History YMMV / TheNightsDawnTrilogy

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Minus the Affinity genes, the story starts as a hard science fiction. Eventually, it begins to turn into one big [[spoiler: ghost story]]. Blending sci-fi and fantasy is a popular combination (see examples in SpaceOpera and ScienceFantasy), but for some readers, this becomes a major turning off point.

* AcceptableReligiousTargets: Satanists.

* {{Anticlimax}}: ''The Naked God'' is argued by some to be this, due to [[spoiler: its heavy DeusExMachina nature]]. Conversely, such a plot was set up right from ''The Reality Dysfunction'', allowing some level of expectance.

* CatharsisFactor: Seeing the Powel Manani release his RoaringRampageofRevenge on the ivets can be satisfying, knowing what some of them had done.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: A common criticism of the trilogy. It starts off as a hard science fiction story, until it increasingly begins to turn into one big [[spoiler: ghost story]]. Blending sci-fi and fantasy is a popular combination (see examples in SpaceOpera and ScienceFantasy), but for some readers, this becomes a major turning off point.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: A common criticism of the trilogy. It starts off as a hard science fiction story, until it increasingly begins to turn into one big [[spoiler: ghost story]]. Blending sci-fi and fantasy is a popular combination, hence why the SpaceOpera genre is popular, but for some readers, this is a major turning off point.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: A common criticism of the trilogy. It’s starts off as a hard science fiction story, until it increasingly begins to turn into one big [[spoiler: ghost story]]. Blending sci-fi and fantasy is a popular combination, hence why the SpaceOpera genre is popular, but for some readers, this is a major turning off point.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: A common criticisms of the trilogy. It’s starts off as a hard science fiction story, until it increasingly begins to turn into one big [[spoiler: ghost story]]. Blending sci-fi and fantasy is a popular combination, hence why the SpaceOpera genre is popular, but for some readers, this is a major turning off point.

* CompleteMonster: [[DepravedBisexual Quinn Dexter]] is a Satanic cult leader who considers himself [[AGodAmI something of a God]] and likes nothing more than to [[{{Sadist}} inflict as much pain]] and [[DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans spread as much suffering as possible]]. Through his sect he regularly performs [[HumanSacrifice human sacrifices]] to feed off the psychic energies derived from the victims' agonies of being tortured, raped and murdered. After he is possessed by an escaped soul from the Beyond, his will proves so strong that he regains control of his body and sets out to turn as many planets as possible into unlivable [[HellOnEarth Hellworlds]]. He [[ColonyDrop drops a meteorite]] on the Nyvan colony to wipe out all life on it, makes it it his mission to [[VirtueIsWeakness destroy every shred of human decency]], and will devour the souls of all those he considers [[TheSocialDarwinist too weak to share the new Hell with him]].

* AuthorAppeal: Judging by the sheer number of pages devoted to describing how attractive teenage girls/young women are, and how most relationships are heterosexual, with a young woman and a much-older man, one might make certain assumptions about Hamilton's preferences.

* UnfortunateImplications: The Confederation practices what they call "Ethnic Streaming"; planets are specifically stated to be [[PlanetOfHats Planets of Hats]] - Christian-ethnic, Islamic-ethnic, Jewish-ethnic, Hindi-ethnic, etc. At first, Earth's government sponsored extrasolar colonization on a cosmopolitan basis; immigration was controlled so numerous ethnic groups were represented equally. This experiment came to a crashing end when these colonies erupted into religious conflicts, which were only solved when the minorities immigrated to planets where they were the majority. Nyvan - the closest terracompatible world to Earth - is the worst case; the planet has been ravaged by nonstop holy wars right up until the Possessed showed up and conquered the whole planet. Afterward those initial failures, colonies were sponsored by specific nations and corporations, which limited colonization to their own ethnic groups. These were much more successful, and by the time the trilogy begins it's commonly accepted that only an idiot would expect multiple ethnic groups to share a planet peacefully. A similar idea would be "separateness" AKA ''"[[UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra Apartheid]]".''

* UnfortunateImplications: "Ethnic Streaming" - At first, Earth's government sponsored extrasolar colonization on a cosmopolitan basis; immigration was controlled so numerous ethnic groups were represented equally. This experiment came to a crashing end when these colonies erupted into religious conflicts. Nyvan, the worst case, had nonstop holy wars right up until the Possessed showed up and conquered the whole planet with superpowers. Afterwards, colonies were sponsored by specific nations and corporations, which limited colonization to specific ethnic groups, creating [[PlanetOfHats Planets of Hats]]. These were much more successful, and by the time the story begins, planets are specifically stated to be Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindi, etc. and it's commonly accepted that only an idiot would expect multiple ethnic groups to share a planet peacefully. A similar idea would be "separateness" AKA ''"[[UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra Apartheid]]".''

* CanonSue / JerkSue: Joshua Calvert is arrogant, irresistible to women, a starship captain, and [[spoiler: finally banishes the possessed]]. He has unfortunate elements of this trope, but thankfully the fact that there are ''so many'' characters means that this needn't get in the way. Nevertheless, some people find him irritating - even [[WordOfGod Hamilton himself]] [[http://www.peterfhamilton.co.uk/index.php?page=Summary calls him a "prat".]]

* UnfortunateImplications: "Ethnic Streaming" - At first, Earth's government sponsored extrasolar colonization on a cosmopolitan basis; immigration was controlled so numerous ethnic groups were represented equally. This experiment came to a crashing end when these colonies erupted into religious conflicts. Nyvan, the worst case, had nonstop holy wars right up until the Possessed showed up and conquered the whole planet with superpowers. Afterwards, colonies were sponsored by specific nations and corporations, which limited colonization to specific ethnic groups, creating [[PlanetOfHats Planets of Hats]]. These were much more successful, and by the time the story begins, planets are specifically stated to be Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindi, etc. and it's commonly accepted that only an idiot would expect multiple ethnic groups to share a planet peacefully. A similar idea would be "separateness" AKA ''"[[UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra Apartheid]]".''

* CompleteMonster: Oh ''God'', Quinn Dexter... Guy made it his ''purpose'' to bring literal Hell-on-Earth living conditions to as many people as possible. Even the ''possessed'' are scared as piss of him.
** In the first book, [[PredecessorVillain Laton]], a [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic Serpent]] (born-Edenist who rejects Edenism), is the galaxy's BigBad since before the series started, having used his considerable skills and resources to destroy ''a habitat'' with a biotech virus, [[ButForMeItWasTuesday in order to facilitate his escape]] from the authorities. That got him named an "enemy of all humanity" by the Confederation government.

** The Light Bringer mages, Omutan board of directors, the Black cartels who deal in antimatter, as well as most asteroid independence parties are presented as this. [[HumansArebastards Humans are still bastards]], after all...

** In the first book, [[PredecessorVillain Laton]], a [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic Serpent]] (born-Edenist who rejects Edenism), is the galaxy's BigBad since before the series started, having used his considerable skills and resources to destroy ''an entire habitat'' with a biotech virus, [[ButForMeItWasTuesday in order to facilitate his escape]] from the authorities. That got him named an "enemy of all humanity" by the Confederation government.

* NightmareFuel: Possession. The Melange. The Beyond. Also, [[spoiler: [[FateWorseThanDeath being a ghost. If you don't want to give up your mortal life, you spend an eternity in the Beyond, where 5 minutes feels like an eternity, all the other souls are screaming to get out, and when you do get out, the souls in the Beyond compel you to open up bodies for possession by souls from the Beyond.]]

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel - Possession. The Melange. The Beyond. Also, [[spoiler: [[FateWorseThanDeath being a ghost]]]]