Title: A Beautiful World
Author: Sesc
Rating: T
Genre: Drama
Status: Twoshot, Complete
Library Category: General
Pairings: N/A
Summary: Each one has his own perspective, but in passing, they entwine.– In a world with Voldemort, Harry's fight is only one part of the story: A glimpse into life at the eve of revolution. Set during DH, broadly Canon-compliant. Twoshot.
Link: FFN WBA

A short story that was initially intended to introduce something greater, this is a piece that gives a window into the state of the Wizarding World in the final days of Voldemort's governance.

There's a story within it, and it works well, but the true draw of this fic lies in the depth of the worldbuilding - in what is shown, but even more what is hinted at. There's a complexity to the society that is captured here, and the Victorian theme works wonders. The "moments" aspect works well for showing multiple perspectives on Voldemort's revolution, with those suffering day-to-day not shied from.

4.5->5/5

 

What Sesc has done right now is shift the scope, which is what we view people and their actions from, to other seemingly unimportant people.

I think that is what makes this such an interesting read. What he's done is show us that war is not focused on one man or two, neither does it affect only one or two, rather it affects all.

That is what makes this fic as original as a fic can be.

Moving onwards, what really makes this something you can read and enjoy is the fact that with the idea, it executes it finely. The prose is sound, the grammar and dialogues done with care.

And of-course the crowning achievement of the fic is that it captures the environment so well.

From the foundations that J.K Rowling laid down all those years ago, are now being realized, and Sesc wonderfully builds upon the foundations provided with meticulous care, and as such, the product is that the story doesn't feel too artificial, and it doesn't downplay the changes taking place in the world either.

TL;DR: A fascinating look into the lives of seemingly unimportant people that brings into light the world at the time of the Dark Lord Voldemort's reign, while also (intentionally or not) emphasizing upon the fact that wars are not felt by few, neither are they won by some, rather, they affect everyone.

5/5.

 

I find myself unable to grasp the fic and I just skimmed it. It is technically sound and it has a new and unique concept by showing the action through the eyes of unknown characters.

That said, it is not my cup of tea.

 

You added the vote?

 

I'm going to agree with Romulus here. The writing is good, the way they speak does generate a good Victorian atmosphere, as do the politics in the second chapter, but...

Imo, its strengths are also its weaknesses. I don't particularly enjoy Victorian settings and the way they speak irritates me.

I'm still giving it 4/5, because:

1) the characters are consistent.
2) the writing is solid. It irritates me, but I can recognize quality regardless.
3) the plot makes sense
4) it gives some measure of world-building that feels consistent with canon.

But it doesn't get a 5 because:

1) the cut to canon feels more than a little abrupt.
2) i'm undecided whether I merely dislike Cecilia or want to strangle her until her neck snaps.

 

No, I didn't. I see no reason to give a story a bad rating, just because I didn't like it.

 

I agree with the common consensus - the story was well written. The grammar, structuring, and language use was great. Another aspect I liked was the use of multiple points of view. While this is not uncommon among fanfics, they generally use it as a sideshow while in this story having multiple points of view was key to the narrative.
One criticism I have is that some of the characters (such as Cecilia) felt very black and white. Also, the scene where Frederick explains himself to Nigel felt a bit naive/forced. I don't think most people would talk about forgery/bribery they have committed, even if they think they can get away with it.
I do think that most of my complaints are minor, and largely a result of the short length of the story. It is much harder to build complex characters or show rather than tell events when a story is compact. All in all, I think the author did a terrific job. I think the originality of the story compensates for any minor shortcomings, and it is definitely worth a read.

 

Fantastic writing, no doubt about it. It's often hard to remember in a story which mainly revolves around the protagonist and the antagonist that there are several other characters affected by their actions. This fic gives a glimpse of their situations. I'm not sure if such a thing was done by anyone else, so it certainly seems novel.
That said, the characters felt a little exaggerated. The speech was a bit annoying as well. While the Magical world is behind the times compared to the muggle one, nowhere in canon is it indicated that Victorian speech is used by anyone.
Despite its obvious flaws, I'd still recommend it for the sheer depth it possesses.

 

Everyone else has either decided that this story was really good or rubbish. Though this fanfiction had its bad points, it really is a good fanfiction. Considering that it offers views from not just one person, and it doesn't just focus on Harry Potter and the heroic acts that he is doing.
The bad things are that of the Victorian Speech. Honestly, I feel like that it's a bit of an overkill. Sure, they use parchment and quills, that doesn't mean that they should speak like those in the Victorian Era.
Point made, I feel like this should get a solid 4.5/5 rating.

 

The writing style mentioned in previous posts made it a bit tedious to read at times, and the second chapter seemed a bit boring to me with all the Cecilia pov. Regardless, the idea was great, and I enjoyed it overall. 4/5.

 

I simply loved it.
The prose was beautiful. I never expect this quality from the novels I've bought and paid for. To experience such delightful storytelling in a fanfiction felt wonderful. I'm sure we've all crafted those lines in our heads that sound so poetic. I know I certainly have. The entire story felt like a collection of those weaved together using the dialogue. The prose was a part of the world building and the narrative rather than simply a means to the end. It is so easy to get pretentious while writing in this manner but that was not the case here at all.
Same goes for the entire Victorian era theme. I dislike reading about the aristocrats and their politics, the bickering and nasty females, the entire charade. I mean, no reasonable person can like or admire Cecilia. But, I confess, I read the entire dialogue between her and the witches and enjoyed it. I did not scoff at Cecilia or her ambitions. I hate her as much as the next decent human being but I enjoyed the experience. The first chapter with the rotating points of view was done remarkably well. Rather than a gimmick it felt a necessity, it was as much a part of this story as the characters themselves.
And that is why I enjoyed this story so much. Everything was genuine and useful and important. A few hours ago I would have never imagined I would ever enjoy reading such a story. But I just loved it. 5/5 from me. This is a story that is a part of the HPverse but did not need to be. I mean, this deserves to be an original work far more than something like 50 Shades.