YMMV / Besides the Will of Evil

• Ass Pull:
  • Pinkie's recovery and subsequent power-up (to the point where she can literally beat Reiziger in his own turf) comes completely out of nowhere and doesn't make sense.
  • The fans have given Rarity's justification for her Face–Heel Turn a bad reaction as well, calling it flimsy and certainly not deserving of the pardon Celestia gave her.
• Designated Hero: Applejack is gathering allies by using her power to force the truth in a person's mind, which is exactly what Reiziger did to bring Equestria to its knees less than eight chapters earlier. She's never called out on this.
• Only the Author Can Save Them Now: The promised happy ending is getting less likely with every chapter. Even if Reiziger is defeated, Equestria is pretty much destroyed, most of its population has been killed (either through the wars or via collective suicide) and what's left of the deer don't have anywhere to call home anymore.
• Sequelitis: As this page can attest, the story has had a much more negative reception than its predecessor. The most cited reasons for this are the villain and the incredibly dark tone, especially compared to the original. Adding to this, the events of this story effectively render the entire previous story one massive Nice Job Breaking It, Hero, since disturbing the World Snake released Reiziger from his prison.
• Too Bleak, Stopped Caring: Numerous reviewers have criticized some chapters as being too dark (Pinkie is infected with Reiziger's blackness, Rarity and Rainbow being corrupted into his minions), the villain too powerful (Reiziger destroying Canterlot in less than a chapter), or any happy ending from this point as unbelievable. That and every good-aligned character having a firm grip on the Idiot Ball.

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