History Literature / TheLionsOfAlRassan

* BaitAndSwitch: The assassination attempt on [[spoiler:Rodrigo]] during the Carnival manages to pull this off twice. First, it makes it look like the attempt may have succeeded. Then, when it's revealed that [[spoiler:Rodrigo is still alive]], the next paragraph makes it look like [[spoiler: Alvar died protecting him, playing with the trope of DeathBySex.]] Then it's revealed that [[spoiler: Velaz, not Alvar, is the one who made the HeroicSacrifice]].

* ColdBloodedTorture: Ishak ben Yonannon, Jehane's father, had his eyes and tongue cut out for saving the life of the king's concubine; that is, in order to properly save her during childbirth, he had to see her naked. His eyes were taken for having seen her naked; his tongue, so he would never describe her beauty to others. Note that this was the king's way of showing mercy - had he given in to the priests' demands, Ishak would have been killed.

* TriangRelations: Jehane, Ammar and Rodrigo. Type 3.
** It's really more like Type 10. Type 8 is also implied. [[spoiler:Though angles of that are unrequited. Really it's five sides once you factor in Rodrigo's wife Miranda and Alvar's unrequited love for Jehane.]]

* CrystalDragonJesus: The Asharites are Muslims, the Jaddites are Christians, and the Kindath are Jews.
** The name "Asharite" comes from the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asharite Ash'arite]] school of Islamic theology, which (along with the Maturidi and Athari) is one of the three classical schools of Sunni Muslim theology. For most of the Middle Ages, the Ash'arite school was the most widespread and dominant, including in Muslim Spain.

%%* AFatherToHisMen: Rodrigo.
%%* AFriendInNeed: Rodrigo and Alvar.
%%* AloofDarkHairedGirl: Jehane and Zabirah.
%%* AmicableExes: Jehane and her ex from Fezana, Bakir.
%%* AnimalMotif: As the title indicates, the book delves at length into the symbol of the lion as a representative of true royalty.
** The owl also appears as a symbol of all healers, and by extension - of Jehane.
%%* AnythingThatMoves: Ammar. Lampshaded more than once.
%%* BadassBookworm: Jehane. Ishak is implied to be one too.

** The book’s ending is constructed as a blatant bait-and-switch, and an especially manipulative one: The characters all know what happened. Only the reader does not, until the final reveal.
* BerserkButton: Don't bring up Raymundo's death in front of Rodrigo. It will end badly.
%%* BetterAsFriends: Jehane and Alvar.
* BettyAndVeronica: Jehane is Archie, Alvar the Betty and Ammar the Veronica. Mazur and Rodrigo were teased as a mixture of the two.
** Jehane is the Betty and Zabirah is the Veronica to both Ammar and Mazour.
** Teased triangle: Rodrigo as Archie, Miranda as Betty and Jehane as Veronica.
* BittersweetEnding:
* BlitheSpirit: Ibn Musa.
* [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Proud Warrior Race]]: The Muwardi.
%%* BrainyBrunette: Jehane, Ammar, Rodrigo, Zabirah...
%%* BrutalHonesty: Jehane.
%%* CannotSpitItOut: Ammar. Eventually subverted.
%%* TheCaptain: Rodrigo.

* CueTheSun: In the dramatic second battle between Ammar and Rodrigo.
%%* CulturedWarrior: Ammar and Rodrigo. Ibn Musa becomes one.
%%* DadTheVeteran: Alvar's father is a medieval version of this trope.
%%* TheDandy: Count Gonzalez. Ammar has shades of this too.
* DecadentCourt: All courts described in the story fit the bill.

* {{Determinator}}: Most of the main characters have shades of this, but Rodrigo, Jehane and Ramiro stand out.
* DirtyCoward: Garcia.
* [[spoiler:DisneyDeath: Diego]]
%%* DistantFinale:
%%* DoggedNiceGuy: Aweet Alvar...

%%* ForegoneConclusion:
%%* FrontierDoctor: Jehane and Ishak. [[spoiler: Alvar's wife]].
%%* GreyAndGrayMorality:
%%* HappilyMarried: Rodrigo and Miranda, Ramiro and Ines. [[spoiler: Ammar and Jehane, Alvar and his wife.]]
* HasAType: Rodrigo has a thing for [[DeadpanSnarker Deadpan snarkers]].
** Alvar is very specific- he fell in love twice, both were [[spoiler: Kindath physicians, with dark hair and light eyes, and have a famous physician father. Could this be a RaceFetish?]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Mazur ben Avren]].
** While not happening "on screen", Ishak ben Yonannon may count. See the {{Cold Blooded Torture}} example above, and take into account that (as we learn later in the book) [[spoiler:he was completely aware of what would be done to him, but went on anyway to abide by his oath as a physician]].

%%* HistoricalFantasy:
%%* HolierThanThou: Ines of Valledo.
%%* HospitalHottie: Jehane. [[spoiler: Alvar becomes one.]]
%%* TheLancer: Lain to Rodrigo.
* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Jehane (light) and Zabirah (dark).
%%* MamaBear: Miranda and Zabirah. Both are also a case of StaceysMom.
%%* MarriedToTheJob: Jehane. [[spoiler: subverted when she marries Ammar.]]

%%* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Rodrigo and Amar.

%%* PapaWolf: Rodrigo.
* PerfectPoison: Played straight in the murder of Almalik the first. [[spoiler: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with the poisoned arrow that hits Queen Ines.]]
* PetitePride: Miranda is described as the most beautiful woman in the world, and having small breasts.

** Offscreen, Ammar murders ibn Musa's steward for telling him where ibn Musa went on the grounds that the servant would have revealed the merchant's whereabouts to his enemies.

%%* TheStrategist: Mazur. Ammar is this for Cartada.
%%* TallDarkAndHandsome: Ammar.

** In verse HoYay rumors attribute this trope to the mentorship of Ammar over Almalik the first.
* TheTease: Played with in regard to Jehane. She enjoys teasing the men in her life - Rodrigo, Mazur and sometimes Ammar, but it's shown as part of their sarcastic banter, and not in order to gain sexual attention.
* [[ThrowAwayCountry Throw Away City]]: Sorenica.

%%* TwoLinesNoWaiting:
%%* WarriorPoet: Ammar.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Almalik the second. Jehane and Ibn Hasan's sons have shades of this too.
* WhatASenselessWasteOfHumanLife: The massacre(s) in Fezana.

%%* GrumpyBear: Lain Nunez, Rodrigo's second in command.

* NiceHat: Ibn Musa's leather hat.

* BaitAndSwitch: The assassination attempt on [[spoiler:Rodrigo]] during the Carnival manages to pull this off twice. First, it makes it look like the attempt may have succeeded. Then, when it's revealed that [[spoiler:Rodrigo is still alive]], the next paragraph makes it look like [[spoiler: Alvar died protecting him, playing with the trope of SexByDeath.]] Then it's revealed that [[spoiler: Velaz, not Alvar, is the one who made the HeroicSacrifice]].

%%* BadassMoustache: Rodrigo and Ramiro.

** The name "Asharite" comes from the Ash'arite school of Islamic theology [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asharite]], which (along with the Maturidi and Athari) is one of the three classical schools of Sunni Muslim theology. For most of the Middle Ages, the Ash'arite school was the most widespread and dominant, including in Muslim Spain.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: All courts described in the story fit the bill.

* BiTheWay: Ammar and Sir Rezzoni. Rodrigo seems to be more AmbiguouslyBi.

* TeacherStudentRomance: Jehane and Ser Rezzoni were once lovers, but it's mentioned that he sleeps with all of his female students, [[BiTheWay and some of the male ones.]]