Reviewer: lightwing Signed [Report This]
Date: July 13 2019 8:09 AM Title: ACT III: L'heure fatidique

Wow.  I came for the fetish and stayed for the plot.  This story was phenominal kept me hooked the whole time.  Merphomenee's desire to have a friend but her pride as a goddess preventing that, Summer's desire to be that friend like she was but knowing she would be downgraded to pet.  Something that surprises me is that people actually return to the destroyed cities and rebuild them.  One would think there would be spiteful types who would deny the goddess satisfaction and obediance, but that's just me.

 

The ending was a surprise where she actualy came over and destroyed Summer's home and conquered the place.  And that tragic ending.  At the same time I note that the people's broken spirits made them stop partying and enjoying themselves and merely work like drones for the goddess.  It seems that while, Merphomenee enjoyed what the city was before, she destoryed that part of it when she conquered it and made just another tribute slave state.

 

The defiant part of me wants to see Merphomenee spited in some way, like another god or something burning her capital for fun while she isn't there but I've been watching a lot of attack on titan so maybe not.  It would be interesting to see Merphomenee's thought on the matter, like is she completely over her former friend? Does she feel more isolated now that she's done this to her former friend. Will that affect her behavior in the future?  And what are her sisters and parents like?  It would be funny to me if other gods do have mortal friends while Merphomenee does not simply because their personalities are different.

Author's Response: I find it interesting how differently readers reacted to the way the story concluded and which questions linger in their minds. Many feel strongly about Merphomenee, even though she does not act unlike other giantesses who have embarked on destructive rampages through cities in other stories. Thank you for posting your thoughts and enjoying the story!

Reviewer: Curvograph Signed [Report This]
Date: June 29 2019 3:30 PM Title: ACT III: L'heure fatidique

Writing a review for this chapter would present a challenge even if it was not the final one. As it is, the level of difficulty is doubled as it is also the review of the whole story.

Let me start from the easy things. From the technical point of view, there is nothing to complain about and the first person perspective shines here in emphasising the terror of Louelle's citizens. Whilst most of the time the narrator seems distant (which is understandable, given the setting), the destruction of Theraveria's capital is covered in an extremely detailed manner and the camera seems to follow the protagonist in a fluent, continuous motion (understandable and even expected, considering how deeply the most traumatic memories may be rooted in one's mind).

Now we get to the tricky part. It is true, that the resolution of this tale was any reader's guess, the way it did end has, however, always been a possibilty. I will not lie, getting through this chapter was a soul-wrenching experience. To make matters worse, the massacre itself was not the hardest part. Surely, the everpresent pain, death and gore were horrible, but they are an integral part of any war. Even considering the history of  human conflicts, life, be it of a man, a woman or a child, is cheap and innocents are rarely spared. What follows a typical conflict, however, is a period of peace. Given enough time, joy once again swells in the hearts. Not in this scenario; what follows is just... emptyness. A void that cannot be filled and an oppression that cannot be overturned by human means. One can even argue, that the dead, the first victims, got the easy way out. And our Protagonist probably got the worst fate: to be there the whole time, witness all the events and live with the blame, forever questioning her choices.

The retospective narrative coupled with time jump at the end, when the system is settled, make the ending one of the most haunting I have ever read. At times it seems as though Summerlyn was speaking from beyond the grave, while telling the readers of her legacy, though it can be assumed she is still alive at that point in time. It is really painful to see her, one who was in direct and intimate contact with divinity, in her twilight years, body deteriorated and withered, an undisputable and final proof of human frailty. In a universe, where humanity was defenseless, she took it upon herself to be its advocate and ultimately she shared the fate of those she tried to protect...

Finally, I have to relate to the structure of the whole story: it bears resemblence to Dante's 'Divine Comedy' (more accurately, its inverse) in more than name. In the first act the Protagonist is experiencing bliss and love; in the second act she sees misery, but one that is not directly connected to her and victims of which believe it serves some higher purpose. Finally, her life takes the most ruinous of possible paths, ending with the promise of bleak and hopeless future. From a narrative point of view though, among the books I read, it is best compared to 'Till we have faces' by C.S. Lewis...

I like to entertain the thought that, at least in this world (as hinted by Merphomenee), death is not the end and other powers exist, and maybe, jest maybe, valiant Summerlyn's journey is not yet complete...

 

 

Probably the best story on this site. For better or worse, completely unforgettable.

12/10

 

Author's Response: 12/10? That is a flattering assessment, and I deeply appreciate the thoughtful review! I think, for me at least, I told the story that I wanted to convey, so I leave poor Summerlyn to her unhappy fate and have nothing else to write concerning her or Merphomenee. I've often kept in mind a word of advice I was given: "Your story is your attempt to convince everyone else that these people are real." Because of this I want to craft stories with memorable characters whom my readers can relate to, love, or pity. But I'm also often hesitant to post my writing, since from what I understand most readers here are only interested in the fetish aspect and would be bored with my long worldbuilding or slow-paced plot. For someone to call my writing completely unforgettable is a response I will cherish. Thank you for always being devoted enough to read and leave me thoughtful feedback!