Reviews for Toward the Light (Labyrinth April 2015)
Douglas-Writes chapter 1 . 4/30/2015
It's always nice to see people playing around with prompts, and not taking the wording for granted. Just reading this piece by itself, I can tell the two characters have history together, and I kind of wish I could learn more about what they might have gone through beforehand?

The ending was perfect though, and the narrator reasoning through all the choices they had in that situation, and then just tossing Anael into the air. I don't know, the image of someone throwing a small bird is kind of silly, but not in this context.
T.Rasa chapter 1 . 4/27/2015
Beautiful, heartfelt, sad and sweet all at the same time. Amazing characters and world, twined so well into Christian lore and Dante's themes that it feels alive by feeding on that history. Bravo.

Can't fault the story, but minor typo: "I hated my own reflection so much that I would pitched rocks into still water just to shatter it." Should that be "pitch" rocks?
Un-Ended Tales chapter 1 . 4/25/2015
What a wonderful interpretation of that quote. Your story was gripping until the end. I didn't want it to be over. In so few words you managed to get me so attached to these characters. I'd say I want to know more, but this is just so wonderful on its own. Great work.
TanteLiz chapter 1 . 4/23/2015
It has been many, many years since I read Inferno, but I had to go look up the quote that, in my high school romanticism, I had posted in my locker at school. This made me think of it with painful clarity - well done, indeed:

“I am the way into the city of woe,
I am the way into eternal pain,
I am the way to go among the lost.

Justice caused my high architect to move,
Divine omnipotence created me,
The highest wisdom, and the primal love.

Before me there were no created things
But those that last forever—as do I.
Abandon all hope you who enter here.” - Dante Alighieri
Master Chief chapter 1 . 4/23/2015
Wow... That was amazing. I don't know if I can add to what was already said, but this was phenomenal. Great work!

M.C.
LightningBolt21 chapter 1 . 4/22/2015
This story is so *stops to wipe away tears* wonderful and sad. I wasn't expecting it to be literal "when you're going through hell keep going" but it was a masterpiece. Once again you did it Emerald : D
Solemn Coyote chapter 1 . 4/22/2015
I concede another contest to you, Viper. ;)

Have you read Hal Duncan's "Escape from Hell!"? This put me strongly in mind of that, but it also occupies a nice, well-realized mythos all its own.

Despite being agnostic, I absolutely love settings that take their foundations from Catholicism. Towards the Light delivers a nice moody character piece in that vein.

I don't really have anything to nitpick here.
augie.toaste chapter 1 . 4/19/2015
So. Many. Feels. I don't know what I liked the best: the dialogue, the struggle, or that last piece of character development towards the end. I found myself cheering the characters on, and unable to stop reading until your story saw them through (to whatever end). Great stuff. Another delightful read.

Augie
Jun Aoi chapter 1 . 3/31/2015
This is beautiful. I love the vivid detail, good job!