As a father of two mares and a foal, I enjoy the Daring Do series as much as they do and I appreciate that they have aspects that adults can enjoy as well. When Alicorn's Shadow came out, I immediately purchased a copy. As we read together, I was quite astonished at how...different this one is.
I don't want to spoil anything for anypony, so I'll give a brief synopsis: Daring Do has found the ancient battlefield of the battle between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon, but she isn't the only one who has found it. Enter Sebastius Mareton, a treasure hunter who lacks the morals Daring has. The race is on to find the ancient battleground, unawares of the dark remnants of Nightmare Moon's powers.
We were so used to the goofiness and lack of foresight of Ahuizotl. Mareton is a completely different monster all together.
I do appreciate the similarities between Daring and Mareton. It seems to be that Mareton is what Daring could've been if she didn't have her family. It is dark, but in a surprisingly mature way that does not betray the themes or the intended demographic. What I should warn ponies about is that for some parents, it may be a bit too dark for them. But I argue that sometimes books intended for foals and mares can be if handled competently, like it is in Alicorn's Shadow.
The Alicorn's Shadow: Surprisingly Dark But Nowhere Near A Bad Thing
As a father of two mares and a foal, I enjoy the Daring Do series as much as they do and I appreciate that they have aspects that adults can enjoy as well. When Alicorn's Shadow came out, I immediately purchased a copy. As we read together, I was quite astonished at how...different this one is.
I don't want to spoil anything for anypony, so I'll give a brief synopsis: Daring Do has found the ancient battlefield of the battle between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon, but she isn't the only one who has found it. Enter Sebastius Mareton, a treasure hunter who lacks the morals Daring has. The race is on to find the ancient battleground, unawares of the dark remnants of Nightmare Moon's powers.
We were so used to the goofiness and lack of foresight of Ahuizotl. Mareton is a completely different monster all together.
I do appreciate the similarities between Daring and Mareton. It seems to be that Mareton is what Daring could've been if she didn't have her family. It is dark, but in a surprisingly mature way that does not betray the themes or the intended demographic. What I should warn ponies about is that for some parents, it may be a bit too dark for them. But I argue that sometimes books intended for foals and mares can be if handled competently, like it is in Alicorn's Shadow.
Grade: A-