What are you reading?

[JonBob]

I think a fair bit of it comes from people who are sticklers for the details of the Nasuverse. Another large portion seems to be from backlash at fans/imitators/spinoffs of In Flight, with something involving "The Emiya Clan". I know next to nothing about it, but it seems frightful indeed.

[Anastasia]

Yeah, I've read enough to see it's a huge train wreck. I'd also count people that are burned out on the fic or think it's a step back from Hill of Swords or other stories of his.

[Dracos]

Yeah, I wasn't gonna comment on taking some of the worst parts of Nasu and putting them front and center.  That's author's freedom there.  Whether I like it or not is an opinion.  I don't care enough about nasu and have read enough good fics that have dramatically altered characters.  My general reading style doesn't punish because characters don't fit canon (especially in bullshit multi-branch canon).

The construction of it though I don't think is one.  If this is a climax scene, then there is way too much deadweight produced from there being too much cast and the other part of the story being told entirely off camera until the last second.  If it isn't one, then it's a massive tone discontinuity with the rest of the work.  At least his past work (for it's problems) kept fairly consistent to itself, despite its ending.

It doesn't surprise me that it's flamebait.  Anyone still following it has been dedicating a rather long amount of time to reading it.  If random internet factoid is true, it's over a hundred thousand words longer than War and Peace.  Your average high school english class has less reading in it than going through the fic.

[Jason_Miao]

Read IF, even though it was part Sekirei

Without touching on plot or background specific stuff (I've never managed to get my hands on FSN and I only read the Sekirei manga to the Jinki tournament before I lost all motivation to continue) my thought was that this might be a case of a writer's darling.  I don't know if that's necessarily true, of course, but GB repeatedly referred to the parts in the last few chapters as the reason he started writing the fic, so it sounds like that might be what happened here.

[Anastasia]

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9044833/11/My-Love-s-Flame

A couple more chapters of this are out. I thought the last 1-2 were weak, but this one was a lot stronger. I really liked the fortune telling scene.

[Anastasia]

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7657235/23/Path-of-the-King

Path of the King updated.

Spoiler: ShowHide

It's a set-up chapter. There's a few nice bits with Medea and a fair bit of summation of lesser events. I feel it gives this chapter a big 'tell and not show' feel, but eh. It's one of those cases where the author's preparing the next big story arc. Things with Rin and Saber are about to hit the fan and it looks like a Misaki arc is in the offing. Should be good.

[Dracos]

Delande Est updated.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5511855/1/Delenda-Est

Mmm, I can see where it's going but not a very exciting chapter.

[Brian]

Every so often I find a fic so bad I share the summary with #kitago , so we can marvel at the badness.

And then I found ... this:

Spoiler: ShowHide

Uncontrollable Circumstance » by AshakiranTheTenthBeast
Haruhi Suzumiya has gotten a new idea and Kyon has been forced right into the middle of it no matter all of his efforts to break out of the wild situation. Kyon's life is being artfully manipulated and he can't see a way to stop it. Who is the real god of this world and what painful secret is Koizumi hiding behind his smile? Dark, M-rating for language, non-con sex. Boys love/Mpreg
Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 5 - Words: 6,453 - Reviews: 5 - Favs: 1 - Follows: 6 - Updated: 4-29-13 - Published: 4-23-13 - Kyon Itsuki K.

That was spoilered for your own protection, incidentally.

Edit: Evidently my review ruined her day.  Before breakfast!  She also told me she was going to report it for not being constructive.  View it while you can!

[Anastasia]

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9044833/12/My-Love-s-Flame

My Love's Flame updated. Decent chapter for the Ranma/Ukyo interactions and the last line. I'm amused how Ranma's adapting to and digging into life here.

[Brian]

Naruto Peggy Sue fic:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4041754/

Been told it's dark and lame, but am putting up with it so far.

This always puts me in mind of a Haruhi Peggy Sue fic, but it's hard to figure out what would drive the plot of one of those....


Edit: Chapter 7, fic quality has dropped storywise (technically it's okay).  Skipped almost all of chapter 8 because, A: WAVE COUNTRY, B: main character isn't onscreen.  My hopes for this being a decent story are dropping like a decommissioned satellite.

[Dracos]

No, no stop. :(

That fic is SuperFail.

[Brian]

Got to chapter fourteen.  I skimmed almost everything between 8 (the grand decline) and 14, but that chapter ended on an upswing, so I've decided that's how it ends:

"Hinata gets a confidence boost, and Naruto resolves to make everything better (no, really!) after Akamaru is injured.  But he'll pull through!"

...yeah.  Generally, I get the author's intent.  It's meant to be a deconstruction of the Peggy Sue genre.  Okay, that's well-and-good, but the problem is while it starts off interesting, it quickly just falls to wallowing in wangst.  That's it.  There is no deeper analysis.

It's like the author felt the need to explain that going back in time just makes things worse.  There could be more if I read further, but I've had three people in #kitago and a Drac tell me, "No, this is a horrible fic.  Stop."

So I will.

[Brian]

Had some thoughts while going through the Peggy Sue section of Naruto thoughts on TVTropes, and Drac suggested I share them here:

Naruto: "Oh, no!  I'm back in time!  I'd better pretend everything is normal and not change anything yet!"
Hokage: "My crystal ball shows me you're from the future.  Let's get everyone we can trust in on this and prevent whatever sent you back."
Naruto: "Or that!"

Naruto: "What about me being in a psych ward forever?"
Hokage: "HAVE YOU MET ANY OF OUR NINJA?  LIKE, EVER?"
Naruto: "Or being interrogated to death by Ibiki!"
Hokage: "He's much better at his job than that, and anyway, why torture you if you're willing to talk?"
Naruto: "My precious fanon cliche!  Why are you deconstructing them?"
Hokage: "Because we're ninja, not idiots.  Now enjoy this bowl of tasty, tasty ramen, and explain where the bad sanin touched you."
Jiraya: "HEY!"
Hokage: "Not you."
Tsunade: "HEY!"
Hokage: "You, on the other hand ... I've seen matchups.  Keep your distance!"
Jiraya: "Next book idea get."

[Bezzerker]

... I could so see Naruto pouting at the end at the end of that.

"Aww, Jiji, you're no fun"

[Jason_Miao]

Found a Ranma/AMS fic:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8123719/1/The-Raven-and-the-Wolf


Pacing feels a bit off at times, but nothing major.