Review #104 - The Celestia Code · 5:41am May 15th, 2017
Ever rewatch a TV series where you know a character comes back, but when he/she dies you still get all sad? And then all those characters have to go home and leave everything behind, and you just want to cry even more. But I am a manly-man, and I held back my tears. If you're wondering, I'm watching the series finale of Transformers Prime. Yes, there is a movie that comes just after it, but that doesn't make the feels any better.
Also, I have a few things planned. I won't tell you what they are, just in case they don't work, but know that they exist and have something to do with writing.
One last thing before the review, do you guys think I should start reviewing episodes as well? I'm tempted to, but am not yet sure...
The Celestia Code by iisaw
(Adventure, Mystery)
Princess Twilight Sparkle discovers a centuries-old mystery hidden in the Royal Archives. Her investigation leads through layer after layer of deception and misdirection, setting her hooves on a path that seems to be leading to a mysterious secret. Along the way, she learns that some friendships can be very, very strange.
Review
Oh boy, this is gonna be a long one... and slightly late. This is an adventure fic, accompanied by a theme of mystery and more subgenres than I can list. One of the more prominent ones, however, is romance. Romance is nearly everywhere, expanding the dynamic of characters or shutting them down, you can't read two chapters without encountering some form of it. There is also a small amount of darkness, but that comes in the last half. Think of an Indiana Jones movie, and you got the themes of this. So, Twilight, eh? Are you sure? Well, alright then. Twilight is a bit of a static character. A round character mind you, but a static one. Which is partly why I like her so much, because she doesn't need to change. She's smart, determined, resilient, mostly kind, clever (which is different from smart), and a few other adjectives I don't want to list. And she's like this all the way through. The only change that appears for her is knowledge. She learns more about history and the Changeling, but I'll leave the bugs alone. Another character is named Jigsaw. And it is in her we see the dynamic character. And most of the romance present in this installment of the series. She is, at first, kinda quiet, very formal, lacks confidence in her abilities, and knowledgeable in ways TwiTwi up there is not. She ends up becoming bolder and more friendly with Twilight, but that's spoiler-ish. Also, she has a similar love of books that Twilight does. Part of me wants to ship them so hard, but I have better ones to do.
See? Told you it was gonna be long. Pretty much every other character falls into one of these categories: mild antagonist, supporting character, servant, or emotional instigator. That is dumbing it down a lot, but it's the basics. I think the main conflict in this story is person vs self. It's Twilight figuring out what she's doing, Jigsaw's fight to be bolder, another character's fight against her nature, and trying to figure out whether to stay the same or become what she used to be. These characters work in tandem with, or against, the main two to expand their characters beyond what would have normally been possible.
I actually don't have a greatest weakness for this, that's how good it is. If you can think of anything, tell me... please.
Recommendation: Very Highly Recommended. (I think my review speaks for itself, everything is perfect. On to contemplating when to review the sequel!)
Thank you for the very nice review!
There are a lot of episode revieweres out there, but only a few fic reviewers!
Basically what im saying is while itd be neat to see your opinions on the episodes I hope it doesnt cause your fic reviews to stop!
The first time I read it, I felt like Jigsaw stopped being prevalent in the story after her crush-arc came to a climax when Twilight saw her kissing Khatakarekket or whatever her name was (or was that the Changeling from Twilight Enigma? It's hard to keep them straight).
When I read it a second time on hardcover, though, I didn't feel like that was true at all, so... Idk.
If you enjoy reviewing episodes, review episodes. If you don't, don't.
I can't think of much. I'm not myself a huge fan of the romantic elements, but that's a matter of personal preference. The early chapters are maybe a tad on the restless side, but I think it's an excellent story -- and the start of an excellent series! I've read the next two, and will definitely read the fourth when that's complete.
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I typically forgive authors for the first two chapters of a long story like this, because that's when everything is first starting to be fleshed out. And nearly everyone has issues there. Also, as a spoiler, The Luna Cypher will not be forgiven for its first half.
One more thing, you will love the fourth installment. It is amazing.
4535379 The Luna Cypher is my least favourite in the series, mostly because the TwiLuna irritates me, though I do still like the fic overall. Looking forward to the fourth one a lot!