History Literature / PaladinOfShadows

* GatlingGood: The Dragon, from ''Unto the Breach'', has 4 Gatling guns mounted to fire forward. The other [[ReportingNames Hind]] has the more conventional loadout of a minigun to each side for defense, in the troop transport role, as is done in RealLife. The young woman who's death caused Mike's HeroicBSOD (well, OK, for certain values of "heroic", given Mike's AntiHero status) was killed while manning one of them on a medevac mission.

** Jay, in the books after ''Ghost''.

* AffablyEvil: Kurt Schwenke is fairly polite man who's hobbies happen to include [[MoralEventHorizon torturing prostitutes with various chemical concoctions]], killing people with said chemical concoctions and being a MasterOfDisguise and expert assassin.

** There's a character called Charles Calthrop, which was the apparent name of the eponymous assassin from ''TheDayOfTheJackal''.

-->'''''Dr.'' Arenski''': ''Because as you were bundling me about and threatening me I was slipping three small needles into your thigh. ...You probably didn't notice the slight pain what with everything else. One of them was coated in a product derived of argot. That's bread mold to you. It causes a reaction called Saint Vitus' Dance. Think of it as LSD. Psychotropic, hallucinogenic, very effective. You're probably already feeling the effects; it's fast stuff. If that didn't get you, the second was coated in a nasty little microbe that is found in sink drains world-wide. Very rarely kills anyone despite that; most people don't eat food they pick out of the sink drain. However, if it is cultured by an expert and then stuck into someone's thigh, it will spread through the bloodstream rather fast. Oh, it's not going to kill you for three or four days, but that one was guaranteed . The last was, I'm pretty sure, botulinus toxin. One of the tins of meat you left us was rather swelled and the resultant culture sure looked like botulinus. And botulinus is nasty. A teaspoon would kill a city. The amount I gave you would only kill, say, an elephant. By the way, that would have killed me if I'd eaten it. Such great care you took, too...'' (cue car crash)

-->'''''Dr.'' Arenski''': ''Let me give you one piece of advice. Take it for what you will. Piss off terrorists, piss off mobsters, piss off your president if you wish. But never ''ever'' piss off a microbiologist.''

* ItsRainingMen: The SEAL team sent to rescue Mike, in the first section of ''Ghost'', performs a HALO (not [[{{Halo}} that one]], High Altitude Low Opening) drop from a B-2 "Spirit". Yes, you read that right. RuleOfCool is ''fully'' in control at this point in the story.

** ''Unto the Breach'', {{Shakespeare}}.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler: Mikhail]] in ''Choosers of the Slain'', who gets unceremoniously gunned down without a proper death scene.

* EvilCounterpart: It's a thin line between Katya, the sadistic, murderous whore and Kurt, the sadistic, murderous rapist. Their scene at the end of ''Choosers of the Slain'' even starts to slide into WorthyOpponent when they fight to a draw. Though there is mutual respect of sorts, they don't hate each other any less.

* JustBetweenYouAndMe: A rapist and murderer does this in ''Choosers of the Slain''.

* TitleDrop:
** Mike, at one point, recites the Shakespeare quote that gave the book ''Unto the Breach'' its name.
** Mike is said to be listening to ''[[TheRollingStones Paint it Black]]'' at one point in ''A Deeper Blue'', with the relevant part of the song the opening quote of the prologue.

* HotAmazon: Katya

A modern military fiction series written by Creator/JohnRingo, focusing on Mike "Ghost" Harmon, a [[RetiredBadass former Navy SEAL]], and all-around AntiHero. The first book is a self-admitted author wank piece with a significant focus on BDSM that was originally not intended for publication. However, between fan response to a snippet posted on Baen's Bar, and the head of BaenBooks (at the time, Jim Baen, who has since passed away) insisting that it be printed, it was published for release to the public. Works later in the series (starting with ''Kildar''), however, tend more towards, as described elsewhere in the comments to the linked LiveJournal entry, below, "man builds stuff and gets lots of pussy".

** The slaughter of the bunkers guarding the retreat path in ''Unto The Breach'' were taken out to the accompaniment of Music/{{DragonForce}}.

* {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s: The Keldara. Descendants of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard Varangian Guard]] who've taken extensive efforts to retain their warrior culture in the ass-end of Soviet Georgia. To put it simply, they're ''[[HornyVikings Vikings]].''

* ShoutOut: A particularly funny one in ''Ghost'': "Like a {{Doom}} scene, up to your knees in gore."

* TortureAlwaysWorks:

* TruthInTelevision: Wait... given the RuleOfCool entry, above, how?! The sex trade is very much a real problem, especially eastern Europe. Ringo and [[{{Film/Taken}} Luc Besson]] were ''not'' just making that up for the sake of the story.

A modern military fiction series written by JohnRingo, focusing on Mike "Ghost" Harmon, a [[RetiredBadass former Navy SEAL]], and all-around AntiHero. The first book is a self-admitted author wank piece with a significant focus on BDSM that was originally not intended for publication. However, between fan response to a snippet posted on Baen's Bar, and the head of BaenBooks (at the time, Jim Baen, who has since passed away) insisting that it be printed, it was published for release to the public. Works later in the series (starting with ''Kildar''), however, tend more towards, as described elsewhere in the comments to the linked LiveJournal entry, below, "man builds stuff and gets lots of pussy".

* DyingDream: JohnRingo said that at one point he was tempted to make the entirety of the series be the dying dream of the protagonist as he died of hypothermia and anoxia while hidden in the nose wheel well of the airplane he snuck aboard in ''Ghost''. He joked that what made him not take that route was that many of his readers (especially of this series) tend to be well armed.

* GuiltyPleasure: Main point of the series which JohnRingo admits.

* AntiHero: Mike is a [[SlidingScaleOfAntiHeroes Type V]] in ''Ghost'', dialed down somewhat in subsequent books to a Type IV although your mileage will definitely vary. Katya is a Type V.

* {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s: The Keldara. Descendants of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard Varangian Guard]] who've taken extensive efforts to retain their warrior culture in the ass-end of Soviet Georgia. To put it simply, they're ''Vikings.''

* OldShame: ''Ghost'' was John Ringo clearing his head of ideas that he couldn't shake. His [[http://hradzka.livejournal.com/199220.html gleeful parcipation]] in the "OH JOHN RINGO NO" meme should show you what he thinks of it. WordOfGod says that the working title was ''The Wanker Piece'' before marketing forced him to drop it.

* DyingDream: JohnRingo said that at one point he was tempted to make the entirety of the series be the dying dream of the protagonist as he died of hypothermia and anoxia while hidden in the nose wheel well of the airplane he sneaked aboard in ''Ghost''. He joked that what made him not take that route was that many of his readers (especially of this series) tend to be well armed.

* ToThePain: In ''Unto the Breach'', the captured Russian microbiologist invokes this trope when explaining why he was bracing for an impact and nervously checking his watch, when riding in a car with the victim of some impromptu biological warfare agents (including botulinus, from an infected can of food from earlier). Afterward, to his rescuer:
-->'''Dr. Arenski''': "Let me give you one piece of advice. Take it for what you will. Piss off terrorists, piss off mobsters, piss off your president if you wish. But never ''ever'' piss off a microbiologist."

* AutobotsRockOut: The slaughter of the bunkers guarding the retreat path in ''Unto The Breach'' were taken out to the accompaniment of Music/{{DragonForce}}.

* [[Memes/{{Literature}} Memetic Mutation]]: All together now... '''"OH JOHN RINGO NO!"''' Also, Mike "collects hookers [[CrazyCatLady like cats]]!"

* OldShame: ''Ghost'' was John Ringo clearing his head of ideas that he couldn't shake. His [[http://hradzka.livejournal.com/199220.html gleeful parcipation]] in the "OH JOHN RINGO NO" meme should show you what he thinks of it.
** WordOfGod says that the working title was ''The Wanker Piece'' before marketing forced him to drop it.

* {{Profiling}}: In ''A Deeper Blue,'' middle eastern terrorists are threatening to unleash VX on Florida. As the situation spins closer and closer to deadline, the situation isn't helped by the fact that the local law enforcement is concerned that the media would accuse them of it if they prioritized suspects based on nationality or color of skin due, bringing up issues related to racial profiling.

* TortureAlwaysWorks: ... except when being done on on someone who gets off on being given pain. Anastasia, mentioned above, is questioned for names of Mike's team, but she instead gives the interrogator a list of his own goons.

* TitleDrop: Mike, at one point, recites the Shakespeare quote that gave the book ''Unto the Breach'' its name.

* WeaponOfMassDestruction: A common item of contention in the series.
** And now [[spoiler: Mike]] has one, as well as a former Russian bio-weapons scientist.

* {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s: The Keldara

* RetiredBadass: Mike, again, at the start of the first novel.
** Actually, for pretty much the entire first book, where he is a mostly retired "troubleshooter" for the government.

* SchoolOfSeduction: Several examples.

* DyingDream JohnRingo said that at one point he was tempted to make the entirety of the series be the dying dream of the protagonist as he died of hypothermia and anoxia while hidden in the nose wheel well of the airplane he sneaked aboard in ''Ghost''. He joked that what made him not take that route was that many of his readers (especially of this series) tend to be well armed.