The Place That Is No More

Here's one that has its own TV Tropes page!  It's also my first multi-chapter story.

Today's subject: Windfall
Author: WarrenHutch
Genre: Comedy
Short summary: Several years after the series, Fluttershy's having her first foal, and the Mane Six reunite for the occasion.

Review: To be honest, having these be my first attempt at a multi-chapter story review is kind of a cheat, as the individual chapters are pretty short.  They're split up less for length/coherence and more for viewpoint, since each one switches to a different member of the Mane Six (or in one case the Crusaders).

I classified this as "comedy", but the comedy's pretty low-key.  This is one of those stories that deals with the "friendshipping" element I discussed back in my "Trust" review; it explores how the bond between the main characters comes into play at an important moment like this.  And it does so very well.  Not that there aren't funny moments (Zecora vs. Nurse Redheart, Fluttershy revealing that even the nicest pony isn't immune to labor pains), but they're largely secondary to the friendshipping.

The story consists largely of vignettes showing each of the characters being contacted with news of Fluttershy's impending delivery and reacting appropriately, showing how they've changed in the interval, interspersed with "Meanwhile, back at Sweet Apple Acres" scenes where previously-contacted characters arrive.  Some make sense (Twilight Sparkle as Professor Farnsworth's pony double), some... just plain don't (Scootaloo as a ballroom dancer?). 

I commend the beta reader; this is the first story that I've read for this series that didn't have any mistakes catching my eye.

The last two chapters take a turn from the comedic to the heartwarming, though the author plays it a bit too strong at points.  The final "bonus chapter" in particular goes a bit overboard with the symbolism, the last few lines all but cracking the reader over the head with a nailbat.

For those who take this shipping thing seriously, be warned - the story ships Fluttershy/Big Macintosh.

Although it pushes a bit too far at the conclusion, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses, and it deserves the positive attention it receives.

Today's subject: Trust
Author: The_Incredible_Blunderbolt
Genre: Romance/Drama
Short summary: Rainbow Dash comes out to her friends, which inspires Twilight Sparkle to reveal a secret of her own...

Review: Yeah, it's still a one-shot, but I'm still opening my boundries a little - this one made it on Equestria Daily.  So what sort of story makes it past the prereaders?

Today's Subject: The Hiccups
Author: uSea
Genre: Comedy
Short summary: Sweetie Belle gets the hiccups.  The other two Crusaders take it on themselves to cure them.

Review: Basic premise, surprisingly sound execution.

From the summary, you've probably figured out how it goes - the girls drag Sweetie Belle from one Mane Six member to another in their attempts to get the hiccups cured.  However, it's the journey that's the fun part, and the gags work fairly well.  The story doesn't outstay its welcome with any one character, spending just enough time with each of the Mane Six for the jokes to work before moving along.  Despite its brevity, there's time for a subplot that fits in nicely.

The prose starts bland but picks up, with a few minor spelling and grammr errors that mildly detract.  The author could have used another pass or two over the story before submitting it.

There isn't much to say about this story - it's short, it knows what it wants to do, and it does it well.  This is the sort of work I appreciate over bloated, multi-part "epics" that don't know when to stop.

So I decided to go for it.  From this point forward, as the muse strikes me, I shall post reviews of whatever My Little Pony fanfic has caught my eye at the moment.

This post shall set the ground rules.  Bear in mind that the only rule set in stone is "Rules are subject to change".

General

1. I pick the stories to be reviewed at my own discretion, though I am always open to suggestions. 

2. I don't get paid for these reviews.  Don't rush me.

3. I'll make every attempt to be fair.  Sometimes this is harder than others, as the other rules might make obvious.

4. If at all possible, I'll avoid giving spoilers in my reviews.  This may be revoked if I'm tearing a fic a new one, in which case I will give warning.

5. Generally speaking, I consider numerical ratings to be a bad idea.  Therefore, I will not give stars, points, apples, or any other numerical score to a work.  The text of the review will be its own assessment.

6. I will not delete your comments.  I do, however, reserve the right not to read them.

Fandom

1. I accept the existence of MLP pornography, but I am not a reader of clopfic.  I do not plan to review any.

2. Princess Celestia is one of my favorite characters, so I will probably be harsh on stories that portray her in a negative light.

3. I do not support or protest any ship.

Stories I Will Not Review

- Fallout Equestria and spinoffs: I've never played Fallout 3.  Until recently, I hadn't played the original Fallout.  Between that and the sheer size of this fandom canon, I have no reference point whatsoever.  I cannot give this series a fair review.

- Cupcakes: If you have heard of this story, you already have an opinion on it, and so anything I write will be superfluous.  There is nothing I can say that can influence what anyone thinks of this story.  I may review some of its fan-written sequels, but I doubt it.

- Past Sins: It would take a considerable, considerable amount of bribery to get me to read this story, let alone review it.