History Literature / WraithKnight

* DeityOfHumanOrigin: Protagonist, Jacob Riverson, ascends to the rank of becoming the new GodOfEvil after the death of the previous god occupying the role, TheTrickster. He is determined to become an AntiAntiChrist, though.

* BlackAndGrayMorality: The series subverts a lot of traditional high fantasy tropes as the good side of light and order isn't particularly nice. The Lawgiver is a tyrant, the Nine Heroes are ruthless conquerors, and even Saint Jassamine is a religious fanatic. However, the Shadowkind AKA the forces of darkness and chaos aren't much better. Even protagonist has a DarkAndTroubledPast where he did some pretty awful stuff in the name of the greater good.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Jassamine was a ManipulativeBastard WellIntentionedExtremist who is remembered as "Saint Jassamine." Contrast to Jacob's HistoricalVillainUpgrade.

* {{Polyamory}}: [[spoiler: Regina, Jacob, and Serah are all in love with one another to varying degrees by the end of the book. It requires Jacob becoming the God of Darkness to realize that they can just do what they want.]]

* AIIsACrapshot: [[spoiler: The setting is actually an enormous playground of SufficientlyAdvanced humans 10,000+ years in the future. The three ruling AIs eventually degenerated into believing themselves gods after being abandoned by their masters.]]

[[index]]

[[/index]]

[[folder: Wraith Lord]]
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler: The quest for Gewain fails as he's been tortured beyond the ability to recover.]]
* AncientConspiracy: The Oghma are a group of wizards and witches who consider themselves an AncientTradition.
* BadIsGoodAndGoodIsBad: Jacob as the God of Evil is far more moral and decent than the Nine Heroes.
* BigBadDuumvirate: Fell Hellsword and Thermic Redhand are a TeethClenchedTeamwork example.
* BullyingADragon: Jacob has no interest in going to war with the Southern Continent despite many of his subjects (as well as Regina) pressuring him to do so. [[spoiler: He is eventually forced to when the Nine Heroes plan a genocidal strike against his homeland.]]
* CoolSword: Fell Hellsword wields one of the Dark Lords swords that he's turned into a soul-stealing weapon.
* CityOfAdventure: Kerifas is a city of deep social divisions, strategic importance, and a plot by the Nine Heroes.
* CompleteImmortality: Thermic Redhand believes he has this. [[spoiler: Jacob, as a god, proves him wrong.]]
* DatingCatwoman: Serah and Fell Hellsword used to have a relationship.
* DoingInTheWizard: To a lesser extent as its discovered that [[spoiler: The World Between is a planet colonized by ancient humans after they AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence. All the fantasy tropes and races are because the formerly physical humans found it amusing. It's essentially a giant MMO for themselves.]]
* EntertaininglyWrong: Ketra is a FlatEarthAtheist who doesn't believe in the gods while talking to Jacob (who is a god).
* {{Expy}}: Fell Hellsword is based on [[Literature/TheElricSaga Elric]] while Thermic Redhand is based on [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]].
** Ice Demons are frozen versions of Balrogs.
* FlatEarthAtheist: Ketra Whitetremor is Regina's cousin and loud in her belief that the deities of the World Between are social constructs designed to oppress the masses. She notably does this to Jacob Riverson, who is, in fact a PhysicalGod and made her cousin into the Goddess of Starlight.
* FinalSolution:
** [[spoiler: Fell Hellsword plans to use ancient High Human weapons to wipe out the entirety of the Northern Wastelands people.]]
** Thermic Redhand is trying to incite a pogrom against the Fir-Bolg in the city.
* GenocideBackfire: Jacob is uninterested in starting a war with the entirety of the Southern Kingdoms due to the fact that he used to be a resident and knows how many thousands of people will die if he does. He also thinks its a waste of resources that could be better spent developing the Northern Wasteland into a proper society. Instead, the Nine Heroes, afraid of Jacob invading them, plot to kill everyone in the Northern Wasteland. This, of course, convinces Jacob they have to defeat them in war. Also counts as a SelfFulfillingProphecy.
* TheHeavy: Drol-Bethir is an Ice Demon (A Balrog {{Expy}}) and one of the most powerful greater demons in the World Below, which makes him close to a match for Jacob and his wives. Drol-Bethir is also quite happy to fight Jacob as he thinks he's unworthy of being the new King Below. However, their conflict is interrupted by Drol-Bethir has orders to slaughter the Fire Districts over settling their feud.
* MagicKnight: Fell Hellsword joins Jacob as one while Regina gains these abilities as well. They are all master swordsmen and warriors in addition to being powerful spellcasters.
* PhysicalGod: Jacob, Regina, and Serah are all now this after Jacob shared his powers with his wives.
** Thermic Redhand is between this and a {{Demigod}}.
* SelfFulfillingProphecy: The Nine Heroes believe Jacob will lead an invasion of their kingdom so they should strike him first. This, of course, results in Jacob realizing that he can't leave the Nine Heroes alone and must destroy them in order to have peace.
* SoapboxSadie: Ketra is a university-educated political radical that has numerous views that are out of touch with mainstream ones. These include the overthrow of feudalism, the nonexistence of the gods, and the need for peace among the races. At least one of these is spoken to Jacob Riverson, who is a PhysicalGod and the King of the Shadowkind. Jacob notably finds her more amusing than offensive.
* SixthRangerTraitor: [[spoiler: Multiple. Rose is actually an agent for the Nine Heroes and Kana is more loyal to the Golden Horn. Even Ketra is unwittingly part of Fell Hellsword's plan.]]
* StartOfDarkness: It is implied that Regina as begun hers by destroying every member of House Rogers.
* {{Steampunk}}: Kerifas and the Northen Wasteland are far more modernized than the rest of the world, even having electricity as well as gas street lamps.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Thermic Redhand is the only member of the Nine Heroes who isn't a WellIntentionedExtremist.
* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: Regina is clearly traumatized by the destruction of House Rogers.
* YourSoulIsMine: Fell Hellsword can take the souls of those killed with his blade.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The Army of Free Peasants and the all Fir Bolg Golden Horn straddle this line. Both of them have legitimate grievances with the former being oppressed workers held under the aristocracy for millennia while the latter have been subject to extreme fantastic racism. Both have demands that they're willing to kill indiscrinately to achieve. Jacob is having none of it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Wraith King]]
* AbdicateTheThrone: [[spoiler: Jacob, feeling he's failed his people, gives up rulership of Everfrost to Midori and Archus.]]
* AnimalMotifs: Jassamine says that Jacob has ever been a big black dog: unconditionally loyal, ferocious, and somewhat stupid.
* ArmoredClosetGay: Eric the Great is revealed to have been this, creating his TheHedonist persona in order to deal with his father's homophobia. Jacob is nonplussed by this revelation because it's not a major social taboo in the Empire.
* BadBoss: Jassamine turns out to be willing to kill the vast majority of the Anessian Empire's forces in order to achieve her larger goal of defeating Jacob as well as opening a rift to the World Above.
* BigBadassBattleSequence: The opening battle against Empress Morwen's forces takes roughly six chapters.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Morwen is killed by Kurag Shadowweaver and her divine spark is stolen. Saint Jassamine is imprisoned in the bowels of the Thousand Hells. However, the majority of Jacob's (and the Empire's) armies are slaughtered while Serah is temporarily dead. Jacob has also chosen to AbdicateTheThrone due to his failures. Both Ketra and Jacob end the story going after Kurag to keep him from releasing the Earthmother.]]
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: What Jassamine sacrificed all of the soldiers in a massive BloodMagic ritual to do. Supposedly, now, all of the world is beholden to her. The truth turns out to be a bit more complex.
* TheCaligula: Prince Regent Eric is revealed to have been one of these with orgies in the actual throne room and people loathing the purges conducted by his administration. A DownplayedTrope example due to the fact that he actually has nothing to do with the latter due to being a PuppetKing.
* CoolAirship: The ''Lightbringer'' is effectively an enormous flying [=WW2=] era battleship that is the flagship of the Imperial Air Navy.
* DeadpanSnarker: Jacob continues to be one of these but finds himself matched by the introduction of Empress Morwen.
* DreadZeppelin: The biggest advantage the Anessian Empire's military has is that it has a fleet of these which Jacob points out is what gives them an almost unbeatable advantage in any encounter.
* FinalBattle: Jacob is willing to bet most of his resources in an enormous battle against Empress Morwen's forces in order to inflict enough damage to cripple her offensive. He notes that he would not normally want to do this but they're so outnumbered that this is the most viable strategy left against them.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Prince Regent Eric says that Jacob not having enough men or resources are the direct result of him devoting so much effort to crushing any opposition to the Temple Reformation while they're (technically) still at war with the King Below.
* ISurrenderSuckers: Mahari Crimsonmoon pulls one of these on Jacob, which he accepts, when she's actually just trying to distract him long enough for Morwen to arrive on her enormous steel dragon.
* KillSat: A literal example of the trope as there is an orbital satellite leftover from the days of Old Terralan that is used to blast the armies of [[spoiler: both Empress Morwen and Jacob, killing the majority of both. Jacob ends up destroying it by sacrificing his newly acquired human body.]]
* PuppetKing: Prince Regent Eric the Great is revealed to have been this under Jassamine, his father having been incapacitated while he is intimidated into shameless debauchery. Eventually, Jassamine forces him to clean up his act but gives up none of her power.
* PyrrhicVictory: [[spoiler: The end result of the Sixth Great Shadow War. Empress Morwen is dead and Jassamine is imprisoned underneath Everfrost but millions are dead and the city of Everfrost will have to be evacuated.]]
* TheReveal: Several throughout the book.
** While there had been hints before, the book confirms [[spoiler: the setting is in the distant future after humans had gone full ClarkesThirdLaw. The Three Worlds are just the product of godlike science and effectively amusement parks or live action MMORPGs.]]
** [[spoiler: Jassamine and Morwen are actually both the Sorcerer Queen and Knight Protector deities that have been mentioned but never developed.]]
** [[spoiler: The Trickster in Jacob's head is not actually a separate personality but just a split personality created by his mind being unable to handle all of the information placed in there when he took over the status of King Below.]]
** [[spoiler: Jassamine and Jacob plotted the murder of the King Below together with the latter asking to have his memory erased to a time when he was still young and idealistic. It was meant to be an elaborate form of suicide.]]
* SleepingTheirWayToTheTop: Jacob asks if Jassamine is having an affair with Eric the Unsteady in a flashback. Jassamine is offended at the accusation of her being a whore for power. Jacob then says he'd never believe that of her. She then says she's insulted he'd sleep with Eric for any reason ''but'' power. She isn't, though.
-->"Do you think I'd sleep with him for his ''personality''?"
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Empress Morwen and Jacob constantly needle one another throughout their TeethClenchedTeamwork.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Morwen, Kurag, Rose, Jacob, and Ketra are people who absolutely ''hate'' each other.
* ThanatosGambit: Multiple.
** [[spoiler:Serah arranges for her spirit to be moved into an amulet after her body is hopelessly damaged. This will, notably, give her access to much more power as she was not capable of handling it all as a goddess.]]
** [[spoiler: Jacob turns out to have arranged ''the entire plot of the book series'' up until this point. He made arrangements to kill the King Below, erase his own memory, and overthrow the Lawgiver.]]
[[/folder]]

* Wraith Knight (2016)
* Wraith Lord (2019)
* Wraith King (2023)

* KillSat: A literal example of the trope as there is an orbital sattelite leftover from the days of Old Terralan that is used to blast the armies of both Empress Morwen and Jacob, killing the majority of both. [[spoiler: Jacob ends up destroying it by sacrificing his newly acquired human body.]]

* AbdicateTheThrine: [[spoiler: Jacob, feeling he's failed his people, gives up rulership of Everfrost to Midori and Archus.]]
* AnimalMottifs: Jassamine says that Jacob has ever been a big black dog: unconditionally loyal, ferocious, and somewhat stupid.

* SleepingYourWayToTheTop: Jacob asks if Jassamine is having an affair with Eric the Unsteady in a flashback. Jassamine is offended at the accusation of her being a whore for power. Jacob then says he'd never believe that of her. She then says she's insulted he'd sleep with Eric for any reason ''but'' power. She isn't, though.

''Wraith King'' contains the following tropes:

* AbdicateTheCrown: [[spoiler: Jacob, feeling he's failed his people, gives up rulership of Everfrost to Midori and Archus.]]
* AnimalMotiffs: Jassamine says that Jacob has ever been a big black dog: unconditionally loyal, ferocious, and somewhat stupid.

* CoolAirship: The ''Lightbringer'' is effectively an enormous WW2 era battleship that is the flagship of the Imperial Air Navy.

* OrderVersusChaos: The primary conflict in the series is this rather than GoodVersusEvil. The Lawgiver represents order with its tyranny, expansionism, and religious control. The Trickster by contrast represents freedom, chaos, and resistance.

* RunningBothSides: The Lawgiver and the Trickster are revealed to have been allied for the Great Shadow Wars, causing a conflict between "good and evil" so they could encourage more fantasticism in their worshipers.

* ArcWords: Arcus Maeharl a.k.a "Shadow aid, my brother."

* EvilTowerOfOminousness: The Tower of Everfrost is an enormous metal tower in the center of the King Below's capital city in the Eyes of the World.

* LovableRogue: Jacob is remembered as one of these but was anything but. Thomas Brightwaters is a more straight example.

* FlatEarthAtheist: Ketra is Regina's sister and loud in her belief that the deities of the World Between are social constructs designed to oppress the masses. She notably does this to Jacob Riverson, who is, in fact a PhysicalGod and made her cousin into the Goddess of Starlight.

* MagicKnight: Fell Hellsword joins Jacob as one while Regina gains these abilities as well.

* SelfFulfillingProphecy: The Nine Heroes believe Jacob will lead an invasion of their kingdom so they should strike him first.