At least there's a Party Cannon on the back... |
...don't judge it by its cover. That has the most overused pony vector in the history of pony vectors. Argh. The story inside is... quite good. If that sounds like damning with faint praise, that's because it is. While Ponypalooza (I'm not typing out the whole title each time!) is a fun, and often funny, read it didn't grip me as much as Crystal Heart Spell did. To my slight surprise and slight disappointment, the sly nods to the brony market we saw in the first book aren't there, unless you count the inclusion of "Bon Bon" as a name to find in a puzzle at the end. (She's referred to in passing as the dreaded "Sweetie Drops" in the story itself.)
The story itself is quite an interesting and original one, which really should have worked better than it does. The rediscovery of the Crystal Empire has led to ponies wanting gems all over their garden paths, and that's bad news for those who make their living from rocks. Including, of course, Pinkie Pie's own family! Igneous Rock, Cloudy Quartz, and Limestone and Marble Pie all play a substantial part in the book — though there's also an intriguing mention of an older sister, left guarding the rock farm, with a Pinkie sentence cut off at the very point she's about to name her.
"Look out! Here comes Tom!" |
There seem to be fewer cameos from other ponies this time around — and no, there's no Derpy scene, I'm afraid. DJ Pon-3 (so named) appears in connection with the rock concert, and there are small parts for the CMC and Cheerilee, but the story is strongly focused on Pinkie and her family, and secondarily the rest of the Mane Six. The latter are generally written quite well, though I'm not entirely convinced by some of Rainbow Dash's dialogue. Pinkie herself is very nicely observed, and just about everything she says here works.
At the end of the book, as with its predecessor, there are some activity pages. These include several word games, a space to write down your Pinkie Promises (do not break these!) and — most amusing of all — a space to jot notes from the field study of rocks that all bronies will doubtless now undertake. Finally, there's the "Exclusive GIANT trading card", which is once again a big standee. This shows a slightly worrying-looking bipedal Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner. Whether the cupcakes in the picture lasted more than a millisecond longer is open to question!
Pinkie on a pedestal |
Yays
- Pinkamena Serious Pie is great value
- (Most of...) Pinkie's family appear
- Several good/terrible puns to enjoy
- That field study!
- Occasionally surprisingly flat for a Pinkie story
- Rainbow doesn't always seem quite in character
- What happened to the brony references?
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