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WIP A Show of Force by UnwelcomeStorm - T - Worm

Discussion in 'Worm' started by Vira, Apr 3, 2016.

4.2857141494751/5, 7 votes
  1. Vira

    Vira Third Year ~ Prestige ~

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    Apr 3, 2016 #1
    Title: A Show of Force.
    Author: UnwelcomeStorm.
    Rating: T.
    Genre: Alternate Universe / Alt!Power.
    Status: In-Progress.
    Fandom: Worm.
    Pairings: None.
    Summary: Endbringers don’t exist, but the locker still happens and Taylor changes. To Emma, it’s nothing she can’t handle, but she has yet to realize she is surely outmatched.
    Link: https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/a-show-of-force-worm-au.22300/

    Now what do I say about this fic? On the surface, it’s a normal alt-power, though because it’s in Emma’s POV, it takes a while to realize what powers Taylor has. In actuality, the world is very AU. Cauldron exists, but is different. The same goes for many characters.

    This fic sometimes changes POV from Emma, but it never goes to Taylor. Instead, Taylor is seen through multiple perspectives and damn, she’s a badass. Emma is a protagonist in the style of Cercei Lannister. She’s loathsome, but it’s fun to watch her get outsmarted and try to think her way out of situations.

    Emma gets a Lung-variant power from alt-Cauldron, but still gets trounced by Taylor, who barely lifts a finger. It’s fitting that Taylor’s power is a variant of Oni Lee’s and boy, does she make it work.
    Despite the number of chapters, it feels like this story is still getting started. The writing is fun and I can’t wait to see how things progress.

    3.5/5 -> 4/5.
     
  2. Halt

    Halt 1/3 of the Note Bros. Moderator

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    Apr 3, 2016 #2
    The story is definitely not your bog standard alt!power fic and it's an AU in the truest sense of the word - the kind where you don't expect it to come anywhere close to canon. Both are pluses in my book.

    It's not without its flaws though. The technical writing feels odd to read at places, especially for Emma's part. For the amount of introspection she does (and a lack of dialogue imho), her character feels like it lacks nuance or insight. This doesn't make her fun or interesting to read about. It's an almost stereotypical fanon portrayal played straight and that doesn't quite sit well with me as a believer of the whole "Everyone is a hero of their own story". That made the first arc read very weak to me.

    The interludes in the first arc were interesting, but ultimately too short to show enough character development to warrant them, as well as being unrelated to the plot seemingly. Others felt like they were just thrown in for the story to feel different, which is not a good reason in my opinion.

    The second arc is where the writing really picks up, because Emma is no longer the viewpoint character you might say. The interludes here were much better too and seems to be actual set up and not just filler content.

    Ultimately though, there's not enough to judge. I'd give it an extremely tentative 2.5/5 for now, rounding up. It's not library worthy in its current form (i.e. if the author decides to abandon it this instance), but it definitely has the potential to get there.
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2016
  3. Vira

    Vira Third Year ~ Prestige ~

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    Aug 17, 2016 #3
    So, I recently ran back in this story and caught up. It's reached twenty chapters and damn, it's good.

    While arc one is in Emma's POV, arc two branches out to multiple POVs. Notably, Taylor's isn't one of them and this story shines because of it. Taylor's motivations are a mystery and as I said in the OP, how people perceive her is just fun. The supporting characters are great and the writer embraces an AU world. This may pose a problem for some people because a couple recent chapters have raised SOD-breaking questions on how this all works, but that doesn't bother me.

    Raising my rating from a shaky 3.5-4/5 to a solid 4/5. Not quite at a 4.5/5 yet, but close.
     
    Telrath
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