I can see where Newcomb is coming from. Normally, you'd give a bit of a leeway to these sorts of things; you can't expect everyone to write on the level of a published author on fanfiction. But in the first chapter alone, he says that he's sent manuscripts to publishing agencies.

You would expect more on that alone, even with daily updates. Had he not try to colour his readers' perception of him, maybe this wouldn't have blown up so much.

 

Is not a very good metric of quality. Plenty of published authors have less than amazing writings. David Eddings springs to mind.

 

With the length of this thread and the quality of the debates on pros and cons, I thought the read was worth a shot. I was disappointed. I liked some of the clichés but really couldn't get past the oddity of characterizations. Everyone felt off. Harry didn't seem darker at all, just a little more bitchy. Not sure if they got the angst right, not that I'd want them to have any angst at all. The characters' emotions and reactions seemed tuned up either too high or too left...

I have to agree with Zombie's last post the most. It'd be great if good stories didn't go off anywhere to die.

 

Its easy reading, there's nothing spectacular about it, but its better than the majority of stuff out there. There's a good regular update pattern, and the author seems to have a clear idea of where he's going with it. Some of the characters are flat, some are well developed. Some of the ideas are older cliches, but they aren't badly written, and to my mind are being pretty well used, so I've got no issues with them being included.

 

I do have an innate dislike of Magical Cores in any story, because it entirely screws up my head canon/ideas related to Rowling's concept of Magic in the HP world.

Read the first chapter and almost didn't get past the "Harry learned everyhting over the Summer and now knows a better way to cast spells and learned all sorts of Magik's"

It's definitely decent, but I can't read it.

Haven't read nor will read enough to give it a proper score

 

If we're going to inflate ratings just to save writers' egos, there doesn't seem to be much point in having ratings at all.

 

I tend to rate higher than I normally would just to offset some of the ridiculously critical reviews I see.

I probably should stop doing that.

I basically agree with the kinder words said about this story. It's nothing amazing, but a nice story to just chill with every day or two. Nothing too amazing has happened, but nothing too cringe worthy either. I enjoy it, but I'll never reread it or offer it praise either.

 

Oh dear. Well, at least the patronus isn't a basilisk or a phoenix like the most obvious indy!harry stories.

 

Compare what HPFF produced 8 years ago to what it produces today. The difference in quality is very noticeable.

 

Did I say less authors means better quality? No, what I said is that the quality has risen throughout the years, sure there aren't as many authors active, but it is far from dying.

Does this mean that we should give a story higher rating than it deserves just to make the authors feel better? For me its a obvious no. You are far from the harshest critic around if thats a yes for you.

 

With the fandom is in its death spiral it has become increasingly harder to find good stories to read. Most of the great authors don't release more than 1 or 2 chapters a month if we are lucky. That leaves a lot of time we are left to settle on 2nd or even 3rd tier fics. This one definitely falls into that category. It's a fun pastime but little more. 2.5/5

 

I'd put that as "What is the use of daily updates, if I can skim 80% of the content without prohibiting my understanding of the story and have a better time doing so?"

I can put up with and enjoy many of the tropes the previous posters have brought up, my sole complaint lies with having to experience them repeatedly. I wish the author would cut down on his verbosity and move the plot forward without having to hammer in the same point multiple times. Take the most recent chapter as an example, Katie-Ginny drama, Patronus drama, Salazar scene, longing for Fleur, looking down on his classmates - it's the same every chapter and the plot hardly moves forward at all.