Fic recs, April 16th! · 7:09pm Apr 16th, 2017
Happy Easter! There was no way I was going to post the day of a season premiere. :V Also, had one more one-shot audiobook to finish before the next big one.
I swear to god, I'm about to have a nervous breakdown. Would anyone be interested in reading a lengthy, likely rambling rant about why I "hate" the show these days? I mean, I don't even think it's a good idea to write, if only because it will be terribly embarrassing, but it's bubbling under the surface and I need to do something.
Head below for reviews of Pen Stroke's Haunting Nightmare, Kindness's Reward by AVeryStrange, north_star's Regal in Discretion, and a bunch of stuff that's equal parts old and good!
H: 1 R: 5 C: 1 V: 0 N: 0
Haunting Nightmare by Pen Stroke
Genre: Horror
After a Nightmare Night preparation party, strange things start happening around the library.
Yeah, so after seeing that one RDP, I had to go read this, and thankfully, the video did not spoil the story for me (I had been expecting something more having to do with Smarty Pants as the thing wronged or sought). I usually end up complaining about overexplaining in Pen Stroke stories; seriously, every review I have written about one of his fics, this has come up. And it's not that it isn't an issue in this piece (there's a spot near the end where what could have been a couple of scenes in summarized in a few paragraphs; I cringed, but it does keep things from going on too long), but more that, if I was going to complain about anything, it'd be pacing. The first two chapters especially have a number of scenes that feel overly long and kind of slow everything down. Not all of this is bad: the first scene is very lighthearted, even adorable, and quite enjoyable on its own merits. (I was proud of myself for catching something later on that's actually set up there, too!) But when this gets going, it's full of tension, decent action chases, and good horror. The best part is in chapter 2, when the audience knows that something the other characters think will protect Twilight is no longer true. Plus, I was impressed with how the tone shifts gradually, from that lighthearted opening to kid-friendly ghost story stuff, to "Okay, now I'm scared" horror. Not to mention Third Eye is a real standout OC; I was surprised, since he seemed at first to be a throwaway archetype, but as he becomes integral to the plot, it's quite the good thing to have happened. I do have one other complaint, though: the ending. It's not much of an ending at all, providing no resolution or real catharsis, and making a monster out of a show character. It almost feels like it was designed on the fly instead of planned, but it might just be that it wasn't what I really wanted. :/ Still, this is unequivocally the best of Pen Stroke's stories I've read to date, and I think, even with the ending, it'll be worth it for anyone looking for something spoopy!
Recommended
Kindness's Reward by AVeryStrange
Reading (part 1) by DrWh0oves
Genre: Shipping/Drama/Trixie Redemption
After Fluttershy saves Trixie from the Everfree Forest, they both find something neither knew was missing.
Ugh, that's a really bad description. So, this is quite an old shipfic, which presents us a rather unique pairing (there are only a handful of TrixieShy fics on Fimfiction) and does so without falling into the traps the old "February fics" always used to. Trixie and Fluttershy are both written quite well, and the story never tries to force them together. I mean, there's plenty of "I don't know why I'm blushing" moments, and a dream that helpfully informs us that Fluttershy is totally Trixie's type, but the characters just sort of naturally fall together, and the focus is more on Trixie's development into a friend of the mane six.
Not to say there aren't downsides. This plays hardball with the Zecora Test, for one. Applejack fans likely won't appreciate her being the villain of the piece, for all that her reconciliation with Trixie is made sweeter for the prior antagonism. Trixie has a Twilight obsession, though it thankfully goes quickly by the wayside. There's a lot of emotional drama, Trixie's background isn't as tragic as it could be, though she was still at least an orphan, and the ending — an in-character grandiose recap of Boast Busters and this story — is extremely cheesy.
But, and not to repeat myself, it's the story of Trixie making amends and becoming a better mare that makes this work. She has to learn things like how to rely on others, how to be a friend, and what, exactly, kindness is. The scene where she makes up with Rainbow Dash is a particularly good example of just what I'm talking about, satisfying in and of itself, regardless of the shipping. This might be a good fic to test out if you're not generally into romance. For as old as it is, it's quite good, shipfic or otherwise. Highly recommended for shippers.
Recommended
Regal in Discretion by north_star
Reading by Scribbler
Genre: Friendshipping
Twilight asks Princess Celestia for relationship advice.
Short as it is, this story fits a lot of stuff in. There's background TwiDash; there's Twilight getting unicorn anti-Viagra; there's Celestia's not-exactly-thinly-veiled litany of conquests. But I think the reason this isn't tagged for its hilarious sexual comedy is that it's really about Twilight and Celestia's relationship changing. By the end, Twilight sees her mentor in a different light, and given that this was written prior to Twilicorn, it couldn't be timelier. It's honestly a cute story, and hopefully the shipping doesn't turn you off reading it.
Recommended
The Trial of Fluttershy Flutters by Masterweaver
Reading by DrWh0oves and Daring Don't
Genre: Comedy
It's rather a long list of charges.
As I write this review, season seven has just started. Wow. So, this is a really clever comedy on multiple levels. There's Fluttershy being a changeling, and that sort of not being an issue. There's her kind of being bad at trials. There's Prince Blueblood, the prosecuting lawyer, trying really hard to make the various charges stick. There's Shining Armor as the defense lawyer. Okay, that's not funny, I just think it's clever, and certainly unexpected. This is maybe not laugh-a-minute stuff, but it is a fun little romp through the Equestrian legal system.
Recommended
Changeling Courtship Rituals by Codex Ex Equus
Genre: Rom-Com
It turns out, Queen Chrysalis and Princess Twilight have somewhat different views on the meaning of the last few years of pony-changeling conflict.
This story made me lose faith in humanity. Up until chapter 3, it was fantastic, a hilarious accidental shipping vehicle with a stellar premise, and the best changeling fic since Integration. And then, suddenly, it was Twilestia, and not only did I hate that, I hated myself for being so predictably upset by it. :C I don't need fanfiction to help, I'm perfectly capable of hating myself just fine on my own, thank you. Thankfully, there is a narrative purpose for the Twilestia, and the scene ends with a pretty darned good punchline. But still. That happened. And yet, despite that, this is a fantastic comedy and one of the best changeling fics I have ever read. How do you do that? It doesn't make any sense; I call witchcraft. If you're willing to be bewitched as well, you can expect some excellent changeling-based world-building, great character work all around, and, amazingly, no actual Twisalis by the end! I mean, that's what would happen in something that was just a shipfic, after all. Ergo, this is far better than any shipfic, and you should come and stay for the comedy.
Highly Recommended
Stained Memories by TheLostNarrator
Reading by the Author, MagpiePony and GutiuSerenade
Sequel to A Beloved's Curse
Genre: Dark/Romance
Happy grimdark Hearts and Hooves Day! I can't say too much about this story without spoiling it, save that the reading and the story are very different experiences. The reading is more audioplay, with no narration for the first few scenes. The net result is incredibly unnerving, yet reading the story doesn't undercut that in the least. I will say that this suffers from not really going anywhere; I suspect it's not the last entry in this series, but it just feels like setup for another story. Still a decent, quick read for horror fans.
Recommended If You Like Dark Stuff
The Star in Yellow by Blueshift
Genre: Horror/Comedy
After Spike brings her the wrong book from Canterlot, Twilight finds it's really hard to put down…
And one more from Rainbow Dash Presents, because it is a crying shame that I have not reviewed this story yet! This isn't marked as a crossover, but it is more or less an adaptation of The King in Yellow. What makes this work is that it adapts the features of (what is generally thought of as) Lovecraftian horror without just plunking a Cthulhu down into Ponyville. This is a pony story through and through, not that it would work as a real episode. But yes, this is a story about Twilight becoming unnaturally obsessed with a book that is the home of an entity trying to use her to escape into the living world. It's worth noting that the RDP version is extremely abridged, leaving out almost all the action and comedy, but, well, I can't deny that the more comedic parts tend to derail the horror parts, and take up altogether too much time in a story that isn't tagged as such. Still, this mixes narrative and meta-narrative with ease, it's incredibly clever, and when it's creepy, it's damned creepy.
Recommended
What is the "zecora test"? :O
4498691
Being able to write rhyming dialogue with good meter.
These all look promising.
4498696
Oooh, yeah that makes sense! In that case fic that pass this test must be pretty rare, at least from my experience!
4498696 Welp, now you need to read Pony Courtship rituals.
Oh my god have you seriously never reviewed Star in Yellow??
Yes!
I miss the old show too, but at least the early seasons are still there.
Well, you can always PM it to me. Everyone knows that I hate everything, so it'll probably be up my alley.
4498721
It's on the list, but the twice-plus word count from the original is eeeeeh D:
4498728
I read it like, right when you published it, and I'm pretty sure I started reviewing fanfics a few months after that. XD
Eyup. Happy Easter!
What are blogs for, if not lengthy, rambling rants?
4498846 Haha fair enough. I will pretend I inspired you!
The thing about the overt comedy + horror though... in many ways, that's the point. I love genre whiplash and mashups and where stuff doesn't sit quite right, and one of the ideas behind this story was that it was a normal comedic adventure with something not quite right. There are two excellent 60s Doctor Who stories that I think cracked this style perfectly, The Myth Makers (now lost but the soundtrack exists) and The Gunfighters, which I strive towards!
And of course, many people think The Gunfighters is the worst Dr Who story ever and put it at the bottom of any list. They are wrong. It's the best.