Read it Later story count: 135 (-2)
As I'd hoped, I
managed to read four stories today to make up for the shortfall last
time around. Yay! Admittedly they're not very long stories, but then would you really expect that of me? Here's what I've been reading this week:
For When it Rains by Vivid Syntax
What's Your Problem? by RockstarRaccoon
Just Leave Well Enough Alone by Pascoite
Relaxing on a Cloud by Admiral Biscuit
★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I find average scores two stars.
Twilight and Rarity
Sad; 5k words; Apr 2014; Teen
"When I read their letters... I think about how temporary everything really is." A lonely princess pores over her studies in a frigid castle, desiring nothing more than the warmth of an old friend.
Set a considerable distance into the future, this touching fic sees Twilight in her beautiful but cold castle badly missing the company of her best friends. She's therefore delighted to find Rarity has come to visit. This plotline alternates with letters from her other friends. Now, this could sound like a run-of-the-mill "being immortal is hard" Twilight story, but happily it's more than that. The characterisation is great, especially older Rarity, and we get lots of light-touch but interesting glimpses into her life now. Yes it has a [Sad] tag, but I suspect you'll end this fic with a smile, even if it is one tinged with sadness. Recommended ★★★★
What's Your Problem? by RockstarRaccoon
Fluttershy, Young Six, Gallus, Silverstream and Yona [that's how it's tagged!]
Drama/Sad/Slice of Life; 5k words; Nov 2018; Everyone
After Gallus' behavior in 'The Hearth's Warming Club', Fluttershy holds a special class on "sharing your feelings", just for the Young Six. | Dramatic Character Study of the Young Six
This is a story that concentrates on the Young Six interacting, with Fluttershy relatively sidelined as the facilitator. As in the episode that inspired it, you'll probably find Gallus the most memorable character. Things start off relatively lightly, with Smolder – maybe a bit surprisingly – coming across as a sympathetic character. But as little bits of needling creep their way in, Gallus moves more and more to the fore. By the end, this is a slightly harsher story than its E rating might make you imagine. One that will appeal most to lovers of character pieces, I think. ★★★
Just Leave Well Enough Alone by Pascoite
Twilight and Applejack
Comedy/Slice of Life; 1k words; Jul 2019; Everyone
Twilight Sparkle only wants to check Sweet Apple Acres off her list of wells, but according to Applejack, some nasty little animals live near it. Bureaucracy will save the day!
This is a feghoot, so your overall assessment may well depend on your reaction to the last line. It made me, er, laugh wincingly, which to me is the sweet spot for a feghoot, so it gets a decent rating. As usual with Pascoite's stuff, it reads smoothly and the dialogue is convincing. Not really much more I can say about a 1,004-word feghoot, though: it is what it is. Solid choice if you've got a few minutes and aren't in the mood for anything gloomy or challenging. ★★★
Relaxing on a Cloud by Admiral Biscuit
Derpy
Slice of Life; 1k words; Nov 2012; Everyone
After a long day, Derpy relaxes on a cloud on her way home to PonyvilleOne of AB's popular SoL-ficlets, which I read in his print book Fanfare for the Common Mare. More interestingly, though, this is his first published fic out of the (currently) 192 on Fimfiction. Considering how old it is, it's a nice read with a sympathetic portrayal of Derpy's thought processes that avoids the (then) common tropes. Perhaps not quite as smooth as a recent Biscuit fic along similar lines might be, and perhaps not quite as interestingly textured, but perfectly readable even today. A top-end two, therefore. ★★
Next time, stories reviewed should include Captain Unstoppable's MacDash romantic comedy Baby, It's Cold Outside.
As in the episode that inspired it, you'll probably find Gallus the most memorable character.
ReplyDeleteExcuse you, Ocellus was the most memorable character in that episode. :V Changelings are dumb lol
Carols carols carols carols carols
DeleteThank you for the review, and yes this story is just dumb fun.
ReplyDeleteI have read that first one, and while I liked the thought I got tripped up in the logistics of it. Rarity brings everyone else's letters, which will ruin the surprise of her own coming later. I would think either Twilight would get them piecemeal (in which case only the first set is a surprise) or after everyone has died. It also never really delves into what's n the letters that makes them so special. She's presumably kept up correspondences with them over the years such that she has other letters from all of them, but there's no evidence of why these are so much more precious to her.
Though I should note I read this story long ago, and it's been edited since then (I see certain typos have been fixed, for example), so that all may have been addressed since I read it.