Sweet Pepper Drunkenly Rambles About Daring Do
“Okay, so you know what? You wanna know something? I’m just, I’m just going to put something out there and I don’t even care if I get shot down. Because you know what? It’s my opinion, and nobody can tell me my opinion… is not an opinion. Only I can do that. Because I’m one of the original readers, so I can say that type of stuff. Anyways, anyways, I’m getting off-topic here. I think (and I’m being perfectly honest here) that the last Daring Do book is actually pretty good!
“Now don’t get me wrong, it’s nowhere near as good as the original trilogy. Not saying that. I don’t think AK Yearling will ever top those three books. Those are some of the best YA Jungle Fantasy Pulp I have ever read. Ring of Destiny is still one of my all-time favorites. You get characterization of Cabelleron with that whole awesome past flashback thing, you got the epic pyramid action scene, not to mention the part where Daring Do flies away from the forest ponies with a broken wing. It’s just hands down the best Daring Do book, just a shame the rest couldn’t live up to it. Well, four was alright, but I still have problems with that one. Now five and six? Now those are bottom-tier Daring Do. I remember when I was at the bookstore waiting for the pre-order version of Daring Do and the Many Faces Of Evil, and when I got it, I was just so disappointed. I mean, from the very first chapter you get this stupid-
“-heh. Look at me going off-topic like this. I really have to learn to get to the point of my rants. I think that’s why ponies avoid me… anyway, I think I was saying something. I mean, I know I was saying something because that’s why I stopped ranting about Ring of Destiny, but I forgot about what exactly it was… A-HA! I was going to tell you about the seventh book! Daring Do and The Stairs To The Sky. So, so I know the book got mixed reviews among critics, and I’ve had several arguments with the Daring Do Fan Club about this one, but I personally, and me personally re-remember, thought that the book was actually pretty good! Now granted, anything would be better than Book 6, but on its own, it’s still pretty good. It’s definitely a return to form for Yearling.
“Now, now I know it’s not perfect, and I do have some problems with it. Namely, the first thirds of the book are an absolute slog to get through. She spends way too much time in that town. I mean, there’s nothing exciting there. It’s just her talking to townsponies and stuff. She’s supposed to find the wing necklace, but so many conversations are just about Daring Do’s past. Which is just randomly thrown in there even though we barely had any hints about it in any of the previous books. Like, you can’t just be like, like, ‘oh, I want to give my character a backstory now even though she doesn’t need one.’
“You see, Daring Do’s a very interesting character. She doesn’t need backstory and whatnot to be a compelling character. Because when you read Daring Do, you go into it expecting a fun adventure, and that’s what made the original trilogy so special. Then, then it just got ridiculous, but that’s beside the point. Daring Do’s character delivered, and she really felt like this big hero, and she just worked so well with what the series was going for. So when we get this sudden backstory of her, it’s just so detrimental to the actual books, you know? I read the books to get away from reality, not to get forced back into it… heh, sorry about that. Again getting off track.
“Anyways, the book really picks up when she actually gets to the Tower of Ascension. I won’t go into detail about the puzzles, but just know they are easily some of the most complex of the whole franchise. And the way she solves them- oh Celestia! So fun and new! Anyways, Cloud City is where the strength of the novel lies.
“*burp* Whups, my bad.
“Anyways, the Cloud City is easily one of the richest landscapes in all of Daring Do. Sure, many ponies criticized it for ripping off Cloudsdale, but I don't see that. I mean, you have to be honest with me here, everything is so different! The technology they have there, like metal bows that shoot lead arrows? I mean come on, the comparison between the cities aren’t even that close! The Sky Temple, while a tedious chapter, ends spectacularly, with a chase scene that I think rivals the one from Ring of Destiny.
“Not to MENTION Skydilly! Skydilly is just… one of the best characters to ever be introduced in Daring Do. First off, she is just so cute. Those illustrations of her in the deluxe version which you can only get via pre-order, which of course I have, are just so adorable. And she’s such a good character in general! Her relationship with Daring Do after her parents are captured is so heartwarming. She basically represents us, you know? How Daring Do got us real fans out of a terrible situation, and how we follow her ever since. She’s so innocent, yet with enough flaws that you can’t help but fall in love with her character. And the fact that it hints we’ll see more of Skydilly at the end just made, just… AHHHH! I wish I could be in her position so bad! Flying with Daring Do, going on adventures with her, being absolutely adorable.
“And there’s so much room for an expansion of her character. I’ve made sure to fill that gap with my fanfiction Skydilly and the View from The Ground. It’s basically a whole adventure about Skydilly finding herself here in Equestria and looking for Daring. Have you heard my theory about where Daring lives? I’ll tell you later!
“Anyways, I’ve begun submitting new chapters through mail to the Daring Do Fan Club, and they’ve gotten really good feedback. And on the bad comments, I just refuse to read them so they don’t ruin my day. I’m actually doing pretty good with my writing. Just last week, somepony gave me a rave review on Daring Do and Ahuizotl’s Curse and told me how much it means to them. Sure, it’s one of my least favorite writings I’ve done, but it still means a lot. Maybe if I start to get really big, I can start hosting my own panels at Daring Do conventions. That would be fun, huh?
“You know, I was supposed to meet AK Yearling at the last Official Daring Do Convention. She never showed up though. Kind of a ripoff, considering I paid 50 bits for that VIP ticket. But you know what? I’ll get this opportunity again sometime. And then I’ll ask her about her books, and we’ll have a nice chat with her. I’ll give her some fan theories and some fanfiction, and we’ll just talk... like I want to…like I need to.”
Sweet Pepper stared into the bathroom mirror, her reflection sharing her frown. She looked at the scotch bottle held in her wings, the amber liquid shining brightly from the bathroom lights. She turned her look back to the mirror and began to speak to herself again, this time in a more somber tone than before.
“...sometimes I feel like Daring Do is the only thing I know anything about. I don’t know many other ponies that love Daring Do, despite the ones in the Fan Club. Even those ponies, we just talk and argue, then leave... I don’t even remember any of their names. Isn’t that just insane?
“I have other interests, I just don’t pursue them. I’ve devoted so much time to Daring Do, I don’t know if I can get so interested in something else. Maybe I don’t want to obsess over something like I do with Daring but… I don’t know. I just don’t know."
The scotch bottle seemed to be calling her, begging her to take another sip, but Sweet Pepper managed to refuse, her eyes twitching in concentration.
"Daring Do is very special to me. When I originally came to Ponyville, I was broke, my parents hated me, and I had no friends. Those books at the library just... they helped me get through it. I at least owe Daring Do that much, right? Devotion to her makes sense. It's not that I don't love Daring Do, I do, but I should just start... going after other things, I think.
“...I hate this. These moments where I remember and reflect. Can’t I just stick to ranting about young adult novels and not think about reality? Why do I need to drink this stuff to get like this? Because maybe then I wouldn’t forget the next day, and just end up doing the same thing I always do over and over again.
“...I don’t want to be Skydilly anymore….”
Sweet Pepper looked back at the bottle of scotch, and despite her good conscience, took another big swig. This was too much. She wiped her mouth clean of the foul liquid with a grimace. Taking a moment to let the drink settle in, she finally looked back at the mirror towards her now smiling face.
“You know… I’ve been enjoying the teasers of Book 8 that we’re getting from the newsletter. They're really teasing where Daring Do lives .”