Trouble looms in post-war paradise. Rarity’s overly generous sales strategy coupled with her unsavory dealings in the illegal Equestrian fur trade have sunk her deep into debt. With every day bringing her closer to homelessness, she is forced to assume her ex-life as a highbrow thief under the hoof of Equestria's last great crime lord, Don Noir.
Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle searches for a way to help her friend. Her solution: bank robbery! Teaming up with a disgraced and disfigured con-pony, Twilight dives headfirst into the murky depths of the Equestrian underworld. Will she be able to sort everything out by the time Rarity's rent is due? Or will she wind up behind bars just in time to see Rarity wind up on the streets?
Set seven years after a cataclysmic war between pony and griffonkind, An Artist Among Animals chronicles a leader’s descent into corruption, a coward criminal’s mad dash for redemption, a broken veteran's struggle to save his soul, and an artist’s battle to retain her morals while still finding a way to make tons of cash.
--- --- --- --- ---
Cover art by Acreuball.
Ooh! This looks really interesting! I can't read this right now since I'm at work, but it's going straight to my Reading shelf!
The opening was extremely confusing--it was probably a thousand words before I figured out Caramel wasn't on the balcony with the Princess & guards. It nowhere states that he isn't, and this line:
The guard chuckled. Caramel nearly slipped. “Always the politician, my dear.”
means that Caramel is the one who said “Always the politician, my dear.” When you write dialogue in quotes right after a character performs an action, it means that character is the one speaking.
This and the following paragraphs are also pretty confusing, since Caramel has no reason to think the other pony has the real crystal heart, nor do we ever find out why the guards are coming.
(I'm also kinda wondering in what way this is "pony", like, so far it feels like something I'd like more if it didn't use ponies. That's a tricky question, though.)
The things Twilight do for friendship...
Dimestore war novel-level writing. Nothing compelling about any of it. Half the conversations and trains of thought are difficult to understand and often jump about, clearly and awkwardly TRYING to appear 'natural' without succeeding.
There's also no trace of 'Equestria' in this story. It's just a random fictional post-war story with ponies instead of people. Is that supposed to make us feel more sympathy for them, simply because they're characters we recognize from the show?
"War and Peace" this ain't. This is not how you structure a darker story off a world populated by pastel ponies and princesses. We must see the actual character as more than a collection of physical traits and tropes. These characters are so alien they might as well be anything other than ponies. Take this line: "The dresses were great, but the possibility of sewing herself into them on accident kept her excited." That is CLEARLY inspired by the LittleMissRarity Tumblr of years past... and has nothing to do with the actual character or how she would develop after experiencing war. Not to mention, even a masochist doesn't get excited about a possibility that is rather remote unless you're TRYING to hurt yourself, in which case it's not a 'risk' in the first place if that's what is being intended. Rarity even thinking that tends to imply she'll do it purposefully. It's a very bizarre phrase and just one example of the strange phrasing everywhere in this story.
Honestly i never get these 'x mane six is in debt' situation. They kinda have earned some brownie points with...... the nation. the world...... reality itself maybe?
Ration Department is a name, probably should be capitalized
This was something else. For the first time in a while, I'm really not sure how I feel, but thank you for writing.