Paul's Thursday Reviews CLIX · 9:13pm May 2nd, 2019
First off, take a look at this very interesting concept by one RB_. As a lover of contests, I very much want this to succeed.
So, the month of April was a very successful one for me. I finished transferring my three chosen books to templates for Lulu, have called upon the talented Novel-Idea to help me get the covers ready, got offered free cover art out of nowhere, and am going through the first few chapters of Bulletproof Heart: Famous Last Words with the intention of starting up the project once more. Oh, and I netted 70,000+ in cumulative writing/editing wordcount for the month.
But the most important thing right now is that I have finally, finally, finished No Heroes: Life of Pie. I still can’t believe I let the story linger like that for over two years. The little romance between Fine Crime and Pinkie Pie can be laid to rest, and I’m very pleased by that. So what’s next?
Well, I’ve come to a decision: no new projects until the old ones are finished. This means that my attention will be on, at varying times, Bulletproof Heart: Famous Last Words, Order of Shadows, The Silence, and my original fiction Fortune. There’s also that unnamed Aria-based story I started on that I’ll probably tinker with every now and then, but it will likely be low on the totem pole. Also, I’m considering Bulletproof Heart the primary concern, which means when Famous Last Words is completed I’ll jump into the third and final book. I’m not sure how I’m going to organize all these projects just yet, as there’s a lot to do, but I’m eager to get started.
Oh, and of course I will continue to produce short stories from time to time. I’ve got another horror short I need to finish soon-ish, while the idea is still in my head. Hopefully we’ll see that added to Sweet to Eat before the month is out.
Alright, time for some reviews.
Stories for This Week:
The Unwilling Sunrise by Highlord Langslock
Twilight Breaks a Pinkie Promise by RaylanKrios
Sweet As Pie by Terrasora
An Apple Comes Out of the Cellar by Seether00
Solem Perditum by PropMaster
Lucky Guy by Crystal Wishes
Tidal Wave by Othynrix
September Stories by Cherax
Back and There Again by Sun Sage
Adventures In Cake Sitting by JMac
Total Word Count: 194,263
Rating System
Why Haven't You Read These Yet?: 0
Pretty Good: 4
Worth It: 5
Needs Work: 1
None: 0
The Unwilling Sunrise
13,287 Words
By Highlord Langslock
In this awkward story, we find that after a year of being ‘reformed’, Sunset Shimmer is ready to return to Equestria. Only for a visit, of course; as far as she is concerned, the human world is home now. So imagine her surprise when Princess Celestia drops a bomb on her skull in the form of a new pair of wings and a crown. Yeah, Sunset’s nowhere near ready for that.
The thing that makes this story so awkward is how it devotes itself to a reality that doesn’t exist, at least as far as the readers know. Apparently entirely new relationships have formed, grand adventures have been made, new and fanciful types of magic have been created, and the world has been saved a dozen times thanks to Sunset and her friends, none of which have anything to do with existing canon (unless it’s in the comics?). Highlord Langslock makes no attempt to explain the vast majority of this, instead treating it as if the reader already knows all about it.
On the one hand, I applaud the author for avoiding exposition for this stuff. It’s truly not something we need to know in detail, and if it does come from the comics, then those who know especially don’t need to hear it all again. At the same time, Langslock should have found ways to have the characters discuss the matter without mentioning such details. The current formatting is nothing but confusing. Take, for example, the brief scene making fun of Ms. Harshwhinny. It’s written as though she’s been around for ages, we all know her character in this AU, and we’re all supposed to be in on some background joke that makes this all the more entertaining. All of which passes right over the reader’s head because, for us, this is the first time we’ve seen the character in this setting. At best, it looks like Celestia’s being a troll for no reason.
And that’s just the moment of comic relief. Imagine how the serious topics feel. So yes, good on Langslock for trying to write things out naturally. But their technique in regards to this needs some work.
Anyway, this is mostly a story about Sunset Shimmer being afraid of the whole Princess thing and thinking she’s undeserving of true power. Which was a dry, old topic from the second she became a character in Equestria Girls. Nothing here is new, including the alicornication. As such, I feel as though the author’s attempt to make a big world in too small a package was their attempt at making the mundane interesting. It could have worked fantastically if approached at the right angle and eased the reader into this new universe rather than dropping us face-first in the middle of the races.
The story’s not bad per se, it just needs a little polishing and/or some surrounding material to make sense of things. This feels like a bridge between two big stories more than anything.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Twilight Breaks a Pinkie Promise
1,504 Words
By RaylanKrios
Twilight makes a Pinkie Promise to Rainbow regarding helping her out for practice with a race. But then Applejack shows up asking for help setting up a new magic-based irrigation system, which she deems far more important. Pinkie won’t be too offended if Twilight breaks her promise to Rainbow… right?
I am amused. This is either a realistic look at Pinkie Promises or RaylanKrios being a troll. Possibly both. Either way, I am not disappointed.
Normally I hate stories that do this kind of thing, but this is a rare exception. Probably because it doesn’t resort to anything blatantly stupid to achieve its intended effect. There’s no wild contrivance of fate, no stupid pun or twisting of words, no unrealistic interpretation of events. It’s a realistic ploy, and that makes it all the better for me.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
The Roles We Play — Worth It
Sweet As Pie
4,202 Words
By Terrasora
In this bittersweet piece, it’s the day after Twilight’s coronation and everyone in Ponyville is still crazy. Twilight, seeking refuge from an entire town of sudden raving fans, hides out in Sugarcube Corner for the day. Little does she know that Pinkie Pie is very happy with this turns of events, because soon there won’t be much of Twilight around.
This story is set with the premise that Twilight, now a princess, will have to move back to Canterlot soon. In a way, it’s about the inevitability of change. Layered over that is a Pinkie Pie who is in love with the unwitting princess. And while we never find out why that is so, it is ultimately unimportant to the reality that it might not matter anyway thanks to Twilight’s coronation—a reality Pinkie Pie is painfully aware of.
I like Terrasora’s approach with this one. It’s not your traditional romance, but a sad piece about making the most out of inevitability. The themes are sad but meaningful, Pinkie’s feelings on the matter are clear despite never being outright stated, and yet there’s a strange pleasantness to the whole ordeal, as if somehow we know everything’s going to turn out okay. It’s different and has extremely well-voiced characters.
I have only one complaint, and that with the narrative choice. This is not something I normally harp on, but it was glaring to me in this instance. The story starts out from Spike’s perspective, then abruptly shifts to Twilight’s. At this point, it’s easy to think that there’s some kind of limited omniscient narrative going on. But then we get to Pinkie’s arrival, which uses proper transitioning to shift us into her perspective and, most importantly, sticks with it for the rest of the story. And now I’m confused; what was the intended narrative voice, here? I have no idea. It almost feels like Terrasora meant it to be one thing then changed their mind halfway through.
Admittedly, it’s not something the vast majority of readers will pick up on and care about. As such, I’m not letting it weigh too heavily on my appreciation of the story. But I know some technicality-minded people take this kind of thing seriously, so it bears mentioning.
Other than that? A solid overall piece of bittersweet, unrequited TwiPie.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
First Meeting — WHYRTY?
Dearest Fluttershy — Worth It
An Apple Comes Out of the Cellar
4,396 Words
By Seether00
In this strange story, Applejack decides it’s finally time to admit to her family that she’s a lesbian. They don’t take it the way she expects. Whether that’s a good thing or not is up to interpretation.
Yeah, this was odd. I’ve never seen a story suggest that the term “fillyfooler” is derogative, at least not in this way. What’s really quirky is how Applejack somehow expects her family to hate her for her sexual orientation when it is soon revealed that homosexuality is considered all-around normal for Equestria, or at least for the Apple Family. You’d think she’d have known this, even if she’s anxious about the whole sex topic.
Still, this is a story half-silly and half-serious where AJ learns that her family are all sexually liberal, making her the oddball out. It’s got a quirky omniscient narrator, an Applejack shy about her sexuality, Granny Smith being a bit of a lech, and Apple Bloom getting ready for her own sexual exploration. Oh, and Big Mac isn’t allowed to say Eeyup or Eenope. Plus a cute flashback of filly AJ being enamored with the new, white-coated, purple-maned, pretty unicorn in her class. Whom she absolutely is not courting right now. Eenope.
I am entertained. It caught me flat-footed, but that ended up being a good thing. I still question some of the logic behind it, but I get the impression Seether00 didn’t really care about that for this one. As such, I’m not inclined to be bothered. The story was fun, at times cute, and exists almost entirely for the sake of poking fun at AJ’s supposed prudishness. If any of that sounds like your kind of thing, by all means hop in.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Solem Perditum
29,483 Words
By PropMaster
Princess Celestia wakes up on the Moon. She has no idea how she got there, but she is confident Luna, Twilight, and Cadance will figure things out soon enough. In the meantime? Might as well explore Luna’s old prison.
Consider me impressed. This is a remarkably clean, well-paced, and thoroughly thought-out story considering it was written as a 30-Day Challenge piece. In fact it comes together so nicely that I can’t help questioning if PropMaster didn’t go back and tweak it a bit after the fact. While I won’t spoil the how and why of the story, I can safely say it is a character study of Celestia, reflecting upon her interests, fears, desires, and self-esteem.
It didn’t go where I expected, and I don’t just mean in the form of plot twists. In truth, I expected Celestia’s solution to the problem to fail tragically. I’m not complaining, mind you, I’m just noting that I put too much faith in the villain. Which may be the story’s one flaw, as it’s not really clear what happened in that regard.
At any rate, this is a great story considering the limitations enforced by the challenge. I happily recommend it to anyone with an interest in reading a bit about Sun Butt.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Carry Me Home — Pretty Good
Rarity Snuggles Everypony (Whether They Like It Or Not) — Pretty Good
Lucky Guy
4,231 Words
By Crystal Wishes
Can anyone explain to me what possible positive reason exists to deny all commentary of any kind from a story? I can think of none, and can’t imagine ever doing it for any of my stories. It strikes me as overwhelmingly negative and self-defeating, so I am genuinely curious what anyone hopes to achieve with it.
Anyway, this is a side-story to Crystal Wishes’ overarching AU. It basically involves a miserable Prince Blueblood visiting a bar and getting wasted. Of course, You (also known as Definitely Not You) are the barkeep, so with luck you might get to hear the full story.
The story is simple and common, so obviously Crystal Wishes needs something to liven it up. I thought putting it in the horrible second person narrative voice was that, but it turns out that there’s a bit of a game here. There are three endings, but one is hidden and Crystal Wishes teases you in the author’s notes to find it on your own. It’s a rather refreshing approach and even manages to (kinda-sorta-not really) justify the narrative choice.
The characterization within the story is pretty solid. Blueblood is distinctive: still a bit of an ass, but also with real-world struggles that can be related to. The barkeep (because he’s not me) is also fairly distinguishable with his ‘honorable’ view of his job and devotion to his clients’ secrets. His two customers who take up the first half or so of the story are entertaining to watch, both nicely developed as individuals despite how very little we know about them.
Yet I’m sorry to say the plot never really held my attention. I honestly don’t know why. I never felt pulled in like I needed to be. Was it the fact that the story was in second person? Something to do with the descriptions? The commonality of the central topic? The atmosphere and tempo never changing? I have no idea. I just know that things were happening and I was reading it without much overarching interest.
Not a bad story, but neither did I find it engaging. A shame, because I know this author is more than capable of pulling me in with great characters and interesting plotlines. To quote everyone’s favorite mailmare, I just don’t know what went wrong.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Crystal's Wishes — WHYRTY?
Lovey Dovey and the Business Pony — Pretty Good
Tidal Wave
2,786 Words
By Othynrix
This… exists. Yes, let’s go with that.
Tidal Wave is about the titular sea pony’s first day back at school. Nope, that’s it. There is literally nothing else to this story.
I think Othynrix was very confused when they wrote this. For starters, the story is constantly self-conflicting in its setting. Tidal Wave is supposed to be going back to school. We know it’s “going back”, and not the first day of school ever, because it says so at one point and she knows the teachers by name. Yet somehow the teacher can’t remember the name of the only sea pony in the class (if not the entire town), Tidal is unaware of the school bully’s existence despite being an obvious target for said bully, and she generally doesn't know anyone at the school. So is this her first day at school ever or not? Is it a new school and the teacher just so happened to transfer over to it at the same time she did? What the heck is going on?
A little consistency, author, if you please.
Also, who is Tidal? She’s a sea pony (or aquapony, as the story prefers). That’s interesting. Why aren’t we expanding upon this? Why does she live on land at all? Is she a half-breed? Adopted? Where’s her father? What does her brother do if he’s not always home? Does her mother work? Are there any unique abilities or traits that come with being an aquapony? Come on, author, you’ve created a character who is supposed to be unusual compared to those around her, but you’re treating it as an afterthought. If you’re going to go through the trouble of making your character different and telling us that is the case before the story even starts, we expect it to play a big role in the story and her characterization. Instead it’s just… sorta… there.
Follow that with how this story doesn’t really do anything. Tidal swims, plays video games, goes to school. That’s it, story over. No lessons learned, no theme, no apparent purpose. The prose isn’t flowery or creative, so it’s not one of those ‘look at how nice I can write’ stories. There’s nothing comedic about anything happening here, so that’s certainly not a draw, and there’s no drama to draw us in (unless you count a bully existing for all of ten seconds as drama). So what was the point of this, author?
On the positive side, Othynrix’s writing has improved significantly since they requested I read A Flame in the Darkness. Kudos there, author. All the major issues I had with the last story in terms of how it was written? Gone. Very well done. Now if you can just channel that improvement into the plot, we’ll be going somewhere. For now?
Bookshelf: Needs Work
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
A Flame in the Darkness — Needs Work
September Stories
8,650 Words
By Cherax
This is a collection of five stories, each wildly different from the other. Topics include Rarity having a discussion with Equestria’s next great master of art counterfeiting, a horny Coco Pommel trying to catch a saboteur, Octavia making a big mistake, Twilight sitting in a hospital waiting room, and… I have no idea. Something to do with summer.
This is a great example of Cherax’s talent as a writer. Every story brings with it something entirely different, and pulls it off well. They range from the comedic to the fretful to the sorrowful, and always with a heavy dose of atmosphere. Even the poetry—while I have no idea what its purpose was other than to describe summer in general, flowerry terms—manages to be enjoyable to digest. I love how this author can make clear the mood, meaning, and intention of every character in every event without once telling you about it. It’s a level of show that many seek out but only a very few really understand.
I do have to wonder about why Rarity is putting up with and even entertained by a blatant criminal. One can question how Twilight’s thoughts seem so tangential at times (although I’m pretty sure I get it and, if so, approve). I can hear people complaining that the poetry has something fundamentally wrong with it that I, in my lyrical ignorance, am unaware of, and even if not, questioning the poem’s seeming lack of purpose beyond the obvious. But for myself, this is a gem of a collection. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, and am now eager to read more by this author.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Sundowner Season — WHYRTY?
Back and There Again
111,205 Words
By Sun Sage
A routine gem hunt leads to Rarity discovering a most unusual crystal which, unfortunately for her, turns out to be a teleportation artifact. It sends her to an Earth undergoing recovery from a failed alien invasion. At first she was a laboratory specimen, but a sympathetic soul has set her free. What she will do with that freedom, she can only guess. Hopefully it’ll have something to do with finding a way home.
That summary is grossly simplified, but it’ll have to do. I had no idea what I was getting into with this one, but the results were decidedly pleasant. It largely involves Rarity getting rescued by and befriending a military group comprised mostly of modern mages, a stereotypically xenophobic villain (also of the military) trying to get her back, and the occasional interference of a certain alien race who seem to have no motivation except that they enjoy making a nuisance of themselves. Pepper that with talk of Angels and Demons, ancient wars featuring both Equus and Earth, extremely unexpected True Bosses™, and Rarity falling in friendship (so to speak) with a war hero.
Sound like a lot? That’s because it is. I barely even started with the Low Fantasy setting. There’s also a large abundance of colorful characters you may struggle to get to know in the brief time they have to make an impact, although Rarity, Aiden, Grumman, and Vera take much of the story’s attention. We also get an abundance of flashbacks involving the war between Earth and the Oni-koru and a few Luna cameos that, frustratingly, lead nowhere.
If I had to point out a major problem with the story, it’s that it feels somewhat… ‘slapped together’. I get the distinct impression Sun Sage was making up much of it as he went. Which is fine in some regards, but not so when it leads to certain threads going neglected. Princess Luna making an appearance but having no impact whatsoever on the story, Keia Luxuria’s unknown fate, or the same for Owens. In the author’s defense, these things are generally minor and are handled well enough on their own to only become a problem to those with specific expectations. The rest of the readers will just enjoy what they got and not think about it.
The overabundance of characters is also an issue. By the end of the story there are so many names being thrown about that I had to pause a few times and recall who some of them were. Props where they’re due: most of them are distinct enough and interesting enough that you’ll remember them fairly well despite their extremely limited time in the spotlight. Hamada’s glorious moment of professional stoicism cemented her in my mind in spite of her being one of the least seen characters in the story, for example. Even so, not everyone can get this treatment and some feel more like footnotes than anything. Sun Sage would do well to tone down the density a bit.
One thing will produce differing reactions depending upon the reader: the nature of the people of Back and There Again’s Earth. Sun Sage tries to interpret much of the events in shades of grey, yet the characters themselves are remarkably black and white. If you’re a good guy in this story, you’re basically a harmonious soul representing one of the tenets of Friendship, to the point that you even unwittingly semi-quote the Element Bearers themselves. All the good guys are so forgiving, kind, caring, loyal, and so on that at times it feels unbelievably saccharine. Yet the villains are so incredibly menacing and cruel they’re almost hammy, particularly the guys from Veritech. There are certainly some middle-of-the-road types, like Craig, but generally speaking Sun Sage’s Earth feels somewhat like a satirization of good and evil. The Oni-koru felt way more grey than any human I ever saw put forward in this, Craig notwithstanding.
All these things pale against how much energy and fun this story brings to the fore, though. It’s got intense action sequences, decent character and relationship growth, a pitch-perfect Rarity, and a budding multi-species romance that doesn’t feel forced or rushed. I even hesitate to call it a romance, as even though the topic is joked about and danced around throughout the entire story, it neither takes center stage nor can really be called ‘concluded’ by the story’s end. Which is great!
Amidst all the things I’ve been reading in the last couple weeks, this has been my favorite. It’s got a few quirks and slipups, but overall it’s an excellent introduction to this author. I’ll be looking forward to the sequel and the promise of even bigger, more interesting threats to come.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Adventures In Cake Sitting
14,519 Words
By JMac
When it comes time for Ms. Cheerilee’s class to perform “Helping Hooves Day”, Quizzical Greystones finds her task for the year is to assist Pinkie Pie in babysitting the Cake twins. She is not enthused. It might be easier if a pack of Wendigoes weren’t choosing this opportune moment to invade from the Everfree Forest on a night when weather conditions are already perfectly set up for them.
Quizzical has become one of the more endearing recurring OCs I’ve encountered, what with her Maud-like outward manner and Season 1 Twilight-esque skepticism and eggheadedness. I presume this takes place after the stories Quizzical and Thweet Geniuth, as her manner isn’t as stoney in this story as it has been in the past. That or JMac was having some difficulty with her characterization this time. But given the ‘naughty’ nature of the Pie twins, it should hardly be surprising that they managed to jerk more emotional reactions from Quiz than anyone else before.
The story features wholly expected elements of Baby Cakes. It’s not a carbon copy of the episode however, so I give JMac credit for devising his own brand of antics. Despite that, this is still everything you’d expect. I was a little surprised that Quiz and the twins didn’t get an up close and personal view of a Wendigo. Admittedly, it wouldn’t have been realistic, but somehow I just knew it was going to happen and it didn’t. Not sure how I feel about that.
I’m also confused by the twins themselves. They’re awfully smart, all things considered. I keep questioning their age, since they are apparently old enough to speak in full (if very simple) sentences yet are still capable of doing those amazing things I thought they’d have grown out of past the toddling stage. All in all, they felt just a little too smart.
I enjoyed the story overall, while at the same time granting it’s not as good as its predecessors. Even so, I look forward to seeing more of Quiz.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Thweet Geniuth — WHYRTY?
"I'll Take That One." — Pretty Good
Being Neighborly — Pretty Good
A Little Game Of War — Worth It
Quizzical — Worth It
Stories for Next Week:
The Fall of Cloudsdale by dragonjek
The Secrets We Keep to Ourselves by RoyalRainbow
Flash and Trend Steal All Your Waffles by scoots2
And Then There Was One by waaaaaaah
Twisted Little Fire Starter by Luna-tic Scientist
Setting Fire to the Sky by Violetta Strings
Fallout: Equestria - The Carnival by Cascadejackal
Fulfillment by Vanilla Mocha
You Can Fight Fate by Eakin
All the Queen's Horses by Bluespectre
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Every time I read you or TD I'm reminded that once upon a time I meant to start reviewing stories but never got to it.
Thanks for review.
Haven't read any from this week either. That "Back and There Again" sounds pretty interesting, but that word count. With the time I can devote to pleasure reading, it'd take me months to get through it.
Because all my life, I've allowed the words of others to dictate my sense of value. Am I good enough? Am I a failure? What is my worth?
If folks enjoy reading what I write, then that is their pleasure. If they don't, then there are many other things to read. I am writing for the joy of it, something of which I choose for myself, not to be dictated by others.
I've made a lot of commentary on how little respect I have for the reviewers and critics of this fandom. I've often called the behaviour out as borderline bullying. But, time and again I have been assured, that if the work is out in the public sphere, then the author has tacitly given their approval for the treatment.
Here we see a case where the author has made absolutely clear they do not want that treatment, have revoked it in the clearest terms possible. I cannot understate my anger and disgust that your response to that is, in essence and execution; "I'm not going to respect that decision, because I think I know better."
Worse, you explained upfront that you didn't respect it, and made a personal judgement call about the author in the explanation.
This is some pick-up-artistry tier negging, man.
Thank you for the review! Much appreciated.
5052663
I feel like there's a Rarity-ism suited for this comment, but for the life of me I can't remember it.
5052677
No problem!
5052690
That's a shame. I certainly enjoyed more than I was expecting.
5052717
I can't say that I fully understand, but if that's the way you want it then that's the way you get it.
In light of this, would you prefer I didn't inform you when I do a review of one of your stories? Not that there will be another anytime soon, as I'm thoroughly booked for a while.
5052729
Your interpretation is curious. I didn't say anything negative about Crystal Wishes, who is a talented and accomplished writer. I merely pointed out my confusion as to her decision and asked for clarification, because given my limited understanding of the scenario I could see no benefit to it. Crystal Wishes has since clarified her position, which is all I wanted. Where is this disrespect you speak of?
The story is in the public sphere. That means I can review it if I want to. If Crystal Wishes doesn't want to know there is a review, much less read it, then that's fine. That's her right. It doesn't mean I can't take something posted for public consumption and review it for the benefit of people other than her.
I could understand your position if I'd said something like "this story sucks, Crystal Wishes is horrible and you should never read her stuff," but I didn't. I gave my honest opinion of the story, prefaced by a query. I'm not bullying anybody, nor am I disrespecting her wishes or her work (or at least not trying to). If I offended her, she can let me know and I'll try to right the wrong. Otherwise, I'm just trying to help.
5052912
First I want to make it clear I'm not speaking on Crystal's behalf. This is just A Thing That I Am Independently Mad About. Alright, that being said:
This is appeal to rules where I'm appealing to social niceties.
There are many things that are legal but still faux pas.
This is where the 'negging' remark came from. If the help is clearly unwanted - which the disabling comments section showed - then it's not a selfless act you've committed here. It can't be, if it's not made with the consideration of the recipient in mind.
So let's look at the bit that upset me so much again.
No, you didn't say that about her. But you made a general statement, in a "Just asking questions" manner, and made it a loaded statement by implying you thought it was 'overwhelmingly negative and self-defeating'. The question on its own is one thing, but adding that means any response to that question has to be a defense against that context you've framed it in.
I mean, we're writers, supposedly. Being careful about how words are used should be the whole deal.
What's more, there would have been a very easy way to answer your first question - again, loaded and framed with 'what possible positive reason', which implied you assumed there was a reason and you simply didn't respect it - and that would have been asking the author beforehand, which I'm taking as assumed you didn't.
Again, it's not whether or not you said negative things. It's that you didn't respect the author.
5052908 You are welcome to share your opinions with others. I would not deny you that.
5052918
So by pointing out that I don't understand something except in a negative light and asking someone to correct my viewpoint, I am being disrespectful. Understood. I'll try to keep the negative part out next time.
It's astounding how easy it is for people to completely misunderstand one's intentions. This is why I tend to avoid engaging in debates: no matter how carefully I word things, someone will find a way to misinterpret.
In this case, the help you claim is unwanted is not aimed at Crystal Wishes, it's aimed at my audience. Crystal Wishes is a good author, and people may want to read her stories. Why should I deny them the opportunity to know about and enjoy her work?
5052919
I'll admit that I shouldn't have informed Crystal Wishes about the review. That's on me, and I am sorry if that came out as being disrespectful. But there is no reason for me not to review the stories in the future and simply not advertise the fact to her. At that point it's entirely up to her if she wants to go out of her way to find the reviews. She's specifically stated that she doesn't want commentary for her own sake, but that doesn't mean I can't inform others about the story. And frankly, people need to know about her material, because it's usually good reading.
5052921
Thank you. And I apologize if I made a mistake in informing you about the review. I was trying to be playful, but I now realize it might have come out the wrong way.
5052729
I actually laughed when I read this.
Of course, you would be able to identify bullying... takes one to know one after all.
5052932
Mm. Yes. Same, darling.
Don't worry about it overmuch. Numbers is a third-rate author and a complete bully.
5052985
While I appreciate and thank you for coming to my aid, I would disagree with the "third-rate author" bit. I'll grant I've only read/reviewed one of MrNumbers stories so far, but The Mare Who Once Lived on the Moon was an all-around strong piece of fiction if you ignore the bungled ending.
5052988
I wouldn't say all around. It has momebts.
But it's more often dry, slipshod, and unengaging.
I was a little surprised that Quiz and the twins didn’t get an up close and personal view of a Wendigo.
I'd suggest you try The Quality of Mercy next. But I don't think it's quite what you have in mind.
Thank's for the review.
5053000
You sound just like my mother.
5053209
Never read any I don't think.