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* TheThreeFacesOfAdam: The Brotherhood of the King--Shan the warrior, Taropat the magus, and Tayven the bard.
* TheThreeFacesOfEve: Gastern has a dream of three queens--one green, one red, and one black.
* TheThreeFacesOfEve: Gastern has a dream of three queens--one green, one red, and one black.
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* TheThreeFacesOfAdam: The Brotherhood of the King--Shan the warrior, warrior (hunter), Taropat the magus, magus (lord), and Tayven the bard.
bard (prophet).
* TheThreeFacesOfEve: The three women in Valraven's life--Ellony (child), Varencienne (wife) and Pharinet (seductress).
** Gastern has a dream of three queens--one green, one red, and oneblack.black. This is possibly TheHecateSisters or a combination of the two, the matter is never clarified.
* TheThreeFacesOfEve: The three women in Valraven's life--Ellony (child), Varencienne (wife) and Pharinet (seductress).
** Gastern has a dream of three queens--one green, one red, and one
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* ReplacementSibling: Not surprising that this happens in the Leckery family. In both cases, older siblings are idealists while younger replacement siblings are realists.
** Merlan resists any and all attempts people make to say he's like Khaster, even though they look almost exactly alike.
** Niska is widely recognized as looking like Ellony, but she is much more successful at working with the magic of the sea dragons.
** Merlan resists any and all attempts people make to say he's like Khaster, even though they look almost exactly alike.
** Niska is widely recognized as looking like Ellony, but she is much more successful at working with the magic of the sea dragons.
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* WholeEpisodeFlashback: Each book devotes one or more chapters to events that happened previously that the POV character was not witness to. Interestingly, all three of these flashbacks have to do directly or tangentially with the friendship of Valraven and Khaster.
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* HeroicBSOD: Khaster, after Valraven won't help him save Tayven.
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''The Chronicles of Magravandias'' is an epic fantasy trilogy by British author StormConstantine. It consists of:
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[[quoteright:312:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SeaDragonHeir_3934.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:312:''Come rise, come unto me...'']]
''The Chronicles of Magravandias'' is an epicfantasy {{fantasy}} trilogy with occasional undertones of AffectionateParody by British author StormConstantine. It consists of:
[[caption-width-right:312:''Come rise, come unto me...'']]
''The Chronicles of Magravandias'' is an epic
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* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Tayven Hirantel is so beautiful, he gets [[HaveIMentionedImHeterosexualToday Khaster]] to fall in love with him.
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* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Tayven Hirantel is so beautiful, he gets [[HaveIMentionedImHeterosexualToday [[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday Khaster]] to fall in love with him.
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* BreakTheCutie: The entire Leckery family gets a taste of this, but [[NiceGuy Khaster]] and [[TheIngenue Ellony]] get it the worst.
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** Tayven makes a nameless appearance early in the story, long before he has a real role in the story.
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** Tayven makes a nameless appearance early in the story, on delivering a letter, long before he has a real role in the story.
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** Ellony is implied to wipe unpleasant memories from her mind.
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* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Played straight and subverted with Valraven's wives. Ellony is madly in love with him. Varencienne instead [[LovingAShadow falls for]] [[DoggedNiceGuy Khaster]].
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* DepravedBisexual: Hi, Bayard.
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* DepravedBisexual: Hi, Bayard.Bayard. His lovers can't even be mentioned in polite company half the time.
* DoggedNiceGuy: Khaster Leckery.
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* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Tayven Hirantel is so beautiful, everyone wants him.
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* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Tayven Hirantel is so beautiful, everyone wants he gets [[HaveIMentionedImHeterosexualToday Khaster]] to fall in love with him.
* FallenAngels: Azcarnoth the peacock angel is likened to [[GreekMythology the myth of Prometheus]] with a touch of {{Satan}}.
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* InLoveWithLove: Khaster convinces himself he loves Pharinet, though Pharinet has clearly stated on more than one occasion that they are friends whose families would like them to marry.
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* TheIngenue: Ellony Leckery. [[BreakTheCutie This ultimately goes very badly for her.]]
* InLoveWithLove: Khaster convinces himself he loves Pharinet, though Pharinet has clearly stated on more than one occasion that they arefriends [[PlatonicLifePartners friends]] whose families would like them to marry.
* InLoveWithLove: Khaster convinces himself he loves Pharinet, though Pharinet has clearly stated on more than one occasion that they are
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* ByronicHero: Valraven. He takes a step into VillainProtagonist territory for a while when he's possessed, but considering how hard he fights against it, he still comes out of it as heroic as the series allows. Played with in that the reader knows all about his DarkAndTroubledPast but his second wife doesn't.
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* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Is it Cassilin or Casillin? Is it Elly or Ellie? This often happens on the same page.
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* UntoUsASonAndADaughterAreBorn: Rav and Elly. Varencienne hated being pregnant and giving birth so much that she was elated to realize she had a complete family in a single effort.
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* UntoUsASonAndADaughterAreBorn: UntoUsASonAndDaughterAreBorn: Rav and Elly. Varencienne hated being pregnant and giving birth so much that she was elated to realize she had a complete family in a single effort.
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* UntoUsASonAndADaughterAreBorn: Rav and Elly. Varencienne hated being pregnant and giving birth so much that she was elated to realize she had a complete family in a single effort.
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''The Chronicles of Magravandias'' is an epic fantasy trilogy by British author Storm Constantine. It consists of:
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''The Chronicles of Magravandias'' is an epic fantasy trilogy by British author Storm Constantine.StormConstantine. It consists of:
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* Foil: Most every character has a foil somewhere in the story. Often they have more than one. For example--
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* Foil: {{Foil}}: Most every character has a foil somewhere in the story. Often they have more than one. For example--
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* CreepyTwins: Valraven and Pharinet, especially in their youth when they are very close. Rav and Elly also have their moments.
* DifferentAsNightAndDay: Twins Rav and Elly are opposites physically and mentally. He is golden like his Malagash relatives, bold, adventurous, and talkative. Elly is dark like the Palindrakes, gentle, quiet, and sensitive.
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* FisherKing: Shan meets the king who lives and dies for the land in a vision.
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* FisherKing: Shan meets the king who lives and dies for the land in a vision. The True King is supposed to be this.
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* TheThreeFacesOfAdam: The Brotherhood of the King--Shan the warrior, Taropat the magus, and Tayven the bard.
* TheThreeFacesOfEve: Gastern has a dream of three queens--one green, one red, and one black.
* TheThreeFacesOfEve: Gastern has a dream of three queens--one green, one red, and one black.
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* HauntedCastle: Old Caradore. Or at least that's how everyone treats it. It's really just a little rundown from being abandoned for two-hundred years. If it's haunted by anything, it's human imagination.
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* TheKingdom: According to legend, Caradore and Magravandias were once like this. The characters question if matters were ever that ideal.
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* ChristmasCake: Everna seemed doomed to being a spinster until finally marrying at the late age of twenty-eight.
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* ChristmasCake: Everna seemed doomed to being a spinster until finally marrying at the late age of twenty-eight. She is widowed not long after.
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* DeadGuyJunior: When Varencienne gives birth to twins, the boy is named Valraven, nicknamed Rav, as is family tradition. The girl is named Ellony in honor of Ellony Leckery, Valraven's first wife. [[spoiler: She names her third child Leonid in honor of her father.]]
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* DeadGuyJunior: When Varencienne gives birth to twins, the boy is named Valraven, nicknamed Rav, as is family tradition. The girl is named Ellony in honor of Ellony Leckery, Valraven's first wife. [[spoiler: She names her third child Leonid in honor of her father.]]
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* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: Almorante throws himself in front of Bayard's sword to protect Valraven.]]
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* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: Almorante throws himself [[TakingTheBullet in front of Bayard's sword sword]] [[HeroicSacrifice to protect Valraven.Valraven]].]]
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* DeadGuyJunior: When Varencienne gives birth to twins, the boy is named Valraven, nicknamed Rav, as is family tradition. The girl is named Ellony in honor of Ellony Leckery, Valraven's first wife.
to:
* DeadGuyJunior: When Varencienne gives birth to twins, the boy is named Valraven, nicknamed Rav, as is family tradition. The girl is named Ellony in honor of Ellony Leckery, Valraven's first wife. [[spoiler: She names her third child Leonid in honor of her father.]]
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* DeadGuyJunior: When Varencienne gives birth to twins, the boy is named Valraven, nicknamed Rav, as is family tradition. The girl is named Ellony in honor of Ellony Leckery, Valraven's first wife.
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* GenerationXerox: Played with. Elly physically resembles her aunt Pharinet, but mentally and emotionally resembles her namesake Ellony Leckery. Similarly, Pharinet is said to greatly resemble her ancestor Ilcretia Palindrake.
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* RapeIsFunnyWhenItsMaleOnMale: Painfully averted.
** Shan is gang-raped by soldiers
** Tayven is nearly assaulted by Bayard before Khaster steps in, and is raped by Bayard later [[SlippingAMickey while drugged]]. [[spoiler: Actually Tayven was not that affected by the drug and reveals to Bayard that he could have killed him during that encounter.]]
* RapeIsTheNewDeadParents: Of course, Shan's parents are also dead.
** Shan is gang-raped by soldiers
** Tayven is nearly assaulted by Bayard before Khaster steps in, and is raped by Bayard later [[SlippingAMickey while drugged]]. [[spoiler: Actually Tayven was not that affected by the drug and reveals to Bayard that he could have killed him during that encounter.]]
* RapeIsTheNewDeadParents: Of course, Shan's parents are also dead.
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* RapeIsTheNewDeadParents: Of course, Shan's parents are also dead.
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* OpposingIdealsMentors: Taropat and Sinaclara for Shan.
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* OpposingIdealsMentors: OpposedMentors: Taropat and Sinaclara for Shan.
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* OpposingIdealMentors: Taropat and Sinaclara for Shan.
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* OpposingIdealMentors: OpposingIdealsMentors: Taropat and Sinaclara for Shan.
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* BlackWidow: Tatrini is widely believed to have killed her husband. She does not deny that she did, if mostly because no one would dare say it to her face. [[spoiler: Subverted. Not only did she not kill him, but she was with him at the end and said that was the closest she came to loving Leonid.]]
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* OpposingMentors: Taropat and Sinaclara for Shan.
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* OpposingMentors: OpposingIdealMentors: Taropat and Sinaclara for Shan.
* ParentalNeglect: Partly because most of the characters are nobility and thus hire nurses to raise their children. Also many of the men are officers in the army and away from home most of the time.
** Despite spending time with her mother every day, Varencienne barely knows Tatrini and is convinced at one point that Tatrini doesn't remember her name.
** Leonid doesn't come off much better. The first and only time she touches her father or speaks to him personally is on her wedding day.
** Valraven and Pharinet's father was too wrapped up in grief to pay much attention to his children when he did have leave.
** Even when their mother was alive, Pharinet deduces from Everna's stories that their mother had little time for Everna.
** Despite spending time with her mother every day, Varencienne barely knows Tatrini and is convinced at one point that Tatrini doesn't remember her name.
** Leonid doesn't come off much better. The first and only time she touches her father or speaks to him personally is on her wedding day.
** Valraven and Pharinet's father was too wrapped up in grief to pay much attention to his children when he did have leave.
** Even when their mother was alive, Pharinet deduces from Everna's stories that their mother had little time for Everna.
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** Everna is more a mother to Rav and Elly than Varencienne is.
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* BloodSplatteredWeddingDress: When Ellony marries Valraven, an old wound reopens and bleeds all over her gown. Played with in that women wear red wedding dresses and Pharinet first thinks the color of the fabric has come off on Ellony's hand.
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InAWorld where the elements battle through human armies, the sea dragons and their worshipers, the [[MakingASplash Palindrakes]], have lost to [[PlayingWithFire Cassilin Malagash]], the king of fire, and his god Madragore. Cassilin takes the Palindrake heir, Valraven, and makes him swear fealty to him and to Madragore, banishing the sea dragons and their power from Caradore. The Palindrakes are forced to forget their heritage and Caradore becomes a state of Magravandias.
Two-hundred years later, Magravandias is [[TheEmpire a vast empire]] and still expanding with the help of Caradorean nobles leading their armies. Pharinet Palindrake, twin sister to Valraven V, begins to learn the truth of her family and her country's history and wants to revive the power of the sea dragons. This is complicated when she becomes insanely jealous of her best friend, who is destined to marry [[TheChosenOne Valraven]] and become the sea wife, a role she [[BrotherSisterIncest wants for herself]]. [[ItGotWorse It gets worse]] before it gets better.
Two-hundred years later, Magravandias is [[TheEmpire a vast empire]] and still expanding with the help of Caradorean nobles leading their armies. Pharinet Palindrake, twin sister to Valraven V, begins to learn the truth of her family and her country's history and wants to revive the power of the sea dragons. This is complicated when she becomes insanely jealous of her best friend, who is destined to marry [[TheChosenOne Valraven]] and become the sea wife, a role she [[BrotherSisterIncest wants for herself]]. [[ItGotWorse It gets worse]] before it gets better.
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InAWorld where the elements battle through human armies, the sea dragons and their worshipers, the [[MakingASplash Palindrakes]], have lost to [[PlayingWithFire Cassilin Malagash]], the king of fire, and his god Madragore.[[CrystalDragonJesus Madragore]]. Cassilin takes the Palindrake heir, Valraven, and makes him swear fealty to him and to Madragore, banishing the sea dragons and their power from Caradore. The Palindrakes are [[EndOfAnAge forced to forget their heritage heritage]] and Caradore becomes a state of Magravandias.
Two-hundred years later, Magravandias is [[TheEmpire a vast empire]] and still expanding with the help of Caradorean nobles leading their armies. Pharinet Palindrake, twin sister to Valraven V, begins to learn the truth of her family and her country's history and wants to revive the power of the sea dragons. This is complicated when she becomes insanely jealous of her best friend, who is destined to marry [[TheChosenOne Valraven]] and become thesea wife, [[InHarmonyWithNature sea]] [[ComesGreatResponsibility wife]], a role she [[BrotherSisterIncest wants for herself]]. [[ItGotWorse It gets worse]] before it gets better.
Two-hundred years later, Magravandias is [[TheEmpire a vast empire]] and still expanding with the help of Caradorean nobles leading their armies. Pharinet Palindrake, twin sister to Valraven V, begins to learn the truth of her family and her country's history and wants to revive the power of the sea dragons. This is complicated when she becomes insanely jealous of her best friend, who is destined to marry [[TheChosenOne Valraven]] and become the
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* AbdicateTheThrone: [[Gastern]] is forced to abdicate after he goes mad. His son is also quietly pushed aside in favorite of crowning his brother.
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* AbdicateTheThrone: [[Gastern]] [[spoiler: Gastern]] is forced to abdicate after he goes mad. His son is also quietly pushed aside in favorite of crowning his brother.
* TheApprentice:
** Shan to Taropat
** Nip to Thremius
** Shan to Taropat
** Nip to Thremius
* BigBeautifulWoman: Queen Neferishu, in contrast with the standards of beauty of the Mewtish people.
* BlondeGuysAreEvil: The Malagashes are famous for their blonde hair.
* DrowningMySorrows: Khaster's response to Ellony's death.
* EccentricMentor[=/=]CynicalMentor: Taropat is a quirky and cranky mentor at the best of times and nearly insane at the worst.
* IdenticalStranger: Shan looks uncannily like a younger Tayven.
* InnocentFanserviceGirl: Niree is swimming naked when Shan and company find her. She doesn't seem to mind.
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* LikeASonToMe: [[spoiler: Khaster claims Shan as a son in ''The Way of Light''.]]
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* LikeASonToMe: [[spoiler: Khaster Taropat claims Shan as a son in ''The Way of Light''.]]
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* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Nip and Niree
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* OpposingMentors: Taropat and Sinaclara for Shan.
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* ReligionIsMagic: The Sisterhood of the Dragon stands out in particular, though most religions work this way.
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* ShinyMidnightBlack: The Palindrakes are known for their black hair.
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* SwitchingPOV: Happens frequently, especially in the last book which has several plot lines going on at once.
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* TrainingFromHell: Thremius apparently sometimes puts Nip through this. Once he hung upside-down and forced her to speak backwards to him for a week.
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* WellDoneSonGuy: Shan to Taropat.
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* WizardBeard: Thremius has one.
* WizardsLiveLonger: Taropat, Thremius, and Sinaclara are all older than any living person
* WizardsLiveLonger: Taropat, Thremius, and Sinaclara are all older than any living person
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* AbdicateTheThrone: [[Gastern]] is forced to abdicate after he goes mad. His son is also quietly pushed aside in favorite of crowning his brother.
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* BigLittleBrother: Merlan is twelve years younger than Khaster, but often acts like the older of the two.
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* KingOnHisDeathbed: Leonid spends much of the trilogy dying, and it makes everyone very nervous.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: Tatrini
* LadyOfBlackMagic: Tatrini
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* TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask: Tatrini. She takes this act [[BecomingTheMask very seriously]].
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# Sea Dragon Heir
# The Crown of Silence
# The Way of Light
# The Crown of Silence
# The Way of Light
to:
# Sea ''Sea Dragon Heir
Heir''
#The ''The Crown of Silence
Silence''
#The ''The Way of Light
Light''
#
#
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* ArrangedMarriage: As most of the characters are nobility, almsost all marriages work this way. Most noteworthy being Varencienne's marriage to Valraven, who is over ten years older than her.
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* ArrangedMarriage: As most of the characters are nobility, almsost almost all marriages work this way. Most noteworthy being Varencienne's marriage to Valraven, who is over ten years older than her.
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* BreakTheHaughty:
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* BreakTheHaughty:BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler: Tatrini gets this hard at the end when all her sons are murdered.]]
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* DecoyProtagonist: Arguably, everyone who isn't Valraven, who doesn't get POV chapters until ''The Way of Light''.
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* DecoyProtagonist: Arguably, everyone who isn't Valraven, who doesn't get POV chapters until ''The Way of Light''. Shan is this in particular as he is the POV character through the majority of ''The Crown of Silence.''
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** Pharinet has Ellony Leckery and Ellony Palindrake
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** Pharinet has Ellony Leckery and Ellony Elly Palindrake
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* SiblingYinYang: Pharinet and Everna are not [[TheGloriousWarIOfSisterlyRivalry rivals]], but where Everna is plain and quiet and dependable, Pharinet is visually striking, highly emotional, and even unstable.
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* SiblingYinYang: Pharinet and Everna are not [[TheGloriousWarIOfSisterlyRivalry [[TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry rivals]], but where Everna is plain and quiet and dependable, Pharinet is visually striking, highly emotional, and even unstable.
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* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Pharinet and Ellony respectively.
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* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Pharinet and Ellony respectively.Ellony.
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* FalseWidow: [[Pharinet is still married because Khaster isn't dead. Not that she knows that.]]
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* FalseWidow: [[Pharinet [[spoiler: Pharinet is still married because Khaster isn't dead. Not that she knows that.]]
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''The Chronicles of Magravandias'' is an epic fantasy trilogy by British author Storm Constantine. It consists of:
# Sea Dragon Heir
# The Crown of Silence
# The Way of Light
There is also a collection of stories set in the same world ''The Thorn Boy and Other Tales of Dark Desire.''
InAWorld where the elements battle through human armies, the sea dragons and their worshipers, the [[MakingASplash Palindrakes]], have lost to [[PlayingWithFire Cassilin Malagash]], the king of fire, and his god Madragore. Cassilin takes the Palindrake heir, Valraven, and makes him swear fealty to him and to Madragore, banishing the sea dragons and their power from Caradore. The Palindrakes are forced to forget their heritage and Caradore becomes a state of Magravandias.
Two-hundred years later, Magravandias is [[TheEmpire a vast empire]] and still expanding with the help of Caradorean nobles leading their armies. Pharinet Palindrake, twin sister to Valraven V, begins to learn the truth of her family and her country's history and wants to revive the power of the sea dragons. This is complicated when she becomes insanely jealous of her best friend, who is destined to marry [[TheChosenOne Valraven]] and become the sea wife, a role she [[BrotherSisterIncest wants for herself]]. [[ItGotWorse It gets worse]] before it gets better.
----
!!''The Chronicles of Magravandias'' provides examples of:
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: The Leckerys being such a big family have a few cases of this.
** Khaster generally finds Merlan irritating as a child.
** Ellony resents having to bring Niska along on outings.
* ArcWords: "It will happen regardless of what you think or do."
* ArrangedMarriage: As most of the characters are nobility, almsost all marriages work this way. Most noteworthy being Varencienne's marriage to Valraven, who is over ten years older than her.
* AttemptedRape: Bayard tries to force himself on Tayven. Khaster intervenes.
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning
* BigLittleBrother: Merlan is twelve years younger than Khaster, but often acts like the older of the two.
* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Malagashes take the cake here. The emperor has a dozen children who all dislike each other and two of them openly challenge the heir's claim to the throne. The other brothers join whichever brother they most admire or most fear. Not to mention Tatrini implies that Leonid's mother offed his older brother so Leonid could inherit.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Valraven becomes king of Magravandias and Caradore and the states of the Magravandian Empire become independent countries again, but he and Varencienne will never live in Caradore again. Also Tatrini lives, but all of her sons have been murdered.]]
* BlackAndGrayMorality: The designated heroes are not particularly heroic. Just the villains of the story are worse.
* BreakTheHaughty:
* BrotherSisterIncest: Valraven and Pharinet. Bayard and Varencienne also talk about marrying each other, but this is more to protect Varencienne from marrying someone she doesn't love.
* ChekhovsGunman: Several.
** Tayven makes a nameless appearance early in the story, long before he has a real role in the story.
** Varencienne is mentioned dismissively before Valraven's first wedding, but becomes the POV character and Valraven's second wife.
** Tatrini's first mention is also dismissive and her name isn't used. She becomes a major player later on.
* TheChessmaster: Darris Maycarpe.
* TheChosenOne: Lampshaded and subverted thoroughly with Shan's story. Shan was actually Taropat's back-up choice since the real chosen one was killed by the Magravandians. Taropat decided to ScrewDestiny and create a [[TheUnchosenOne new hero to defeat Magravandias]]. Further taken apart by Shan ultimately not being the hero of the story anyway, even if he plays a key role; he is the Warrior, not the King.
* ChristmasCake: Everna seemed doomed to being a spinster until finally marrying at the late age of twenty-eight.
* TheCityNarrows: The Soak is the worst part of Magrast.
* TheClan: Any of the noble families, but the Malagashes and Palindrakes in particular.
* CorruptChurch: The worship of Madragore.
* CourtMage: The Malagashes have mages in their employ. [[spoiler: Khaster is likely this at the end.]]
* CrystalDragonJesus: Madragore. The Magravandians spread this faith to free others from "pagan superstition."
* DeadlyDecadentCourt: The court in Magrast.
* DeathOfTheOldGods: The church of Madragore dissuades and sometiems outright bans local religions. Foy is the most notable example.
* DecoyProtagonist: Arguably, everyone who isn't Valraven, who doesn't get POV chapters until ''The Way of Light''.
* DemonicPossession: The dragons daughters possess several people over the course of the story.
* DemotedToExtra: Most notably Shan between ''The Crown of Silence'' and ''The Way of Light''. Merlan goes from being a fairly important side character to falling off the face of the earth. Storm tends to toss her characters aside when she no longer needs them.
* DepravedBisexual: Hi, Bayard.
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: Almorante throws himself in front of Bayard's sword to protect Valraven.]]
* DysfunctionJunction: All of the major characters go through major trauma so that by the end of the series they can really only function together by deliberately setting all their issues aside until later.
* ElementalEmbodiment: What the dragons and their underlings like the dragon daughters really are.
* TheEmpire: Magravandias
* TheEmperor: Cassilin in the prologue, Leonid during most of the present-day events.
* EndOfAnAge: The fall of the Palindrakes in the prologue.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Bayard is without a doubt the worst of the emperor's sons, but probably the only one who actually respects and cares about their mother.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Tayven Hirantel is so beautiful, everyone wants him.
* EvilMatriarch: Most people believe Tatrini to be this. She encourages them.
* TheEvilPrince: Bayard.
* TheFairFolk: The elden. [[FallenAngel It's much more complicated than that.]]
* FalseWidow: [[Pharinet is still married because Khaster isn't dead. Not that she knows that.]]
* FamedInStory
** The Malagashes, being the royal family
** Valraven is widely known and very popular.
** The events of "The Thorn Boy" are referenced as an old story in ''The Crown of Silence''
* FantasyCounterpartCulture:
** Mewt is based on AncientEgypt.
** High Hamagara appears to be inspired by Tibet.
* TheFellowshipHasEnded: Rather angrily, when Taropat learns Sinaclara intends to crown Valraven.
* FieryRedhead: Sinaclara
* FishOutOfWater: Shan is often out of place wherever he goes, whether among the mages in Bree or the royal court in Mewt because of his uneducated peasant background.
* FisherKing: Shan meets the king who lives and dies for the land in a vision.
* Foil: Most every character has a foil somewhere in the story. Often they have more than one. For example--
** Valraven has Khaster, Bayard, and Almorante
** Pharinet has Ellony Leckery and Ellony Palindrake
* FourElementEnsemble: The four dragons of the elements.
** Foy: Water
** Efrit: Fire
** Paraga: Air
** Espereth: Earth
* FunctionalMagic
* TheFundamentalist: Gastern, to the point that everyone but the church is terrified of him succeeding his father.
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: The response to anyone who knows a thing or two about Empress Tatrini. Even the response of her own sons.
* GoMadFromTheRevelation: [[spoiler: Gastern]] faces the darkness of humanity. His mind doesn't survive.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Nip believes her grandfather was an eld. Shan is highly skeptical of this theory.
* HalfIdenticalTwins: Valraven and Pharinet.
* HellholePrison: The Skitterings.
* HereThereWereDragons: All over the world, but most notably Caradore and the sea dragons.
* HiddenDepths: Tayven appears to be nothing more than a pretty bauble. He is however [[spoiler: Almorante's personal spy, later a trained assassin,]] and deeply and genuinely in love with Khaster.
* HighClassCallGirl: Khaster visits a courtesan to forget sexual tension with Tayven. It doesn't work.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: What Tayven appears to be, though played with in that he's very concerned about his own survival.
* HotWitch: Lady Sinaclara.
* InfantImmortality: Subverted. [[spoiler: The emperor's youngest three sons are only children, but they die in the end all the same.]]
* InLoveWithLove: Khaster convinces himself he loves Pharinet, though Pharinet has clearly stated on more than one occasion that they are friends whose families would like them to marry.
* IronicEcho: The duel at the end of ''The Way of Light'' to Valraven and Bayard's first duel in ''Sea Dragon Heir''.
* KillEmAll: What most people think needs to happen to the Malagashes. [[spoiler: The Malagashes are all murdered in the end.]]
* KingBobTheNth: Valraven Palindrake is the fifth of his name. Emperor Leonid II.
* LampshadeHanging: Happens very frequently, though not enough to make the series a {{deconstruction}} and not quite enough for the characters to be GenreSavvy. The characters just, unknowingly, question normal fantasy novel actions and logic.
* LeftForDead: Tayven.
* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Ellony and Pharinet respectively. Highlighted by their rivalry over Valraven.
* ALighterShadeOfGray: The Leckerys are probably the only family that consistently strives for decency.
* LikeASonToMe: [[spoiler: Khaster claims Shan as a son in ''The Way of Light''.]]
* TheLostWoods: The Forest of Bree.
* LovingAShadow: Varencienne has an affair with Khaster's brother Merlan because of his resemblance to Khaster. Made even worse by the fact that she's never met Khaster but believes herself in love with him anyway.
* TheMagicComesBack: But not in the way the characters expect it to.
* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: A few instances.
** Almorante's dark hair leads people to believe he is not actually a Malagash.
** Played with when Pharinet jokes that she wouldn't believe Rav was a Palindrake if he wasn't a twin.
** There are subtle hints that Valraven is not the father of Varencienne's third child.
* AManIsNotAVirgin: Pharinet is surprised that both Valraven and Khaster are sexually experienced. She wonders when and how they gained that experience. The only male character who loses his virginity on the page is Shan.
* MasterPoisoner: Lord Pimalder, who is both Tatrini's perfumer and poisoner.
* MindRape: [[spoiler: The Dragon Daughters drive Gastern mad.]]
* MissingMom:
** Pharinet and Valraven's mother dies giving birth to them.
** Shan's mother dies when he's very little.
* TheMourningAfter: Tatrini closes her heart to her children after her third son dies very young.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Pharinet's belated reactions to her terrible treatment of Ellony are of this nature. Particularly after Ellony dies.
* NoManOfWomanBorn: The initial spell cast on Valraven I states that so long as he bears the mark of Madragore, he cannot rise up against Magravandias or Caradore will burn. [[spoiler: so Valraven V simply removes the mark.]]
* NoPeriodsPeriod: Mostly played straight; the only time periods are mentioned is when a character notices she's stopped bleeding and might be pregnant. Subverted in ''The Way of Light'' when Varencienne tries to figure out how to handle her period in the wild.
* NotSoDifferent: Behind a lot of the conflicts in the series. Most of the rivals in the series e.g. Valraven and Bayard, are very similar.
* OfferedTheCrown: Valraven offered the Magravandian throne and people plot to put him in power long before this offer is made.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Thremius already an old-looking man, but Nip remarks that he's older than Shan's great-great grandfather would be if he were still alive.
* OneGenderSchool: The college in Magrast is for boys only.
* OneSteveLimit: Averted. Children are named for parents and ancestors often.
* TheOphelia: Ellony becomes increasingly unstable after joining the Sisterhood of the Dragon.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: There are dragons for all the elements, not just fire. The sea dragons are the most prominent example.
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: The Ustredi.
* ParentalFavoritism: Leonid prefers his oldest son Gastern. Tatrini prefers Bayard.
* ParentalSubstitute: Oltefney becomes more of a mother to Varencienne than Tatrini ever was.
* PromotionToParent: Several characters are raised by their siblings.
** Everna raised Valraven and Pharinet since their mother died giving birth to them and their father was often away from home.
** Queen Neferishu and Princess Helayna are also raised by their older brothers.
** Everna is more a mother to Rav and Elly than Varencienne is.
* PlatonicLifePartners: Valraven and Varencienne's marriage.
* PleaseSpareHimMyLiege: Khaster begs Bayard to spare Tayven. It goes badly.
* TheQuest: The seven lakes of Recolletine.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Taropat, Shan, and Tayven are the king's magus, warrior, and bard respectively. And then Merlan tags along, which sparks a lot of debate.
* RapePillageAndBurn: Holme is torn apart by soldiers, even though the villagers don't, and can't, put up a fight.
* RapeIsTheNewDeadParents: Of course, Shan's parents are also dead.
* RedLightDistrict: The Soak.
* SacrificialLamb: Ellony Leckery.
* SecretRelationship: Played with. Valraven and Bayard's relationship is not a secret in Magrast, but it is to the characters in Caradore.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Khaster and Valraven. By comparison, Valraven and Bayard respectively as well.
* SiblingRivalry: The Malagash princes, but particularly bad are Gastern, Almorante, and Bayard.
* SiblingYinYang: Pharinet and Everna are not [[TheGloriousWarIOfSisterlyRivalry rivals]], but where Everna is plain and quiet and dependable, Pharinet is visually striking, highly emotional, and even unstable.
* SpareToTheThrone: Gastern has far too many younger brothers to do anyone any good.
* StayInTheKitchen: The Magravandians have this opinion of women.
* StudentAndMasterTeam: Shan and Taropat.
* SuccessionCrisis: The entire basis of the political plot.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: And it shows.
* TitleDrop: The titles of all three books are used in dialogue at one point or another because they are important in-universe objects or concepts.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Pharinet and Ellony respectively.
* TraumaInducedAmnesia:
** Shan forgets for a period of time that he was raped by soldiers.
** Tayven forgets his history for a time after he's left for dead in Cos.
* {{Twincest}}: Valraven and Pharinet.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Valraven is often stated to have been much kinder as a child.
* WaifProphet: Ellony receives visions after her marriage to Valraven, which get stronger as her physical and mental health deteriorate.
* WeCouldHaveAvoidedAllThis: Many of the problems in Caradore could have been avoided by the Palindrakes and the Leckerys not marrying in the first place.
* WhatTheHellHero: The characters do so many questionable things and disagree with each other so often than this is almost the status quo of the series.
* WideEyedIdealist: Ellony Leckery. This ends up biting her sharply.
* WouldHurtAChild: Master Dark.
* TheXOfY: ''The Crown of Silence'' and ''The Way of Light''.
* {{Yandere}}: Pharinet.
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Gastern.
# Sea Dragon Heir
# The Crown of Silence
# The Way of Light
There is also a collection of stories set in the same world ''The Thorn Boy and Other Tales of Dark Desire.''
InAWorld where the elements battle through human armies, the sea dragons and their worshipers, the [[MakingASplash Palindrakes]], have lost to [[PlayingWithFire Cassilin Malagash]], the king of fire, and his god Madragore. Cassilin takes the Palindrake heir, Valraven, and makes him swear fealty to him and to Madragore, banishing the sea dragons and their power from Caradore. The Palindrakes are forced to forget their heritage and Caradore becomes a state of Magravandias.
Two-hundred years later, Magravandias is [[TheEmpire a vast empire]] and still expanding with the help of Caradorean nobles leading their armies. Pharinet Palindrake, twin sister to Valraven V, begins to learn the truth of her family and her country's history and wants to revive the power of the sea dragons. This is complicated when she becomes insanely jealous of her best friend, who is destined to marry [[TheChosenOne Valraven]] and become the sea wife, a role she [[BrotherSisterIncest wants for herself]]. [[ItGotWorse It gets worse]] before it gets better.
----
!!''The Chronicles of Magravandias'' provides examples of:
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: The Leckerys being such a big family have a few cases of this.
** Khaster generally finds Merlan irritating as a child.
** Ellony resents having to bring Niska along on outings.
* ArcWords: "It will happen regardless of what you think or do."
* ArrangedMarriage: As most of the characters are nobility, almsost all marriages work this way. Most noteworthy being Varencienne's marriage to Valraven, who is over ten years older than her.
* AttemptedRape: Bayard tries to force himself on Tayven. Khaster intervenes.
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning
* BigLittleBrother: Merlan is twelve years younger than Khaster, but often acts like the older of the two.
* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Malagashes take the cake here. The emperor has a dozen children who all dislike each other and two of them openly challenge the heir's claim to the throne. The other brothers join whichever brother they most admire or most fear. Not to mention Tatrini implies that Leonid's mother offed his older brother so Leonid could inherit.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Valraven becomes king of Magravandias and Caradore and the states of the Magravandian Empire become independent countries again, but he and Varencienne will never live in Caradore again. Also Tatrini lives, but all of her sons have been murdered.]]
* BlackAndGrayMorality: The designated heroes are not particularly heroic. Just the villains of the story are worse.
* BreakTheHaughty:
* BrotherSisterIncest: Valraven and Pharinet. Bayard and Varencienne also talk about marrying each other, but this is more to protect Varencienne from marrying someone she doesn't love.
* ChekhovsGunman: Several.
** Tayven makes a nameless appearance early in the story, long before he has a real role in the story.
** Varencienne is mentioned dismissively before Valraven's first wedding, but becomes the POV character and Valraven's second wife.
** Tatrini's first mention is also dismissive and her name isn't used. She becomes a major player later on.
* TheChessmaster: Darris Maycarpe.
* TheChosenOne: Lampshaded and subverted thoroughly with Shan's story. Shan was actually Taropat's back-up choice since the real chosen one was killed by the Magravandians. Taropat decided to ScrewDestiny and create a [[TheUnchosenOne new hero to defeat Magravandias]]. Further taken apart by Shan ultimately not being the hero of the story anyway, even if he plays a key role; he is the Warrior, not the King.
* ChristmasCake: Everna seemed doomed to being a spinster until finally marrying at the late age of twenty-eight.
* TheCityNarrows: The Soak is the worst part of Magrast.
* TheClan: Any of the noble families, but the Malagashes and Palindrakes in particular.
* CorruptChurch: The worship of Madragore.
* CourtMage: The Malagashes have mages in their employ. [[spoiler: Khaster is likely this at the end.]]
* CrystalDragonJesus: Madragore. The Magravandians spread this faith to free others from "pagan superstition."
* DeadlyDecadentCourt: The court in Magrast.
* DeathOfTheOldGods: The church of Madragore dissuades and sometiems outright bans local religions. Foy is the most notable example.
* DecoyProtagonist: Arguably, everyone who isn't Valraven, who doesn't get POV chapters until ''The Way of Light''.
* DemonicPossession: The dragons daughters possess several people over the course of the story.
* DemotedToExtra: Most notably Shan between ''The Crown of Silence'' and ''The Way of Light''. Merlan goes from being a fairly important side character to falling off the face of the earth. Storm tends to toss her characters aside when she no longer needs them.
* DepravedBisexual: Hi, Bayard.
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: Almorante throws himself in front of Bayard's sword to protect Valraven.]]
* DysfunctionJunction: All of the major characters go through major trauma so that by the end of the series they can really only function together by deliberately setting all their issues aside until later.
* ElementalEmbodiment: What the dragons and their underlings like the dragon daughters really are.
* TheEmpire: Magravandias
* TheEmperor: Cassilin in the prologue, Leonid during most of the present-day events.
* EndOfAnAge: The fall of the Palindrakes in the prologue.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Bayard is without a doubt the worst of the emperor's sons, but probably the only one who actually respects and cares about their mother.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Tayven Hirantel is so beautiful, everyone wants him.
* EvilMatriarch: Most people believe Tatrini to be this. She encourages them.
* TheEvilPrince: Bayard.
* TheFairFolk: The elden. [[FallenAngel It's much more complicated than that.]]
* FalseWidow: [[Pharinet is still married because Khaster isn't dead. Not that she knows that.]]
* FamedInStory
** The Malagashes, being the royal family
** Valraven is widely known and very popular.
** The events of "The Thorn Boy" are referenced as an old story in ''The Crown of Silence''
* FantasyCounterpartCulture:
** Mewt is based on AncientEgypt.
** High Hamagara appears to be inspired by Tibet.
* TheFellowshipHasEnded: Rather angrily, when Taropat learns Sinaclara intends to crown Valraven.
* FieryRedhead: Sinaclara
* FishOutOfWater: Shan is often out of place wherever he goes, whether among the mages in Bree or the royal court in Mewt because of his uneducated peasant background.
* FisherKing: Shan meets the king who lives and dies for the land in a vision.
* Foil: Most every character has a foil somewhere in the story. Often they have more than one. For example--
** Valraven has Khaster, Bayard, and Almorante
** Pharinet has Ellony Leckery and Ellony Palindrake
* FourElementEnsemble: The four dragons of the elements.
** Foy: Water
** Efrit: Fire
** Paraga: Air
** Espereth: Earth
* FunctionalMagic
* TheFundamentalist: Gastern, to the point that everyone but the church is terrified of him succeeding his father.
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: The response to anyone who knows a thing or two about Empress Tatrini. Even the response of her own sons.
* GoMadFromTheRevelation: [[spoiler: Gastern]] faces the darkness of humanity. His mind doesn't survive.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Nip believes her grandfather was an eld. Shan is highly skeptical of this theory.
* HalfIdenticalTwins: Valraven and Pharinet.
* HellholePrison: The Skitterings.
* HereThereWereDragons: All over the world, but most notably Caradore and the sea dragons.
* HiddenDepths: Tayven appears to be nothing more than a pretty bauble. He is however [[spoiler: Almorante's personal spy, later a trained assassin,]] and deeply and genuinely in love with Khaster.
* HighClassCallGirl: Khaster visits a courtesan to forget sexual tension with Tayven. It doesn't work.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: What Tayven appears to be, though played with in that he's very concerned about his own survival.
* HotWitch: Lady Sinaclara.
* InfantImmortality: Subverted. [[spoiler: The emperor's youngest three sons are only children, but they die in the end all the same.]]
* InLoveWithLove: Khaster convinces himself he loves Pharinet, though Pharinet has clearly stated on more than one occasion that they are friends whose families would like them to marry.
* IronicEcho: The duel at the end of ''The Way of Light'' to Valraven and Bayard's first duel in ''Sea Dragon Heir''.
* KillEmAll: What most people think needs to happen to the Malagashes. [[spoiler: The Malagashes are all murdered in the end.]]
* KingBobTheNth: Valraven Palindrake is the fifth of his name. Emperor Leonid II.
* LampshadeHanging: Happens very frequently, though not enough to make the series a {{deconstruction}} and not quite enough for the characters to be GenreSavvy. The characters just, unknowingly, question normal fantasy novel actions and logic.
* LeftForDead: Tayven.
* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Ellony and Pharinet respectively. Highlighted by their rivalry over Valraven.
* ALighterShadeOfGray: The Leckerys are probably the only family that consistently strives for decency.
* LikeASonToMe: [[spoiler: Khaster claims Shan as a son in ''The Way of Light''.]]
* TheLostWoods: The Forest of Bree.
* LovingAShadow: Varencienne has an affair with Khaster's brother Merlan because of his resemblance to Khaster. Made even worse by the fact that she's never met Khaster but believes herself in love with him anyway.
* TheMagicComesBack: But not in the way the characters expect it to.
* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: A few instances.
** Almorante's dark hair leads people to believe he is not actually a Malagash.
** Played with when Pharinet jokes that she wouldn't believe Rav was a Palindrake if he wasn't a twin.
** There are subtle hints that Valraven is not the father of Varencienne's third child.
* AManIsNotAVirgin: Pharinet is surprised that both Valraven and Khaster are sexually experienced. She wonders when and how they gained that experience. The only male character who loses his virginity on the page is Shan.
* MasterPoisoner: Lord Pimalder, who is both Tatrini's perfumer and poisoner.
* MindRape: [[spoiler: The Dragon Daughters drive Gastern mad.]]
* MissingMom:
** Pharinet and Valraven's mother dies giving birth to them.
** Shan's mother dies when he's very little.
* TheMourningAfter: Tatrini closes her heart to her children after her third son dies very young.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Pharinet's belated reactions to her terrible treatment of Ellony are of this nature. Particularly after Ellony dies.
* NoManOfWomanBorn: The initial spell cast on Valraven I states that so long as he bears the mark of Madragore, he cannot rise up against Magravandias or Caradore will burn. [[spoiler: so Valraven V simply removes the mark.]]
* NoPeriodsPeriod: Mostly played straight; the only time periods are mentioned is when a character notices she's stopped bleeding and might be pregnant. Subverted in ''The Way of Light'' when Varencienne tries to figure out how to handle her period in the wild.
* NotSoDifferent: Behind a lot of the conflicts in the series. Most of the rivals in the series e.g. Valraven and Bayard, are very similar.
* OfferedTheCrown: Valraven offered the Magravandian throne and people plot to put him in power long before this offer is made.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Thremius already an old-looking man, but Nip remarks that he's older than Shan's great-great grandfather would be if he were still alive.
* OneGenderSchool: The college in Magrast is for boys only.
* OneSteveLimit: Averted. Children are named for parents and ancestors often.
* TheOphelia: Ellony becomes increasingly unstable after joining the Sisterhood of the Dragon.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: There are dragons for all the elements, not just fire. The sea dragons are the most prominent example.
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: The Ustredi.
* ParentalFavoritism: Leonid prefers his oldest son Gastern. Tatrini prefers Bayard.
* ParentalSubstitute: Oltefney becomes more of a mother to Varencienne than Tatrini ever was.
* PromotionToParent: Several characters are raised by their siblings.
** Everna raised Valraven and Pharinet since their mother died giving birth to them and their father was often away from home.
** Queen Neferishu and Princess Helayna are also raised by their older brothers.
** Everna is more a mother to Rav and Elly than Varencienne is.
* PlatonicLifePartners: Valraven and Varencienne's marriage.
* PleaseSpareHimMyLiege: Khaster begs Bayard to spare Tayven. It goes badly.
* TheQuest: The seven lakes of Recolletine.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Taropat, Shan, and Tayven are the king's magus, warrior, and bard respectively. And then Merlan tags along, which sparks a lot of debate.
* RapePillageAndBurn: Holme is torn apart by soldiers, even though the villagers don't, and can't, put up a fight.
* RapeIsTheNewDeadParents: Of course, Shan's parents are also dead.
* RedLightDistrict: The Soak.
* SacrificialLamb: Ellony Leckery.
* SecretRelationship: Played with. Valraven and Bayard's relationship is not a secret in Magrast, but it is to the characters in Caradore.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Khaster and Valraven. By comparison, Valraven and Bayard respectively as well.
* SiblingRivalry: The Malagash princes, but particularly bad are Gastern, Almorante, and Bayard.
* SiblingYinYang: Pharinet and Everna are not [[TheGloriousWarIOfSisterlyRivalry rivals]], but where Everna is plain and quiet and dependable, Pharinet is visually striking, highly emotional, and even unstable.
* SpareToTheThrone: Gastern has far too many younger brothers to do anyone any good.
* StayInTheKitchen: The Magravandians have this opinion of women.
* StudentAndMasterTeam: Shan and Taropat.
* SuccessionCrisis: The entire basis of the political plot.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: And it shows.
* TitleDrop: The titles of all three books are used in dialogue at one point or another because they are important in-universe objects or concepts.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Pharinet and Ellony respectively.
* TraumaInducedAmnesia:
** Shan forgets for a period of time that he was raped by soldiers.
** Tayven forgets his history for a time after he's left for dead in Cos.
* {{Twincest}}: Valraven and Pharinet.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Valraven is often stated to have been much kinder as a child.
* WaifProphet: Ellony receives visions after her marriage to Valraven, which get stronger as her physical and mental health deteriorate.
* WeCouldHaveAvoidedAllThis: Many of the problems in Caradore could have been avoided by the Palindrakes and the Leckerys not marrying in the first place.
* WhatTheHellHero: The characters do so many questionable things and disagree with each other so often than this is almost the status quo of the series.
* WideEyedIdealist: Ellony Leckery. This ends up biting her sharply.
* WouldHurtAChild: Master Dark.
* TheXOfY: ''The Crown of Silence'' and ''The Way of Light''.
* {{Yandere}}: Pharinet.
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Gastern.
