Re reading this chapter not long ago reminded me of how good it actually was. There’s this strong bond that Shantae and Rottytops have in this story. For me, Chapter 7 is one of them where you feel it the most. I often find that fiction lately has lacked the portrayal of that bond, which settles neither in the realm of Friendship nor Romantic Love, but in its own place. Such a thing feels very real, as it happens often in the actual world more than people think. Maybe I’m overanalyzing it, but I feel you do that well here, and in the story as a whole.

Staying on point, I like the horror elements in this chapter, especially towards the end of it. Your description of the environments and how they transition are exceptional, and I also enjoy how you describe Shantae’s feelings as she is given no choice but to watch events unfold. I regret not commenting on this one earlier. Awesome work!

So... we're at the end here.

Let me just say that I love the way Shantae and Rotty wrap up their own conflict. Its not with fists flying or some contest of words as most things would end... they just solve things the way a couple of innocent friends would. Fricken love Abner's reaction to the whole thing. Its great that what finally gets through to Rotty and convinces her that what she's doing is wrong is just being able to laugh and throw verbal jabs with a friend, very thematic.

The big fight... man, there is just so much happening to keep me entertained at each and every instance. Again, as a guy who has only a broad grasp of the series there's probably a fair bit that goes completely over my head throughout the final battle but I have my share of highlights.
The best moment has to be Holly's cameo: now you see her, now you don't!

Sky and Risky are the standouts among the secondary cast. I'm so into how their relationship has developed into this master-apprentice status and they really seem to have some solid comradery going. I would happy read a story just about the two of them going on pirate adventures. I hear some old tales about a legendary pirate king who left everything he owned in one piece...

I will say that I feel like I'm missing some things in this story. Maybe I just have to read it over again in one sitting so I can remember better but I do have some points of confusion.
It kind of dumbfounded me just where all these Cured individuals came from. I pretty much just went along with it because the big battle was so entertaining but I have no idea how Mimic managed to free that many people. Did I completely gloss over that?
I'm also wary of the status of Bolo's monster friends. I'd been under the impression that they had only gained "sentience" because of the influence of the Monster Queen but even with her gone they still seem pretty civil. I'm not upset that the effects are permanent, I just don't feel it was entirely clear that that would be the case. I was actually very much of the mind that there'd be a moment where Bolo's friends would have to choose whether or not they'd be willing to sacrifice their newfound mindsets as another layer of conflict. I don;t know, I feel like that should have gotten more focus.

The bit in the Genie Realm being an exposition dump was a bummer. Granted, I know it would have broken the pace to start exploring a completely new place in the middle of this big endgame invasion, but I was really excited to see more than we got. The dialogue exchange itself was pretty good here: emotional, easy to follow, humorous at points.

This last stretch of the story overall makes me think of the end of a manga series that's run a long time and now the higher ups are urging the creator to finish because sales are dropping. You can feel the "urge" to speed towards the finish line and the overall atmosphere of the setting seems sloppier than it used to be. I think the pacing here is definitely not as even as it was in the beginning where things were moving at the pace of a good mystery. That's probably a byproduct of the genre "shifting" towards action at the end there, but its noticeable enough to mildly impact my enjoyment.

I am satisfied with the end here. There are a few good loose ends that have the potential for further stories and I'm digging where all the major players are at this point.
I hope to see more, whenever its ready.

My triumphant return!

Alright then, I'll cut off my reading session here just so I can focus my feedback a little better.

First things first, and I really can't keep saying this enough, you are a master of characterization. Maybe its just the Shantae series, but I'll say you write their dialogue spot-on. The tone, the wordplay, the relationship between different personas within the story, it all feels like it was directly lifted from the games. And its entertaining! There are so many points where our characters are engaging in conversation and I have to step back from my chair a moment because you just send a humor-ized cruise missile straight into my house. That's gold right there, my friend.

And you still manage to take things a step further. The foreboding atmosphere that's been building throughout the story keeps me, as a reader, grounded in the fact that this is a serious situation. What's happening to Sequin Land is basically this universe's Age of Ultron, there are things at stake here and emotions are running high. Special mention to Shantae and Mimic finally making up as well as Sky's lacking sense of worth in contributing to the final fight. Just great moments all around.

Risky is the best. There's no contest in my mind for my favorite character, she just says all the best stuff. I really get the sense that she finds herself hopelessly surrounded by idiots, begrudgingly working with them because their her best option whilst simultaneously holding back any sort of growing respect or affection in a way that only just comes across as slightly tsundere. In short, perfect villain/hero team-up and yet another parallel to good old Loki: the best part of the Thor movies.

Its interesting to see so late into the story that I still have no clear read on an actual "villain" in all this. Rotty is in the role of "the antagonist" but it almost seems more like we're in a kind of hostage situation where the goal of our story's proper heroes is to save a friend rather than defeat the bad guy. It just so happens here that the "friend" and "bad guy" are the same person which throws me off a little. In a good way, just to clarify.
And we've not heard anything further from the "Monster Queen" who I thought had been acting as somewhat of an adviser/influencer for Rotty in the early parts of the story. Not sure if Rotty somehow managed to "terminate" her or if the Voice is still somewhere in the background, biding its time. And then I'm not even sure which side it would support should the Voice return as it seems the previous Monster Queen wasn't quite as malevolent as the title may suggest.
Of course Risky's in the mix and she can go a dozen ways all at once.

Finally... the genies.
I think I'll save my thoughts on this until I read of our protagonist's adventures in the Genie Realm.

Whoo, that was a lot. I'll try to get through to the end within the week, sum up my final thoughts for you. Til next time.

I’ve found it difficult to sum up in simple words how Tangled Tales has had an effect on me, and on the quality of the overall story. I will try to make my review as brief as possible.

As directors know, much about how a movie is perceived by its audience has quite a bit to do with how it’s directed. The same applies to writing. Sir A.I.C Doyle liked to play tricky pranks, and was a perfect fit for writing a story like the Sherlock Holmes volumes. If Tangled Tales was written by anyone other than Riley Ara, perhaps it wouldn’t have been that good.

Yet, it was. Now, we have this Fanfiction, which aims not only to entertain us in ways that we’d expect - based on the fact that most readers will have already experienced the Shantae video games at some point by the time they read this - but by adding more rich storylines that feel completely from the author’s inspiration. No, Tangled Tales doesn’t say, ‘what if we took something from Series A, and added that plot line to Series B (I.e. Shantae)’; instead, it aims to add something, which makes Tangled Tales more like a novelette. In fact, it is done so well, that one can consider it a proper sequel in the timeline. It is ,after all, the fans of fiction that choose what to see in it.

As for the story, it is primarily one that revolves around the character Rottytops, and her relationship with Shantae. If I told you that a dark force waited for the heroes of Scuttle Town, or that Sky will receive more development than she normally gets in the games, it would not sum up what makes the story special.

So what do I think of Tangled Tales? Should you read it? Is it good or bad?

Well, after much thought, I’ve chosen to answer like this. Tangled Tales, as a story, works. That’s it. It succeeds as what it tries to do. I do think you should read it, and I think it is good.

But, what really matters isn’t Tangled Tales’ story, it is Riley Ara, and their approach with writing it. Tangled Tales could not exist in its current form without its author. I may well have read a story with exactly the same plot and ending , and hated it. The author’s words are what leave the impact, on the reader and in the Shantae fiction space. If I could choose one word for it, I’d pick, Unforgettable.

So go read Tangled Tales, or even reread it. There will probably never be another Shantae fanfiction like it. (Unless the author chooses to create more, of course).

My final words are...

Thank you for Tangled Tales RileyAraWrites!

Ret-2-Go!

What an outstanding chapter!

Action, Action, and more Action.

We get every Baron, and many other characters that I won’t mention to prevent spoilers. But Risky Boots shines in this chapter, and so does Sky, as she always does in Tangled Tales. The end is near, and you can feel it in the words. There has been a lot of dark themes happening in recent chapters preceding this one, and this is a great refresher to them.

To keep it short, this is essentially a chapter that brings everyone together, and I mean just about everyone.

A great read.

The word I would use to describe chapter 12 is this:

Stillness.

In Tale 12: Labyrinths, everything stops, both for the reader and for Shantae.

It leads to probably the most heartfelt moment in Tangled Tales, yet.

Great read.

This chapter was full of everything.

Tears, action, suspense...
I would say more but I don’t want to spoil it for other readers. I suppose, I’ll be brief since discussing this chapter at length would likely give many things away.

One thing this story has done is treat Sky’s character very considerately. You’ll definitely find that treatment here. Things seem to be wrapping up, yet surprises are still plentiful. Tangled Tales has strong themes of friendship, and I’ve never felt it as much as I did than reading this chapter 11.

Two words,

Fun and Dramatic.

An adventure worth dancing through.

Emotional chapter, truly.

A heartfelt moment with Mimic, desperate conversation between Rotty and Shantae, and Battle armor for Sky.

My favorite chapter was 9, but after reading this one, I’m not so sure, anymore.

I won’t spoil anything for fresh readers, but this one is filled with atmosphere. Risky is loads of fun!

Enjoyed greatly.

5 out of 5 buttery croissants. TinkerTastic!

I read over it twice.

For reasons that I’d have to explain at length. This is probably my favorite chapter so far (Chapter 9).

The story is evolving with mystery and magic around every corner. Darkness is a theme of this story, that works really well.

Must say, probably the best Shantae fic out there.

An excellent tale.

One of my favorite things about this story is that it attempts to give nearly every major character in the Shantae series a strong role. However, Rottytops is the star of the show. Without spoiling anything, her story sees her become a victim in what will ultimately be the bane of all of Sequin Land. Of course, that depends on who you ask, since even the monsters of the Shantae series have a say in the fate of the world. Mind control, ominous towers, villains, and a zombie outbreak, there’s sure to be something for everyone in this tangled web of Tangled Tales, by RileyAraWrites.

Give it a whirl and twirl into the adventure, where there’s new dangers to face, where only one Half-Genie hero can dance it all away.

Hmm...

You know, I'm not entirely sure what to say about the last two chapters. Lots of little revelations and it was nice to get a perspective on Rotty's mindset through all of this. It seems like the major conflict of this story basically boils down to a disagreement between friends, specifically their end goals and values. Rottytops wants the freedom for herself and others to express their "true nature" whilst Shantae is committed to her responsibilities even if there is some lingering pain from past events that she, as the hero, can't properly convey. It's an interesting story to tell, one where each side seems to have their points and generate some sympathy.

Of course, I can't count out this Voice Rotty's had bouncing around her skull and if ever there was a figure to cast the "villain" tag on, that would be the obvious bet. But that little heated exchange last chapter where Rotty seemingly wrestled control away from her "guide" and the stunned tone of The Voice kind of muddles things. Again, my preconceptions based on what was going on up to this point and Risky's mention of a "Monster Queen" are kind of being thrown awry and I cant help but question.

You always manage to capture my attention with every bit I read. I'll have my eyes open for the next entry.

Risky is kind of becoming a highlight of this story for me. She just has some of the best lines to the point where I'm starting to think of her as the MCU Loki of this universe. I'm happy it seems we'll be seeing much more of her since she seems rather in the know as to what's happening in the overall scheme of things.

A monster queen, huh? Bit of an aside here, but this brings back notions of why I eventually dropped the show Supernatural around about the fourth/fifth season. They'd just gotten past an arc where they literally faced down and "defeated" Lucifer AND Archangel Michael and there really didn't seem they had any way to top that. Then they started exploring the ideas that the old "monsters of the week" they had been hunting in earlier episodes (vampires, changelings, the usual) had an Alpha for each species and that they were suddenly becoming more active which ended up corresponding to the awakening of the Monster Queen. It was a cool way for them to make the usual hunter-fodder creatures more relevant in a show that had been veering so hard into fighting literal divines and agents of hell.

Of course, the writing fell flat and the Winchesters ended up not even facing the Monster Queen in the end as the plot was side-barred when ANOTHER more powerful group of entities high-jacked the big-bad spot right in the middle of the story. It was rather unsatisfying.
I get the sense from what I've read so far that I'll probably be measuring a lot of what you do with the concept in this story in comparison to Supernatural, a kind of "what if" to the utter incompetence displayed that season.

TL:DR - I officially acknowledge that you know story better than a group of highly paid (presumably) network writers. Congratulations?

Back to actual review:
Things got real quick real fast, huh? I'm a little jarred by the sudden shift as I'd been settling into a more "sedate" plot for the past few updates; not sure how I feel about that. If shocking the audience was what you were going for, you've done an admirable job. I'll delay my judgement on whether or not I like the direction of things for a little while though, see where the story goes from here. I'm overall undecided but my optimism is high.

And man... that turn though. I feel I can best sum up my emotional state by the end of this chapter with a rather recent, very precise quote:
"Mr. Stark... I don't feel so good..."

I cannot say enough that you've crafted a quality piece here. I'm eager to see what happens next.

You have earned a trophy! Da faq?! XD wow, that was definitely something. I mean, we barely know anything about that Monster Queen, but you actually manage to keep the mistery all along, and in that sense it works pretty well. Sometimes I even felt afraid about what is going to happen because I don't know! Very well done in that sense.

The characters are good constructed, I loved the moment when Shantae exploded because that makes her more human, and the rest of the cast works pretty good as well. I'm still very intrigued, I'll wait for the next chapter. Continue when you can.

I'm getting what I think is a good read on what's going on here. I'm not up enough on Shantae lore to place whether or not whats happening in the background recalls back to canon in some way (I'm only really familiar with Half Genie Hero in terms of story). I'll hold my hand and wait to see how accurate my deductions turn out to be.

Action is ramping up. Looks like our "heroes" and "villains" are in a race against time... and neither side seems at all aware of it. I love it in a story where separate characters and parties have these wildly varying perspectives and goals. Nobody has the full image of whats happening and that just makes me really eager to see everyone come together. I'm especially loving Bolo's bits because its obvious things are going to blow up in his face... badly.

On that note, I'm very curious/partial to Bolo's little gang of monster friends. How are they going to react when it inevitably gets revealed their new BFF is one of the very humans they're set to slaughter? I can't wait to see just how far this seemingly new "consciousness" of their's will take them when their very ideology is tested.
Shameless plug: if you're at all familiar/a fan of RWBY, the story "My Abominable Monster Classmates Can't be this Cute" is pretty much all about this scenario.

Good to see the quality is keeping up and its always a nice surprise to see a snappy update. You've got some good stuff here, I'll definitely be sticking with you on this.

So I've been keeping tabs on this story for a little bit and I think its about time for some feedback.

I gotta say first, you do a suspenseful mystery pretty damn well. Ever chapter has just enough new information to keep the story going and satisfy the audience, but it feels like with every new reveal there's a new question I'm dying to know the answer to and that keeps me hyped for the next entry.

Granted, I don't read a lot of mystery stories (let alone mystery fanfictions) so maybe that's just my lack of exposure talking. Regardless, you have my praise for good writing.

I like how pretty much the entire cast of the games has relevance here. I hardly ever see a big ensemble piece in this section and when I do stumble across them the... "skill" of the author tends to be rather sub-par. I feel like the characters you have in this tale are actual people, with feelings, personalities, and their own unique responses to the rather odd circumstances plaguing their home. The characters' actions themselves seem to be the driving point behind the plot which always has a nice, natural feel to me.

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say this may be the best written story in the Shantae section. All things considered, that might be a pretty low bar to hop over, so I'll add that this is certainly one of the more competent fanfics I've read on this site. It's a shame that no one's really reviewed this yet.

Well, here's one piece of feedback/praise to keep the fires burning.
I'll be waiting for the next update, things are getting far too interesting now.