Fic recs, May 4th: Poniverse/The Quinch edition! · 3:46pm May 4th, 2022
Good author Cynewulf is open for writing, editing and workshopping commissions to help offset some medical expenses!
VisualPony has done a reading of Troll's Twilight Finds a Book of Puns, as well as Cyanide's Twilight Sparkle Plays With Dolls, overlord-flinx's Luna Makes Toast, SkyeSilverwing's Never a Wonderbolt, and Erisn's I Always Thought They'd Be Cooler!
Scribbler's done a reading of Aquaman's Still, Like Dust with Mindscape!
And now that we're doing going through all those fic readings, let's talk about some fic readings!
If you'll recall last time I did a major audiobook review blog, I was very impressed by new reader TheQuinch and wanted to immediately get into his channel. Well, as it turns out, he's only got two audiobooks: the one I reviewed in that blog, and The Olden World, a literal one-thousand-chapter monstrosity that he hit the midpoint of as I was going through these readings.
But also as I was gathering audiobooks for this blog, I realized that the playlist that I was using on TheQuinch's channel was in fact full of readings by a channel I'd reviewed previously: Poniverse. Were they in fact one and the same in a stroke of remarkable coincidence?
Well, not really. Poniverse is a community, and Quinch, as it turns out, is their primary narrator. So I combined the two. Which means this is basically Poniverse edition, but I did at least make an attempt at Quinch's personal channel. So first, here's The Evergrowing List:
Kkat's Fallout: Equestria
Daemon McRae's Schadenfreude
The Seer's Again
Miller Minus's Cry for Love
Impossible Numbers's Romancing the Sun
Cynewulf's 80 Days 'Til the World's Farthest Shore
HapHazred's Pony Peace Is Dragon War (Diplomatic Dragon Noises Included)
Somber's Broken Record
little big pony's An Unfortunate Daily Occurrence
And now, the rest.
H: 11 R: 11 C: 5 V: 0 N: 0
Every Rose Has Its Thorns… And a Shovel or Two by little big pony
Reading
Genre: 2P HiE Comedy
You're going to have to learn to pick your pranking targets better.
The problem with this story is that, between the title and the description, there is zero mystery about where the plot goes, which undercuts some of the comedy. (Well, that and a lot of knowing what other characters are thinking, which was annoying.) That said, this does fit into the sort of AiE humor that I enjoy, and the fact that the name "Anon" is never used is a big plus. Also, the sheer irreverence of Celestia's introduction had me in stitches. So this is still pretty niche, but it's not too bad!
Recommended for HiE Fans
Pony Please by Palm Palette
Reading
Genre: PoE Comedy
New policy dictates visitors to Artiztrotzia must bring an Equestrian pony. I am not paid enough to question why.
I've never actually played Papers, Please, but it floated around the nerdosphere for long enough that I at least understand the basics. This is a straight adaptation with ponies thrown in, and I have to say, it's pretty fun. Not a laugh a minute, but every scene is always introducing new twists, and no two ever feel alike. I particularly enjoyed how ponies are approved or rejected from entering the country. Other than that, our nameless protagonist is written well as someone laboring under an oppressive regime, and while the ending is kind of silly, it's also about the only place this could have ended. Not bad!
Recommended
One-Sided Conversation by Rambling Writer
Reading
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: EQG Comedy
Principal Celestia runs into Sunset Shimmer at the grocery store and tries not to eavesdrop on her conversation.
Ever see a spaghetti incident happen in real-time? That's the centerpiece of this. I would otherwise call it "fun if insubstantial", but that's no reason to dislike it. :) It won't waste your time.
Recommended for EQG Fans
What Remains of the Chaos King by naturalbornderpy
Reading
Genre: DoE
No one really likes Derek, the guy who works in the basement. And today, I get to deal with him.
This story makes absolutely no bones about what is a mystery only to our POV character. This means that the reader's interest is going to come from nearly incidental things: How did he get here? How do others react to him? And just what is he doing now? Suffice to say, that is all really interesting. The would-be Chaos King is written in his more melancholy, introspective tone, having undergone a series of events outside canon but nevertheless inspired. And I have to hand it to the aforementioned POV character: he's a snarky protagonist, but the sort who just can't keep himself from cracking jokes, often to his own detriment. Reminds me of a dear friend. He also gets the best line. In the end, this is a really unique story, and I absolutely loved it.
Highly Recommended
Temple of Truth by semillon
Reading
Genre: Adventure/Drama
Ocellus and Smolder are called to Somnambula on their first friendship mission.
Dang, what a good idea this is! Smolder is our POV character, and quite a lot of thought was put into her inner self, bringing us just as nuanced a character as she was in the show. She and Ocellus play well off each other, and you just know from the first moment that there's a juicy drama bomb waiting to happen later. The actual friendship problem they're trying to solve is pretty original, as is the villain they end up finding in the desert. Large portions of the middle do get a bit confusing, as things just sort of happen, but it eventually becomes clear why that is. Suffice to say, it's all intentional. This goes far beyond where an actual Cutie Map episode would have, but otherwise feels like precisely the sort of thing we might have seen in the show had it kept going and not, y'know, been written by idiots toward the end there. :B
Highly Recommended
Luna's Bassoon by Pineta
Reading
Genre: Comedy
Luna gets into music and decides to pick up an instrument herself.
In chapter one ("Fit" one) of this story, Pineta demonstrates that he is better than all of us by wondering why people don't write more stories all in limerick form, and then just up and doing that. He also demonstrates that senpai will never notice you as he casually flings in old fandom memes like it ain't no thing. There's actually a ton of memes in this, and I loved them all, I never ceased to be amazed by what he could fit together. This is hilarious from start to finish. By the end, you'll want to call Pineta "daddy" and beg him to step on you. Literarily speaking.
...God, there is something very wrong with me. c.c
Highly Recommended
Adventure Awaits (And Keeps Waiting) by Blarghalt
Reading
Genre: HiE Comedy
A human shows up in Equestria, and immediately locks himself in Fluttershy's bedroom.
Well, this was fun, just a lot of wink-wink-nudge-nudge about Human in Equestria tropes. Whether you like the genre and would enjoy seeing someone take the piss out of it, or you think HiEs are dumb and just want to laugh at them, this is worth the read.
Recommended
Tavern Tactics by Impossible Numbers
Reading
Genre: Historical Character Piece
The Pillars of Equestria try to figure out the Sirens' movements ahead of their next attack. But it doesn't mean they can't take a break and relax at the same time.
I have to admit, it took me a while to figure this one out. The really interesting bits are separated out by long stretches of introspection and people talking, and my attention had a tendency to waver, which is always a hazard with audiobooks. But the fact is, this does a lot of subtle ground-laying for Stygian, showing how he interacts with the Pillars and how they treat him. For starters, while Meadowbrook and Mistmane may be kind, but none of them really respect or value him. As for the Pillars themselves, we see that while they work well together in battle and they have good rapport, they really are not friends, and Star Swirl is a big part of that. Along with that, there's a lot of good world-building, including a bit in the final chapter that absolutely floored me. All the bits that I might criticize are honestly just me being impatient; they were all enacted with intention, and they do the job they set out to quite well. This is good.
Recommended
Roadside Assistance by Cackling Moron
Reading
Genre: HiE
Applejack gets help from the local human in fixing her cart.
I feel like there was no reason the main character in this story had to be a human. And yet, replace him with some out-of-towner stallion OC, just here to do some summer work and awkwardly fail to flirt with AJ, and it would have changed absolutely nothing. Well, aside from maybe having a character whose name was not also two letters, one of them being J. <.< That was slightly confusing. But I can't say this is badly written? Far from it, POV switching aside. I just didn't find it interesting in the least.
Recommended If You Like HiEs
From Your Brother, With Love by NavelColt
Reading
Genre: Light Comedy
It turns out, color and shape aren't the only things that have changed about Pharynx…
That feel when you have to loudly state that your story has no shipping elements because everything about the setup screams incest. <.< I'm rather impressed by this. It would have been easy to do a 180 with Pharynx's personality, make him an annoying, bubbly idiot to contrast how he was before this particular episode. And that would have been funny, but it also wouldn't have really stuck with me, y'know? It also would have been easy to make him all tsundere and shit, which would also be funny if cliche, and again insubstantial. But the author wisely avoided both, and the resulting story shows us that a friendly, affectionate Pharynx who's more open with his emotions is just as bad as a cold, cruel Pharynx. And that is hilarious. And also leads to some good brotherly bonding and emotional drama. :)
Recommended
Some Times Are Tough by NightScript
Reading
Genre: Sad
Venko comes to collect on his loan, leaving Capper in the lurch.
Judging by both this and its companion story, this is set right before the events of the movie. And I have to admit, I didn't pay too close attention because I never really cared about Capper (and I have a few things on my mind atm), but it's not bad, if a bit heavy on the emotions at the end.
Recommended for Capper Fans
Some Days Are Hard by NightScript
Reading
Genre: Sad
Celaeno and her crew may be surviving, but they aren't living.
It's easy to see how this and the previous story relate. They have the same tone, as well as the same propensity to really drive home time to be sad now. But that said, I find this one works far better for two reasons. First, it's a really solid exploration of the character of Captain Caelano, someone who got precious little screen time in the movie. Second, it shows how impossible it can be to live while poor, when your only source of income is an evil, greedy capitalist like the Storm King. Very relevant stuff, I liked it.
Recommended
Shoeshine and the Khaki Maniac by FanOfMostEverything
Reading
Genre: Adventure/Comedy
Ponyville's resident farrier is brought in on Daring Do's next adventure as a horseshoe expert. Just her luck.
Even though I just read another of his stories recently, this piece reminds me just what FOME's special talent is: Casual, incidental world-building. He's got such an amazing knack for dropping a reference into the latter half of a sentence that speaks volumes about history. And, given that this whole story was one giant G1 reference, this was the perfect ur-example of just what he can do when stretching that muscle. The adventure is great, the references are great, Trixie is fantastic comedic relief, and so, surprisingly, is Ahuizotl. There's a ton of surprises within, such that I don't even want to begin to mention them, and Shoeshine is the perfect straightmare-out-of-water protagonist to play as a foil to Daring Do. This was marvelous. :D
Highly Recommended
No Bon-Bon, I Expect You to Cry by Hotel_Chicken
Reading
Genre: 2P Comedy
Your final showdown with your arch-nemesis does not go exactly as planned.
There's something to be said for second-person fics that prescribe 'you' a character. A lot of people who aren't 2P fans tend to like those sorts better, and yet at the same time, one has to wonder why it isn't written in first or third person? I mean, you're a character here, why not just… be a character? But ignore all that, because this thing is comedy gold. :D The author roundly pokes fun at villains from comic books, James Bond movies and the show itself. Plus, I adore stories where the villain/hero dynamic is complicated and ends up getting turned on its head, no spoilers. Suffice to say, this was a blast from start to finish and you should absolutely read it.
Highly Recommended
No Bon-Bon, I Expect You to Lie by Hotel_Chicken
Reading
Sequel to No Bon-Bon, I Expect You to Cry
Genre: Comedy
Your monthly guys' night with the other supervillains is complicated by the presence of your arch-nemesis, who's been crashing on your couch for the last two weeks.
The last story was gonna be a tough one to follow up, but Hotel_Chicken absolutely pulled it off. The secret is threefold. First, he took the focus away from the arch-rivals' relationship and moved it onto supervillainy as a day-to-day job, a trope I absolutely love. Second, he complicated that relationship once it did take front and center. And third, it ended right where it needed to, when I felt like I didn't need any more to have enjoyed the whole story. Plus, a lot of comedy comes from the fact that 'you' are a pretty weenie supervillain. This was likewise great.
Highly Recommended
How Discord Stole Winter Wrap-Up by Sonicsuns
Reading
Genre: Grinch Parody
He just wanted to spend more time with Fluttershy.
I have to be honest, here: if this wasn't shipping, it'd be one of my favorite stories of all time. You could have told this story with Discord just being his usual selfish, short-sighted self and wanting to spend time with his friend. But I cannot deny the wordplay here is excellent, and the bits where the original story is used just make it that much more fun. I am never rating a Fluttercord fic this high ever again.
Recommended
Package Not Delivered by M48 Patton
Reading
Genre: Sad
Bad Rock's unusual mail carrier gets an unusual package.
First, I want to start with the negatives: POV shifts, and I'm not sure the main character's identity really makes sense with canon, but that latter point is negligible. The rest? Really great. The situation and characters are so unique, and set up with such detail. The whole story's impact really belies its word count. I had a very intense emotional reaction to this, and that means a lot to me. I've never read this author's work before, but rest assured I will read more in the future.
Highly Recommended
Wanderlust by Syke Jr
Reading
Genre: Adventure
When one is inclined to travel, it pays to be smart.
This is a nice little piece with a lot of atmosphere and portentousness in its goings-on. Some great imagery, painting the picture of this enchanted wood that, like, for once isn't the Everfree Forest? That's a nice change. Add a bit of danger that our protagonist is able to outsmart, and you've got a tidy little adventure.
Recommended
The Only Tree in the Forest by Hap
Reading
Genre: Emotional/Historical
The old dies to make way for the young to grow. That is the way of the world.
This is the story of a little oak tree, who suffers a major blow early in its life that ultimately ends up saving that life so it can continue to grow and observe what happens around it. The perspective work here is outstanding. You really get the sense that this tree has been living for centuries, watching decades blink past. It's got enough intelligence to grasp non-tree concepts, allowing for some very subtle world-building, but it also has the hopes and dreams and fears that one might assume a tree would. And if this were just the story of a random tree in the forest, that'd honestly be plenty. But the astute reader will realize about halfway through that this tree has an identity. It is a very specific tree from canon, and I will let you discover which for yourself. And that is what gives this story its emotional weight. This is such a singular piece of writing. Hap is so good sometimes, it's unfair. You, too, will cry because trees.
Highly Recommended
The Rain by ArmyIdiot
Reading
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Cute
It's raining out. Twilight takes the opportunity to relax.
This is pure, cozy, heartwarming fluff. It's the kind of story that knows exactly what it needs to be and strives for nothing more. Well paced, well written, very comforting.
Recommended for a Relaxing Time
How We Burn by Cold in Gardez
Reading
Genre: Thriller
Starlight and Twilight try — unsuccessfully — to destroy a book.
I've never read a story that was so close to being horror without actually being a horror story. This is intensely unsettling, and it's great. Honestly, the only reason it isn't marked horror is because that's not the point; the ending isn't here to scare you. Also, Starlight was a great choice for POV character, considering who else appears in the story.
Recommended
Trixie's Great and Powerful Adventure by Ninjadeadbeard
Reading
Genre: Comedy
Trixie probably should have asked permission first before attempting her latest great and powerful spell using the Cutie Map.
What a goofy, fun comedy. :D For all that I would have enjoyed an actually lengthy adventure in the middle, Ninjadeadbeard has a solid grasp on spaghetti incidents that doesn't make it necessary. And I mean, once Trixie does her thing, you can more or less tell how it's gonna turn out, which does nothing to blunt the impact of actually seeing it through to the end. This builds toward its completely ridiculous punchline very well, and I'm honestly glad someone wrote something like this.
Recommended
Nothing Old Can Stay by Coronet the Lesser
Reading
Genre: Slice of Life
Celestia enjoys the autumn.
It is very strange that Poniverse chose this story to read so soon after The Only Tree, considering it also has a line, almost word-for-word the same, about the old giving way to the new. Thankfully, this is used as a much more immediate metaphor that encompasses the entirety of the story's message. And taken fully on its own merits, this is a nice, pastoral piece with some very good interaction between Celestia and Luna. That's something I always like to see.
Recommended
The Bargain by horizon
Reading
Genre: Comedy
When visiting a greater lord of Hell, it pays to bring cookies.
This was really funny. :D The situation is funny, the demon's reactions are funny, what the pony wants is funny, and how much worse things were for her before she even decided to do this was funny. Good stuff!
Recommended
Fahreneigh 451 by Liquid Truth
Reading
Genre: Fahrenheit 451 Parody/AU/Shipping
Fahreneigh 451: the temperature at which marshmallow liquefies.
It took me a bit to realize it, but this is a very smart story. Yes, it takes the original, flips it on its thematic head and then follows most of its major plot points, but the way in which the parody is approached is entirely unexpected, and quite funny. But really, it's the world-building. This has some of the most sublime, excellently crafted world-building I have ever seen. It all comes out in the way characters talk and act. And I don't mean they sit around telling the audience how Things Got to Be This Way, I mean the very manner in which they speak is itself a clue, a demonstration of how this world works. I was floored. A lot of the rest of the humor, oddly, is very meta, lots of talking to the reader and quipping about tropes. But that's fine. This really kept me guessing, despite coming from such a familiar angle, and I have to say, I found it really rewarding.
Highly Recommended
The Needle by Rambling Writer
Reading (part 1)
Genre: Adventure/Horror
Daring Do thinks no part of Equestria should remain unexplored. She will learn that some corners of the map should stay blank.
I'm so glad I'm going through this channel right now, because it led me to one of the best horror stories I have ever read, period. Not the scariest, maybe — the order of those tags is actually rather telling, as the first half is pure adventure into wilderness, to point where I started to wonder if things would ever get scary — but definitely the best. It starts right off the bat, as chapter one introduces our cast of fantastic characters: bubbly, garrulous Stalwart Shield; terse, grumpy Fallende; bedraggled, nervous Windrose; and let's not forget Daring herself, who is also excellently written in her own right. But the best one is Rangifera, and I'll tell you why. She's a reindeer, points already. She's covered in scars. She's extremely affable. And she has a penchant for alliteration, which turns into one of the horror vectors later on. :) Fact is, she comes off like a reformed Tempest type of character, which I love, and which is funny, because Fallende seems more like the Tempest at first, save that, by her own admission, she is not a fighter. They make for a great troupe, the perfect mix of characters to throw into a horror scenario. Now, of course, whenever I evaluate a horror story, one of the questions on my mind is always "did they show the monster?" In this case, the question is more one of "was there even a monster to show?" This is great place-based horror (and yes, a large part of my enjoyment is how much this is like an SCP exploration log) that delves into weird, undefinable things. It's an exploration of how thought and memory are our greatest assets, and how vulnerable we become when those assets are made fragile. Rambling Writer uses simple writing formatting to stoke the horror in the later chapters, and once things started going downhill, I never knew what to expect next. The ending had me so pumped, so jazzed, and I just loved this from start to finish. :D I hope everyone will check this out, and the reading as well, because that was equally good.
Highly Recommended
Mythic Dawn by MagnetBolt
Reading (part 1)
Remastered reading (part 1)
Genre: Post-Canon Adventure/Comedy
Now stop me if you've heard this one: The princess's personal student is sent to Ponyville to learn about friendship, prepare for the Summer Sun Celebration, and stop reading so many of those dusty old books.
This was great from start to finish. Mostly comedy but with plenty of very different adventuring bits, this is told to us from the POVs of each of Luster Dawn's new friends. And no, they aren't the ones we saw in the episode, those are waved away right at the start. These are brand-new, some of them in species, and they're all great. The chapter about Diamond Dogs, for instance, features some stellar world-building (and D&D references). While the chapter about the sphinx is, all by itself, the best character writing I have ever read, as MagnetBolt effortlessly crafts a truly alien mindset. And — worst of all — he got me to not only not hate but actually like a batpony, using the T-word, justifying it from here to tomorrow. I give up! I can't hate her. Just like the rest of them, she's great, and hilarious to have around. This is one of the best stories I've ever read, period, and I hope everyone gives it a shot and has as much fun with it as I did. :D
Highly Recommended
And last but probably least, a few words about The Olden World. <.<
I decided to give it a try because it was divided up into acts, give it the old Project Horizons treatment, y'know? And yes, a thousand chapters is daunting, but when they're all really short, it's not so bad. Book 1 is about 6 hours long in audiobook form, as I calculate it, and that's really good for something that involves 70 videos.
I made it through the first 8 and gave up. I was intensely bored. Nothing was happening, and I literally have nothing to talk about, which is why this isn't formatted like a normal review. All I can really say is I'm no longer looking forward to Austraeoh. :/ I do look forward to seeing what Quinch does next once he's done with it.
Hit the nail on the head. This pretty much sums up why NavelColt’s portrayal of Pharynx is one of my most favorite take-ons of the characters.
Regarding Luna's Bassoon: Ahem. Just putting that out there.
And I do think Khaki Maniac is one of my best stories. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Always gratifying to know what I'm trying to do actually works.
Some absolutely amazing ones this go-round. I can't even pick a favorite - there's several top tier picks in the set.
That last sentence of yours horrifies me, though. I'm attempting to wrap my head around what even a reading of Austraeoh would sound like - and how absurdly long it would take. Does Youtube even allow for 600+ hour uploads?
I was surprised to see this was the fic the fabled Present P chose to go with for what I assume is your first time taking a look at my writing. Then I was reminded that Quinch did a reading of it some time back.
FYBwL was my first time writing dedicated material around Pharynx. I was looking for that characterization sweet spot—still gruff, sarcastic, and not thrilled about feelings, but able to better bridge his relationship with his brother now that hunger wasn't a factor.
In the end, that story (along with the earlier parts of KoLB) helped me shape the mental and emotional impact of transformation. The increased patience and focus that comes from being satiated, and not starved. Though if I was to rewrite it now it'd probably look different. It's not my favorite Pharynx-centered piece, from both written and thematic perspectives.
Honored to have it reviewed regardless!
Whenever I see this many fics in one of your Recs, it's always a bit daunting – invariably, I've only read a handful myself, and my tastes are selective enough that plenty are just not for me, irrespective of quality. But there's a good few here that pique my interest enough to get added for later, that's for sure. And I suppose this gives me extra ground to bump Khaki Maniac up the RiL list!
Also, it's lovely to hear from another source that NavelColt's changeling characterisation is that good. I've been building up to tackling his fics proper (I have read or one two stand-alone one-shots in the past, but memories are faint enough for that to be irrelevant on this matter), and they really do sound like the best kind of nice comfort food. Lad does have an affinity for hugs in his fics, after all.
Thank you for the review on The Rain! While I'd argue it fits more into pure Slice of Life than Cute, I appreciate the kind words and the recommendation! If you review any of my other fics, I'd love to see what you have to say on them.
Backing up that review for Shoeshine and the Khaki Maniac. That story was great.
Wow, that was not a notification I expected to get.
Damnit, PP! As if my list isn't long enough already! Fortunately, I've already read half of the Highly Recommended stories. Mythic Dawn is on my Excellent shelf, and your review reminded me of that. I may need to go re-read it.
There have got to be people who start reading the gazillion word Song of Fire and Ice series even though they know how it (doesn't) end, right? Don't you want to be like all the cool kids?
Hey, I've read 2 of these! "The Only Tree in the Forest" was in fact very good. "From Your Brother, With Love" didn't catch my interest near as much as it did yours. It's got a number of stylistic issues, which bother some readers and not others, but plot-wise, it felt very front-loaded to me, like there was an overly extended denouement where nothing interesting happened. I thought the first half was alright, in any case.
5655346
Apparently, the last time I read anything by you was 2013 and you were going by a completely different name. XD
5655350
Funnily, I was surprised to see the final count was only 27. A lot of these were multi-chapter fics, and so the whole loadout felt a lot bigger.
5655354
I'm glad everyone seems to know that one and be of the opinion that it is really good, because it was. :D
5655413
no :B
5655452
I was very mediocre at writing back then, especially in grasp of mechanics and knowing when brevity of description can be beneficial. Even FYBwL is outdated by this point, tbh. I don't think I even had that piece peer-reviewed. 
Oh no, the My Sister, Loyalty Era (pre-2014 self-revision, even). I'm so sorry. You poor soul.
Well, if you ever take a look at some of my newer work, I'd definitely be curious to hear what you think.
Some of them have gotten audio pieces as well, though I'm not sure if you've covered those readers.
Thanks again for the review, I've improved so much as a writer just in my time and effort on this site.
5655453
looks like I'll be getting to those readers in the future sometime :)