4316869
>tfw no one else has commented here in 3 weeks :( Is SA going the way of TRG and the Last Roundup? D:

Mr. Brannigan's Ghosts by Moose Mage
[Dark]
Views: 240
Twilight is paid a visit by a famous old musician. But things take a turn when he asks her for help in dealing with a ghost problem.

Additional Notes: For the first two chapters, the best thing I can say is that this story handles its characters well. Twilight is portrayed very accurately in her inquisitive nature, her willingness to help Mr. Brannigan, and her skepticism that the ghosts haunting him are truly spiritual in nature instead of psychological. Spike's and Mr. Brannigan's characters are also done well here, and the dialogue and interaction between these three characters comes across quite naturally. Beyond that, there's very little else to say about the first two chapters, which serve to set up the third act of the story.

But it's in that third act where Mr. Brannigan's Ghosts really shines. Moose Mage's handling of Twilight's perspective and his use of set pieces as Twilight enters the Brannigan residence is masterful, and it makes for a compelling psychological horror. This fic is definitely worth reading through to the end, and as a horror story, it's definitely worth a Seattle's Angels feature.

As a side note, some readers may take issue with the names of the two OCs, Argus Brannigan and the late Arthur Brendel, which are decidedly non-pony. I've asked Moose Mage about it (in the comments of this story, no less), and he offers an intriguing explanation for why he doesn't like to come up with pony names. Whether you accept his explanation or not is up to you, but it's certainly something to take into consideration when reading his work.

Corbie by MissyAngel
[Sad]
Views: 280
Free verse poem. Pinkie Pie has a fateful encounter with a bird.

Additional Notes: There's not much else I can say about this, at least not without spoiling the whole thing (not that you won't figure out by looking at the story description). Even so, Corbie accomplishes what it sets out to do. It handles Pinkie Pie's personality pretty convincingly - both in how she expresses herself outwardly and in her inner thoughts - from the moment she first notices the bird up to her acceptance of its reason for being there, and the story reaches a bittersweet ending that's every bit as sweet as it is bitter, all with a reasonably solid execution of free verse.

With that said, when's the next review round supposed to be? It's been, what, four weeks since the April Fools' round? A month and a half since the last real round? It's like the spring of 2013 all over again.

Hi.

I have something for y'all:

Title: The Regular
Tags: [Slice of Life]
Views: 67
Pitch: A very nice, simple look into Doughnut Joe's day.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/262773/the-regular
Anything else you’d like to say goes here: What else can I say, really? Dude's got a good way with words and can weave a decent tale.

Hope y'all enjoy it. Have a good'un.

~Skeeter The Lurker

Title: Adoration
Tags: [Slice of Life]
Views: 113
Pitch: Has a peaceful theme to it, not very complicated, but detailed. There are little bits of information you might not think about much, but they make the story better. Solid narrative throughout, and keeps its theme through the entire story. Short, but sweet one shot. The detail makes for a great picture of the actual story, with very little dialogue. The grammar and spelling are magnificent.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/258468/adoration

We, personally really like this story, but whether its your thing or not is up to you to decide.

Title: Under A Silver Moon
Tags: [Dark]
Views: 70
Pitch: This fic showcases something not often seen in fimfiction: a good murder mystery, ala Agatha Christie. There's lots of suspense and mind games that builds up questions and intrigue in the readers' minds. The writer was also careful to not be overly 'grimdark', having the right balance of tact and shock.
The centrepiece of the story is Luna in one of her most unique iterations yet, that of a hardboiled detective, and it's wonderfully cathartic to see 'Detective Luna' cut loose and be the powerhouse that she can be.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/199244/under-a-silver-moon

Title: A Heart Full of Bullets
Tags: Dark Crossover Gore Adventure
Views: 110
Author: Silvermoon15000
This story is well written with few issues grammatically. The details are vivid, and concise placing you in the hooves of the "mane" character. This crossover adventure takes you through the daily life of Bulletmoon. Rewriting a new way of thinking on his feet, the chapter's end leaves you with questions and anticipation for new, upcoming chapters. "What will he do next?" "How is he going to escape?" It's a story I couldn't put down till the end of the written chapters. I can't wait till the next chapter comes out. When you read it too, you'll die for the next chapter to come out.

URL: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/237204/fallout-equestria-a-heart-full-of-bullets

Title: Trixie vs. Roadside Assistance
Tags: [Comedy][Random]
Views: 548
Pitch: Provides backstory regarding Trixie's distain for wheels in a relatable, humorous manner
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/166525/trixie-vs-roadside-assistance

Ok, so Dusty has quickly become one of my favorite authors on the site, and for good reason. His character writing and comedic timing are both top-notch. This work in particular, apparently inspired by real-life events, is masterfully done. For one thing, the reader actually ends up sympathizing with Trixie by the end, which is not an easy feat. Aside from Trixie, (who is represented expertly here, in case you had not already inferred such from my previous praise) no other character from the show is present. This keeps the focus placed directly on the very unlucky string of events that befall her, thus ensuring maximum laughter. I'm fortunate enough to have never even been in a car accident, and I still felt terrible about all that Trixie had to suffer through; her eventual insanity was completely justified. In short, there's a reason why this one-shot is highlighted on my userpage. It's less than 10,000 words, just read the thing already. You'll be glad you did.

4322301

I, too, would recommend this.

Oh, and before I forget, The Earth Ponies is also amazeballs, though slightly over the 1000 view limit. It's probably the single greatest 'journey of self discovery' story I've ever read, pony or otherwise. And it's not even finished!

Title: I hope this will get somewhere

Tags: [Tragedy] [sad] [dark] [human]

Views: 333

I recommend this story because it talks about a human who appeared unexpectedly in Equestria and was treated as a prisoner the moment he arrived. The protagonist breaks out and struggles for freedom. It's got a common moral theme such as: hope, conquering your fears, and seeking justice, not revenge. I love stories where a human gets misunderstood and is forced to struggle for his freedom. This is one of them.

http://www.fimfiction.net/story/263276/i-hope-this-will-get-somewhere

Title: Bouts of Forgetful Artistic Destruction
Author: HoofBitingActionOverload
Tags: [sad]
Views: 177 as of 31-May-2015
Published: 26-Mar-2015

Author's Description:
In a nearly empty library, a librarian tears pages out of books and tosses them out an open window.
Twilight studies in the same library, alone.
They exchange words and a dance.

Pitch:
The first of only nine comments on this story is from Titanium Dragon who says "all your followers must be asleep today," and truer words have not been spoken. Dragon's review lead me to this story, which was originally titled "Wing Lock" and published as part of the "Closing Time" write-off. I hope that does not disqualify it. This story is about family and love of family, fear and resentment, but mostly mental decay.

The disease consuming the main character certainly seems Alzheimer-ish, which has been portrayed in several other more popular stories, but I think this one gets it right. There is no happy forgetfulness, no lovable dotty old aunt, but a menacing fear of an inevitable future of which the sufferer will not even be part of.

As in many a good stories, you start off a bit disoriented by the character's behavior, but intrigued, and by the end, their off-putting personality and/or actions are explained, making the revelations quite moving. I also thought the somewhat repetitive nature of the story, the dwelling on the past, and the resentment, captures the behaviors I've seen in those being destroyed by Alzheimer's.

It ends with a message that love can't fix everything, but faced with the inescapable, it is the best we can do. And once you've made it to the end, do as Catalysts Cradle suggests: reread that first paragraph. Perhaps the story's only flaw is that its first paragraph could have had more impact had it been its last.

Oh, yeah. Almost forgot: It's incredibly well written.

Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/246977/bouts-of-forgetful-artistic-destruction

Title: Morality and Baked Goods
Tags: [Sad][Dark][Random]
Views: 362
Pitch: Pinkie brings a cookie to life. Said cookie must watch in mute horror as her Creator consumes her sisters. Then we have a discussion about what defines life. If that's not worth reading, I don't know what is.

4424745

4424888
It's dangerous to go alone, take this.

Title: As I Walk

Tags: [Dark][Adventure]

Views: 511

Pitch: Interesting bit of world building that provides a pretty unique take on a young Celestia and Luna's origins, and depicts a gritty Equestria prior to their ascension. It's a short, creative, well written adventure story worth the read just for the setting alone.

Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/161825/as-i-walk

476633 I have a story of mine with not even a 100 view

4462547

3) No self-promotions, lest we drown under the inevitable flood.
Seattle Note: Anyone self-promoting disqualifies themselves for any future consideration.

4462580 I was asking does it fit.... The rules are kinda hard to follow

4362689 Aww damnit. I was halfway through writing up a pitch for this, then I checked and found someone beat me to the punch.

Either way, it deserves reiterating. A good murder mystery is a treat, and as someone who's written a handful in his day, this captures suspense and investigation quite well, and it's only just getting started.

4488080 I second this. It's by far one of the most underappreciated stories I've seen. The author's writing style is compelling and unique, the dialogue is snappy and realistic sounding, and the plot is incredibly engaging.

I've got something worth a chance, if not already offered up :V

Title: Hyperion

Tags: [Slice Of Life]/[Character Exploration]

Views: 448

Pitch: A unique look at the characters of our two oldest Princesses, Hyperion shows that even the world's most majestic being can feel themselves dwarfed by the shadow of their ability, and how a short exchange between sisters brings them closer with each rebirth of the day. With but six words of dialogue and a slew of well-articulated sentences, Hyperion establishes arguably the best sisterly bond between these two that I've seen on the site.

Link: Hyperion

4316891
Can confirm
RIP SA

4499921
*Checks the time stamp on Present's comment...*

You know, when a doctor calls time of death, he/she's supposed to do it the very moment they can confirm the patient deceased. You're not supposed to do it 8 weeks later on your lunch break.

4499951
We weren't dead then. We are dead now. Duh

476633
Title: All's Right With The World
Tags: [Dark] [Comedy] [Adventure] [Alternate Universe] [Human]
Views: 199
Pitch: This is an amazing story, in both it's idea and writing, with great world and good character building, but I feel like it's getting overlooked.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/270522/alls-right-with-the-world
Anything else you’d like to say goes here: I really would love you guys to showcase a review for this one, for how great it is, and to help the author get some great reviews and feedback to make it even better. Thanks and much love in advance!

476633

Title: Mid October
Tags: [Romance] [Slice of Life] [Human]
Views: 48
Pitch: This story is beautifully written, in a believable yet unique way. The author uses a style I've never really seen before to weave a fantastic tale that takes the readers inside the minds of the characters.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/281778/mid-october
Anything else you’d like to say goes here: You can see the amount of care that has been put into this story, and the attention to detail the author has. It's truly one of the greats.

Title: The Hunter and the Hunted
Tags: [Gore] [Dark] [Adventure] [Alternate Universe]
Views: 180 views
Pitch: Instead of putting a simple, "Erhmegherd dis story is guud. plz add moduraturs HRRNNGGg," I really find this story unique as it has something most authors that write novels of horses with lethal firearms don't: knowledge.

Now that sounds pretty silly: "Knowledge?" Yeah. But I think I prefer something that goes in-depth with the details of things - in this case, guns - and extrapolates down to the point of which bullet a gun uses than to have guns as a prop for poor story writing. Seriously: do you prefer to have a writer say, "He points the gun at his target and shoots him in the face. He fell down swiftly," or go bonkers by blowing someone's head off with a .44 Remington Magnum leaving a nice grapefruit-sized hole in the back of the target's head because it was a friggin' hollowpoint? And there's actually a gradual setting to this gore-fest, believe it or not. I won't but there is.

I find the attention to detail as a must-have when staging a story with guns. And I don't think you can get an A+ on a report about the Byzantines without googling or something. I don't know where I was going with that, but you get my point. And I'm hoping he'd wake up with a generous amount of views. He doesn't know yet.

Also, he writes too much. Plz stahp

Title: Tantibus

Tags: [Tragedy] [Slice of life]

Views: I'm not sure where to find the unique views, but total views is only 610, so...

Pitch: It's a great take on the episode "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep" from the perspective of the Tantibus. It's a rather sad tale touching on the subject of one's perspective of good and evil.

Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/277469/tantibus

4636276
This user has been banned from our group, for using alts to promote their story.

Title: The Heart Thief
Tags: [Romance][Adventure]
Views: 326
Pitch: On the surface, it looks like an adventure about Rarity falling for Spike out of guilt, fear for his life, or something equally unhealthy, but that's far from the case. The Sparity is an element, but it's used logically, with careful consideration and insight. Helrael is one of the better authors around here; he can keep a plot moving, make action scenes interesting, and does a pretty good job creating an atmosphere.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/280224/the-heart-thief

Also, I believe I deserve sympathy points for this nomination, since I had to fill it out while being distracted by Professor Plum's freaky-ass gif.

Title: Those Who Sport with Giants
Tags: [Sad][Slice of Life]
Views: 130
Pitch: The author's first story on the site, and a well-crafted first story at that. Exciting. Emotional. Intriguing. Hooks you within the first chapter and makes you yearn for more.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/276539/they-that-would-sport-with-giants

Title: One Thousand Years
Tags: [Sad]
Views: 82
Pitch**: This Story features an interesting take on both Celestia and Luna, managing to reach a point where I was not sure who to feel sorry for. All of this was achieved in 2 five hundred word chapters.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/287787/one-thousand-years

Title: Before the Storm: The Rise of Firefly

Tags: [Gore][Dark][Adventure][Alternate Universe]

Views: 883 (As of this moment)

Pitch: This story is a nice historical background piece on one of Rainbow Dash's ancestors, Firefly. A pony who, like her, wanted to be the best but had to learn early on how much effort that truly took, and how many barriers, both personal and societal she would have to break to do it. It explores her trials and tribulations, her triumphs and defeats, the friends she makes and loses, her growth as a pony and leader and the many hard lessons she learns along the way.

Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/281029/before-the-storm-the-rise-of-firefly

For history and worldbuilding buffs, this is an AU war epic set seven centuries in the past, the backdrop being a far more turbulent time in Equestria's history. A time when Celestia ruled alone and the hold of harmony was far weaker, when the races of their world were not at peace and magical elements could not be wielded. It tells the story of the coming of war with the Gryphon Empire through Firefly's eyes, her rise through the ranks and her eventual founding of the group that would become the Wonderbolts... how she became a legendary warrior whose legacy would echo down through the ages.

Title: The New Crop by xjuggernaughtx
Tags: Dark, Slice, Alt
Views: 714

The grimy mirror in this locker room’s got three big cracks running across it, and when I look back at myself, my pieces don’t fit together right. The lines of my face are just a little off from each other. Most folks would say this mirror’s busted, but anypony that’s set hoof in here knows better. The reflection’s the truest in all of Equestria. You gotta be a little bit broken if you’re standing here.

Lots of boxers have some kinda ritual they go through before a match, and I guess this one’s mine. Not a real good one, truth be told. More like a curse, but it’s what I do. I stand in front of this mirror and get a real good look at myself because I ain’t gonna look the same afterward.

In an alternate universe, the Apples bought a worthless piece of land in Appleloosa instead of going to Ponyville. Now Big Mac's trying to save the farm the only way he can--by prize-fighting.

This is 16,000 words describing one fight, blow-by-blow. Sounds awful, I know. It's Big Mac's internal monologue during the fight. He hates fighting; it's strictly for the money. He hates hurting other ponies; he hates getting hurt; he hates what it does to the ponies who come to watch. But he needs the money.

He's thinking about the fight, but also about why he's fighting, for his family. This is his greatest weakness--he keeps getting distracted by thinking about them. But it's also his greatest strength--what gives him the will to keep fighting.

The description of the fight is brutal and realistic. I keep comparing this story to the Iliad, which I'm also reading now, and which is the most-renowned battle story in Western history. Both stories are mostly fighting. Comparing just the combat, this one is so much better.

The Iliad's war cycles through false climaxes over and over like a soap opera, and most of the false climaxes cycles mechanically through individual encounters, and most encounters cycle through the same formula, with a few invented differences that affect nothing. No one grows tired, there are no tactics, no picture of what the fight looks like, no terrain, no planning, no maneuvers, no sense of where anyone is or how individual fights relate to the larger battle.

"The New Crop" shows you everything. You know where both boxers are standing, how they're standing, how tired they are. It's like a boxing lesson; Big Mac weighs the options as he goes, plans ahead, strategizes, takes calculated risks. The match has a beginning, middle, and end, which are different, which must all be planned for. I don't like boxing, but the boxing alone is good enough reason to read this story.

But there's more. You think maybe it's going to be like a 50's movie, with a happy ending where the home-grown Big Mac triumphs in the end over the arrogant Canterlot blueblood. It isn't quite like that. You know how in Rocky, he loses the fight, but proves that he's really a winner? This is the opposite of that.

Title: The Djinni's Tale
Tags: [Romance][Sad][Adventure][Alternate Universe]
Views: 108
Pitch: An explorer finds a magic lamp, and, over time, comes to love the spirit within.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/288882/the-djinnis-tale

The best pony romance I've ever read involving OCs. Packed with emotion and evocative imagery, it simply must be experienced.

Well, I'm throwing my hat into this.

Let's see what happens.

Title: The Red Sign
Tags: Dark
Views: 574
Pitch: The imagery and the feeling of being a part of a Lovecraft story along with the protaganist is what makes this fic amazing to read. Very well researched in the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. Shame that the author no longer writes on here.(edit-He's back!!!)
Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/144197/the-red-sign

4764776
Please refer to the first post in this thread: 476633
Specifically this bit:

Guidelines for recommendation:
1) Good grammar is a must.
2) No more than 1000 views; the lower the views, the higher the chance of consideration. Author popularity and age of story also factor into the decision process.
3) No self-promotions, lest we drown under the inevitable flood.
Seattle Note: Anyone self-promoting disqualifies themselves for any future consideration.

4764807
Crap sorry. Disregard then.

Title: Twi-Write Here, Write Now
Tags: [comedy, slice of life]
Views: 139
Pitch: A writer can write a lot about being unable to write. Mighty fine descriptions of physical antics, too.
Link: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/292174/twi-write-here-write-now

Title: PLAGUE

Tags: [Dark] [Alternative universe]

Views: 182

Pitch: I run a group where people can come in and request criticism from other people, and this is the best request that I've had so far. I've only read the first chapter, but the story is very well written and is kind of fun to read. The first chapter might be a little rushed, but this is a story by a hardworking author who definitely deserves a spotlight somewhere.

Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/283250/plague

Title: Friendship Is Physics
Tags: [Slice of Life]
Views: 334
Pitch: Star Swirl once contemplated the impending doom of his species and wrote a letter to Clover the Clever detailing his thoughts on the true nature of ponies, the world, and friendship. This is a masterful piece of in-universe writing presenting us with a very original take on Star Swirl, and absolutely deserves to have more notoriety than it does.
Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/157526/friendship-is-physics

Title: Trixie vs. Roadside Assistance
Tags: [Comedy][Random]
Views: 687
Pitch: This story is a spectacular exaggeration of a simple problem spiraling out of control. It is absolutely absurd and over-the-top and yet, somehow, very relatable. At around 9k words, it's a well-detailed one-shot with a short (sub-200 word) epilogue.
Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/166525

4407114 Sadly we don't feature mature stuff. I think EQD does a fallout Equestria post compilation though.

4808312
Hello, calmcalmcalm.

You (and your alt) have been banned for breaking literally the only serious rule in this group.

Bye.

4815875
I'm going to refer you to this post: 4764807

4815875
To quote the rules post:

3) No self-promotions, lest we drown under the inevitable flood.
Seattle Note: Anyone self-promoting disqualifies themselves for any future consideration.

Sorry about that.

4815882 Oopsy-daisy. I'll just... take my $100 back now...