Read it Later story count: 90 (+1)
It's looking as though my RiL list size is going to settle at around 90 stories. I'm quite comfortable with that, since I've never wanted it to practically disappear, but I'd also prefer it didn't bloat its way back to the 400+ fics I had on it a few years ago. Four under review as usual today, and they are these:
Two and A Half Dragons by RayneTheSkunk
Twilight Time by Alchemystudent
Murderer by Seer
Two Cracked Eggs by FanficReader920
★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I find average scores two stars.
Ocellus, Smolder, Spike and Dragons
Slice of Life; 13k words; Dec 2019; Teen
Ocellus' spring break plan: disguise, improvise, and hope that nobody dies.
Ocellus is off to the Dragonlands. In a dress. (This could bear the [Adventure] tag, now that Fimfiction doesn't try to insist it can't coexist with [Slice of Life].) She's going to support Smolder, who as we found out in the show likes frilly stuff and tea parties and is ready – ish – to be open about it in her homeland. The catch is that Ocellus is going as a dragon. All in a day's work for a changeling? Well... kind of. She and Smolder aren't an item, but there's a gentle sense that she's a bit wistful about that. Ocellus narrates the fic, and the first-person voice works nicely. She changes (in the non-changeling sense) during the story, and I think this comes through pretty well. Since they're meeting dragons, there's an awful lot in the way of challenges and contests to experience, and the author does quite well in keeping them varied. Some are a little on the violent side, but that fits dragon culture and this isn't a gory fic. The story could have done with an extra proofread as there are quite a few minor errors, such as "It felt familiar, but to hold". These don't really get in the way of the story, they're more minor bumps in an otherwise smooth ride. I'm not a massive fan of the non-Ponyville dragons, but even so I quite enjoyed this and it gets a high three. If you're a big Young Six fan, this may be worth an extra star to you. ★★★
Twilight Time by Alchemystudent
Twilight, Spike and Mane Six
Comedy/Random/Slice of Life; 3k words; Jan 2014; Everyone
Twilight wants to read a book, Equestria has other ideas
This fic's plot was inspired by the episode title only as the S4 ep in question had not yet been shown when this was published. It's very different from what we got in the show, instead being a fairly amusing take on the well-covered setup of Twilight – not yet entirely used to being an alicorn princess – trying to get some time to herself (to read, of course) and her friends continually barging in with requests. I love the notion of Twilight presiding over "Book Court", though sadly we see very little of it. If anything the fic tries to pack too much in, as is seen especially with a late appearance by Celestia. There's also a slightly weird reference to an our-world fairy tale. It involves the CMC, naturally... this is quite a cute fic, but it feels a bit hurried and there are a few rather forced jokes and minor but noticeable typos ("dutchess") that a quick spellcheck would have caught. A top-end two that will likely appeal most to those who like "a day in the life" tales. ★★
Murderer by Seer
Twilight
Drama/Horror; 2k words; Mar 2020; Teen
What does someone like Twilight Sparkle do when they need an editor for their writing? They turn to magic instead.
Described by the author as "a metafictional horror", this little nasty (that's meant as a compliment here) was written for a speedwriting contest, though it's received "slight refinement" since then. Twilight is writing fiction and is becoming frustrated at her inability to make the story really work. She resorts to magic, and this has certain... consequences. The intriguing thing here is that the story really makes you wonder about how your fictional characters might feel about, and react to, the things you as the author inflict on them. Given that Twilight's story involves a rather nasty murder, the... consequences I mentioned earlier come back to bite Twi in a particularly interesting way. Really rather chilling, and at this length it's hard to see a reason not to read it. Well, unless you're a writer who'd rather not feel your flesh creeping... Nicely done. ★★★★
Two Cracked Eggs by FanficReader920
Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie
Equestria Girls/Comedy/Slice of Life; 2k words; Jul 2019; Everyone
Pinkie barges into Sunset's apartment early in the morning with an urgent request.
Written for the Fimfiction Feghoot Festival quite a few of us entered, this is a fun example of the genre. Pinkie is panicking because, as she tells Sunset, the cops are on her tail. Why? Well, it's a long story, involving a washing machine and a pair of trousers, among other things. Sunset's comments are distinctly concerning at times, while Pinkie's apparent unworldliness is really fun in an adorable kind of way. This being a feghoot, it ends with a punchline – one some readers will have seen before, but it's all executed well enough here that it doesn't really matter. Unless you despise feghoots and/or Equestria Girls, this is likely to make you chuckle. ★★★
Next time, I hope that stories reviewed will include Lets Do This's comedy drama Princess of the Day.
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