History Literature / KnowledgeofAngels

* CoitusEnsues: About two-thirds of the way through the book, Palinor has a [[ThreeWaySex threesome]] with his (female and male) servants, which comes up quite unexpectedly while adding nothing to the plot. It also paints him in a somewhat bad light, given the {{questionable consent}} on their part as they're dependent on him for livelihood and used to obeying his orders.

The first main character, Palinor, is found washed up on a beach, near dead and with no forms of identification or proof that he is who he says he is an elected Prince of a foreign land. No one from Grandinsula has heard of this country, and it is soon learned he does not believe in God, an offense punishable by death. It falls to the Cardinal Prince of Grandinsula to convince Palinor to convert, and he delegates this task to the loyal Church scholar Beneditx. Beneditx has many theological conversations with Palinor, yet fails to convince him to convert (and, in fact, ends up suffering from a CrisisOfFaith himself).

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: The values of Renaissance Christians are ably demonstrated for the reader, such as the far more powerful role of religion in people's lives to the point of harsh persecution toward dissidents. Additionally, the Christian characters find Palinor's view hard to fathom (as indeed real Christians would have at the time). The Inquisitor finds the idea of religious tolerance, as Palinor describes in his homeland, appalling.

* StaticCharacter: Palinor is a big example of this, made more prominent by how much he changes those around him (for example, Palinor's beliefs are the same on the first and the last page, while Beneditx has had a CrisisOfFaith through merely talking with him).

The first main character, Palinor, is found washed up on a beach, near dead and with no forms of identification or proof that he is who he says he is-an elected Prince of a foreign land. No one from Grandinsula has heard of this country, and it is soon learned he does not believe in God, an offense punishable by death. It falls to the Cardinal Prince of Grandinsula to convince Palinor to convert, and he delegates this task to the loyal Church scholar Beneditx. Beneditx has many theological conversations with Palinor, yet fails to convince him to convert (and, in fact, ends up suffering from a CrisisOfFaith himself).

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: The values of Renaissance Christians are ably demonstrated for the reader, such as the far more powerful role of religion in people's lives-to the point of harsh persecution toward dissidents. Additionally, the Christian characters find Palinor's view hard to fathom (as indeed real Christians would have at the time). The Inquisitor finds the idea of religious tolerance, as Palinor describes in his homeland, appalling.

The other side of the story, with Amara, focuses on how a group of nuns hope to raise her to become 'human', and yet keep her ignorant of God, so as to see whether knowledge of God is innate or learned- a plan orchestrated by Severo, as, if it can be proved that humans are not born with knowledge of God, then Palinor will not be held guilty of rejecting God- rejection can be punished, ignorance cannot be. However, though early tests with Amara would suggest knowledge is learned, she is later couched by the nun caring for her in proclaiming belief in God, so she will be let go rather than kept confined waiting to see if she finds it by herself. Thus it is left unclear as to whether this knowledge really is innate or not, although Amara shows no signs of it before this.

* WildChild: Amara, raised by wolves from a young age, is one (and is actually based off of a real life feral child found in France).

* YourCheatingHeart: Palinor says he has a wife in Aclar, but cheats on her by having a threesome with his servants.

* CoitusEnsues: About two-thirds of the way through the book, Palinor has a [[ThreeWaySex threesome]] with his (female [[BiTheWay and]] male) servants, which comes up quite unexpectedly while adding nothing to the plot. It also paints him in a somewhat bad light, given the {{questionable consent}} on their part as they're dependent on him for livelihood and used to obeying his orders.

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* YourCheatingHeart: Palinor says he has a wife in Aclar, but cheats on her by having a threesome with his servants.

The first main character, Palinor, is found washed up on a beach, near dead and with no forms of identification or proof that he is who he says he is-an elected Prince of a foreign land. No-one from Grandinsula has heard of this country, and it is soon learned he does not believe in God, an offense punishable by death. It falls to the Cardinal Prince of Grandinsula to convince Palinor to convert, and he delegates this task to the loyal Church scholar Beneditx. Beneditx has many theological conversations with Palinor, yet fails to convince him to convert (and, in fact, ends up suffering from a CrisisOfFaith himself).

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: The values of Renaissance Christians are ably demonstrated for the reader, such as the far more powerful role of religion in people's lives-to the point of harsh persecution toward dissidents. Additionally, the Christian characters find Palinor's view hard to fathom (as indeed real Christians would have at the time). The Inquisitor finds the idea of religious tolerance, as Palinor describes in his homeland, utterly appalling.

* TheSoulsaver: Beneditx (and Severo) try to be this for Palinor.

* HeelFaithTurn: Beneditx was hoping to cause one in Palinor, though Palinor wasn't a Heel to begin with (the Church saw Palinor as evil for rejecting God, and so Beneditx was hoping that, by converting Palinor, the Church would see him as good and spare him).

* ReligionIsRight: Beneditx thinks his arguments (especially Aquinas' Five Ways) prove God exists.
* ReligionIsWrong: He becomes convinced that they don't after hearing Palinor's replies, which, to him, means that there is no evidence for a God, and so how could one exist?

* ArtisticLicenseReligion: Catholic doctrine did not view witchcraft as heresy in 1450. In fact, the official take was that witchcraft claims were delusions or lies, with it being sinful to believe they were true. Thus an Inquisitor would not tell people that witchcraft was a sign of heresy. Atheism is also not heresy, and so the Inquisitor would have no authority over Palinor. The only problem would be him trying to convince anyone else of atheism, which he didn't do.

* TheFundamentalist: The Inquisitor, unsurprisingly. Severo hoped he might be corrupt (as many Inquisitors were reputed as) and thus they could buy him off. However, he's soon shown that the man is a true believer.

* ChurchMilitant: The Holy Inquisition, naturally.

* WildChild: Amara, raised by wolves from a young age, is one (and is actually based off of a real life feral child found in France).

* {{UsefulNotes/Agnosticism}}: Even though he is identified as an atheist, Palinor's stated view toward the existence of God seems more like a strong version of agnosticism. He states that it's impossible to know whether God exists, and anyone who claims they do is simply mistaken.

* UsefulNotes/Agnosticism: Even though he is identified as an atheist, Palinor's stated view toward the existence of God seems more like a strong version of agnosticism. He states that it's impossible to know whether God exists, and anyone who claims they do is simply mistaken.

* DespairEventHorizon: Beneditx's reaches this after he becomes convinced by Palinor that God does not exist.