Fic Recs, May 1st! · 4:48pm May 1st, 2017
Happy May! :O Got a bunch of longer audiobooks here, as well as the next thing I'm listening to. So I kiiind of want to finish up Imposing Sovereigns rtfn, but I make no promises. :B
Also, holy crap, look at those stats! :O How'd I manage that? Hold on to your RILs...
(As an aside, the first story in this list isn't the 500th Highly Recommended rating I've given out, as there are likely some on EQD or other sites, but it is the 500th story to be added to my Fimfic group! :D)
H: 4 R: 0 C: 1 V: 0 N: 0
Ten Seconds by OleGrayMane
Reading by Scribbler
Genre: Experimental
A Wonderbolt's life flashes by in the desert.
This is a really neat piece, worth reading even if you just like words. It follows the structure of the poem it's based on, using its various sections as prompts. The end result is a picture of a life that's about to end. Everything is explained quite well in the author's note, so if the 'experimental' tag makes you skittish, at least know that you won't be left in the dark by the end.
Highly Recommended
Musical Love by RuinQueenofOblivion
Reading by Mister Allan
This is probably the first time I will ever complain about a reader being too slow. I definitely prefer it to the opposite; it's just strange, is all. Anyway, his mic quality is good, he's maybe a tad on the mumbly side, but overall, he suits my needs, so he goes on the list!
Reading by Quill Feather
Genre: Romance
With Vinyl away ahead of Hearts and Hooves Day, Octavia tries to find a way to repay her for all that she's done.
This is a sappy fic. It's the schmoopy-doopy kind of romance, and as much as I like horse kissing, even I had to roll my eyes more than once at the goings-on. And there's really not much more to this than the continual declarations of love, though I did at least appreciate the use of mute Vinyl Scratch. Suffice to say, if you're not interested in romance, you won't miss anything by skipping this.
Recommended for Shippers Only
A Clever Pony by Drax99
Reading by Illya Leonov
Genre: Pony in Equestria
Equestria was not ready for a pony like Buttercup.
Here's one I've waited a long time to read! (Check out that Sad/Comedy tag!) Shame on me, and shame on you if you haven't read it yet, either. This is a terribly clever story. To be honest, its plot can be summed up as "OC goes to Equestria, meets the mane six, gets turned into pony". But it's the novelty of that OC being a pony from our world that makes this work. It's not just that Buttercup's being interesting makes that tired old plot tolerable: I wanted to see her meet each of the show characters, to see their reactions to her! (Oddly, they never visit Fluttershy; likely for the best, better than shoehorning her in, but still a notable omission.) I will take some umbrage with Twilight's role: her having a couple books about the human world just lying around is a transparent narrative shortcut. There's also some LUS — though not as much as other stories of its time — and the repetition in the first scene doesn't always serve the narrative. But bottom line? You owe it to yourself to experience this truly original piece of fanfiction.
Highly Recommended
Why? by The 24th Pegasus
Reading by Illya Leonov
Reading by Scribbler
Genre: Sad
First, the steel whales were a curiosity. Then they brought friends. Then they brought pain.
Did somepony say seaorca ponies? 8D This is only the second I've read in a short time, and yet I've got this feeling of "I've been reading so many seapony fics lately, and this is a place I want to be in." Anyway, this is a classic sort of mermaids-and-sailors tale, with our orcish orca pony narrator trying to comprehend the events she sees but can never truly understand. I feel like this story was written for me, honestly. Not only does it have good seapony world-building, which I love, but it's beautiful and tragic in the ways I love, too. That said, if you're a stickler for poniness, you may find this too alien to stomach. Nothing in this is familiar to the show, and the 19th-Century-era steamships and naval battles depicted make it feel like original fiction with a pony skin. Still, stories about ponies are stories about people, and I'm always looking for great stories. Whether or not they're great fanfic isn't as important to me.
Highly Recommended
Spike Exploits the Tooth Breezie by Rambling Writer
Genre: Comedy
It turns out dragons never stop losing their teeth.
This is a tremendously clever little piece about how to parent a precocious child. It's short and sweet and doesn't overstay its welcome. It's just about perfect! Twilight's parents don't get nearly enough credit for raising her.
Highly Recommended
I adored Spike Exploits the Tooth Breezie!
Twilight's line: "Even if the Tooth Breezie doesn’t exist, I have conclusively proved the existence of enamel-to-bits transmutation via a pillow-based catalyst, so you’ll definitely get your money." Wonderfully illustrates both her solid grasp of scientific analysis and her childish naivete.
4516144 That was probably my favorite line to write. Once it came into my head, I was like, "Yeah. That is so filly Twilight."
What's really amazing is that only one of these was in my read later list but now all four are in my " highly recommended by a reviewer" bookshelf!
You're doing Celestia's work, PP.