is it you, for making a bigger deal out of something than it was?”
This one has ok pacing, but it really does seem to be rather long by the time you reach the end. It has very few errors in the text, however. And it seems fairly planned out. The tags work out alright, but it is not "Comedy" in the traditional sense.
Score: 8/10 Recommendation: Recommended if you read Conscientious Objector.
A War of Words - The Opening of the Guard by Georg
(Comedy, Slice of Life)
The history of war may be written by the winner, but the Royal Historian is the one who provides the notes and background to the writer. The recent events that some have called ‘Mare Wars’ or ‘The Invasion of the Barracks’ are no exception. The Royal Historian has painstakingly compiled this folder of notes and background material on what should more accurately be called, ‘The Opening of the Guard.’ Please remember to return the folder back to the Royal Historian when you have completed reading, in the event we gather more material that needs to be included.
Review
To be honest, I do not know what happened in this. I remember something about a reading of letters about the royal guard between Luna and Celestia, and a pillow fight at the end.
The pacing, from what I remember, is nearly perfect, which really add to the comedy. It has very few errors in the text. And it seems very planned out, but also completely random... do not ask how for I don't understand. The tags work very well, though.
Score: 9.5/10 Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Personal Thoughts: This is great, so go and read it.
Yeah, I need to go back and insert the footnotes next to the footnoted material instead of at the bottom, for one. By the way, there's a sequel: The Night Guard - Night Mares in which four mares are inducted into the all-male Royal Guard, and sparks follow. After all, there are certain... differences.
“Oh, sorry I’m late! Really sorry! Sorrysorry!” A stunningly pink pegasus in a Canterlot police officer’s uniform fluttered down out of the darkening sky with a cascade of brilliant orange mane flowing out from under her cap and sweeping down her neck in a shortened tangle of braided plaits twice as long as any serving guard ever wore their own mane. Although her matching bright-orange tail was woven into a police regulation short plait, it was tied in a very non-regulation neon-pink bow with little yellow flowers on it. The constant flow of apologies from her did not stop even after she made a perfect four-point landing next to the other three uniformed mares standing outside the Commandant's office. “He didn’t want to get up this evening and it took forever to nurse and the pump wouldn’t seal, but I promise this will be the last time and once he gets used to my new schedule, I’m sure he’ll… I’m sorry?”
4381499 I really, really need to get round to reading The Night Guard, given that I had a great time with the first story about... um, quite a long time ago. It had rather slipped my mind of late; I think I'll push it a few places up my RiL list now.