History Literature / VoyageOfTheBasset

* HeldGaze: As Professor Aisling falls in love with Medusa, he finds himself wishing to look into her eyes.

* InDefenceOfStoryTelling: Professor Aisling's quest, touched off by a taunting colleague, is to prove why the old stories are important. He eventually decides that stories are important for keeping open the mind and giving it ideas.
* KidHero: Cassandra, who is only nine.

* VisibleToBelievers: The titular ship's motto, "Credendo vides", is translated in - universe as "By believing, one sees." In fact, a more accurate translation of the latin might be "you believe as you see"

* AllMythsAreTrue: the protagonists end up meeting the Minotaur, the Sphinx, harpies, a dryad, elves, Medusa, ogres, and a unicorn.
* AllTrollsAreDifferent: the ones the ''Basset'' encounters are human-sized, ugly creatures with a decidedly malicious bent.

* BiggerOnTheInside: the ''Basset'' contains far more rooms than it should be able to, looking at the outside. Miranda calls Sebastian on this, to which he answers, "As you said, Miss Miranda, it's all nonsense."

* EveryoneCanSeeIt: multiple characters remark on the Manticore and the Sphinx's unsubtle interest in each other.

* GripingAboutGremlins: these are decidedly curious rather than malicious.

* OurOgresAreHungrier: the ''Basset'' crew encounters ogres that, while ugly, are actually friendly and reasonably intelligent. One of them even leads them to where they can find the unicorn.
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: these are lovely, friendly women with fish tails and a none-too-serious outlook on life.

* SirensAreMermaids: the mermaids can sing with haunting beauty, although they use it to call the sea serpent so he can save ships from being dashed on the rocks. According to Professor Aisling's notes, they allege that sailors made up the whole "singing sailors to their deaths" bit.
* StockNessMonster: the mermaids' sea serpent looks like a snake, but unlike some presentations, he saves ships rather than sinking them.

* TooDumbToLive: the Minotaur was trapped in his labyrinth because he didn't realize that the way in could be used as the way out.

* VisibleToBelievers: he titular ship's motto, "Credendo vides", is translated in - universe as "By believing, one sees." In fact, a more accurate translation of the latin might be "you believe as you see"