We are starting a series of fanfiction reviews. First up is A Cup of Joe written by The Decendant.
You can read the review after the break.
Our protagonist is Pony Joe, the donut shop owner in Canterlot that made a cameo in The Best Night Ever and MMMystery on the Friendship Express. In this story, we learn that he is a retired Sergeant in the Royal Guard and we are told the story behind his rise to those honored ranks, as well as the reasons for his early retirement.
The story begins slowly by taking us through the normal day to day routine of the shop owner Pony Joe. It soon becomes evident that Joe is being haunted by his past as a soldier in the Regular Army of Equestria.
We are then taken through an emotional rollercoaster that will hit you right in your soul, soldier or not. First by giving you a lump in your throat or maybe even a tear or two. Then it takes a turn for the better and provides smiles as Sergeant Joe is once again called into service. And for good measure, the story ends with a heartwarming release of past hauntings.
This is a classic "haunted veteran" story and uses a combination of flashbacks and haunted dreams to tell us the back story. Aside from a few missing or misplaced words here and there, the story is well written and the author sports a good vocabulary. The story is also well paced and the story unfolds in a believable way.
The characters portrayed in the story are all well written and our protagonist develops nicely as more of the back story is revealed. The guest appearances of Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna all fall neatly into their canon character traits.
The reviewer highly recommends this fanfiction to all members of the military (and everyone else!). It's a story we can all relate to in one way or another and most of us will recognize the way the soldiers life in Equestria is portrayed.
PS: As a small teaser, both Princess Celestia AND Luna kisses somepony in this fanfic!
Ratings
| Originality: | 2 out of 5 rounds. |
| Composition: | 4 out of 5 rounds. |
| Characters: | 5 out of 5 rounds. |
| Imagery: | 4 out of 5 rounds. |
| Plot: | 4 out of 5 rounds. |
| Relatability: | 5 out of 5 rounds. |
| Overall: | 4 out of 5 rounds. |
