Review of In the Gloaming, by DMDash71

This is my review of In the Gloaming, by DMDash71.

I was looking forward to reading this story because Sunset Shimmer is one of my favorite characters.

It was a short and enjoyable story. But I guess you don't want me to write a one-line review, do you? Ok, so here are my comments.

I'll start with the negatives. The story was too short. I know, I know, I'm complaining about a short story being short, but I got hooked enuff to want to know what happened next. It felt like "is this it? maaaaaaan!"

My second criticism was the lack of conclusion, which is related to my first one. Again, this is intentional but I would have liked to know what happened next.

Perhaps the only real criticism was that I didn't feel like Sunset's personality came through, almost as if you could have substituted her for another random character and it wouldn't have made much of a different (again, almost).

Now to the positive. The best thing about the story is that it was fun to read. The beginning is a bit too long, but it sorta works out in the end because it distracts you from the main story by talking about the trivial, menial things that Sunset does. That way, when the big reveal comes, it's much more of a surprise.

I also liked the bit of world-building about how Sunset got a house and a more stable life in this new world, and how she's gotten so used to it that the old one didn't feel like home anymore, but still a part of your past. Having lived in several countries, I kinda get this a bit. The background story was long enough to make it interesting but not too long to take you away from the main story. It did make me wonder why Sunset preferred to stay in this world, but it is explained by the end, so that's ok. I like conclusions, you know?

I read a few of the other comments and how they found it sad or touching. I had the complete opposite reaction. I saw it as a happy story about redemption and forgiving. Maybe because I've been listening about spirituality lately but what it immediately made me think of when Celestia said "I love you" was the kind of love that you'd expect from God, not from a lover. The kind of love that's always waiting and willing to forgive, if you just decide to accept it. A bit later, Sunset reminded me of the story of the prodigal son, and the joy of the father when the "bad" son has returned home. Also, she made me think of how you feel when you admit to your sins and as a result you find peace and joy, the kind of feeling that makes your eyes water, like it happened in the story in the end.

Or maybe I'm overthinking this way too much and I should stop being obsessive about finding links and relationships to everything. I'm not even a Christian for crying out loud.

In conclusion, a great story for those that want something short and insightful to read about Sunset.