Friendship is Card Games: Daring Do and the Marked Thief of Marapore · 12:06pm Apr 3rd, 2022
So begins my exploration of Berrow’s Daring Do trilogy, now that I’ve actually acquired the books in question. Rather thematically appropriate; I had to track down the ancient artifacts and precious lore first. Let’s see if it was worth it.
Berrow is playing second fiddle to A. K. Yearling on the byline. Nice touch with the “Other books by A. K. Yearling” section, where we have not only the rest of this trilogy but several earlier books in the series both mentioned in the show and otherwise. Of note are Daring Do and the Abyss of Despair and the Volcano of Destiny, which I don’t believe were ever mentioned by name. Ring of Destiny, the one based on the events of “Daring Don’t,” is apparently the fifth in the series. This one is number eight.
We open on a huge, apparently immortal silver unicorn brooding in the midnight darkness. His cutie mark has been lost, not to a twisted philosophy of forced equality, but to a disfiguring injury. Not only the mark but its magic has been damaged, inverting every virtue the stallion once had. But an ancient ritual involving some minor sacrifices will restore the power that was rightfully his, and then he can conquer the Multi—
Okay, maybe not that last part. 
This was published five years before War of the Spark, though I’m still seeing shades of Nicol Bolas. I know, I know, hardly the first time a villain’s gone for the “reclaim what I lost” plot. Still probably going to be a better novel than the WotS tie-in.
Ooh, a volcano lair. That’s quality evil.
It appears this fellow was once the Stalwart Stallion of Neighples, as alluded to in the Rainbow Dash book. Looks like we’re getting full context for what Movie Magic was adapting.
“And there was nopony in all of Equestria who could stop him.”
Well, he’s doomed.
Ah! We cut to Daring on a ship, so the villain of the piece is technically correct. After all, she’s not currently in Equestria. She’s specifically in the Fillyppine Sea, aboard the Blue Peter. Stowing away on it, no less, questing for the Submerged Temples of Tehuti (which appears to be another name for Thoth, Egyptian god of wisdom) and running critically low on supplies.
And amid this fascinating insight, we find out that the captain of this ship is… Pony the Elder. i understand the reference to Gaius Plinius Secundus, but come on. That said, nice reference to the comics with Hoofbeard.
Wow. Eleven pages in and Daring’s already hurt her wing again. Also, “Yucatán Ponynsula” is even worse than Pony the Elder. That’s not how horsepuns work, Gillian.
The specific treasure Daring’s looking for is the Crystal Sphere of Khumn, the ram-headed Egyptian god of fertility, associated with water… and procreation. Hmm. I doubt that will come up. But, suitably for a god of life, the sphere is said to heal anypony who touches it.
Apparently the “Gallopinghost Islands” are notoriously elusive. Going by Berrow’s oeuvre, we need to call in Darwing for that one.
“Like with most treasures, Daring Do felt an intense hunger to find it and make it hers. Or at the very least, stop it from falling into the wrong hooves or claws.”
Not exactly the purest of motivations driving our heroine here.
Huh. Apparently Captain Pony and “his seafaring ruffians” are “known as the Royal Navy.” It’s not at all clear whether they just call themselves that or if Daring’s hitched a ride on an official Equestrian vessel.
Daring realizes she literally can’t remember the last time she slept in her own bed, but she prefers an exciting life. She’s not an adrenalin junkie; she can stop any time she wants.
Apparently somepony named Mo “turned,” and Daring doesn’t know what that means any more than I do.
Daring apparently appropriated a “flagon” of cider at some point. She throws it into her bag, which makes me think Berrow doesn’t know what a flagon is. That or Daring doesn’t mind soaking that ancient map in apple juice.
… So the Fillyppine Sea is apparently on the east coast of Equestria, given how the Blue Peter has docked at Horseshoe Bay, which is where Baltimare lies. Geography is also not one of Berrow’s strong suits, it would seem.
Daring returns home… and there’s somepony waiting for her there. This whole “remote cottage in the middle of nowhere” plan isn’t working out too well for her. She also mentions an associate, A. B. Ravenhoof, though we get very little information there.
Daring apparently has a photographic memory for cutie marks. “I never forget a face,” but with butts.
Interesting that the narration explicitly describes Caballeron as “jilted.” Sure, Daring refused to work with him to gather artifacts, but that specific word choice implies a more personal angle to the matter. The narration also characterizes Caballeron as a parasite, tracking Daring rather than the relics themselves, needing her to lead the way until he can swoop in and claim her prize for himself. I can only imagine what he thought of this portrayal when he first discovered the series.
Callback to something we’ve never seen, Daring stopping the Ketztwcl Empress from corrupting the Amulet of Atonement… and that string of letters manages to stump Google. Not sure where Berrow’s going with it.
That said, interesting entry in the Equestrian bestiary with the wandering tree, leading travelers astray for the lulz.
Daring’s suspicion means she never confronts the mysterious visitor, who seems to be from the distant village of Marapore, but he suspects—or hopes for—her presence and asks her to save his home if it’s not already too late. He also leaves a book she’s been looking for for a long time, so that’s definitely a point in his favor as far as she’s concerned.
… And it’s the missing volume of an encyclopedia. Yes, it’s a lost, out-of-print encyclopedia of relics that’s a valuable relic in its own right, but it feels a bit underwhelming. Daring’s reaction to finally adding volume 3 of 13 to her collection feels ludicrously exaggerated. “This could be the answer to everything. The answer to the great mysteries of Equestria and beyond.” Never mind that she already had most of those answers already. And when one page covers everything from Fauna to Flankara Relics.
(That said, I do like that she got sidetracked by the Elements of Harmony. Though I half-expected them to be filed under “Harmony, Elements of.”)
Ah. The aforementioned relics are the staff, sword, and arrow seen in Movie Magic, which protect the villages that hold them from Mount Vehoovius’s eruptions. The relics can also be arranged in a six-pointed star formation—Twilight’s mark coming in as a symbol of great magical power, very interesting—to heal any magically inflicted injury, the “Vehoovius Hex” mentioned in the prologue. But that’s one of those pesky “one use only” spells.
Oh, and Vehoovius erupts every ten years, predictable as Old Faithful, and is due to burst any day now. Did I mention that one of the villages in need of protection is named Ponypeii?
Daring’s daring trek through the forest, “fraught with steep cliffs and rushing rivers,” might sound more impressive if she couldn’t, you know, fly.
Apparently the incident with the wandering tree was a fluke given Daring’s mark-boosted sense of direction. But hey, Berrow needed to establish the stallion offering the encyclopedia was probably trustworthy.
Heh. The inn Daring stops at for the night doesn’t have rooms. It has barns.
And another statement emphasizing how the team-up while dealing with the Rings of Scorchero was a one-time thing due to extenuating circumstances. Daring works alone for the safety of everypony else. That’s her story and she’s sticking to it.
Seems there’s been a rash of robberies keeping tourists away from this region, much to the innkeeper’s displeasure. To say nothing of the mess the cloaked stallion left in room 3.
Huh. Very unexpected Goops for Stuff reference. Good to see Flax Seed and Wheat Germ are nailing that market penetration.
So… Daring has a history with the innkeeper just outside of the Vehoovius region, but judging by her reaction, this still the first time she’s seen the volcano. I’m guessing it wasn’t the titular Volcano of Destiny in the previous book either.
Very nice bit of worldbuilding with the Tricorner Villages forming their own independent society, since no one without magical protection wants to live anywhere near Vehoovius.
“If anypony noticed her prematurely, she might have to explain herself. Sometimes the quickest way to ruin a mission was to make it known to the public.”
Our hero, ladies and gentlemen! Avoiding any form of oversight or public awareness of her activities.
“It was a stunning scene, if stifling heat and impending fiery doom was your sort of thing.”
Based on past evidence, it’s certainly Daring’s.
“It was far too humid for headwear at the moment”
Never mind that pith helmets were specifically made for hot, humid climates. Though Daring does have a valid point that the hat draws a lot of attention.
I don’t know if Berrow’s going to try to make “Filly-ho!” into a catchphrase for Daring, but I really hope she doesn’t.
And then Daring Do, that brave and peerless explorer, charges off a cliff in her rush to get to Marapore. And then somepony in the crowd cheers about how the Golden Prophesied Pegasus has come to save them all. You know it’s true when you find somepony who can speak in Big Important Capitals.
This stallion is named “Kaaxtik.” Berrow’s only name options for original characters appear to be “noun phrase”, “low-grade pun,” and “Is this a Mesoamerican dialect, or did she mash the keyboard?”
Here, each relic is named after the village that houses it, so we have the Arrow of Marapore, the Staff of Ponypeii, and the Sword of Lusitano.
Ah. Apparently A. B. Ravenhoof is a college professor, and Daring had a short stint as their assistant. I’m sure she enjoyed it as much as Dr. Jones.
Yup, Daring charged off a cliff and into a prophecy. This’ll be tricky, especially since the Vehoovius Hex calls for a “Golden Pedagouge” and the story’s made a point of calling her coat gold rather than, say, sepia.
“three minutes into her lecture on the mechanics of active volcanoes, [Daring] forgot she was supposed to be teaching and careened off into a farawy, dangerous place—the corners of her mind.”
Oh no, she really is Rainbow Dash with an archeology degree.
A local boy with a baseball cap… Oh no, it’s a Short Round reference. Named Tater Tot.
Ah. The stallion who asked for Daring’s aid was the village’s actual teacher… named Golden Rule. And he’s already determined that the Stalwart Stallion is the culprit. And Rainbow Dash’s nitpick makes sense now; Mojo is everything the Stalwart Stallion is not. How Yearling signed off on that script, I’ll never know.
And now, for the ritual’s captive audience, Mojo is… capturing the village’s pets. Unexpected approach, but it works. (Also, we have a mare named Yollotl, who really highlights how out of place Tater Tot feels And Golden Rule, for that matter.) Still, it’s a good thing for Mojo that he’s very far from Fluttershy when he enacts this plan. Even so, if she ever reads about this… 
“If it weren’t for the fact that the cottage windows had all been hastily boarded up with firewood, the soft snores of the ponies in their beds would have added some percussion to the score.”
Add “kinds of musical instruments” to the list of things Berrow doesn’t understand.
Tater Tot is nowhere to be seen during Daring’s stakeout. She grimly reflects on how her would-be sidekicks always need rescuing in the end. And, to be fair, Rainbow Dash was no exception.
“It was never a good thing when things made of stone cried. Daring knew that one from experience.”
I have several questions. The added context of the Hidden Tomb of the Cipactli Queen only raises more of them.
Ah. The Arrow of Marapore is secured in the firm grip of the statue of the Stalwart Stallion. By which I mean it’s balanced on his upraised hoof.
Oh dear. He’s calling himself “the great and powerful Mojo.” That never bodes well.
Mojo’s mutilated mark mystifies the maverick mare. Only very dark magic indeed could cause such a horrific injury, which tracks with what we’ve seen. (Other than Snips and Snails tearing off half their cutie marks with bubble gum, but those grew back.)
Ooh, very theatrical. The villain savoring his victory with the volcano rumbling in the distance. Of course, that sort of theatricality can backfire.
That said, Daring’s understandably wary of the Celestia-sized stallion who would not hesitate to kill her. And that’s not me reading too deeply: “He had powerful magic, magic that he would not hesitate to use on her. And she needed to stay alive if she was going to save all these other ponies.”
And sure enough, Tater Tot snuck out to help Daring and has been captured. Like clockwork.
The Morse Horse code password to Mojo’s secret lair translates to… “STID.” STID? Well, I did say it wasn’t Morse code.
And then the door jams. You just can’t get good lair maintenance these days.
And then there’s a swarm of howler monkeys! Darn volcanic soil promoting lush jungles.
And finally, after stumbling down a chute deep into the volcano, Daring has to face down the mind-controlled pets, all eager to tear her apart. When it rains, it pours. Thankfully, it’s rather shoddy mind control, since a damaged mark has weakened Mojo’s magic. Calling the pets’ names is enough to free them.
Also, it seems that Daring had prophetic dreams while still at the inn, which raises a number of questions in its own right.
Daring goes for a fake capture ploy, playing to Mojo’s Bond villain levels of grandiosity. Also, even after confirming that Golden Rule is on her side, Daring can only wonder how his plan might interfere with hers. Seriously, this mare has trust issues bigger than the volcano.
Only now does Daring realize the meaning of Mo turning. Mojo was apparently part of the Royal Navy. Which, given that they knew him in his more noble days, only confirms that Daring was stowing away on an official military vessel.
Ah. Golden Rule convinced Mojo about some nonsense about the prophecy needing a golden pegasus with a volcano cutie mark. (He silently urges Daring to go with it.) Desperation makes a person willing to believe anything, especially from one who they see as an authority on the matter.
… Oh. All the smoke around Mojo and the ritual has been the collected souls of the stolen pets. Well, this got a lot darker in a hurry.
Huh. Daring Do shocked to discover her cutie mark is gone. This is unexpectedly familiar.
Seems that Goops for Stuff skin cream acts as a delayed-onset cutie mark concealer. How convenient/horrfiying. Don’t let Starlight near the stuff.
I do appreciate Daring cutting off Golden’s exposition. They really don’t have a lot of time.
Oh! It was Ahuizotl who disfigured Mojo, for trying to leave his clan of devotees… which raises the question of why a protector of villages would ever join that group in the first place. Perhaps in the name of preserving the relics of the Forbidden Jungle. Just because Ahuizotl is a guardian doesn’t mean he’s nice.
(And yes, I know “Daring Doubt” is a ludicrous retcon applied years after this book came out, but I like the idea of Ahuizotl being a cure that’s scarcely better than the disease.)
And this reminder of the initial trauma is enough for a glimmer of sympathy in Mojo’s scarred heart. Or something. I’m honestly not sure why he lets Daring go with the relics and the vial of animal souls, but that’s my best guess.
Daring does a very Rainbow-esque maneuver, speeding around Vehoovius and returning all three relics to their rightful places in the nick of time. Then she returns to volcano where, despite being in the magma chamber during the reputation, Mojo has somehow survived. Covered in ash, yes, but still.
In any case, Daring gives him a quest: Rejoin the crew of Pony the Elder, restore the souls to his stolen animals, and return those animals to their rightful owners. She figures that should give her more than enough time to get the Crystal Sphere of Khumn. Not only is it the right thing to do, it lets her spite Ahuizotl.
And the story closes with Golden giving Daring another text to study, emphasizing the importance of the Eternal Flower. But we’ll get to that soon.
According to her “About the Author” page, A. K. Yearling has a degree in literature from Pranceton, though she has done work as a researcher for the National Archives for Equestrian Artifacts and… sigh, Ponthropology in Canterlot.
The glossary has some interesting points, including a description of Ahuizotl as “A giant, evil beast who will stop at nothing to gain riches and power.” Oof. There’s also a bunch of blank pages for field notes and sketches in the back, which is a nice touch.
This is definitely a step up from the Mane Six hexology. Berrow does have a tendency to shout “Pay attention to this gun I’m putting on the mantlepiece!” but this is still a more engaging and generally coherent plot than what I’ve seen from her thus far. I’m genuinely looking forward to the next Daring Do adventure.
But first, I have my own wonders to craft:
Flankara Defense 1W
Instant
Prevent all damage a source of your choice would deal this turn. You gain life equal to the damage prevented this way.
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.)
With the relics reunited, Vehoovius went from threat to spectacle.
Mysteries of the Divine 2W
Enchantment
Constellation — Whenever Mysteries of the Divine or another enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, manifest the top card of your library. (Put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)
Golden-Wing Savior 4WW
Creature — Pegasus Warrior
Flash
Flying
When Golden-Wing Savior enters the battlefield, target creature you control gains indestructible until end of turn.
Foretell 2WW (During your turn, you may pay 2 and exile this card from your hand face down. Cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost.)
4/4
Repelling Barrage XW
Instant
Kicker (bg)(bg) (You may pay an additional (bg)(bg) as you cast this spell.)
This spell has deathtouch if it was kicked.
Repelling Barrage deals X damage divided as you choose among any number of target attacking creatures.
Talacon does not tolerate tourists.
Gallopinghost Finch 2U
Creature — Bird
Flying
Whenever an opponent casts a spell that’s one or more colors not noted for Gallopinghost Finch, note one of those colors and put a +1/+1 counter on Gallopinghost Finch.
Incredibly adaptable, it finds a way to get at every new food source it finds.
1/1
Pony the Elder 2UU
Legendary Creature — Pony Soldier Pilot
Artifact creatures you control have islandwalk. (They can’t be blocked if defending player controls an Island.)
Whenever you attack with one or more Vehicles, target land becomes an Island until end of turn.
“Damn the coastline. Full speed ahead!”
3/4
Relic’s Allure 2UU
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant artifact
You control enchanted artifact.
As long as enchanted artifact is an Equipment, it has “You control equipped creature” and “This Equipment’s activated abilities can target creatures you don’t control as though you controlled them.”
Ghost Macaw 3U
Creature — Spirit Bird
Flash
Flying
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Ghost Macaw exploits a creature, copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
3/3
The Vehoovius Hex BB
Sorcery
Sacrifice any number of artifacts. Each opponent loses X life and you gain X life, where X is the total mana value of those artifacts plus the total mana value of legendary artifacts sacrificed this way.
Mojo would gladly pay any price to restore his body and soul.
Mysterious Benefactor 1B
Creature — Pony Rogue
When Mysterious Benefactor enters the battlefield, target player draws a card and loses 1 life.
Daring knew she shouldn’t trust the cloaked stranger, but she couldn’t resist the allure of a new book.
1/1
Discreet Innkeeper 2B
Creature — Unicorn Citizen
When Discreet Innkeeper enters the battlefield, create a Treasure token. (It’s an artifact with “T, sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.”)
Whenever you cast a creature spell, if mana from a Treasure was spent to cast it, that creature enters the battlefield with a credit counter on it and has “When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner’s control.”
1/3
Spiteful Smelting 1R
Sorcery
Destroy up to one target artifact. Put a -1/-1 counter on up to one target creature.
Pointless destruction is one of the few things that can put a smile on Mojo’s muzzle.
Molten Vengeance 6RR
Instant
This spell costs X less to cast, where X is the amount of damage dealt to you by sources your opponents controlled this turn.
Destroy three target artifacts and/or lands.
“If the world must burn to make me whole, so be it.”
—Mojo
Jungle Tracking 2G
Instant
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by creatures other than target creature this turn. That creature explores. (Its controller reveals the top card of their library. They put that card into their hand if it’s a land. Otherwise, they put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then put the card back or put it into their graveyard.)
Urban Camouflage 2G
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature you control
Enchanted creature has nonbasic landwalk.
Enchanted creature has hexproof as long as you control three or more creatures.
With the right outfit and attitude, anyone can blend into a crowd.
Screeching Monkeys 6G
Creature — Monkey
This spell costs 1 less to cast for each artifact your opponents control.
Protection from artifacts (This creature can’t be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or equipped by anything that’s an artifact.)
Sometimes an adventurer’s worst foes couldn’t care less about ancient relics.
5/5
Papercraft Glider 1
Artifact Creature — Pegasus
Papercraft Glider has flying as long as it’s attacking.
“You’d see plenty of them in the duller lectures. Some students got them to do tricks. The best ones could brag about them.”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle.
1/1
Adventurer’s Rations 2
Artifact — Food
When Adventurer’s Rations enters the battlefield, draw a card.
2, T, Sacrifice Adventurer’s Rations: Choose one —
• You gain 3 life.
• Venture into the dungeon. (Enter the first room or advance to the next room.)
Vial of Souls 2
Artifact
You may choose not to untap Vial of Souls during your untap step.
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, put a charge counter on Vial of Souls.
4, T, Remove X charge counters from Vial of Souls: Gain control of target creature with mana value X for as long as Vial of Souls remains tapped.
Weeping Statue 3
Artifact
1, T: Target player mills two cards.
Whenever another artifact enters the battlefield under your control, untap Weeping Statue.
“Stone shedding tears is never a good sign.”
—Daring Do
Meandering Thoughts WU
Instant
Counter target spell an opponent controls. That player may cast a spell from their hand without paying its mana cost.
Even the most driven mind can be distracted by a more appealing idea.
A Hundred Fathoms Deep WB
Legendary Enchantment
Whenever you gain or lose life, each player mills that many cards. Then if a library has twenty or fewer cards in it, transform A Hundred Fathoms Deep. (Damage causes loss of life.)
Deep in the sunken temple of Tehuti, an invaluable relic slumbers.
The Crystal Sphere of Khumn
(WB) Legendary Artifact
If you would lose life, you may instead put that many cards from your graveyard on the bottom of your library in a random order.
T, Pay 2 life: Draw a card.
Blessed by a god of life, the sphere can heal any injury imaginable.
Wandering Tree RGW
Creature — Plant
Wandering Tree’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of lands you control.
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, if that player controls more lands than each other player, they gain control of Wandering Tree.
Wandering Tree can’t attack its owner or planeswalkers that player controls and can’t block creatures that player controls.
*/*
Golden Rule, Clever Sage GWU
Legendary Creature — Pony Advisor
Whenever you cast a multicolored spell, draw a card.
“The Tricorner Villages demonstrate what all of Equestria has come to understand: We are so much stronger together than apart.”
2/2
Preserved in Ash 1UR
Sorcery
Preserved in Ash deals 5 damage to each creature and planeswalker. If a permanent dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead. That card’s owner may cast it for as long as it remains exiled.
Past attempts to settle Vehoovius went poorly, to say the least.
Cipactli Queen 1BRG
Creature — Crocodile Noble
Whenever a player sacrifices a permanent, put a +1/+1 counter on Cipactli Queen.
Grandfather Cipactli’s direct offspring bear far more of his power and hunger than his more distant descendants.
4/4
Mojo, the Mark-Scarred 3BR
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Warlock
Mojo, the Mark-Scarred enters the battlefield with six -1/-1 counters on it.
Whenever Mojo deals excess damage to a creature, return that card from its owner’s graveyard to the battlefield under your control.
Sacrifice a creature you don’t own: Remove a -1/-1 counter from Mojo.
10/10
Inversion of Virtue 6UB
Sorcery
Exchange target player’s graveyard and library. Then that player shuffles their library.
The Stalwart Stallion of Neighples had gifted the Flankara Relics to the three villages. Twisted by Ahuizotl, he returned to take them for himself.
Vehoovius, Rumbling Titan
Legendary Land
T: Add R.
Channel — XRR, Discard Vehoovius, Rumbling Titan: It deals X damage to target creature or planeswalker. This ability costs 1 less to activate for each legendary creature you control.
*Googles 'Tehuti'*
Oh boy, Hoteps. Ugh.
There's going to be a volcanic catastrophe, isn't there?
Depending on flagon design, there may not actually be a problem with tossing it in her bag.
Interesting choice to use a credit counter, found only on Icatian Moneychanger, AFAIK.
Screeching Monkeys' flavor text needs to be italicized.
How does Mojo's ability work with indestructible creatures he deals excess damage to?
And "Marion" has a horse pun built right in!
I'm not a fan of Short Round, but Tater Tot is a pretty great kid-sidekick pony name.
For some reason, I loathe it when stories in other cultures have names that clearly don't gel together. I once read a fic on here where the zebras had Swahili names, their governmental positions had Latin names, and their gods had Mesoamerican names (I think they'd been named for the Aztec pantheon, but I can't remember). I had a hard time paying attention because I kept getting jarred out of the story, the disconnect was so strong.
I get the target audience probably wouldn't understand her having a degree in Hippology, but... sigh.
(On a tangential aside, I literally just got an idea of Rainbow hearing Daring is a hippologist, so she tries to get a degree, mishearing it as "hip"-ology and thinking it's the study of how to be hip.)
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Stupid Complicated Game Alert: You can't be returned from the graveyard unless you're in the graveyard. Less obviously, you can only sacrifice things you control.
I skimmed over this after the first bit, as I've only read that which is offered as a free-to-read preview on most sites (up to Daring flying away from the sip she stowed away on). This one, and the other two, continue to be notoriously hard to find (I'm not going anywhere near those "you get a free trial before we start charging you!" websites). I mean, so are all the chapter books to follow, but these three are the ones I actually want to read.
Still, nice to hear it is indeed a massive step up from the prior books (even if screaming about every Checkov's Gun throughout can be frustrating to an adult viewer). Hope a more available version of them presents itself soon.
I liked how the Daring Do books upgrades Ahuizotl from some brute in the show to an outright savage. It adds a certain contrast to the more well known villains; his goals might not be as flashy or global as the villain of the season, but he's nonetheless threatening since he'll straight up maim you if he gets his mitts on you.
I liked all three of these books, but it's really nice to be able to read your take on them.
5648292
Tater Trot would have been better.
Ah, so she's less Indiana Jones and more Lara Croft, which is a... choice.
Well, yes, but it kind of raises the question of why anyone would want to live there full stop. Yes, I know volcanic soil tends to be very fertile, but I'd imagine even the possibility of dying in burning agony if the magical protection fails might, shall we say, lower the house prices a touch. I wouldn't want to risk it for a slightly better yield of cabbage. If it was just a regular volcano, I'd understand, since the likelihood of it being active would be relatively slim, but every ten years? Why do I get the feeling there's a fair amount of emigration on month 119?
You know, it's been a while since I saw the movie, but... I'm honestly having a hard time thinking of any point in Temple of Doom when Short Round needed Indy to save him... and I do remember at least one time when he saved Indy and in a very real sense, saved the day overall. And while Marion from Raiders did need a fair bit of saving, she also helped quite a bit more than she hindered. Assuming this is a reference to Daring's inspiration (which it seems to be), feels like there might be a bit of bias in that assessment. I mean, yeah, what's-her-face from Temple of Doom was uselessness personified and Elsa from Last Crusade... was a traitor, so I don't know if she even counts, but still, that's not a bad track record given Indy's habit of gaining sidekicks mainly via wacky circumstance.
That's the thing about having companions on these kinds of adventures: yeah, they'll sometimes need you to save their arses, but it's worth it so they'll be around when you need someone to save yours.
I mean, I freely admit, while I totally get others' annoyance with him, I have a... tiny bit of a soft spot (and I do mean a tiny bit) for Short Round - yes, he could be annoying, but frankly, by the standards of that movie overall, he was barely a blip on the Exasper-o-meter as far as I was concerned - so I'm hardly unbiased myself, but, even accounting for that, this feels a little... off. Gives a... bit of an impression that it comes more from Pop Culture Osmosis than actual experience and reference, if that makes any sense.
5648472
Technically, he activated the crushing trap, which required him and Indy to be saved, and was nearly captured during the mine cart chase. But the crushing trap is one of the best scenes in the series ("We! Are going! To DIE.") and "briefly needs help during an action scene" is so not-noteworthy that it even happens to Indy himself, so they don't really count.
At least two, actually! He rescued Indy from the Black Sleep right before Willie was sacrificed, and he prevented the Maraharajah from using the voodoo doll on Indy during the rock crusher fight. So yeah, pretty capable as far as kid sidekicks go. Most of my ambivalence towards him comes from how screamy he is.
While we're on the subject, Henry needs saving three times, but one time is before he even meets Indy in the first place (at the castle), one time is in the middle of a rescue operation anyway (the tank and Brody), and the last kicks off the emotional climax, and he offers plenty of help along the way, falling into the same category as Marion. Even then, those rescues are mostly to show how out-of-his-depth he is ("Those people are trying to kill us!" "I KNOW, DAD!" "...It's a new experience for me." "Happens to me all the time."). Meanwhile, Mutt only gets captured at the same time Indy does, so it's not like he's incompetent while Indy isn't. Indy's got a good track record of decent sidekicks in general, really.
Except Willie. Willie can go die in a lava pit. The lack of Willie alone makes Kingdom of the Crystal Skull more bearable than Temple of Doom AND I AM NOT KIDDING.
It annoys me that this is technically consistent with Quibble's dialogue in season six about nothing in the series after Ring of Destiny being good, because I really don't like the idea of Ring of Destiny being anything other than the most recent book in the series, considering it was written in season four. And I always liked to imagine Daring Do as a fairly seasoned adventurer and AK Yearling as a well-established writer by the time we first heard of them both, but she actually has to be pretty new to the scene for her to have only written four books before season four, considering that she can apparently pump out a new one every other month. Yearling's work rate makes no sense to me.
But then again, nothing about Daring Do's place in the series makes sense to me, so I guess that tracks.
That is an interesting way of thinking about him. Unfortunately, overzealous guardian Ahuizotl falls into the same category as King Aspen, Radiant Hope, and season six Starlight – characters who would be great if their obviously flawed or villainous characterisation had actually been deliberate, but who are instead just infuriating because the stories themselves think that they're blameless. Still, it's an interpretation with some good story-telling potential, and I'd really like to see you take it from concept to actual fic and fix this dissonance.