YMMV / Victory at Ostagar

• Crack Pairing: Shapeshifted Velanna/Leopold the wyvern.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Leonas Bryland, who was a minor NPC in the game, is quite popular among the reviewers thanks to his expanded role in the fic showing him as being one of the few unambiguously good and progressive nobles. And many were upset at his shocking death in Chapter 98.
• Funny Moments:
  • Mahariel touting the Dalish staple food of halla-milk yogurt, and the ensuing discussion.
    Zevran gave them all a dazzling smile. "I have some acquaintance with it myself. In my time among the Dalish we had hallenansal for breakfast every day. And for supper. And for snacks. Sometimes it was mixed with herbs or with shredded raw fish. Or with roots and berries. Or seeds and nuts. Every day." The dazzling smile became a trifle glazed.
  • Tara and Jowan's joyous reunion.
    She hit him again. "And now I'm a Grey Warden, and guess what? You're conscripted. Conscripted! Conscripted! Conscripted!"
  • The times when Bronwyn sounds like an exasperated parent.
    Bronwyn: Maker's Breath! Be careful! Their blood is deadly poison, and you have no immunity!
    Brosca: But you practically drink the stuff, Boss!
    Bronwyn: I'm a Warden, and you're a recruit. When you're a Warden you can drink their blood, too!
    [...]
    "Looks good," Soren said, sniffing at a pitcher. "Not poisoned, is it?"
    "We're in the middle of a battle," Bronwyn explained kindly. "And you had a very good breakfast."
    "That's true," the dwarf replied, unabashed, "but I vote that when we clear out this lot we come back here and collect some rightful plunder."
    "We'll see," Bronwyn said repressively, and then could have headslapped herself for sounding exactly like her mother.
  • The dwarves' opinion regarding surface weather...
    Nobody told us that that Stone-forsaken Maker of yours was going to piss on us!
  • The Wardens' first encounter with the Imperial Suite. One of them says it's even nicer than the Pearl. Aveline explains fainting sofas ("Ladies swoon away on it decoratively, either before or after entertaining their gentlemen friends on it") and Adaia engages in art criticism ("I think her bottom is too big"). And that's before they go into the bathroom.
  • Crowning Funny Background Event: The implication that Bronwyn's companions have been taking turns wearing Caridin's crown before delivering it to Orzammar.
• Heartwarming Moments: The second epilogue. Bronwyn realizes that Morrigan's daughter Brangaine is Urthemiel reborn. She then realizes Brangaine is still a child, and the story ends with giving her a hug and offering to take her to Andraste's hidden shrine.
• Ho Yay: In-universe, Bryce and Eleanor Cousland had their suspicions about Loghain and Maric. Much later, after Loghain abandons his throne and family in search of Maric, Morrigan mocks Bronwyn during a bitter argument by saying, "It is not I whose husband left me for another man."
• Moment of Awesome: A multitude, with some examples below:
  • One at the very beginning, when Bronwyn—realizing the Tower of Ishal is probably infested with darkspawn—climbs the outside of the tower to light the beacon in time.
  • Fergus rescuing Anora from the Denerim Cathedral with another tower climb, followed by Jowan healing her with the Sacred Ashes in public.
  • Astrid's triumphant return to Orzammar and acclamation as a Paragon.
• Take That, Scrappy!: Perhaps not quite as evident without reading the author's notes that express deep dislike for the character, but Tallis contracts the Blight disease in an ill-fated attempt to retrieve the Tome of Koslun, refuses to attempt a cure by joining the Wardens, and is stabbed in the back by another Qunari who thinks of it as a Mercy Kill.