History Literature / FevreDream

* DeathByChildbirth: Vampire pregnancies are extraordinarily risky, as the vampire fetus will claw its way out the mother, which is how Joshua's mother died. Among his reasons for wanting to establish a truce between vampires and humans is his belief that modern medicine can remove some of that risk, which could eventually threaten the survival of the race. [[spoiler:This becomes ''extremely'' pressing once he successfully fathers a child himself.]]

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: "This river's full of scoundrels and sharpers and bible-thumpers and Republicans and abolitionists and all sorts of queer folk."

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: The strongest vampire of a pack is acknowledged as the "bloodmaster," and [[spoiler:at least apparently]] holds complete dominion over his underlings.

* IControlMyMinionsThrough: Damon controls his vampire entourage through a variety of methods. Some flock to him [[BirdsOfAFeather out of preference]], others obey him out of respect and/or fear for the [[AssKickingEqualsAuthority bloodmaster]], while others do so out of tradition: it's unheard of for a vampire to oppose the bloodmaster. He controls Billy through FalseReassurance and WorkingForABodyUpgrade, evoking UndyingLoyalty. It's implied he's done this to a long line of chosen human servants in the past.

* BlackAndGreyMorality: Within the vampires' circle, it's stressed that many of them are not inherently bad people, but more slaves to the red thirst who kill for strength and sustenance rather than to derive any real pleasure from the act of murder. On the other hand, Julian's approach -- which essentially boils down to KillEmAll ForTheEvulz -- has many eager followers.

* CreativeSterility: Vampires do not make art, music, clothing, or architecture. They live entirely as parasites in the human race and didn't even have language when they first met up with humanity. The Red Thirst is primarily responsible for this as it prevents them from thinking of anything else. [[spoiler: Joshua hopes to trigger a Renassiance for his people by curing it.]]

* DeathByChildbirth: Vampire pregnancies are extraordinarily risky, as the vampire fetus will claw its way out the mother, which is how Joshua's mother died. Among his reasons for wanting to establish a truce between vampires and humans is his belief that modern medicine can remove some of that risk, which could eventually threaten the survival of the race.

** Decapitation or destruction of the brain can kill a vampire as effectively as it will kill a human.

* KnifeNut: Sour Billy always carries a trademark knife with him. He's very good at throwing it.

* ChekhovsGun: Jeffers is mentioned to have a swordcane early on. He uses it at about the halfway point of the novel.

''Fevre Dream'' is a 1982 {{Historical Fiction}} {{Vampire}} {{Fantasy}}/{{Horror}} novel by Creator/GeorgeRRMartin, taking place on the Mississippi River during the golden age of steamboats.

** ''Eclipse'' is the name of the reigning champion riverboat. It's name deals with darkness and daylight, both of which pertain to vampires. Abner also dreams of "eclipsing" the boat with ''Fevre Dream''.

** The Red Thirst also has multiple triggers. It tends to wax and wane in a lunar cyclle (though not necessarily in time with the moon), but vampires will feel it more strongly when they see a beautiful human [[spoiler: or are in pain.]]

* TheUnfavourite: Jean is Julian's least favoured underling, due in part to his inability to properly moderate his thirst for blood. [[spoiler:Julian implicitly sends him to his death, swapping cabins with him after suspecting Marsh would come to kill him.]]
* TheUnfought: The "Fevre Dream vs Eclipse" ends up not happening after the Eclipse sufers an accident. Later, [[spoiler:the Fevre Dream itself ends up grounded for more than a decade, making it unsalvageable.]]

* VillainHasAPoint: Julian points out that dismissing his belief in the superiority of the vampire race giving them unlimited rights over humanity is hypocritical - after all, they're in the Antebellum South, where within one species the 'superior' race has unlimited power over the 'inferior'. [[spoiler: Marsh admits he's right — [[AChatWithSatan and becomes an abolitionist.]]]]