Fanfiction Voting 2019

[rhombus]

Name of fanfiction: Waves Crashing Upon the Sky
Link to fanfiction on the GoF: http://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=16189.0
Author(s): OwlsCantRead
Rating: 9.5/10

As an introduction I simply want to say that the only reason this score isn’t higher is because this story isn’t finished yet.  Of all of your stories this one is where your top-notch character interactions, an interesting plot, expert use of tension and cliff-hangers, and use of seamless use of scene transitions to create a distinct flow to the story, have created a truly engaging story.

Now, admittedly, I might be a bit biased in favor of the idea of transforming one of the gang into another species. But even if that is the case, you have presented a very believable depiction of Petrie struggling to deal with his change in form.  All the while, like a pawn not in control of his own destiny, he is forced to not seek solace by letting another know of his change, lest he lose his chance to change back again.  In the meantime we are able to see sides of Petrie that we have not seen much before while at the same time having the ability to see Ducky’s struggles with entering the Time of Great Growing as well.  The result is a story that focuses on change – both in the literal and metaphorical sense.  As this is a concept that has always fascinated me, I will be eagerly following this story up to its conclusion.


Name of fanfiction: The Threehorn Way
Link to fanfiction on the GoF: http://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=16264.0
Author(s): OwlsCantRead
Rating: 8.5/10

This story once again shows off your ability to depict a diverse range of characters and to truly get into their mindset.  In this case we get to see the Cera that we all know from the first film.  But, in this case, we get to see a bit more of what made her the way that she was.  In this story we not only get to see Cera's pride and arrogance as she reacts to her first meeting with Littlefoot, but we also get to see her inner desire to impress her parents and to live up to the expectations that they have of her and her siblings.  This collision of internal doubts and desire to keep up appearances clearly shows two sides of the same character which explains some of her volatility in the first film.  The shift to the first person in the second chapter further allows for the exploration of Cera’s mindset, and allows us to relate a bit more to her thoughts even if we disapprove of her actions. 

Though this story only has two chapters completed as of the moment, I do look forward to seeing how Cera’s thoughts and mindset evolves as the events of the first film continue to develop.  In many ways this story allows us to explore the first film in a new way and perhaps, to take on new insights about one of our favorite characters along the way.


Name of fanfiction: Of Broken Words and Mud Brothers
Link to fanfiction on the GoF: http://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=16431.0
Author(s): OwlsCantRead
Rating: 9.0/10

Even if this story had merely been a one-shot you would have deserved a significant amount of credit for creating a story staring a rarely used character in the fandom: Mo.  Now, from that description alone one might expect this story to be a happy affair, but we soon see that there is much more hardship and drama in Mo’s life that his appearance in the series would indicate.  From being shamed to being exiled from his herd, his life takes a rather harsh turn very quickly.  Though, as is obvious from the story itself, his struggles to be accepted have been a long-term issue in the herd.

The experience of seeing what is one of the happiest characters in the LBT series being brought low in such a manner is quite a punch to the gut.  As is how the story clearly shows that Mo’s torment has been in development for quite some time.  The inability of Tenor to prevent Mo’s exile due to his need to retain power is an interesting aspect of the narrative, however.  He gives Mo a risky journey and a chance to prove his worth and, as such, is one of the more sympathetic members of the herd.  Though, considering Mo’s herdmates, the bar for “most sympathetic” is not a high one.  The shift to high action in the third chapter is a good one as it prevents the pacing of the story from getting bogged down in the machinations of Mo’s herd.  Though that is where this story is currently stopped, I do look forward to seeing how it develops in the future.  Behind ‘Waves Crashing Upon the Sky’ this is the story of yours that I am most closely following.


Name of fanfiction: Boundless Curiosity
Link to fanfiction on the GoF: http://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=16476.0
Author(s): OwlsCantRead
Rating: 8.5/10

I must admit that I might be a bit biased here due to my attachment to two of my OCs, I must admit that I greatly enjoyed this short story.  As I said in my initial review:

This was quite a joyous surprise to read.  I must admit that the lack of a greater focus on Datum, Axiom, and the leaf-eater gang is one of my greatest regrets thus far in Mender's Tale.  It is a bit unavoidable in my tale due to the focus on Mender, the hidden runner crisis, and the implications of that crisis, but it is still great to see the interactions of these characters from the viewpoint of another author.  Let me just say from the beginning that you have done a fantastic job in capturing the essence of these characters, the nature of their personalities, and how they interact with one another. 

It is quite understandable that Datum would be uncomfortable with the idea of keeping secrets from his friends despite the fact that he knows that such secrecy is necessary for the good of both his friends and the cultural development of the world. Despite his young age he is quite wise, as is his sister, but this does not dampen the sense of being unfair to his friends by not sharing the same level of trust with them as they would share with him.  Nonetheless, it is very in-character for him and his sister to have a bit of fun at their friends' expense when they decide to spy a bit on them.  The resulting confrontation, and its resolution, was both humorous and heartfelt.  At no point did I see the characters as being OOC.  In fact, your depiction of Malka was spot on.  Thank goodness the rainbowface kids are there to save the gang from time to time.

Although the story itself is not one with a dramatic ending or a thrilling conclusion to its narrative arc, I think that it does an excellent job of elaborating on the relationship between these characters and the personalities of the rainbowface children. The fact that I could very easily see the events of this story being canon in my story is a testament to that.  Thank you very much for sharing this story with us. 

[rhombus]

@The Lone Dragon @Ducky123 @Anagnos @Sovereign @OwlsCantRead @DiddyKF1

As I forgot to give the usual two day warning that the deadline was approaching, I am giving anyone who has not yet voted an additional two days to get their reviews and ratings posted.  At 11:59:59pm forum time on December 2, 2019 I will close this topic and tabulate the votes.  So please, if you have not yet cast your reviews, be advised that you have two more days to do so. 

[OwlsCantRead]

Alright, last one! Managed to get this up thanks to the extension! Wonder if anyone else is gonna do last-minute reviews.

Name of fanfiction: Return to the Land of Mists
Rating: 7.25/10
Review: Rhett is the demon spawn and must be punished! Down with the Rhettists!

Ahem… in all seriousness, the concept of Ali returning—and striking up a potential love interest with Littlefoot—is one that has been explored a lot in fanfiction. The Gang seem to behave mostly like how one would expect of them being older, rambunctious teens, though they’re still as close as ever.

However, the POV seems to shift often from Littlefoot and Rhett from paragraph to paragraph, and to be honest this is one of my main complaints. I must admit that I have a bit of an issue with third-person omnipresent head-hopping used in this fic to show what each participant is thinking about another person because I feel like a lot more suspense can be had if the reader does not know what Rhett and Littlefoot are both thinking within the span of a few paragraphs, as it robs the tension from some of Rhett’s more bitter spats. Limiting the head-hopping and going for more third-person limited POV—where the story follows one character and solely stick to their thoughts—would really help in heightening the drama as the reader is left in suspense and free to ponder on what the other party is feeling or thinking based on seeing their actions and dialogue from the current character. It has gotten better over time, but this was mainly gleaned from me reading the second chapter.

But besides that, the drama has been built up well enough purely through Rhett’s heinous plans and behavior as he slowly loses his grip on sanity thanks to his jealousy. Make no mistake, he acts like a possessive douche in this story, which may be wildly out of character to how he was portrayed in The Brave Longneck Scheme, but perfect as a cocky punching bag in the context of a competitive tale between prospective mates. Stories involving love triangles and unrequited love often have the capacity to invoke a lot of drama coming from the participants. While I’m not a fan of Rhett turning to an antagonist as vile as some other fic’s crazy villains, the cohesiveness shared by Ali and the Gang makes up for the bad. Here’s hoping Rhett gets lynched what he deserves.

[The Lone Dragon]

Name of fanfiction: Of Hubris and Submission
Rating: 8.5
Review: This is one of the few stories that I have read fully this year, I've laid of on feedback cause I don't believe I am that good at giving feedback but I'll give it a shot.   

Firstly I did find the story rather engaging and it generally had a good flow which sometimes was either to slow or brief. The story gives a detailed look into what happened with Pterano's herd and you do a good job at showing just how incompetent Pterano is before his heard is killed and the subtle warning sign from Current as he commits suicide gives a layer of foreshadowing. I also noticed that you have put Cera's mother and siblings into this story and given your own version for what happened. I must say I really liked Swiftcharge's personality even though I would have liked to see a more in depth look as to why she broke up with Topps.

The battle I must say gave an in depth look into Pterano and Swiftcharge's minds as the fight raged on with more intensity then the fight itself. The emotional depth was great but I find the moment lacked scenes from the battle which made the whole scene seem like it was all about these two and there struggles and that the battle was second to them. I don't know if this was what you wanted to do but with my personal view on combat I find that this lack of battle description takes away some gravity from the scene.

I also find that the ending with Pterano was acceptable and it certainly showed the relationship he and Volant have, how she really dislikes him and yet needs him, a difficult balance and you also bring Petrie's father up though it is but a mention. However I wish that Pterano had properly confronted the adults and they actually made the decision to banish him. The ending was still good but it wasn't the one I would have preferred.

I still found this story to be a very interesting read though and I must hand it to you to write a Pterano fic that I would actually choose to read all the way through which is not something I often do. Well done!