History Literature / KushielsLegacy

* CunningLinguist - Phèdre. [[AWorldwidePunomenon Both]] meanings.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome - [[spoiler: Just learning the Name of God causes the room to rumble and make you feel like your head's going to explode. Phèdre fainted when first hearing it.]] [[spoiler: Calling on the power of the Maghuin Dhonn to drive out a fallen angel from a room almost causes earthquakes.]]

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: The ancient Hellenes are this to D'Angelines. In the second half of ''Chosen'', Phedre travels to the island of Kriti and gushes about everything she sees there. This is interesting because-this one exception aside-she (and most D'Angelines) tend to look down on non-D'Angelines.

* BatheHerAndBringHerToMe: In ''Chosen'', every time [[spoiler: Melisande comes to visit her cell on [[TheAlcatraz La Dolorosa]],]] Phedre is forced to wash and don clean clothes.

** There's also Phedre's Cruithne and Skaldic language lessons, which come in handy in ''Dart.''

** Although the Master of the Straights is the product of precisely this form of rape. When nobody will seek pardon for him, he places a curse on his own son and refuses to lift it until he is himself pardoned.

* IWillProtectHer: Several examples, the most notable being Joscelin's vow to protect Phedre, but also:

* RomanticizedAbuse- Melisande and Phedre's relationship certainly qualifies.

* SexGod: Any of Terre D'Ange's courtesan, due to the glorification of prostitution as sacred. Special mention goes to Phedre.

** She's going to.

All seven-plus books are interesting stories without the sex. ''Kushiel's Legacy'' is widely lauded by reviewers for having complex societies, likable characters, and a continuous onslaught of politics and intrigue which blend seamlessly with the sex.

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All seven-plus books are probably examples of {{Your Mileage May Vary}}, at least on the erotica part, but are still interesting stories without the sex. ''Kushiel's Legacy'' is widely lauded by reviewers for having complex societies, likable characters, and a continuous onslaught of politics and intrigue which blend seamlessly with the sex.

** I'll give you Delaunay and Alcuin but Melisande is about ten years older than Phèdre, so YourMileageMayVary

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kushiels_Chosen_2898.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Kushiel's Chosen]].]]

* FoeYay: Phèdre and Melisande. ''And how!''
** As well as Moirin and Raphael de Merelot in the ''Naamah'' series.

* AbusivelySexy- Melisande and Phedre's relationship certainly qualifies.

* [=~Can't Stand Them, Can't Live Without Them~=] - Joscelin towards Phèdre. Really, what do you expect from a celibate warrior-priest paired with a courtesan who enjoys her job?

* TheFairFolk - The second [=~Kushiel's Legacy~=] trilogy introduces a human tribe of the {{Fantasy Counterpart Culture}}s Alba and Eire, who are described ''very'' like the Fair Folk: an old people who live in the wild, untamed areas, powerfully magical, and not malicious but adhering to a different moral standard. Some characters fear them and refuse to [[WordPower speak of them]], while others welcome bargaining with them. Their VoluntaryShapeshifting and sympathetic magic play a vital role in the plot.

** Iron and ''spiked'', and covered with the dried blood of the women he's raped with it. It's a sexual implement of pure HighOctaneNightmareFuel.

** She also pretty much hits her limit in Darsanga with "the rod." [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Don't ask.]]

* WhatKindofLamePowerisHeartAnyway - The ability to speak the language of ants was originally given as a prank by an irritated spirit. In Terre D'Ange, it's this. In the Amazon Rain forest, [[LethalHarmlessPowers it's]] [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower a little]] [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel different.]]

** Melisande is arguably more of a WellIntentionedExtremist than truly evil--she's still following the prime D'Angeline tenet of "Love as thou wilt." It's just that she happens to love manipulation, [[MagnificentBastard magnificent bastardry]] and [[XanatosGambit Xanatos Gambits]].

* XanatosGambit and XanatosSpeedChess - Phèdre working to uncover Melisande's evil plans.

* RapeIsOkayIfItsDivineOnMortal - Along with irresistible angelic gifts, there is the matter of Moirin, Snow Tiger, and the dragon. Not perceived as ''okay'' exactly, but certainly not held up as a terrible evil.
* RapeIsOkayWhenItsFemaleOnMale - Both played straight and averted depending on who the protagonist is. In ''Naamah's Kiss'', Moirin more than once jumps on a man ''who is saying no'' (both times because she's a bit under the influence herself, but still) and compels him to go along with it. However, when Imriel is assaulted by a woman (ironically, of the same people as Moirin) who tries to compel him to respond to her desire, this ''is'' held up as an abomination.

* FateWorseThanDeath - [[spoiler: Hyacinthe]], poor guy. [[spoiler: [[HeGotBetter He gets better]]]].

**** [[ItMakesSenseInContext It makes sense in context]]. Fetishes occur when something that isn't "supposed" to be sexualized is. Feet aren't "supposed" to be sexy, but they are for foot fetishists, [[AllPsychologyIsFreudian for some reason or another]], and the taboo associated with that enhances its sexiness. The only taboo thing, sexually, at least, in Terre d'Ange, is pain: that which isn't "supposed" to be pleasant is. Hence, you have yer sadism and masochism are the only recognizable kinks.

*** Confirmed with the newest trilogy. Moirin is just as sexually active as Phèdre and Imriel, but she has yet to show interest in BDSM and is thoroughly baffled that it exists.

* SexyBack - All courtesans from the Night Blooming flowers must earn their marque, a tattoo covering the entire back, in order to complete their debt of servitude towards their House. It's considered unseemly for an adept to bare her back in public before her marque is complete.

* TheBeautifulPeople - Almost everyone in Terre d'Ange is supposed to be beautiful, though some are exceptionally so. This is somewhat justified as the people of Terre D'Ange are distantly descended from fallen angels who intermarried with humans.

* EigenPlot - Phèdre is able to solve a lot of problems by having sex with people, but equally, if not more important, are her skills as a clever spy, linguist, and diplomat.

* SacrificialLion - [[spoiler:[[ Dorelei. And arguably Alcuin and Delaunay qualify as this as well.]]

* BodyguardBetrayal: Nearly gets Queen Ysandre killed during the climax of ''Kushiel's Chosen.''

* EpicFlail - Tahmuras, The Dragon in Kushiel's Avatar wields one. He comes closest out of anyone in the entire six-book series to besting Joscelin.

Now has a [[Characters/{{Ptitleqsy6l9lumn8g}} Character Sheet]]!