The best way to suffer is loudly and near others. In addition, I am yet again adding something to the format: I will only put a review on the Scribblehub page if I have something positive to say about the story. There’s a lot of dreck out there and yes, I can post a mean review of a bad story. Really, all that does is tell the author, who probably cares very deeply, that I want to ruin their day. I’m mean but I’m not that mean. My job here is to draw attention to good stories that are underrated.
The Rules
1: No AI. If your book cover has AI, if your book text is AI, or if you admit to using AI anywhere in your writing process, you go right on the slop heap. The slop heap is worse than the trash heap, because trash can be entertaining, even good, even if it’s trashy. You’re neither. Get the fuck out of here with that.
You do not get anything for tricking me and slipping AI past the radar. This shit is everywhere. However, AI detectors are laughably unreliable, there is no perfect way to catch it. I’ll be pissed if I find out.
2: I will give your work a fair shot. ALWAYS. This does not mean reading the entire thing, it means at least checking out a few chapters in. Tolstoy was long-winded because he got paid per word, and some of these stories make Tolstoy look like a bathroom advertisement.
3: I will leave a review on your Scribblehub page. It’s very difficult to get reviews for anything, good or bad. Most people don’t want to leave them. Well, I will. I will try to be constructive, too. Be the change you want to see in the world.
How Ratings Work
I will give your story letter grades in the departments. These are subjective, which if you’re new to the concept of artistic appreciation, is true for all works of art. Art is a conversation between the creator and the reader, it requires both, it will always be subjective. They are A through F, with A being good, and F being proFoundly bad. I can give out + or – added to the end but not for F, if you get an F reconsider everything. F’s are usually for a lack of eFFort, or perhaps, lack of skill(F).
Which categories get letter grades varies. Not all stories are the same, some have precious little dialogue and must be coddled and kept warm like a baby bird who drinks drinks with a lot of ice in them. I can’t give out a letter grade for dialogue to a story that has little dialogue.
Not all of these stories are TF stories. Sorry, I know that’s what you’re into but you’re gonna have to meet people who write about things like getting on the bus and don’t even turn into a bug.
A Nice Hike can Change Everything
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/2627374/a-nice-hike-can-change-everything
Oh shit this one actually is a TF story.
Trans Positivity – A
We got a literal egg and a harpy TF. It’s a quick TF but hey, it’s a TF and we like that.
Descriptions – C
We are told things about the houses of the harpies, namely, that the characters enter one. What’s it look like? Don’t know. What do harpies look like? No idea! This story isn’t interested in telling you.
Overall – B
There are the beginnings of a literary career here. Add some more descriptions to flesh out the immediate environment better. I see ideas, I want to read more about those ideas.
Very brief, so if you want a very quick trans-positive story you can do a lot worse than this one. Overall a recommend.
Kamen Rider Birth: Born to Stand
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/2173891/kamen-rider-birth-born-to-stand
The well on Super Sentai and Power Rangers is pretty barren these days so what the fuck if we checked out some Kamen Rider stories? I am far less familiar with Kamen Rider as a whole so this’ll be exciting.
Melodrama – B+
There’s a lot of melodrama, starting with a dude finding his wife cheating on him with his boss and leaving home. It’s lovely. It’s so corny. He meets a random guy who gives him Kamen Rider gear and speaks in platitudes. Heap it on me. I want more.
Future Sight – A
The description of what’s going on is third-person but contains the thoughts of our hero, Aster, suggesting it’s third-person limited. Even still, he is handed a Kamen Rider belt and tools. Aster does not know what a Kamen Rider is even though he is told their name by his benefactor, and sorta forgets. It’s great how things appear and are named before the character knows their names, it’s extremely disorienting.
Action – D
This action sucks. Way too many extra line breaks, one-liners that aren’t one-liners, and it’s just unexciting overall.
Overall:
Not very good! Not worth your time. Has lots of mechanical problems, the action is boring, and all it has is over-the-top melodrama which is best in very small doses.
We are just not doing well on the sentai-adjacent series are we?
The Unshackled Princess: A Journey of Freedom and Divine Awakening.
Yes the title has a period in it, don’t say I don’t ever show you exotic things. This is also a reader request. Maybe it’ll be good!
Disney – A+
Our story is about a cloistered princess who is wanting more. As I follow a strict anti-monarchist bent I encourage her to abdicate and get the hell out of that palace. The rest of them? Off with their heads!
Anti-Disney – A+
One of Zara’s older sisters is named Olivia but gets referred to as a prince at least twice. This is extremely anti-Disney, they’d cut that out and have the writer shot in the Disney Land parking lot. That, or it’s just a technical error because a lot of the prose is careless. There are tense-errors and dialogue problems galore.
Overall
I like it. The story is going places quite early even if it has some clumsy mechanical problems. Worth a read.
Seriously though is Olivia a brother or a sister I feel like I’m going crazy.
Wrap Up
Honestly I’m as confused as you are about these ones.
[…] Find solace in the dumpster, protected from the elements. Episode 5 is out. […]
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