Just spend the last 3 days binging all of your fics and all I have to say is damn you do great work. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Though I do have to say I preferred the For Tomorrow We Live ending the other ending just felt like killing off everyone for the sake of not having a happy ending. Looking forward to any further works stay safe out there!

The dialogue could use some work, for example the conversation between Shepard and the illusive man is far too friendly.

This was a great read! I pretty much binged it over the weekend. I have to say I like the happy ending over the one where everyone dies and really liked how they were really different paths instead of just switching out who lived and who died and how the outcomes are really different. The second ending seems like its open for a sequel about the reaper war? If you wrote one I'd read it!

It's hard to read a story that has the potential of being really good, and then see it slowly tank and become yet another cliche fanfic in its final chapters.

This really may be the worst ending I've ever read. When my favorite characters started getting knocked off left and right whole sale I started rolling my eyes thinking a M Night Shyamalan plot twist was around the corner, but it never came.. After killing so many favorite characters the ending could only be made worse by who gets left alive, so naturally the author takes this course..

Attempting to avoid a fluffy 'happily ever after' conclusion the only two survivors of the entire Normandy crew happen to be Shepard's best friends, and his mentor also makes it on the other side of the galaxy...

We also know from ME3 Tali has big enough nuts to take the jump and end it all if something too disastrous happens. The Tali in this story would eat the barrel of her shotgun and blow her brains out after learning about the sacrifice made by everyone she cares about. We know Tali feels this way because she says so. Luckily Tali forgets to die because she about to become the most powerful person in the Milkyway with sole control of the Geth collective...?

Not cliche at all.

This is the best Mass Effect fic I've ever read, possibly the best fic in general. None other has delved into the universe and characters as well, staying true to the source (I read it all in the characters voices) while still making it your own. So many moments, so many laughs and hearttugs. Amazing!

Well...damn. That was one of the most satisfying fanfics I have read in a long while. Well done with this entire character driven series, including side stories, with every detail you made.

While many don't like the initial "bad ending" you gave, I always appreciate reading it for the amount of emotional pay off those types of endings create. Especially with how you presented it to be a far more complete ending universe wise vs. the alternate ending being a focused send off for the crew. But will continue to enjoy alternate "good ending" more because I like people happy.

Hope to see more stuff from you one day!

Wow, I'm in awe. Tomorrow's Dawn is one of the most impressive character-focused pieces I've read to date, and this two-part series definitely is my favourite ME fic, and one of my favourites across all fandoms. Of course, I'm widely biased towards space operas, and if For Tommorow We Die isn't a spectacular space opera, I don't what is. But seriously, I always found ME a little lacking in that regard, space being reduced to the quick travel areas and backgrounds for (admittedly very nice) cutscenes.
This, however, was just as it should be! I've read a lot of SciFi books, and this fanfic definitely doesn't have to hide from them!
And that's without the amazing characters, engaging plot and fantastic dialogues.

The one thing I didn't particularly like were the circumstances of Legion's death. I mean, an AI and countermeasures being deadlocked in a direct battle of wills? It seemed unbelievable to me that one wouldn't (almost) immediately overwhelm the other, turning that scene into a simple plot device to separate the squad, keep Legion confined and ultimately kill him. Though that death scene was magnificent, of course.

But apart from that small thing... wow! I'm incredibly glad that you just ignored ME3 and instead stuck to your marvellous original plot line; this is the perfect balm on our battered souls after the disappointing end of the trilogy and It-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

I have to say, this is one of the best mass effect fanfics I have ever read, and it is even more impressive considering how short a time span it covers.

Some fanfics have some quite glaring plotholes, factual errors or leaps of logic that I find very annoying, but every time I found something even remotely like that in your fic it would be adressed in that or the next chapter. The only thing I vaguely remember is that element zero is consumed during space flight, which it isn't, but I might just have misread that.

I also like that you address the extermination of the quarians. Quarians on Rannoch and all associated colonies are canonically dead. That means that every quarian infant, every unarmed civilian begging for their lives in every litte far flung community on the countryside were ruthlessly hunted down and killed, by the trillions. Since the morning war seemed to last for weeks, if not days, that is genocide at a near impossible rate. The reapers would be taking notes. I assume the geth also blocked all outbound transmissions, because I'd like to thing that if the other races of the galaxy saw videos and pictures of something like that, they would rush in to help. Both the games and most fics handwave the issue away in their efforts to portray the geth as misunderstood good guys. I admire that you actually adressed this issue.

And I can understand that you never played through ME3 more than once. I played ME1 almost twenty times and ME2 at least a dozen. It was a large part of my youth. I managed a second playthrough in ME3 as a vanguard due to the vastly different playstyle, but I stalled on my third. The magic just wasn't there anymore. Anyway, we can always hope they manage to resurrect the franchise again, but I don't think there will ever be a protagonist quite Shepard again, and you managed to portray him perfectly.

You know, I think I appreciate the alternative ending just that little bit more for knowing about the primary one. As much as I stand fully behind sacrifice, consequences, and the grim, unforgiving clutches of reality, I've got to say:

I'm a sucker for a happy ending.

As thoroughly as I've enjoyed this piece and as many hours I've spent reading it in the dead of night when I ought to be asleep, it's certain that I owe this story a review, regardless of its age. However, that feels like a bit of a double-edged sword, because requires I sit down and interrogate my feelings on this story.

First, let me say that this story, along with the other companion pieces (Dancer in the Dark, vas Normandy, etc.), easily stands apart as some of the most absolutely brilliant work I've read on this site, and please believe me when I say that's not the sort of praise I go around heaping in reviews casually.

The characters are all written excellently; they each have their own personalities, their own priorities, faults, doubts, and dreams. In spite of their loyalty, they're not cardboard cut-outs who simply follow Shepard blindly and are portrayed as never being wrong for doing so. They hesitate, they question, and sometimes-with the best of intentions-go behind his back, and they're not painted as being evil or wrong for doing so. Shepard is similarly well done, and he feels like a human being rather than some sort of faultless, immortal avatar of virtue. It's clear he feels the stress of the decisions he's making and, despite his best efforts, still snaps at the people close to him occasionally.

Another thing important about the characters-and perhaps one of the things I enjoy most about this story-is just down damned *smart* they are. They plan ahead, they see through potential deception, and it's all so in character for them all. Examples are abundant: Garrus shooting out a window to trap mercs behind a bulkhead, Miranda calling out the Cerberus ambush and Shepard listening, Shepard using a bit of deception to get Xen's marines to help them rather than loudly declaring that he intends to kill Xen for what she's done. The fact that sometimes these plans have unintended consequences is even better.

The plot is generally pretty solid; the Normandy has a lot of plates in the air-trying to prepare for the arrival of the Reapers, negotiations between the quarians and the geth, avoiding being killed or captured by Cerberus or the Council. It weaves an interesting web of conflicting conspiracies and leads to some very interesting twists; I foresaw Cerberus having control of the hub when Xen arrived, but I was shocked when TIM had control of the geth. On the whole, it makes for a very rewarding read.

Those things said, there are a few elements I don't think really added anything to the plot at large. The biggest offender is the use of the "radio talk show host" as something of an expositional device is an interesting concept to offer a bit of neat insight into public perception, but it ends up just feeling like a recurring mouthpiece that spews mostly inconsequential bullshit. Another, though far less, issue of the same type is the subplot of the asari matriarchs. While their involvement in the geth uprising provides a viable explanation why their agents seek to interfere with the negotiations, it's inflated into flowery descriptions of Thessia and breakfast in bed. In my opinion, a bit of trimming in both areas would've been for the betterment of the story. Regardless, the plot is generally all pretty solid.

Which brings us, at long last, to the ending-where, honestly, my feelings on the story took a pronounced turn. On the one hand, reading your notes, I can appreciate your position; this simply isn't a story that could end on "happily ever after," and if it did, the story as a whole would only be cheapened by such an ending. Unavoidably, bittersweet was the best we could've hoped for. Haven't read the alternative ending yet, but the "primary" ending is worth addressing in its own right.

The problem is, it doesn't feel like bittersweet-it seems far closer to a downer ending than a bittersweet ending and I described it rather frankly to a friend as "a kick in the nuts." Legion making the tough call to save Shepard and the others at the cost of not only his life, but those of Jacob and Kasumi was poignant, but the rest just hurt. I could see losing members of the team-hell, I could even see Shepard laying down his life so the others made it out, but losing damn near everyone? Shepard, the ground time, even the Normandy itself?

It doesn't feel worth it. And it damn sure doesn't feel like victory.

Hey, I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your story. I think you really captured the core of The Illusive Man in this better than anything else I’ve seen. (Especially Bioware in ME3.)

Also, even though she was only in a few scenes, I really liked Artuis as a character.

Over all the story is very well done but there are issues

One of the biggest issues are the deaths, or how they are executed, the admirals such as Raan and The others gave a hint of conflict, especially since One of them is Tali’s “father figure” and he betrayed her, but not only were they killed, conveniently relieving any future conflict, but they pretty much died off screen (or off page or chapter I dunno lol XD)

Same goes for the deaths of some of the crew such as Shepard, we didn’t really see him i his last moments (unless I missed it) it’s just “oh he died” but overall it was sort of fitting

The next issue is Shepard himself, while overall he is a good person and means well (he is trying to save the galaxy after all) there are a lot of times where he comes off as both unreasonable and brutal, he even executed defenseless individuals after they are beaten and in Xen’s situation crippled. He sometimes came off as no better than his enemies both Xen and Shepard mean well and would do anything for their people but both are also willing to commit evil if necessary (at least in their eyes)

Speaking of Xen, I felt bad for her, yes she did some unethical actions (but so did Shepard) but the story portrays her actions and motivations as overall bad, even though if she had a plan B or a kill-switch in case it didn’t work (even though it seems that it could have) I would say her approach leads to the best and most guaranteed possiblity.

But Shepard kills her without remorse and even manipulated her men so they wouldn’t know (kind of like Cerberus) which I would say a bit questionable, I wish they were explored further but it was fine overall

Perhaps that’s actually the point, eye for an eye and the world goes blind, everything is pretty much the same in the end as Tali said, which I would say is the most fitting ending for those characters, they succumbed to violence and evil (despite their intention) that they aren’t that different from the rest anymore, I dunno I’m just speculating.

But like I said other than that, the story is freaking great, it was clear it was Tali’s journey (as well as others but mainly Tali) and the build up to it was great, the antagonists were very believable, I really sympathized with Xen’s motive and why she saw this the best solution (hell there is the argument that if geth are sentient and Quarians created a new form of life, are they Gods?) which is why I felt bad and betrayed that Shepard killed her in cold blood (sure maybe she planned to kill him but what if she didn’t? He couldn’t know) the ending felt so fitting to the events and the title

The characters overall felt very real and the plot was very interesting, the geth debating to one another was a great scene.

Overall a great story, it has its issues but it’s great nonetheless

Thank you for reading and have a nice day friend :)

what a garbage story. didn't realize the title was literal and almost everyone would die. wish I hadn't read it.

Definitely the better, no, the SUPERIOR ending.

Fuck you and bless your Alternate Endings!