The Journal of the Two Sisters

[schnee]

Well, that didn't take so long; I actually finished the Journal of the Two Sisters today, so I might as well write about it.

Unlike The Elements of Harmony, which it shares its overall design with, this is an in-universe book, written from an in-universe perspective. You won't find anything about the show here; you'll find material from the show,

Comments

[porsupah]

Hmm. I'm sort of inclined to believe it's either:

(a) MKR not quite having the courage to forge ahead with a more mature style befitting more mature characters (and really, one only need look at the wealth of kid lit to see there's no shortage of excellent writing, as enjoyable by adults as children, such as anything from Roald Dahl, "Jennie" by Paul Gallico, or all of Narnia), or,

(b) TPTB laid down certain specifications for the book, including a younger reading age, removing that discretion from her.

Still, doesn't sound like a bad work, just more of a thing for completists than something everypony should ensure they pick up. Or levitate.

so I was dismayed that they often sounded like modern-day teenagers rather than Equestrian princesses

Equestria: The Frozen Years? =:D

[schnee]

You're right, it's likely one of those - and like the second, since even not knowing anything about Amy at all other than that she wrote a bunch of enjoyable MLP episodes, I'm disinclined to believe she'd lack the moxie to write a book for adults AND kids. (Both of which would've enjoyed a "deeper" book more, undoubtedly.)

If you're looking to collect all the books, then yes, you should certainly pick it up. If not... there's no harm in doing so, but no real harm in missing it, either.

Equestria: The Frozen Years? =:D

*groan* That's not too far off the mark, actually... though it's still a little more childish even than that.

[ungulata]

I also bought and read that book a month or so ago. And quickly gave it away. I agree, it was disappointing. We still have no clue as to the princesses origins and the book does not cover some key events such as the Hearth's Warming history, the fall of the Crystal Empire, Discord, or Luna's transformation into Nightmare Moon. I didn't buy the line that Starswirl and the unicorns were burning out from all the heavy sun/moon lifting.

The Friendship Journal half of the book rambled and was hard to read. I think it may have been a bit off from what we saw in-show as well.

[schnee]

I didn't buy the line that Starswirl and the unicorns were burning out from all the heavy sun/moon lifting.

Oh yeah, that was one of the book's weakest spots.

. Literally every single last unicorn including Star Swirl permanently loses their magic because raising the sun and moon is so arduous, yet they're too polite to even so much as inform the sisters, despite the alicorns possessing vastly more powerful magic? That's just plain unbelievable.

And then after all their magic is gone, the alicorn princesses not just succeed them in their task, but also just restore the unicorns' magic? Hardly great storytelling; essentially it's just "everything was fine again. How? Awizardidit." As that trope's page notes, "this trope is not about magic per se note , but any kind of handwave; it happened because the author wanted it to, end of story", and I think that's exactly the case here, though it may have been TPTB rather than the author.

The Friendship Journal half of the book rambled and was hard to read. I think it may have been a bit

[ungulata]

I want so much to like this book. 8^(

[schnee]

I know what you mean. I had very high hopes for it myself.