Read it Later story count: 97 (-1)
The real world continues to behave in a way any self-respecting editor would throw out for being unbelievable, so let's get back to the considerably more sensible unreal world of Equestria. I'm pleased to say my cold/bug/whatever has disappeared and I'm all set for more ponyfic reviewing. Three stories as usual, and here they are:
Treating Her Right by Rated Ponystar
The Rook Triumphant by Halira
Flawless by Arisa-chan
★: 1 | ★★: 0 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 0 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I find average scores two stars.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash
Romance; 12k words; Jan 2013; Everyone
Rainbow Dash treats Applejack to a date.
Rainbow accidentally comes across AJ trying on a dress one day and, in true shipfic tradition, finds herself having hitherto unsuspected feelings. From there things progress in a generally fairly predictable but nevertheless quite pleasant way. In particular, Dash "playing the stallion" on their date (for solid in-story reasons) gives this fic a slightly different feel from many AppleDash tales. It has dated here and there (at one point Rainbow reflects that only Pinkie has called her "Dashie" before) and there's a clearly well-meaning but slightly clumsy gender identity comment at one point. The story is definitely an older-style ponyfic, in that the characters are what you'd expect from S2 or so. It's not one of the greatest love stories ever told, but it is an engaging little read. AppleDashers will get the most out of this, I'm sure, but unless you actively dislike the pairing it's worth a look. ★★★
The Rook Triumphant by Halira
Cozy Glow
Dark/Sad/Tragedy; 2k words; Aug 2020; Everyone
After many long years, Cozy Glow is at last the most powerful pony in Equestria. The only problem is that she's the only pony in Equestria.
An interesting one, this. Cozy Glow has repeatedly been turned to stone, woken up for a reform attempt, failed it, been turned to stone... and now, so long later, she has awoken again – with no-one for company. Well, no living pony. Cozy has collected a bunch of "friends" that are simply parts of statues etc with a certain characteristic, and she is engaged in a low-level war with various small critters. She has, of course, been affected by her years of isolation... I liked the way this was depicted, with Cozy's descent into madness (though any madder than she was in canon?) now that she is quite alone rather unsettlingly portrayed precisely because it holds back from any wild set-pieces. The odd nice bit of background world-building, too. This fic maybe lacks that real "spark of wow" to take it from good to great, but a high three seems appropriate. ★★★
Flawless by Arisa-chan
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash
Sad/Slice of Life/Anthro; 1k words; Nov 2017; Teen
During a visit with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash accidentally gives up a secret she'd been hiding for years.
In this fic, the two ponies are an established couple, but Rainbow discovers that she needs to let something important out. The [Anthro] setting here also brings us into a more modern world: there's TV, for example. Although not especially original, the idea of Dash opening up to 'Shy about her mental state is a perfectly reasonable one. Unfortunately the brevity of this fic means it's very rushed, and what is in real life often a complex and difficult issue is oversimplified. There are also a few weird bits of world-building (for no apparent reason, Mayor Mare wants to close the animal sanctuary) and a large amount of LUS. This isn't a dreadful fic: it's one of those "high one-star" stories that could be a solid two without a huge amount of work. But it doesn't do justice to its premise, hence I don't feel able to rate it more highly. ★
Next time, stories featured should include Shrink Laureate's Twilight horror fic The Taste of Blood. If all goes well (big if!) I'll then round off the year's reviewing with a Royal Canterlot Library edition on the 22nd. (I'll take the usual Hearth's Warming break the following week.)
Apparently, I really liked that first one. Unusual, since AppleDash rarely does anything for me. :)
ReplyDeleteOoh, you gave it HR. Long time ago, admittedly.
DeleteI've read the second one, and we had pretty much the same reaction to it. Not a stunner, but still good read.
ReplyDeleteYes. It's been a while since I read one that really blew me away, which has happened even with shorts (one of RB47's, from memory), but I remain hopeful. :)
DeleteSome interesting picks as usual!
ReplyDeleteI'd read that second one, too - a really good idea, and even if the technical execution doesn't quite match the stellar concept, I love the atmosphere and characterisation of Cozy alone at the end of the world, it reminded me of the last scenes of Wells' The Time Machine. Plus, the ambiguity as to whether it's all simulated to reform her - and the decision to leave it ambiguous to both Cozy and the reader - is a further stroke of genius.
The first Appledash one was sweet enough in its way - it felt like it maybe needed one more pass to really work out the knots of the repeated "I'm the stallion!" thing which Dash sticks to long after AJ has admitted she's bi? The confrontation with the snob mare (and the wholly unnecessary, E rating-pushing popcorn revenge bit) was easily the weakest part for me, but the general impression was pleasant enough.