That was an excellent story. Especially good was the balance between realism/cynicism and optimism/idealism. Hope you get around to writing a sequel or epilogue sometime!
Review By [Teucrian] • Date [25 Jun 12] • Not Rated
Ok, the story is going off the rails at this point. I typically avoid Xander-centric stories as 9 out of 10 them turn out to be pure Xander Stu fics. This story has danced on the edge of that for chapters now while still managing to be a decent semi-Fix Fic.
But it's now just leapt off the slippery slope. *Absolutely nothing* in the show ever suggested that the Hei Bai forest spirit was the spirit of *all* forests and *all* wood and plants on the entire planet, or that it had real-time control of all wood and all plants everywhere to this degree! This is deus ex machina of the worst kind, pulled from nowhere, allowing the protagonists to push a "we win, you lose" button with no real in-story justification.
Comments from author:
was there anything that said he wasn't?
now that may seem like a copout statement but consider the other spirits, Roku's Dragon assistant just as an example, for the most part all they could do was communicate and sometimes take form, yet even without the equinox AND with most of it's power base (The forest) Destroyed Hai-Bai managed to take full corporeal form AND destroy a small town kidnap Dozens of people and TRANSORT THEM into the spirit world, a task that requires considerable effort from even the Avatar all with very little effort, it was far more powerful than any of the other spirits with the exception of the big sea creature thing in the last episode that let Aang break a persons bending arts... heck the only other spirits to EVER show that level of power was the Twin Moon fish Spirits in the Water Tribe, and even then only during the full moon.
in all what would ever make you think it was JUST a forest spirit?
secondly it doesn't push a 'We win' Scenario, in fact it pushes the Fire Nation into finding it's own spirits for power leading to an arms race very similar to the Nuclear arms race of the fifies, they are already prepared to kill spirits (Again the fish Spirits) making the Socio-political climate FAR more dangerous and interesting in the future, Because seriously, who do you suspect the Fire lord will send out to get Spirit Allies? And precisly how stable will those spirits be?
The water tribe already has some, the Earth nation will need to jump on the bandwagon or be overrun quickly and things begin to spiral...
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the fic, don't worry it will not be continued anytime soon.
Review of chapter "Parting of Ways" from AlphaBeta
Review:
First LOVE the story! Second, sad to see that you have to stop for now. But, it also sounds like you will be back. Will be looking forward to your next instalment then. Hopefully it won't be to long.
Comments from author:
I am hoping to return eventualy, but i need to get some things straight first so it may be a while.
I am glad you enjoyed the fic.
Review By [AlphaBeta] • Date [22 May 12] • Not Rated
Review of chapter "Parting of Ways" from JonnyNapalm
Review:
I've absolutely loved the Big Brother story and am thrilled to see a new entry up. You've done a magnificent job taking the original world and helping it evolve into something new and wonderful, while keeping a great many of the things that made Avatar fantastic. Your characterizations are all rich and vibrant while holding those ineffable qualities that make each of them who they are. Thank you for sharing it with us. I wish you all kinds of joy and inspiration in whatever you work on next, and hope to see you still writing in future, even if this story doesn't get revisited.
Comments from author:
Thanks, i really enjoyed this... but dropping fifty thousand words on my beta seemed to have overloaded her, forcing the whole thing to drag on to a point i would rather it didn't, it was either damage a relationship, or drop the story for now... and a story is easier to pick up than a friendship so...
Review By [JonnyNapalm] • Date [20 May 12] • Rating [10 out of 10]
Review of chapter "Parting of Ways" from Studyofchaos
Review:
I was never a big Avatar fan so I didn't follow your story before. I was pleasantly suprised to find I enjoyed your version. I'm sorry to hear of your personal issues and hope they work out in your favour.
Comments from author:
Thanks, i am glad you enjoyed it, no worries about the issues... i am still young enough to bounce back from most things... but that is rapidly running out, and i am not as bouncy as i once was...
Review By [Studyofchaos] • Date [20 May 12] • Not Rated