FimFiction Link - Short ID: 54117/whom-the-princesses-would-destroy
Published: Oct '12
Whom the Princesses Would Destroy is a 20k words long SoL comedy. Currently sitting at 2900+ likes with a ~70-to-1 ratio, it's highly rated and very popular. One can easily see why - the fic is well written, the action flows nicely, descriptions are good and the characters are interesting. By all metrics the execution of the story is excellent. That's why I was quite shocked to find out that I kinda hate it.
My biggest gripe with it is that it barely feels like a *pony* fanfic. While the story is centered around Twilight's visit to Canterlot, it contains almost no non-OC characters. Celestia gets to say a couple sentences in the later chapters but that's it. The setting -- Canterlot -- is unrecognizable from its show counterpart. This 'Canterlot' is filled to the brim with tourists and annoying journalists. The main characters are all part of Equestrian Civil Service, which is presented as the de facto governing body of Equestria. The Princess only signs the documents presented to her by them and by the democratically elected government. The same ponies also manage running the country. When they aren't busy trying to make sure Twilight's visit goes as planned, they deal with corrupt nobles, taxes, scandalous affairs and oversee law enforcement. If that already sounds more like real world England than Equestria to you, you won't be surprised to learn that both >implied rape and anarchism are also a thing here.
Ending on a more positive note, I have to acknowledge how well the comedy elements were pulled off. Despite the majority of the jokes being some variation of making fun of the bureaucracy, I found WtPWD pretty funny. Certainly way above the average for this genre.
For completeness' sake I'll "rate" it a 5/10 but please don't pay too much attention to that number. I didn't like it myself but if you don't mind the way Equestria and her citizens were portrayed, by all means go and read it. The rest is really good.
I've read Whom the Princesses Would Destroy yet again and I remain with my conclusion that the only memorable bit is when Celestia turns up. Your mileage may vary regarding if the whole fic is worth that.