If things really are "better late than never", than I can rest my hopes on this being a five-star recommendation list, right? Right?? Still, I let real life stuff clog my schedule for too long, that's for sure. It'll be a busy summer for me overall, but I shall redouble my efforts to make these posts in a much more timely fashion going forward.

Due to the long time gap since the first Highlight Reel, I took a look at everything I've read since the beginning of 2016 and compiled one consolidated rec list. That said, here are my recommendations for Jan-Apr 2016.

Lotus is a professional masseuse. She sees the pony below the skin, and tends to coax just as much out of their mouths as their muscles. Late one day, she gives three very different massages to three close friends, all of whom mention a name she isn't familiar with: Applejack.

Lotus doesn't talk much while she's working. Of course, that goes with the territory when you're a masseuse; you stay quiet, while the customer mumbles their stress away. In this story though, Lotus has just as much to say as her clients, only she lets her hooves do all of the talking. As clients come and go, Lotus expertly steers the seemingly one-sided conversations through some deft movements, and precise applications of force in just the right spots. The art of massage is a common vehicle for stories to use (mature or otherwise), but BlazzingInferno puts a twist on it that I've never seen before, and that I think you'll definitely enjoy.

War changes ponies. It can make civilians into soldiers, and soldiers into heroes. But becoming a hero requires a sacrifice, not only of blood, sweat, and tears, but of the soul. For when the dark days come, it's the heroes who bring the sun, and when it returns, they're forever lost in the light.

Being a hero doesn't just mean being brave. It means giving up your life to the cause—regardless of whether or not you die.

This short piece dives into one of the AUs we saw during Twilight's season-ending battle with Starlight Glimmer, specifically, the 'Sombra War' verse. But this isn't just a simple retelling of what that universe's Rainbow Dash was up to. Rather, it's an emotional, hard-hitting piece about the hell of constant war, and the scars it leaves on those who fight. And did I mention that it's all deftly wrapped in poetic form? It is, and in a fluid, seamless manner that keeps you engaged from start to finish. It's easy to see why this story won an award from the 2016 EFNW Writing Contest.

Wings. A title. Responsibilities. A relationship with Luna.

Twilight Sparkle has gotten used to a lot of things since becoming a princess. But there is still more out there for her to learn. Most especially in regards to her marefriend.

I've always been a bit of a sucker for a good TwiLuna story, and this piece from PresentPerfect is a great example of its type. The interactions between Twi and Luna are genuine and real, and when the emotions begin to fly, the interaction becomes almost visceral - and in a very good way. The love these two have for each other is everpresent, but so too is a morass of confusion, angst, awe, outright fear. And it is here where the author really nails the reader to the emotional wall, thanks to some subtle wordplay that both befits the characters in question, and hits the feels button with a sledgehammer.

There are few things that Twilight Sparkle is sure about but she knows for certain that Princess Celestia does not, and never will, play pool.

We don't see Celestia playing "parlor games" very often, but when we do, she's almost always playing chess. Not so here, as we look in on a night in a local pub, where first Twilight and now Celestia are having their flanks handed to them at the pool table. But if we fans have learned anything about Celestia, it's that nothing is ever as simple as it seems at first with her. And that's very much the case here, as the other players are about to find out that their princess is part alicorn... and part hustler.

The Millennial Summer Sun Celebration is only a few years away, but Rarity’s fashion career seems to be ending before she can begin it. Now, she has one last chance to find a place for her talent.

But as she works to create the boutique of her dreams, a forgotten piece of Ponyville’s past is waking up. Secret memories lie forgotten in dusty basements, unrighted wrongs scratch at locked doors, and Rarity finds herself caught up in a history that may be doomed to repeat itself.
For although she is the first to set hoof in the Old Town Hall in thirty years, she can’t help but feel that something inside was waiting for her.

Thornquill's first story to be published on this site takes a step back in time, and a turn down some dark corners along the way. As the title suggests, Rarity is the focus of this ongoing mystery tale. We see Rarity before the show we know and love starts, just beginning her working career and dreaming of a boutique of her own. Her early shot at making it in the big cities fall short, so she settles for a less ostentatious start in Ponyville. Things seem to start well, but she quickly realizes that there's a reason why the old Town Hall has seen one business fail under its roof after another. And it just might have something to do with the rather grotesque art work in the basement...

There's still more to come for this story, but it's definitely worth a watch. Probably worth keeping an eye on Thornquill too. If 'Carousel' is anything to go by, I suspect we'll be seeing more great stuff coming from his account in no time.

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...Jeebus, Carousel is gripping.

5224502 Indeed!