Ponyfic Roundup no. 1

After not having read much ponyfic for quite some while, I've really got back into it recently. I've written some as well (more on that in a future post) but here I'm going to be concentrating on what I've read. I'm hoping to make this a semi-regular feature, hence the number in the title, and I expect there'll be more posts once we get into the off-season of the show itself. Inevitably most of them will be positive reviews, since there's a limit to how much really bad fanfic I can stomach!

I hope way I've done the formatting here is obvious; months given are those of completion. Links are always to FIMFiction. All comments are welcome, as usual, and that includes any suggestions you may have for what I should read next. I won't read incomplete or non-public fics, and I'm very unlikely to read clop or grimdark stories. Dark is fine; just not full of gore. I'll also probably mostly stick to shorter pieces, though I don't rule out something longer if it really grabs me.

All right: here's my first selection. Marks are out of 10 as usual.

The Best Night Ever by Capn_Chryssalid
Blueblood, Rarity, Celestia and Luna
Romance/Comedy/Adventure; 53,935 words; Sep 2012; Teen
This is something you really don't see a lot of, especially these days: a Prince Blueblood story. Even more unusually, it's a story where Blueblood is painted in a largely sympathetic light. In essence, it's a retelling of Groundhog Day, but it's not really a crossover as the ponyisation is complete. The middle is stronger than the end, but none of it is bad. There's a sequel, "This Platinum Crown", but as that's closing in on 700,000 words and still isn't finished, I really doubt I'm ever going to read it! 8.5/10
 
The Games We Play by AbsoluteAnonymous
Rainbow Dash, Mare Do Well and Mane Six
Romance/Sad/Dark/Slice of Life; 137,602 words; Jul 2012; Teen
Yes, it's shipping. Novel-length shipping at that. Not at all a genre I'd usually read, but this was recommended to me. It's actually pretty good, and Rainbow's character is particularly well drawn, although the central mystery – just who is it under Mare Do Well's mask? – is rather easy to work out from a relatively early stage if you're paying attention. Worth a look even if you're not much into shipfics. 8/10

A New Perspective by ArgonMatrix
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash
Slice of Life; 4,097 words; Oct 2013; Everyone
A short, simple but well told one-shot in which Rainbow Dash learns something about Fluttershy. In truth, it's something I'd expect such a close and long-standing friend already to know about her, and that means this doesn't get an exceptional score, but it doesn't really harm the story itself. This is a good fic to read if you have a little while to spare and want a well written one-shot that isn't going to stretch you too much. 7.5/10

The Numbers Don't Lie by shortskirtsandexplosions
Mane Six, CMC, Spike, Celestia and Cheerilee
Slice of Life; 20,101 words; Mar 2013; Everyone
Although this story is by one of the best known writers on FIMFiction, I don't think it's one of the great ponyfics. It's enjoyable, certainly, and there's one particular scene in a bar that could easily grow into a story of its own. Rarity fans will enjoy it, too. But the tale of the appearance of a mysterious "lie counter" above everypony's head suffers a little bit from a slightly unconvincing portrayal of Twilight. 7/10

On the Importance of Spelling by Softy8088
Cadance and Shining Armor
Romance/Comedy; 4,099 words; Dec 2012; Teen
Here we have a very funny short playing on the real-life confusion about how the Crystal Princess's name should be spelt. She and Shining play off each other very nicely, and they're entirely convincing as a couple who've just about settled down into marriage. The Teen rating comes from one f-bomb and the odd reference to the pair's sex life, neither of which feels gratuitous. A small nudge down in the grade for one slightly annoying stylistic decision. 8.5/10