There's actually one more snippet that wasn't included in the document link. Just scroll down a bit to find it.

And I planned on writing out some thought provoking review of the newest chapter, but I'm having trouble getting my thoughts together. I'll give some input later then.

 

It doesn't work for me either. I went to BL and got the links to each part. Credit goes to chrnno, Riven, and Hymn of Ragnarok over at BL.

Debt of a Sword - Part 1
Debt of a Sword - Part 2
Debt of a Sword - Part 3
Debt of a Sword - Part 4
Debt of a Sword - Part 5
Debt of a Sword - Part 6
Debt of a Sword - Part 7
Debt of a Sword - Part 8
Debt of a Sword - Part 9
Debt of a Sword - Part 10
Debt of a Sword - Part 11
Debt of a Sword - Part 12
Debt of a Sword - Part 13

 

Don't get me wrong, I quite enjoy the Nasuverse. It's just, this doesn't feel like a story anymore

 

At times it can feel like it. I personally like exposition quite a bit, so it doesn't bother me too much, but recent stories that I have read have shown me the quality of 'show don't tell' writing. GB only uses 'tell' versions, apparently. It's gotten really bad with him recently--an entire chapter of 16k words, and all that really happens is healing a girl and explaining some more aspects of magecraft and/or backstory--something that should have been taken care of within one or two chapters so that actual plot can happen.

It's frustrating, because with this Shirou/Miya omake series has shown that gabriel CAN write a decent story. His earlier works in Kim Possible fandom--Ruinous and On Four Legs, in particular--were fantastic stories, and even recently with HoS it was so great that it spawned a succession of other crossovers. It's almost as if he got into a specific form of writing early in In Flight (or late in HoS) and has become so set in it that he can't get out of the style.

 

Just now found DoaS, and I have to say, that was miles better than In Flight. Not that IF is bad, but the infodumps and hijinks get in the way of the amazing storytelling that Gabriel is capable of. His skill really shines through when he writes what he enjoys, as exemplified in Debt of a Sword and Those who Love Monsters.

 

Yea, if you guys read author's note, he even said himself that he is really tired of writing about Shirou explaning magecraft to his group, but could not find a way to avoid it. He did mention though that he is ready to start moving the plot along though.

 

Debt of a Sword - Part 14 is up. Just scroll down and you'll find it. It also comes with an epilogue.

 

Blessing posted it in his/her profile. Somebody should put it up for review. (Yeah, I know I'm lazy.)

Edit: Added the link.

 

Updated with more character drama, a minimal amount of plot and general In-Flightiness.

 

Seems to be spinning its wheels right now.

 

Unsurprisingly enough, it's just more of the same issue:

Too many things have happened or need to happen, and none of those things relate to the plot.

The thing with Homura needed to - still needs to, in fact - get resolved, the thing with Yume needed to come out eventually, Rin and Saber still need to show up (cue more nonplot drama), yet another voice (Chiho) was added to the inevitable clusterfuck every conversation turns into...

I keep reading this story and I keep finding flaws with its execution, but I still enjoy it. Not too sure why, but I still do.

 

The sad part? Gabriel thought there was too much going on in this chapter and that he needs to pace himself more.

 

Has he been writing any more fics on the side in his sub-forum? Debt of a Sword was good.

 

He's done a recent string of omake's involving Shirou getting conned into joining the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors. It wasn't that good.

 

On the "Shirou Emiya, Eroge Protagonist", there are some omakes called "Sky's Castle Nights" an SAO/Eroge Protagonist, that was not written by GB but, that are at least not too bad.

Start at Post 1,362, with 11 parts so far, there is the usual fanwank over IF Shirou, but the characters in SAO get their time to shine.

 

Goddamn, Debt of a Sword showed that he has the talent to write more concise, enjoyable pieces, but IF still drags like a dog's ass on the new carpet. I'm enjoying it, but in the time it took for the last 3 chapters to come out and have no plot happen, pretty much the entirety of Postnupital Disagreements came out and knocked it off the throne of best F/SN crossover.

 

Is anyone else supremely frustrated with the Mechanics of In Flight forum for having so much potential creativity and reading material yet absolutely no organization?

 

Le Update.

GB called this 'the last great infodump' so I'm feeling marginally better about where this is going. Assuming this really was the last and the promised plot for the next chapter happens, then this could be the point where the ball gets rolling.

...But this is chapter 33 and it's only just happening. I can't really say anything that hasn't already been said, so just read it and throw out some opinions.

 

It wasn't particularly interesting, and I'm pretty sure I ended up skimming the whole thing. If GB hadn't promised to get the ball rolling starting next chapter (fucking finally), I would have finally stopped following this story.

 

Then again, wasn't the whole raid on the hospital, and the start of the third stage meant to be that? Getting the ball rolling?

This could be one chapter of action, then another 3 of more info dumps.