History Literature / TheLicaniusTrilogy

** The Third Tenet forbids Gifted from harming Administrators or Gifted in any fashion.
*** [[spoiler: The amended version prevents Administrators from harming Gifted in any fashion as well.]]

On the eve of his final exam, Davian stays up late in a last-ditch attempt to overcome his block. He is [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive interrupted]] by Ilseth Tenvar, an Elder visiting from [[CourtMage Tol Athian]], who brings shocking news: [[TheGreatWall The Boundary]] that has protected Andarra from [[BigBad Aarkein Devead's]] [[TheLegionsOfHell forces]] for 2000 years is failing, and Davian is needed to help repair it. He also knows Davian's biggest secret -- That he's an Augur, with the ability to tell when anyone [[LivingLieDetector lies to him]]. Given a [[OminousCube mysterious glowing cube]] to guide his way, Davian embarks immediately to discover how he can help. Before he leaves, Wirr catches him and shakes him down for information. Unwilling to let Davian go it alone, Wirr packs his bags as well and the two head out on a secret mission to save Andarra. The next day, [[SoleSurvivor Asha]] wakes to find everyone in the Academy [[DoomedHometown brutally massacred]]. Before she can figure out what's going on, Tenvar turns her into a Shadow and wipes her memory. Confused and heartbroken, she sets out on her own journey to find answers, unaware that she's surrounded by enemies.

The story follows a [[PowerTrio trio]] from a Gifted Academy in Caladel: Davian, a bright young man with a block that prevents him from wielding Essence, his suspiciously talented BestFriend Wirr and his kind-hearted [[ChildhoodFriendRomance love interest]] Asha.

* BatmanGambit: Davian's plan to stop [[spoiler: Rohin]] is entirely contingent on contriving a specific scenarop, then perfectly predicting his actions.

** The ring Vessel found by Asha in Tol Athian's armory is an excellent self-defense tool, but it eventually [[spoiler: allows Caeden provide his past self with the tools to summon Davian through the rift in Deilannis.]]

* Precursors: The Shalis and the Builders were ancient species and civilizations that went extinct long before the story.

* BadFuture: Implied in Asha's vision of Davian. [[spoiler: The reality is more nuanced, as Davian contacts her before the Venerate have actually succeeded in their plan.]]

* NoWarpingZone: [[InvertedTrope Invertes]] with the Wells of Mor Aruil, which can only be accessed through portals.

** Happens to both [[spoiler: Kol and Fessi]]. They [[ForseeingMyDeath Saw their own deaths]], then later recognized the circumstances of their death, panicked, then accidentally instigate it.

* AnotherDimension: Zvaelar exists in a pseudo-reality space where time is extremely dilated, complete with a blood-red moon and magically-enhanced metal.

* EleventhHourSuperpower: The main trio gain these and use them to great effect towards the end of the story. [[spoiler: Davian has his internal hardened kan mechanisms, Asha has the Siphon and Wirr has his Oathstone command ability.]]

* DarkestHour: Occurs for [[spoiler: Wirr]] when his [[spoiler: Augurs are captured]], his army is eradicated, the Essence-sucking pillars are erected, and the [[spoiler: ilshara falls]], with no backup in sight.

* AnachronicOrder: Naturally, for a time travel story. Davian's visit with Malshash takes place about 90 years prior to the rest of the events in the book. [[spoiler: His trip to Zvaelar preced the plot by thousands of years.]]
* AndTheAdventureContinues: The main plot, especially [[spoiler: Caeden's]] story, is neatly tied up at the end, but makes it clear that the main characters' story is far from over.

* EnergyBeing: The Lyth are made of pure Essence.

* EvilSorcerer: The common people's gut perception of many Gifted and Augurs. [[spoiler: Sometimes justified by the likes of Rohin, or the actions of sociopathic prewar Gifted in the absence of their overseers.]]

** Deilannis features an eerie skull mounted on one of its arches, which gives the group a good scare. [[spoiler: The skull actually belongs to Davian (sort of),]] justifying his unsettled reaction.

** The Venerate's claims that [[spoiler: Davian's]] head will be on a pike, and their warnings that Caeden [[spoiler: will kill Davian]], take on a new significance once [[spoiler: his apparent death at Caeden's hands]] is revealed.

** Happens to both [[spoiler: Kol and Fessi]]. They [[ForeeingMyDeath Saw their own deaths]], then later recognized the circumstances of their death, panicked, then accidentally instigate it.

* KudzuPlot: Highly {{Downplayed}}, despite introducing time travel, multiple POV threads across different time periods and alternate dimensions, almost everything is admirably wrapped up with solid answers by the story's end.

* Magitek: Some of the Builder's cities, as well as the Darecian's warships, use Essence in a highly technical fashion.

* Mordor: Talan Gol is usually given this treatment by those in Andarra.

* NoWarpingZone: Inverted with the Wells of Mor Aruil, which can only be accessed through portals.

** [[spoiler: Wirr]] plants one on [[spoiler: Dezia]] right before she leaves to rescue her brother from his debtors.
** [[spoiler: Davian]] does the same to [[spoiler: Asha]] before he leaves to rescue Ishelle from the other side of [[spoiler: the ilshara.]]

** Augurs redirect Essence in the environment through the use of kan, and can also use it for PsychicPowers including MindManipulation, {{ShapeShifting}}, [[TimeMaster slowing time]] and [[LivingLieDetector lie detection]]. They are also able to create strikingly complex [[FunctionalMagic tools and mechanisms]] with kan, which are then powered by Essence.

* OutsideContextProblem: All that is mentioned about Nesk is their geographic location and hostile attitude towards Andarra. The rumblings of military mobility in Book 3 preclude [[spoiler: what seems like an invasion, but they are actually a friendly force.]]

* PoisonousCaptive: The two sha'teth held in Tol Athian's dungeon wreak havoc on [[spoiler: Ishelle's mental state]] and attempt to shake Caeden's moral conviction. [[spoiler: They're actually there to destroy the Tol's defenses from the inside.]]

* PrisonsAreGymnasiums: Played completely straight with [[spoiler: Davian]]. His imprisonment in Ilshan Gathdel Teth provides him with ample time to work out. His time scavenging and lifting metal buckets in [[spoiler: Zvaelar]] give him an even more effective exercise routine.

* PureEnergy: The Lyth are beings made entirely of Essence. [[spoiler: This occurred due to a malfunction of the Jha'vett, which eroded all of their physical properties.]]

** In Book 1, [[spoiler: Ilin Illan]] is able to successfully fight off [[spoiler: the Blind's Invasion]], though it happens at the expense of thousands of soldiers, many political and military leaders, and considerable destruction to the city.
*** Tragically taken UpToEleven in the fight against [[spoiler: the Banes]] in Book 3, as the [[spoiler: Eletai kill everyone who doesn't make it into Tol Athian]] and Caden is forced to [[spoiler: raze the city to the ground to stop them.]]
** In Book 2, our heroes are able to [[spoiler: fix the ilshara]], but not until after [[spoiler: the entire guardpost is massacred]], [[spoiler: Davian, Fessi and Ishelle]] are trapped in Talan Gol, and thousands of [[spoiler: Banes]] have infiltrated Andarra.
** In Book 3, [[spoiler: Wirr's]] forces successfully engage and defeat the [[spoiler: gil'shar and their Banes]], but at the expense of nearly all the [[spoiler: soldiers, Augurs, Gifted, Shadows and Administrators]] in their army.

* SecretCircleOfSecrets: Tol Shen and its council of Elders is incredibly secretive. For good reason, as [[spoiler: they've been using forbidden Vessels and stolen Augur Visions to manipulate the king and bolster their reputation.]]

** The main reason for the violent split between the spoiler: Venerate:

** Happens to both [[spoiler: Kol and Fessi]]. They [[ForesawMyDeath Saw their own deaths]], then later recognized the circumstances of their death, panic, then accidentally instigate it.

* WeAreStrugglingTogether: Wirr is frustrated at his inability to convince the disparate factions of Administration, the Tols and the military of the danger the [[spoiler: Bane invasion]] poses.
** [[spoiler: He does eventually, but by then it's almost too late.]]

* AGodAmI: While the Venerate acknowledges [[spoiler: El/Shammaeloth]] as a being above them, they believe their supreme abilities and [[spoiler: immortality]] basically make them gods compared to the rest of humanity.
** Literally invoked in Desriel, as the [[spoiler: Venerate are the Desrielite gods.]]

* ExploitedImmunity: The Venerate can't be permanently killed [[spoiler: except by Licanius]]. They often commit suicide or allow themselves to die just to get out of a difficult situation (they wake up in a new body somewhere else).
** [[spoiler: Similarly, in Book 3, Davian's death has been Seen, allowing both his captors and himself to take serious risks with his safety as they know nothing else will actually kill him.]]

* ForegoneConclusion: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] to a heavy extent. By the end of Book 2, it's already revealed just how and when [[spoiler: Davian will die...or is it?]]

** The prologue teases [[spoiler: Caeden's]] plan, and makes the reasons for his change of heart very clear. It even foreshadows his fascination with [[spoiler: Davian]], as the main catalyst.

* AGlitchInTheMatrix: Asha experiences this fairly frequently in the dok'en, but she is fully aware of them and able to patch them up herself.

* IndyPloy: Despite his optimism, Caeden has no clue how he's going to [[spoiler: save Davian]] when he goes through the [[spoiler: rift]] for the last time, but he does it anyway.
** The bonds he's forged with his friends and an encounter with both [[spoiler: Niha and the real Elliavia]] finally push him in the right direction.

* MenAreTheExpendableGender: {{Downplayed}} significantly. While men consist of the majority of soldiers, the Andarra is generally equal-opportunity when it comes to the military, Administration and politics.

* ResistanceAsPlanned: The revolution that sacked the ruling-class Augurs twenty years prior was actually [[spoiler: orchestrated in secret by Nethgalla and Jakarris, the leader of the prewar augurs.

* ShoutOut: Author James Islington mentions [[Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy ''Mistborn'']] as a major inspiration for the series.

* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: Raeleth's unwitting parting gift for [[spoiler: Niha]] once they return to their own times. [[spoiler: It turns out to be Davian himself.]]

* TheChosenOne: Largely {{Downplayed}}. While Davian is referred to as ''the greatest man of this age'', and some of his actions were seen by the prewar Augurs, he is fulfilling no legendary prophecy.
** Similarly, Caeden's achievements don't fit the bill as they are largely [[spoiler: a result of his own planning]], not pre-ordained from a mythical source.

* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: In the end, [[the boundary has fallen, the Banes are dead, Northern Andarra is destroyed, and both the Augurs and Venerate are no more. Regardless of what happens next, some major restructuring will be happening in the world.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[Downplayed]] with [[spoiler: Orkoth]], as its fate is speculated upon during the final trip to Deilannis, but never confirmed.

* EldritchAbomination: [[spoiler: El/Shammaeloth]] and all of the Banes, to some degree.

** Shar'kath are described as wolf-like and dangerously intelligent. [[spoiler: They aren't seen in the main story.]]

* ForeseeingMyDeath: Commonly happens to Augurs. Reactions vary depending on their personality.

** Happens to both [[spoiler: Kol and Fessi]]. They recognize the circumstances of their death, panic, then accidentally instigate it.

* ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing: [[spoiler: Nethgalla]] makes Davian strip to avoid this when he tests out [[spoiler: his dar'gaithin transformation Vessel]] so that the new clothes she got him aren't destroyed. She doesn't look away, either.
* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: Raeleth's unwitting parting gift for [[spoiler: Niha]] once they return to their own times. [[spoiler: It turns out to be Davian himself.]]