Drake's Reviews 13 · 12:08am Jul 2nd, 2017
Been a long time since I’ve done this. Reason is mostly I tend to do one-shots for these since I can digest them easier, longer fics, which I read sparsely anyway, tend to just leave me with general impressions rather than details when looking back. But, hey, I got enough to do one of these and it has been a while, so let’s go.
BTW, random note, the RIL list is where I store my fav clopfics away from public eyes. May work up the guts to do a review blog on them one day, we’ll see.
Also just figured out that with the new site update, copying the fic name and author from the top of the story automatically formats them for you with urls and bold formatting. Saves me time, thank you knighty!
You Forgot Your Toothbrush! by FamousLastWords
A neat little fic that serves to explain why Starlight’s toothbrush in A Royal Problem looks definitively Spike-themed. And I don’t know if it was the intent, but it also indirectly answers why Spike’s toothbrush as seen in previous episodes looks nothing like the one in ARP. It’s a cute little piece, not really hilarious but it has laughs and a good heartwarming ending. A perfectly SoL work. Friendshippers of Spike and Starlight will love it especially. And at 1,600 words it makes for a light read.
Recommendation: Good for some light fluffy daws.
The Witch of the Everfree by MagnetBolt
So I found this fic via Novel-Idea during the Sunlight Sliders event, when he noted that the reference in my chapter to Sunset growing up an orphan in the Everfree Forest seemed to be a nod to this fic. It was not, I’d never heard of it, but now I had so I read it. And fortunately I commented on it so I can just copy my comment to save time. 
A wonderful story. You kept me invested as you took the concept to a lot of places I didn't expect it. Yet it all flowed naturally and in a good progression with Sunset meeting the Mane Six in turn, and her growth was done well.
I didn't care for the Celestia hate in the early chapters, but then Sunset is an unreliable narrator for FPPOV and it's shown Celestia isn't all that bad. I liked the humor, I liked the SunLight hints that didn't dominate everything, and I liked that you didn't magically make Sunset a Seventh Element or Magic or some such, keep the Mane Six to their destinies. My only critique would be the spirit guide stuff kinda came out of nowhere, didn't add much, and didn't seem to go anywhere, but it's a relatively minor flaw I can overlook in the grand scheme.
Overall a very enjoyable read.
Recommendation: What he said.
Sunset Shimmer and Discord Go Back to the Future by Oroboro
It’s a Sunset fic by Oroboro. It’s an affectionate parody of Back to the Future (one of my all-time favorite film franchises). And it features Discord. And lesbians. And rock music.
If you’re not sold on this idea by now then I don’t know what else I can tell you. Seriously, this fic is simply a blast, lots of humor and references and hijinks all around. In fact, why are you still reading my review blog at this point, click that link and go read this fic!
“Your name is Sunset, right? I think I might be in love with you.”
And look, he wrote in a cameo for me in it!
Recommendation: Fucking duh.
Sunset Shimmer vs Starlight Glimmer by Sidral Mundet
This fic delivers exactly what it promises - a magic duel between Sunset and Starlight.
Unfortunately it doesn’t give us anything beyond that - Starlight and Twilight spar magically all the time but are bored of it, so the idea is had to bring Sunset in to duel her. Sunset apparently comes over to Equestria for the weekend all the time, so any pathos or development from her return is lost. She and Starlight don’t even really talk to each other as characters much, most of their dialogue is to the tune of “So we’re gonna duel?” “Yup.” The best part is Twilight freaking out her friends might hurt each other, especially since Sunset is out of practice with magic. The fic takes way too long building up to the titular duel and then its over rather quickly and easily.
You know how porn-without-plot is gratuitous sex without plot or character? That’s kinda what this fic is, fight scene-without-plot, just an excuse plot to set up the duel and then dragging out the build-up to it for too long before we get to the main event. I won’t spoil who wins the duel, I’ll just say that the author’s perception of how Sunset and Starlight would fight in a magic duel is not incorrect, and their judgment of who would win based on that perception is sound.
Recommendation: Aside from scratching your Sunset vs Starlight itch, not much to see here.
And speaking of promising set-ups that don’t work out well...
The fic starts off fine, really emphasizing and building up how desperately hot it is and how much Sunset needs to cool off. But it is rife with technical errors, including misplaced punctuation, random capitals, and just poor structure. Sunset ends up facing off with Trixie for an ice cream sandwich and they argue over who gets it and how to decide. The ending I thought it was gonna go for with the last twist could be hilarious, as I expected they would chase Sweetie Belle madly to get the sandwich, but it doesn’t do that and so is rather anti-climactic. The fic also makes the BIZARRE decision to give Rarity an Irish accent (directly identified as such) and pepper her speech with UK slang that Rarity has never ever used. It’s the kind of creative decision that makes you wonder if the author has forgotten who the character actually is.
Best takeaway is a throwaway joke that the CMC and DTSS both have lemonade stands, the latter was outselling the former due to charging two cents a glass versus the CMC charging five, but their business went under when word got around they charged five cents extra for sugar.
Recommendation: Even as a fan of Trixie and Sunset, this did nothing for me.
Sunset is Sunburst’s big sister. She gets wind from Twilight that Starlight is possibly romantically interested in him. Sunset demands to meet this mare who wants to date her brother. Hijinks ensues.
This is just a really enjoyable and funny read, teasing and making fun of most every shipping combination you could think of in this set-up, and it has good heartwarming moments too. I won’t dare ruin the best part where Sunset recognized Starlight. Best not be in the middle of drinking or eating something before reading this one, you’ve been warned.
Recommendation: Lots of shipping fun.
Celestia lays an egg by TheSexyMenhir
Well, the fic does promise little more than its premise. And it unfortunately keeps that promise. Celestia is holding court one day and suddenly goes into convulsions as she lays an egg. Aside from the absurd premise which is never explained (though maybe that’s the point), the main humor of the fic comes from Celestia’s colorful curses as she tries to pass the egg. And frankly I’ve never cared for expressions like “By Luna’s teets!” or “In the name of Tirek’s tainted nipples” in fics, rarely does it work in-universe and in a meta sense it often isn’t funny. I guess if you’re the kind of guy who giggles when someone says a dirty word, you’ll laugh. But I’m not so I didn’t.
Recommendation: Clickbait of the worst kind; the kind that doesn’t deliver the goods.
Yeah, pretty much my impression too.