That moment when the depression and lack of activity hits the low point where I actually get frustrated enough to start doing things? The trip there sucks, but that moment itself is nice. So writing up a whole bunch of posts and scheduling them to get back on the posting every day wagon. Gotta keep up the quantity after all, it’s my main selling strength.
Been rereading some of Estee’s stories, asd I do from home to time. Estee is one of the author’s I read for comfort fiction. Stories I already know, but still like to read from time to time. Bookplayer is another. Funny thing is that my favorite stories don’t get put on that list. It takes a certain mix of fluffy and quality. Anyway, ended up reading some random comments and ran across the comment that her pony universe was really depressing. What? It baffles me that anyone would call it depressing. I mean there are depressing bits, but in general it tends towards optimistic in my mind. Just pony mixed with some of the less positive bits of our world.Then again, as I’ve mentioned, my personal measure of dark and or depressing is easy out of whack. Heck, during my last rewatch of Invader Zim that show was striking me as light parody of the real world rather than a twisted Nightmare version. Friendship is Optimal is depressing, Fallout: Equestria is depressing. Estee’s version of pony is just not perfect.
Nope, no Estee stories reviewed today. Been holding onto that comment for a while and it goes here just to fill the intro bits with non-me stuff.
- Induction of the Innocent by FanOfMostEverything
- Consequences and Confessions by Nightroad
Induction of the Innocent by FanOfMostEverything
Pretty sure I read the write off story this is the expanded version of. Either that or a very very similar story. Either way it has been long enough I’ve forgotten the details. Enjoyed this quite a bit. Had a pinch of Twilight history if her having had to put up with political suitors as Princess Celestia’s personal student. Even had a really neat pinch of worldbuilding about what Unicorns did attractive that I am so stealing. Not to mention think up analogues for the other pony tribes.
Consequences and Confessions by Nightroad
Writing is rough, but not eye-gouging bad. Which I suppose is faint praise. Dialogue in particular needs editing. Most of the time a new speaker doesn’t get a line break. So one character will speak, then some prose, then the other character’s reply all in the same paragraph with no real indication of the speaker switching. However the big thing that bothered me was tone. For the first part if the story it was pretty much fluffy show tone. Then the mother who confronts Twilight attacks her physically, then goes into a fairly gory description of her daughter’s death by timberwolves. It was jarring to say the least. Then Twilight runs into the Everfree forest to have a completely ridiculous breakdown. Which is about where I stopped reading. The writing actually got worse. So, not recommended. Hopefully this’d author has continued to practice since this story came out. This story is a perfect example of why show don’t tell is pushed at new authors so hard.
The City of Doors 