History Literature / CodexAlera

* {{Slave Collar}}s: When it comes to the magical discipline collars... well, it is [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel not pretty]]. When one is put on you, you are buried in indescribable pleasure, until the mere ''absence'' of that pleasure is like torture. From then on, you must obey the orders of the person who put the collar on you, or you will feel pain, while obeying causes pleasure. Worse, you will die if anyone other than the person who put the collar on you tries to take it off, even if that person is ''dead''.

* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: Across different generations- Tavi, Max, Ehren and Rook [[spoiler: who is actually a spy and a young woman]] as well as Brencis and his gang; in the third book we learn that Aria and Kalarus were both at the Academy together, though possibly in different years, and its possible that Gaius and High Lord Cereus did too as they are implied to be the same age; the mother of all examples is the second and final books where we learn tha [[spoiler: Araris, Aldrick, High Lord Antillus (the father of Crassus and Max), High Lord Aquaitane ''and'' Princep Septimus were all friends from school as well, and continued that friendship until the night Septimus died.]]

* BigBad: Looks like Aquitaine at first, then shifts to Kalarus, but really turns out to be [[spoiler: the primary Vord Queen]].

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Slavery, torture and genocide of nonhuman species are all accepted in Aleran society, remnants of their Roman Ancestry. Women are also stuck in a second-class status, but the patriarchy has weakened slightly due to their ability to gain Citizenship by proving their martial abilities.

** Invidia Aquitaine, first to her husband and later to [[spoiler: the Vord Queen]].

* EvilSorcerer: The Canim Ritualists are generally considered to be this, though only some of them are as bad as they are made out to be: the blood they need for their rituals can as easily be taken from already-dead corpses as from live sacrifices. In fact, the old school of ritualists do not believe in using anyone's blood but their ''own''; Marok, in ''First Lord's Fury,'' demonstrates how decent this type can be. However, [[TheStarscream Sarl]]: and later Khral, embrace the trope thoroughly.

** In ''Cursor's Fury'', Odiana actually implies that she ''wants'' to have a discipline collar put on her by Aldrick: but ''only'' Aldrick. This is played for tragedy, not humor; in the first book the basically says she used to be a slave, used for sex, when she could feel her attackers emotions and that is what broke her. Notably, [[EvenEvilHasStandards Aldrick will not do it.]]

* TheDeadHaveNames: After a pair of Hunters are killed in battle with the Vord, Tavi asks their leader what their names were, and asks if anyone will sing a Blood Song (Canim funerary ritual) for them.
** Later on, one Canim ritualist, Master Marok, uses this to take the wind out of the sails of one of his less-honorable colleagues. After Tavi has to kill two in self defense, the ritualist says that a blood price must be paid for them--and Marok undercuts him by asking if he even knows their names, when he clearly doesn't.

* WorthyOpponent: The fifth novel explains that the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Canim]] as a culture prefer having a WorthyOpponent over having a friend: a friend can disappoint you, but a WorthyOpponent can always be trusted to try and kill you.

** In a sense, its also a case of GoneHorriblyWrong. Aquataine and his [[LadyMacbeth wife]] happened to have their ''own'' plans running against Kalarus at the time- namely, trying to outlaw slavery, since the economy of Kalarus' province is pretty much built on it and he'd be ruined without it (thus removing a dangerous rival). Though Gaius and his intelligence network were aware of that plan, they were unaware that it was about to succeed and the Senate were on the verge of making it official. Had they known this, Gaius and co. would not have carried out their plan, because they knew that Kalurus was AxCrazy and would [[KillEmAll react badly]] to too much pressure.

* TheRedSonja: Subverted by the Marat. Marat women set a challenge that a potential suitor must accomplish to win their affection. However, since the woman chooses the contest, Tavi notes that dumping a guy she does not want is as simple as choosing a challenge he can not succeed in.

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** Somewhat averted by highly skilled Metalcrafters, who can turn into durable ChromeChampions, although this is apparently quite painful.

** Do not try to get in the way of Gaius Sextus. Even if you ''think'' you won, he will have something else in motion that makes everything turn out in his favor. [[spoiler:Even if it takes him twenty-five years. And don't make the mistake of thinking that he's out of the game just because he's dead and you're still alive.]]
*** [[spoiler: To explain: Gaius Sextus is directly responsible for killing High Lord Kalarus. He blew up a Volcano on him, as revenge for killing his son. He is also indirectly, but very deliberately, responsible for the series of events that killed Attis Aquitaine, who was in the way of Tavi becoming First Lord. When He got Aquitaine killed, by his own wife, Gaius was already several months dead.]]

* PronounTrouble: Marat children are referred to by their parents as their "whelp" instead of boy or girl, until they pass a certain rite of adulthood. In the first book Tavi meets (and is injured by) a Marat child (Kitai), and the narration refers to this child with male pronouns since that is what Tavi assumes her to be. Proves to be a major plot point that he is a she.
** There's a bit of subtle foreshadowing here that's easy to miss. Tavi asks the girl's father, earlier, about his "son", and the Marat looks confused, and looks up--on first reading, it seems he's confused by the homonym, as a bit of a language barrier had been established earlier. It's only afterward that you realize his confusion was because he has a ''daughter'' instead.

** In a Dungeons&Dragons settings, the Marat would be closer to the Barbarians.

** He actually assumed that a tactic that worked so many times before (i.e. all the previous books), that is, befriend his enemy in the basis of a NotSoDifferent relationship, would work with a radically different as in totally alien specie that could not be approached by analogy.

** In the first book, Garrison's resident ObstructiveBureaucrat uses his official ledger as a bludgeon to fight off Herdbane and protect a group of children (after all, this is Alera, where [[RunningGag even the accountants will kick your ass]]).

* ObliviousGuiltSlinging: Occurs in ''Captain's Fury'', when [[spoiler:Tavi makes an offhand comment about how you can always trust your family while Isana is in the room. Isana, who has been lying to him his entire life about his parentage and the reason for his lack of crafting ability, was getting up the nerve to confess.]]
** Also to [[spoiler:Marcus/Fidelias]] from both sides throughout the same book: On one hand, [[spoiler:Max, Nalus, Crassus, and most of the First Aleran keep going on about how good a friend, adviser, and all around soldier he is, while he's technically working for Lady Aquitaine and has orders to kill Tavi]], and on the other, [[spoiler:Lady Aquitaine keeps genuinely complimenting him on his ideas to get Tavi out of the way, when he feels horribly guilty about coming up with them]].

* BadassFurry: The Canim.

-->'''Ehren:''' The plan is insane. ''You'' are insane. {{beat}}.... I'm gonna need some pants.

-->'''Ehren:''' The plan is insane. ''You'' are insane. {{beat}} I'll need some pants.

-->'''Ehren:''' The plan is insane. ''You'' are insane. I'll need some pants.

* [[GunpointBanter SwordpointBanter]]: In ''Captain's Fury'', when Tavi meets with Navaris for the first time, and is outwardly calm and dismissive even as she prepares to kill him.