History Literature / RealmOfTheElderlings

* TheGenerationGap: A mild example in the dragons. While they are still very willful and dangerous, it's strongly implied that their prolonged exposure to humans has worked some changes in their psychology, meaning they simply aren't the same kind of dragons as Icefyre's generation, including Titanglia. The epilogue of ''Blood of Dragons'' is even called "Generation" and has an argument between the two of them and Kalo about [[spoiler: the proper rite for laying eggs]].

* KilledOffForReal: Several supporting characters and a couple main characters bite it. [[spoiler:Greft is already mutating so badly he's dying, but he's killed by gallators when he leaves the group. Heft is eaten by Kalo.]] And although the reality is a little more complicated, Thymara views this as [[spoiler:Rapskal's]] fate when he slowly absorbs the personality of an Elderling warrior.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Sexual predator Hest tries to rape Davvey. He is subsequently [[spoiler:eaten by Davvey's dragon Kalo]].

* NoBisexuals: Although there are more LGBT characters in this saga than in previous instalments, they tend to be either 100% straight or 100% gay.

* SlutShaming: Proper Bingtowners don't do extramarital sex, and deformed Rain Wilders shouldn't ever.

** ''Dragons''

* TheGenerationGap: A mild example in the dragons. While they are still very willful and dangerous, it's strongly implied that their prolonged exposure to humans has worked some changes in their psychology, meaning they simply aren't the same kind of dragons as Icefyre's generation, including Titanglia. The prologue of ''Blood of Dragons'' is even called "Generation" and has an argument between the two of them and Kalo about [[spoiler: the proper rite for laying eggs]].

* OffScreenMomentOfAwesome: While we do see the set-up for it, [[spoiler: the actual destruction of the ducal palace in Chalced is skipped over]], likewise [[spoiler: the deaths of Chancellor Ellik and the Duke of Chalced]] and [[spoiler: Chassim’s ascendancy to the throne]]. Instead, these events are all related in a conversation in the next chapter.

** ''Blood of Dragons''

* TheGenerationGap: A mild example in the dragons. While they are still very willful and dangerous, it's strongly implied that their prolonged exposure to humans has worked some changes in their psychology, meaning they simply aren't the same kind of dragons as Icefyre's generation, including Titanglia. The prologue of ''City of Dragons'' is even called "Generation" and has an argument between the two of them about [[spoiler: the proper way for the laying of eggs]].

* BlackWidow: The Duke of Chalced's daughter Chassim lost three husbands, her third the very evening after he publicly abused her.

* DynamicCharacter: Malta changes from a bratty, spoiled and self-centered teenaged daughter of a trader family to a thrifty and patient young woman capable of choosing her words and takes a central role in saving her family and her home city. She does this by way of [[spoiler:plunging headlong into a marriage just for the money and watching her family lose all their fortune due to her father's mismanagement]].

* Fingore: Wintrow has an accident aboard the ''Vivacia'' that requires he severs off his finger at the knuckle.

* KarmaHoudini: Kennit never really gets any punishment for [[spoiler: raping Althea, killing people, manipulating everyone and trying to make Paragon kill himself. True, Kennit does die, but he dies a martyr]] with the love and adoration of many, including [[spoiler: Vivacia]], whose bond with [[spoiler: Althea]] was the whole motivation for the latter's story. Similarly, [[spoiler: Serilla]] never receives any justice after [[spoiler: the Satrap]] had her raped out of spite, though her rapist does at least die in battle

* MistakenForGay: At one point, Malta insinuates that people in Bingtown believes this of Althea, as she is constantly seen in the company of Amber and rebuffed the advances of Grag Tanira despite everyone agreeing that Grag would be an excellent catch.

** [[spoiler:Althea]] is drugged and raped by Kennit near the very end of the trilogy. It is also implied this happened to her when she was a teenager aboard her father's ship - a sailor had been fired by her father and told to leave when they next docked, so he took Althea's virginity in retaliation. Althea qualifies to Brashen that she was attracted to said man and was open to having sex with him, but she wasn't expecting to be taken so roughly.

* SlidingScaleOfGenderInequality: Bingtown used to be more egalitarian; Althea's great-grandmother was ''Vivacia's'' original captain, for example. As the society has grown more prosperous, it has adopted the Chalcedan norm of "keeping women idle" to show off one's prosperity, to the point where Althea has to pose as a man to get any work on a ship and Keffria is completely at a loss for how to function when Kyle unexpectedly doesn't return.

* TheUnfavorite: Several. Althea feels like this when her family pressures to be more conventional and her father leaves ''Vivacia'' to Kyle. Kyle actively favors Malta while he verbally and emotionally abuses Wintrow and Selden is basically a non-entity to him. Brashen was disinherited, although he did genuinely embarrass his family.
* UngratefulBastard: Kennit, especially to Etta.

* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Malta certainly fits the description

** Althea, who goes through a bunch of unpleasant stuffs to say the least.

* DaddysGirl: Malta to Kyle, Althea to Ephron.

* KarmaHoudini: Kennit never really gets any punishment for [[spoiler: raping Althea, killing people, manipulating everyone and trying to make Paragon kill himself. True, Kennit does die, but he dies a martyr]] with the love and adoration of many, including [[spoiler: Vivacia]], whose bond with [[spoiler: Althea]] was the whole motivation for the latter's story. Similarly, [[spoiler: Serilla]] never receives any justice after [[spoiler: the Satrap]] had her raped out of spite.

* NotSoDifferent: Althea knows she and Malta are(n't). Neither are Kennit and [[spoiler:Wintrow]], as it turns out.

** [[spoiler:Satrap Cosgo]] allows the crew of the Chalcedan ship he's travelling on to gang-rape [[spoiler:his adviser Serilla]]. She goes from being a competent BeleagueredBureaucrat to hostile, frightened, and unable to properly judge situations due to the trauma.
** [[spoiler:Althea]] is drugged and raped by Kennit near the very end of the trilogy.

%%%* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil

* SlidingScaleOfGenderInequality: Bingtown used to be more egalitarian; Althea's great-grandmother was ''Vivacia's'' original captain, for example. As the society has grown more prosperous, it has adopted the Chalcedan norm of "keeping women idle" to show off one's prosperity, to the point where Althea has to pose as a man to get any work on a ship.

* TheUnfavorite: Several. Althea feels like this when her family pressures to be more conventional and her father leaves ''Vivacia'' to Kyle. Kyle actively favors Malta while he verbally and emotionally abuses Wintrow. Brashen was disinherited, although he did genuinely embarrass his family.

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Kennit is a selfish sociopath who has no interest in helping anyone else, but his pirating strategy leads him to be seen as a hero to the slaves in the region.

* SamusIsAGirl: Hod.

* DomesticAbuser: Hest, who never fails to enjoy a cruel joke at either Alise or Cedric's expense and occasionally engages in physical abuse.
* [[TrilogyCreep Duology Creep]]: First being planned out as one book, the story grew so long that it was released as two books. And then the sequel grew into two books as well.

* LeftJustifiedFantasyMap: Inverted. All the maps we see have a large ocean in the east/south, and the action takes place on a landmass that extends an unknown distance to the west. Mercenia (revealed to be the homeland of [[spoiler:the Fool]]) in the final trilogy is reached from the Six Duchies by a long ocean journey to the south and is implied to extend much further beyond the small corner we see on the map, though just how big it is and whether or not it is a separate landmass to the Six Duchies/Bingtown/Jamaillia etc. is unknown.

* MoralEventHorizon: [[InUniverse Played with]]. Fitz considers what he ends up doing to [[spoiler:the Pale Woman]] to be by far the worst thing he ever did. He [[spoiler:left her locked inside her ice palace, helpless to do anything but starve or freeze, whichever came first]]. Considering everything [[spoiler:she]] did, he does not feel the slightest bit of remorse for it -- but he does worry about the implications of being able to do something like that in the first place, let alone do it remorselessly.

* MoralEventHorizon: [[InUniverse Played with]]. Fitz considers what he ends up doing to [[spoiler:The Pale Woman]] to be by far the worst thing he ever did. He [[spoiler:left her locked inside her ice palace, helpless to do anything but starve or freeze, whichever came first]]. Considering everything [[spoiler:she]] did, he does not feel the slightest bit of remorse for it - but he does worry about the implications of being able to do something like that in the first place, let alone do it remorselessly.

* MoralEventHorizon: Toyed with. Fitz considers what he ends up doing to [[spoiler:The Pale Woman]] to be by far the worst thing he ever did. He [[spoiler:left her locked inside her ice palace, helpless to do anything but starve or freeze, whichever came first]]. Considering everything [[spoiler:she]] did, he does not feel the slightest bit of remorse for it - but he does worry about the implications of being able to do something like that in the first place, let alone do it remorselessly.

* NamesTheSame: A minor character in this trilogy named Hest has nothing at all to do with the major character in the ''Rain Wild Chronicles'' who is also named Hest.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:The Chalcedean Merchant's family is [[spoiler:being held by the Duke of Chalced and subjected to torture]]. The Chalcedean Merchant does as bad and worse to everyone he encounters in the attempt to win their freedom.

* BigBadEnsemble: The Four: Capra, Fellowdy, Coultrie and Symphe. It is established that these names are always taken by the leaders of the servants, different iterations of which are responsible for creating [[spoiler: The Pale Lady, are behind the prophecies of the Abominations of Others' Island, and murdered the dragons (leading in turn to the extinction of the Elderlings). They are ultimately responsible for almost everything bad that happens in the whole series, though they use other villains like Kennit, Kebal Rawbeard and Regal as their pawns.]]

* {{Phlebotinum}}: The [[spoiler: Silver, or liquid skill]]. Embedded in various objects it seems to be able to produce any magical effect desired, including all the various Elderling {{magitek}} like the Skill-pillars and the [[InvisibilityCloak Butterfly Cloak]] as well as more mundane things like lighting and the skill-cubes (basically magic tape recorders). Later revealed to be the source of [[spoiler: the Skill as well as the Dragons' various powers, and by extension Wizardwood and Liveships]].

* LivingLegend: The Fitz earns a reputation as a fighter before "dying". After dying, he continues to earn a reputation as a witted sinner, but still serving his king.

** It's established that magic ''should'' be more common than it is, and more impressive, but Galen suppressed and badly mishandled all the coolest powers of The Skill while those with The Wit are actively persecuted.

* BlessedWithSuck: Years before the first trilogy took place, Chivalry somehow sealed Burrich against all effects of The Skill, and nobody is sure how he did it. So when [[spoiler:Burrich is dying, they can't use the Skill to heal him because of Chivarly's sealing]].
* BoomerangBigot: [[spoiler:Burrich]] as it turns out - horribly prejudiced against The Wit and its practitioners, but immensely talented in it as well. FreudianExcuse and all.

* ColdBloodedTorture: In more than one sense of the word 'cold'. This time, [[spoiler: The Fool]] is on the receiving end of the torture.

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy. The Fool thinks that Fitz will be happier rebuilding what should have been his life at Buckkeep than following him, and sends him home almost against his will.
* IfItsYouItsOkay: Fitz's relationship with The Fool evolves to this. It's not quite HoYay since the Fool is [[spoiler:neither human nor exactly male]] and there's no sexual element to their relationship, but they're a lot closer than HeterosexualLife Partners. His views on The Fool start changing after their fight after Fitz's MistakenForGay episode, and as he helps the Fool recover [[spoiler:from being tortured to death in the Pale Lady's dungeons]], he holds him while he sleeps and even considers giving up on Molly to follow him.

* MistakenForGay: Fitz, sort of. He finds out from Jek that The Fool is in love with him, and falls into what can essentially be called a homophobic rage. Jek, however, was familiar with The Fool's alterego Amber, and thought of The Fool as a 'she.'

** Despite his refusal to use it intentionally, [[spoiler:Burrich]] is so buzzing with The Wit, not only do [[{{FriendToAllLivingThings}} animals instinctively come to him]] but, he's been [[{{HealingHands}} working as a mystical chiropractor]] all these years and not known it.

The series walks the line between HighFantasy and LowFantasy without ever clearly falling into either camp. The medieval setting, plots revolving around the rise and fall of Kingdoms, magic, [[spoiler:dragons]], prophecies about the fate of the world etc. are all archetypical of high fantasy, but the focus on individual human characters and their internal problems, as well as the moral ambiguity discussed above, are more typical of low fantasy.

The first trilogy should not be confused with the novel ''Farseer'', a TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 novel by William King of Literature/GotrekAndFelix fame.

** ...the Outislanders, who are very much classic HornyVikings: they live on cold northern islands which have Scandinavian-sounding names (as do the Outislanders themselves). They are a [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Proud Warrior Race]] whose favourite way to pass the time is [[RapePillageAndBurn pillaging]] the Six Duchies. A twist however: they are a {{Matriarchy}}.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Considering the length of the series it's inevitable that the case ends up pretty large. Largely averted within any given sub-series though, at least the Fitz trilogies, each of which tends to revolve around a relatively small group of characters. Played straighter in ''The Liveship Traders'' and ''The Rain Wild Chronicles'', both of which have an EnsembleCast.

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: the MythArc's first version of dragons are sculptures made of magical stone and imbued with the memories of Skill coteries; additionally, [[spoiler:true dragons are given a twist in that they have a butterfly-esque life cycle in which sea serpents spin cocoons and then hatch as dragons.]]

The series walks the line between HighFantasy and LowFantasy without ever clearly falling into either camp. The medieval setting, plots revolving around the rise and fall of Kingdoms, magic, [[spoiler: dragons]], prophecies about the fate of the world etc. are all archetypical of high fantasy, but the focus on individual human characters and their internal problems, as well as the moral ambiguity discussed above, are more typical of low fantasy.

The first trilogy should not be confused with the novel ''Farseer'', a TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 novel by Creator/WilliamKing of Literature/GotrekAndFelix fame.

* FantasyContraception: Wizardwood used as a belly button ring.

* IdiotBall: Almost all of the problems in the first book are directly caused by Ronica's decision to give the family liveship ''not'' to her nice but unorthodox daughter Althea, but to the harsh and brutal husband of her other daughter, Kyle. Within the first few chapters, Kyle alienates his wife, disrupts the life of his son, chases Althea out of the family, supports his daughter becoming a manipulative vixen, kicks out most of the ship's crew, and turns the newly awakened family ship to slave trading.

* TheStoic: Wintrow tries hard to make himself this in the face of the human evil he has to witness and endure.

* RealityEnsues: protip: if you want someone to help you, don't make them look stupid for months first.

* DemotedToExtra: Most of the cast of ''The Tawny Man'' are superfluous to the story, including Dutiful, Elliana, Nettle and Thick.

* MultiGenderedSplitPersonalities: In previous series, the Fool's various alter egos are implied to be disguises that he variously adopts to hide his identity from those who might recognise him and to explain his changing appearance. In this series however it appears that, if not quite genuine alternate personalities, at least some of his roles are more than just disguises, with Fitz commenting for example that he doesn't like Amber. Hobb switches between male and female pronouns depending on which persona is to the fore.

* AfterTheEnd: Fitz's is not a CrapsackWorld in ''Assassin's Apprentice'', but it is made clear that some kind of decline has taken place from an earlier time when the kings of the Six Duchies had treaties with magical beings from beyond the mountains. The Skill, formerly the preserve of many in the Six Duchies, is now known only to the royal family and the Skillmaster. Over the course of the series, we slowly learn more about the now-gone Elderling civilization.