History YMMV / DoctrineOfLabyrinths

* CrowningMomentOfFunny:
* Mildmay on helping the Moraskaiakrov's cook: "And, you know, I ain't no flashie chef, but when I scrub a potato, I don't fuck around."
** Felix's snarky remarks - when you're not on the receiving end of them. Also Mildmay's snarky narration.
** "I don't like the dark." "Then brother did you pick the wrong place to live."
** "Don't get eaten by bears."

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Mildmay in any fight scene he has. For a (mostly) off-screen example, Felix when he [[spoiler: takes out the Automaton of Corybant]], and when he [[spoiler: uses the fantôme's own power against it to destroy the machine at the heart of Summerdown]]. And, slightly more spread out over time: Mehitabel when she navigates the Curia. And anyone who has put up with Felix for over two years deserves honorable mention, Gideon.
** And Felix [[spoiler: burning Malkar into a pile of ashes]].

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: "When it comes to scrubbing potatoes, I don't fuck around."

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Mildmay in any fight scene he has. For a (mostly) off-screen example, Felix when he [[spoiler: pwns the Automaton of Corybant]], and when he [[spoiler: uses the fantome's own power against it to pwn the machine at the heart of Summerdown]]. And, slightly more spread out over time: Mehitabel when she navigates the Curia. And anyone who has put up with Felix for over two years deserves honorable mention, Gideon.

* HoYay: Felix and Mildmay. [[spoiler: Especially since Felix is explicitly stated to have the hots for his brother and they have shared one kiss. With tongue.]]

* TheWoobie: Mildmay. Oh, Dear God, Mildmay...*

* PornWithPlot: The sex isn't the only reason to read these books-- fans avidly promote its highly individualized first-person narration in particular-- but [[BrainsAndBondage there's]] [[GuyOnGuyIsHot a]] [[EveryoneHasLotsOfSex lot]] [[SexSlave of]] [[GoodBadGirl it]] here, especially in [[HotterAndSexier ''The Mirador'']]. Of course, readers vary over which parts are [[Fanservice hot]] and which parts are just [[{{Squick}} disturbing]]. Not that [[NightmareFetishist Felix]] doesn't prefer it both ways...

* StoicWoobie: Gee, guess who? [[spoiler: Mildmay.

----

* Wangst:

** ''Corambis'' is one big CMoH for the boys, since they're relatively happier than they were in previous books, their relationship is on the mend, and Felix has stopped treating Mildmay like crap. Every instance of them joking and laughing or having meaningful heart-to-hearts is one big squee moment.

** Lieutenant Vulpes also qualifies, based on his dreams being haunted by Louis Goliath, his assignment to act as a {{HoneyTrap}} on Felix, and then what happens at the end of ''The Mirador'' and in ''Corambis''. The {{Jerkass}} part is pretty obvious from the get-go.

* TooDumbToLive: Stephen and the Curia, for not wondering why a prostitute-made-good in Marathat would even want to destroy the Virtu, or why a typically sober, if eccentric, Cabaline was "too far gone on Phoenix to cause you any trouble" them when they caught up with him and Malkar. Everyone who Thaddeus browbeat into recognizing the compulsion on Felix-- a compulsion that was supposed to be utterly impossible-- and does absolutely zero investigation. Pretty much everyone in Hermione, for ignoring the possibility of the fantome. Stephen again, for not asking himself why [[spoiler: Mehitabel, a shamelessly promiscuous, proudly independent woman, would agree to his demands for unilateral fidelity in their relationship]]. But the dunce's cap has to go to Gerrard Hume: he wanted to tackle a superior military head-on, refused to negotiate a treaty with a critical ally, and is [[GenreBlindness genre blind]] enough to get himself and most of his top officers killed or maimed while awakening a legendary, mysterious engine of destruction... with human blood. Could anyone even imagine that scenario ending well for them?

* ToDumbToLive: Stephen and the Curia, for not wondering why a prostitute-made-good in Marathat would even want to destroy the Virtu, or why a typically sober, if eccentric, Cabaline was "too far gone on Phoenix to cause you any trouble" them when they caught up with him and Malkar. Everyone who Thaddeus browbeat into recognizing the compulsion on Felix-- a compulsion that was supposed to be utterly impossible-- and does absolutely zero investigation. Pretty much everyone in Hermione, for ignoring the possibility of the fantome. Stephen again, for not asking himself why [[spoiler: Mehitabel, a shamelessly promiscuous, proudly independent woman, would agree to his demands for unilateral fidelity in their relationship]]. But the dunce's cap has to go to Gerrard Hume: he wanted to tackle a superior military head-on, refused to negotiate a treaty with a critical ally, and is [[GenreBlindness genre blind]] enough to get himself and most of his top officers killed or maimed while awakening a legendary, mysterious engine of destruction... with human blood. Could anyone even imagine that scenario ending well for them?

* {{Wangst}}:

* CompleteMonster: Malkar, without any question.
** Also, Lorenzo (Felix's pimp from when he was 11-14), Felix's Keeper (whose name goes unknown).

* ToDumbToLive: Stephen and the Curia, for not wondering why a prostitute-made-good in Marathat would even want to destroy the Virtu, or why a sober, if eccentric, Cabaline was "too far gone to trouble" them when they caught up with him and Malkar. Everyone who Thaddeus browbeat into recognizing the compulsion on Felix-- a compulsion that was supposed to be utterly impossible-- and does absolutely zero investigation. Pretty much everyone in Hermione, for ignoring the possibility of the fantome. Stephen again, for not asking himself why [[spoiler: Mehitabel, a shamelessly promiscuous, proudly independent woman, would agree to his demands for unilateral fidelity in their relationship]]. But the dunce's cap has to go to Gerrard Hume: he wanted to tackle a superior military head-on, refused to negotiate a treaty with a critical ally, and is [[GenreBlindness genre blind]] enough to get himself and most of his top officers killed or maimed while awakening a legendary, mysterious engine of destruction... with human blood. Could anyone even imagine that scenario ending well for them?

** While Vincent's life is undeniably hard, his descriptions veer into bathos, possibly encouraged by his love of poetry. His memories of abuse are "like a bloodstain on a sheet?" Who talks like that, and to someone they've met exactly twice?

* StoicWoobie: Gee, guess who? [[spoiler: Mildmay.]]

* {{Wangst}}: Felix falls into this at times. Gee, Felix, you're beautiful, intelligent, charismatic, powerful, and rich, and everyone and their dog is falling over themselves to make you happy... and you still act like an asshole and mope over what a monster you are.
* TheWoobie: Mildmay. Oh, Dear God, Mildmay...

* HollywoodHomely: Mildmay insists that he's ugly and that no one could possibly be attracted to him, and though his scar does make him look scary, it doesn't stop Felix, Mehitabel, Ginevra, Kolkhis, Cardenio, Corbie and loads of other people from being attracted to him and Felix calls him 'beautiful' on many occasions. Most fan artists usually draw him as a hot guy with a scar.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Mildmay in basically any fight scene he has. For a (mostly) off-screen example, Felix when he [[spoiler: totally pwns the ever-loving hell out of the Automaton of Corybant]], and when he [[spoiler: uses the fantome's own power against it to pwn the machine at the heart of Summerdown]]. And, slightly more spread out over time: Mehitabel when she navigates the Curia. And anyone who has put up with Felix for over two years deserves honorable mention, Gideon.

** Heck, ''Corambis'' is one big CMoH for the boys, since they're relatively happier than they were in previous books, their relationship is on the mend, and Felix has stopped treating Mildmay like crap. Every instance of them joking and laughing or having meaningful heart-to-hearts is one big squee moment.

** Not to mention that they spend almost the whole of ''Corambis'' sharing a bed, occasionally cuddling and are totally comfortable with seeing each other naked. And of course, there's the infamous bathhouse scene.....

** And a lot of Felix and Mildmay's dreams. {"I spent all night looking for someone who wasn't dead."} Many of the sex scenes. And basically anything involving Malkar. For example, when Felix was young, Malkar cast spells on him to make him deaf, mute, and blind for hours on end.

* {{Wangst}}: Felix falls into this at times. Gee, Felix, you're beautiful, intelligent, charismatic, powerful, and rich, and everyone and their dog is basically falling over themselves to make you happy... and you still act like an asshole and mope over what a monster you are.

** And of course, Gideon, who [[spoiler: falls in love with a madman (Felix, of course) who is more often than not terrified of him, gets separated from said Felix by the people who he is absolutely terrified of being captured by, is (of course) captured, ''gets his tongue cut out'', is rescued, meets up with now sane Felix, lives with Felix for upwards of two years-- but it's Felix, so those two years are fraught with constant fighting and bickering-- can only sleep with Felix in a way he personally finds demeaning and squicky, leaves Felix over a lover's quarrel, and is killed by the man ''who was the source of said lover's quarrel''. Slowly killed. Oh, and through all this, Felix is only able to admit to himself that he loves Gideon back ''after'' Gideon is dead. Oh, ''and'' it's implied that Gideon was basically ripped away from his family at a young age, sexually abused by older wizards and tried to kill himself, all before the books ever start]]. All of this is hugely understated and matter-of-factly revealed to the audience, and never dwelled on very long. Poor, ''poor'' Gideon.
** Kay. He grows up with a neglectful mother, resentful sister (the one who didn't resent him died), father who constantly criticized him, had to hide his homosexuality from his conservative society, not to mention his love for his (straight and married) king. And on top of it all, he had to kill from a young age and ended up being blinded.

* {{Alternate Character Interpretation}}: Felix: horribly-damaged Woobie who hurts people only as a defense mechanism and who only needs unconditional love, or Felix, the mildly-deranged, extremely-manipulative sadistic asshole who doesn't know how good he has it? Yes.
* {{Complete Monster}}: Malkar, without any question.

* {{Crowning Moment of Awesome}}: Mildmay in basically any fight scene he has. For a (mostly) off-screen example, Felix when he [[spoiler: totally pwns the ever-loving hell out of the Automaton of Corybant]], and when he [[spoiler: uses the fantome's own power against it to pwn the machine at the heart of Summerdown]]. And, slightly more spread out over time: Mehitabel when she navigates the Curia. And anyone who has put up with Felix for over two years deserves honorable mention, Gideon.

* {{Crowning Moment of Heartwarming}}: Whenever Felix comes out from behind his [[JerkassFacade defense mechanisms]] and actually admits that he cares about Mildmay. The best example is the [[spoiler: ending of ''Corambis'']].

* {{Jerkass Woobie}}: Felix again. The utter trauma and horror he's been through in his life, as well as the genuine need for love and companionship he has that is masked by his defense mechanisms, makes him a {{Woobie}}. His ''personality'' makes him a Jerkass.

* NoYay: Felix and Malkar. Mildmay and Kolkhis. Mildmay's dreams about Kolkhis and Ginevra in TheVirtu. *shudder*
* {{Stoic Woobie}}: Gee, guess who? [[spoiler: Mildmay.]]

* {{The Woobie}}: Mildmay. Oh, Dear God, Mildmay...

* {{High Octane Nightmare Fuel}}: Mikkary. Oh, god, mikkary.
** And a lot of Felix and Mildmay's dreams. {"I spent all night looking for someone who wasn't dead."} Many of the sex scenes. And basically anything involving Malkar. For example, when Felix was young, Malkar cast spells on him to make him deaf, mute, and blind for hours on end.

** Up until he [[spoiler: murders Gideon and attempts to push it on Felix ([[MoralEventHorizon like whoa)]], Isaac seems like this progressively throughout the third book.

** Up until he [[spoiler:murders Gideon and attempts to push it on Felix ([[MoralEventHorizon like whoa)]], Isaac seems like this progressively throughout the third book.

** Up until he [[spoiler:murders Gideon and attempts to push it on Felix ({{MoralEventHorizon}},like whoa)]], Isaac seems like this progressively throughout the third book.