[[quoteright:348:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mirinar_tvtropes_1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:348:Only a small portion of the {{Badass Normal}} main cast.]]

''[[http://mirinar.com/ Les Chimères de Mirinar]]'' (''Chimaeras of Mirinar'') is a French serial of dark fantasy, deconstructing most of fantasy figures into an action adventure packaged with violent psychology and political reflection.

The story focuses on the vain and parallel evolution of two childhood friends, Elsy the mercenary and Elodianne the magician. These two women have great ambition and divergent philosophies.

The first novel, ''Teliam Vore'', also recalls the recent past of the country, with a mutant epidemic restricted by three brave officers, Orcreste Damnis, Corbes Salven and Teliam Vore. The first became ruler of the country, the second a provincial governor, and the third a crazy guy. The sad destiny of Teliam Vore is primordial to the main plot, as he will come back with inhuman and sinister features and lead a magical terrorist squad against the government. Elsy and her mercenary agency are led to a suicide mission against these renegades.

The second novel, ''Les reflets du temps'' (''Reflections of time''), focus on the mirror-worlds (magical MindScrew pocket universes) and the distant past and future. Chapters are more independent and there is not recurrent bad guys (or BigBad) at the time being.


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!!'''''Les Chimères de Mirinar'' provides examples of:'''

* AlienSky: In some of Elodianne's visions. Also in the religious paintings.
* AllDesertsHaveCacti: Averted. In the garrigue and in the Lazirac region, no cactus is even mentioned.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Subverted? Elsy's ambitions are ambiguously portrayed.
* AmplifierArtifact: Any object made of black amber.
* ArcWords: "A l'ombre d'un long titan hurle Vore le grand" ("In a long titan's surroundings, Vore the Great is screaming").
* AttentionWhore: Elsy loves to be really recognizable.
* AxCrazy: Noelien during the ending.
* {{Backstory}}: A lot. Almost every single character seems to have an entire biography on his own behind the stage. Even some extras.
* BaddieFlattery: Eldee.
* BattleAmongstTheFlames: The final battle against Teliam Vore.
* BattleDiscretionShot: Only one in the first novel: the ''great'' battle with hundreds of magicians, warrior monks and soldiers against a lot of Blasphemies led by Teliam Vore himself. The novel only shows us the aftermath. May be part of the Deconstruction approach.
* BeginnersLuck: Elsy is a young woman with practically only street fighting experience. You may think someone could know better than send her against powerful magicians and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s.
* BettyAndVeronica: Subverted. [[spoiler:The Vorians' "love triangle" is merely a delusion born of boring times and hermit's life. But vaguely, Laudane is Betty and Amaranthe is Veronica]].
* BodyHorror: When Eldritch Abominations want to play... {{Squick}} ensues.
* BonusMaterial: A lot of drawings and some encyclopaedic articles can only be found on the website.
* BreakTheBadass: The mighty Ohya has his ass kicked [[spoiler:during the first apparition of the Blasphemies in the novel]]. Also, a lot of battles do this to the characters.
* CatchPhrase: "My ass is bigger than yours!" (Whatever that sentence means.)
* TheChainsOfCommanding: Damnis and Salven.
* CharacterDevelopment: Elsy begins the first novel as an ambitious (occasionally) murdering mercenary and becomes [[spoiler:a cold-hearted assassin with no consideration for most of human lives]] before the end of the story. Elodianne seems to be adult and responsible but progressively becomes [[spoiler:irritated and pessimistic]]. Noelien seems to be a smiling nerd in the first place, [[spoiler:but becomes more and more hateful and bashing with the time]]. Eldee has a lot of trust and dreams, [[spoiler:forgetting the horror of his own actions, but he realizes this is not a game... the hard way]].
* CharacterFocus: Chapter 7 of the first novel is mainly Ohya-centered. Also, the Aurterre arc gives us generous amounts of Salven's viewpoint.
* ClarkesThirdLaw: In some ways. Mirinar magic seems to be the precise utilization of scientific laws of the Verse, follows rigid laws, and has a lot of research teams and public application.
* CollapsingLair: Man, [[spoiler:Camaieu Castle IS destroyed by the final]].
* ComfortingComforter: Basilien (or his mother) drapes a blanket around Ohya when he falls asleep in the Orlinde house.
* CommonSense: Frequently Basilien.
* ConspicuousConsumption: The Central Palace decoration is ''very'' wealthy. Absurdly wealthy, since a wood usually used as money is used here for the walls and statues.
* ContemplativeBoss: Salven during his first appearance, talking to fanatical priests without facing them.
* CoolChair: Prime's throne. And he has ''a lot'' of thrones.
* CostumePorn: Prime's armor and clothes -- he has ''a lot'' of described costumes. Also, Teliam Vore's sadomasochist/biomechanical/destroy suit, and some of the religious clothes.
* CowTools: In Camaieu Castle, the Vorians have a lot of strange machines and items.
* CrazyEnoughToWork: Both Vorian and suicide mission plans.
* CryForTheDevil: The Vorian flashback, [[spoiler:which allows us to see Noelien, Eldee and the twin sisters in their sad childhood and teenage years]].
* CrystalDragonJesus: Prime Church.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: All of the Vorians and of the War Masters.
* DarkIsEvil: Well, Blasphemies ARE black organisms.
* DesolationShot: Also in Elodianne's visions.
* DirtForcefield: Strongly averted. The main characters always end covered in awful substances, and Elsy, the heroine, is sometimes covered in vomit.
* DumbMuscle: Ohya pretends to be not very smart.
* EldritchAbomination: The Scum, Blasphemies, Teliam Vore himself.
* EmpathicEnvironment: Played straight and very literaly with the mirror-worlds.
* ExpressiveMask: [[spoiler: Teliam Vore's face.]]
* FinalBossPreview: Apparently played straight: Teliam Vore shows up in Central Palace and kills lots of soldiers. Definitely subverted when [[spoiler:one of the Vorians reveals he was gravely hurt and nearly broken, but with all witnesses of his state killed.]]
* FloatingAdviceReminder: Played... strange. Elsy has black clouds in her head in one chapter and a Blasphemy tentacle hits it. Figuratively.
* FunctionalMagic: Mirinar magic works precisely.
* TheFutureIsNoir: In Damnis's thoughts. He imagines entire civilizations with cadaveric citizens (Teliam Vore-alikes) and mobile Blasphemies-cities.
* GenreBusting:
** Urban western inquiry horror adventure fantasy?
** More like some Lovecraftian action-packed thriller.
* {{Gorn}}: Sometimes.
* GoryDiscretionShot: A lot.
* HappilyMarried: Hussert.
* HiddenDepths: Ohya. [[spoiler:He seems to be able to speak Ark State language correctly, and beside, is revealed to be more introspective than most characters]]. Also the Vorians.
* HoldingBackThePhlebotinum: Literally. Basilien, a strictly non-magician kind of guy, finds a greatly magical artifact... and hides it ForTheLulz. Also, [[spoiler:black amber is an unknown thing for almost all magicians in the Ark State]].
* IncrediblyObviousBug: [[spoiler:If you think Asparences are a mere detail... Think again]].
* InTheHood: Teliam Vore in [[spoiler:his chapter 9 apparition]].
* InvoluntaryShapeshifting: The Blasphemies are in permanent and mostly uncontrolled transformation. The fact they don't have anything similar to a will doesn't help.
* ItsGoingDown: Camaieu Castle.
* JokeCharacter: Manoha.
* KidAppealCharacter: Francisque. He even has blond hair.
* LampshadeHanging: Many. Part of the Deconstruction approach.
* LieDetector: Orienteurs can do this without a machine.
* LostTechnology: [[spoiler:Blue crystal and black amber]]. It seems that in long lost times magicians knew what they were, but the knowledge was nearly totally lost.
* LoveInterests: Laudane is clearly Eldee's love interest.
* LustObject: Her sister, Amaranthe, is clearly Eldee's lust object. Also, Basilien thinks about Elsy frequently.
* MagiBabble: Mostly in magician dialogues, indeed.
* MagicallyBindingContract: Sort of. [[spoiler:The Olgueron is more of a very complex curse/MindScrew]].
* MagicAIsMagicA: We don't know all of the laws regarding Mirinar magic, but already a lot, clearly in an attempt to make it at least look logical.
* MagicFromTechnology: Maybe. A popular theory is that [[spoiler:Mirinar Arks are part of an ancient and futuristic structure carrying some psionic energy. Hell, Jesus himself could be in the Arks -- we already saw divine Light, an exploding giant cyborg creature and TheVirus going out of these things. Maybe the Arks are totally made of Narrativium?]]
* MagicMusic: Some Vorian artifacts can ''sing''.
%%* MightyGlacier: Teliam Vore.
* MisappliedPhlebotinum: Subverted. The government doesn't know how to use the mirror-worlds, but the terrorists are way more informed.
* {{Mooks}}: Totally averted in the first book, there is only the main terrorists commanding a lot of giant slave monsters.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: The Vorians in their teen years. [[spoiler:They tried to bring a pedophile to justice. They failed, one of them died.]] They were arrested and ''punished''.
* OneWingedAngel: Played ''really'' straight, Teliam Vore appears like a dark and gray creature with only one giant wing... But both averted and subverted [[spoiler:because he's not what he seems to be]].
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Elsy. To be fair, she also is in some missions for glory.
* PerfectHealth: Inverted. Most of characters frequently got colds, hangovers, or even worse.
* PerpetualSmiler: Ohya.
* PhlebotinumBreakdown: Blasphemies are SUCH unstable and dangerous things.
* PortalPool: The magical mirror/black pool in the Mirinèce sewers.
* PostHistoricalTrauma: Damnis, Vore and Salven.
* PowerGivesYouWings: Subverted. Teliam Vore's unique wing doesn't give him any special ability. Also, the wing is spectacularly bulky and almost useless.
* PowerDyesYourHair: Subverted. Teliam Vore's hair is black, but he dyes it blue and green with dye. Later, after an unholy metamorphosis turning him into some kind of powerful golem/zombie/alien creature, his hair is of natural color again.
* PowerEchoes: Literally, with the twin sisters and aquilonian magicians.
* PoweredByAForsakenChild: You really don't want to know how the Blasphemies are made.
* PsychopathicManchild: [[spoiler:Noelien in the first novel final]].
* PsychoSupporter: Manoha.
* PutOnABus: Allibert. All of the Aurterre arc in the first novel.
* RebelRelaxation: Elsy is relaxed like this in ''[[http://www.mirinar.com/index-3-0-6.html this illustration]]''.
* RedOniBlueOni: Inverted with Elsy and Elodianne (the redhead is the quiet one, the white-haired the raging tempest). Played straight, but without physical divergences, with Laudane and Amaranthe.
* RestrainingBolt: Loulou is a special Blasphemy with a lot of mechanical and chemical stuff preventing it from becoming dangerous to its creators.
* RuleOfEmpathy: Governmental personalities and bad guys are more prone to be sympathetic than the main character. It may be part of the Deconstruction approach.
* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Manoha.
* SealedEvilInACan: Loffrieu ([[spoiler:the "evil" Teliam Vore]]). Certainly [[spoiler:mirror-worlds too, since ''something'' seems to ''think'' and ''watch'' from there]].
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Elsy. Kind of subverted since Elsy seems aware of her complicated and aristocratic way of talking.
* ShipperOnDeck: Hussert [[spoiler:is shipping Arlard and Elodianne]].
* ShoutOut: Melville. Probably Creator/ChinaMieville, ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' and ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' too.
* SmarterThanYouLook: Basilien, Ohya.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Elsy and Opaline in the second novel.
* SmokingIsCool: Elsy and a lot of other characters.
* StatusQuoIsGod: Averted. The first missions of Elsy Agency seem to be without any consequences, but by the end of the first novel, the reader knows better ([[spoiler:two words: Lene Daravic]]).
* StoryArc: In each Mirinar novel, a huge portion of the chapters have their own atmosphere and subplot. But there are always large story arcs. And ''larger'' story arcs. Some metaplot too.
* StoryboardBody: Elsy, Ohya.
* StoutStrength: Basilien, Leostin.
* SurvivalMantra: "Seul ce qui reste compte" ("Only what's left counts").
* TakeOurWordForIt: We never get to know how exactly [[spoiler:the Teliam Vore golem is working]]. But it doesn't seem nice. It REALLY doesn't seem nice. Yeark.
* TattooedCrook: Elsy.
* TechnicolorDeath: The two most-talented Vorians, [[spoiler:Amaranthe and Laudane]], have especially flashy deaths. The first explodes in a thousand shades of glasses due to an extrapolation of some mirror magic laws, and the second uses dark AppliedPhlebotinum for a kamikaze attack. Doesn't end well.
* TechnoBabble: What the hell is going on with all these mirror-worlds rules?
* ThereAreNoCoincidences: Subverted early. In the second chapter of the first novel, [[there is immediately a great coincidence with Lene Daravic]].
* ToxicPhlebotinum: Mirinar magic corrupts the bodies of all magicians, turning them slowly into ill, pimply, purulent, blind people.
* TragicDream: [[spoiler:All of the Vorians]].
* TroubleFollowsYouHome: TWO TIMES. [[spoiler:After the Aurterrian mission, Elsy and Basilien go home, only to see Eldritch Horrors everywhere.]] Later, [[spoiler:after the messy and traumatizing final battle against the Teliam Vore golem and all of the Vorians, Elsy & Co. go home, only to see that there are important riots in West Mirinèce.]] FromBadToWorse.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: [[spoiler:Basilien never gets Elsy]].
* {{Unobtainium}}: Blue crystal and black amber. [[spoiler:Both seem to be magic incredibly concentrated, and can make some strange things work. Like using magic in a mirror-world]].
* UpgradeArtifact: Played straight. [[spoiler:Elsy, Basilien, Elodianne, Noelien, Eldee, Laudane all get one of them. Respectively [[spoiler:a good and precious blade, a black amber knife, a black amber belt, a Blasphemy-decoy artifact, and murderous lightning black amber sharpened blade]]. Maybe inverted with [[spoiler:Basilien's knife, which is in no way useful to him]].
* VictoryIsBoring: Damnis de Mirinece really doesn't like his current work as leader of the country. In his solitary chapter, he is tempted to screw responsibilities and to go to adventure. Also, Salven, seeing all the ridiculous propaganda, now understands how foolish he was to wish for glory.
* VillainCorner: [[spoiler:Salven and Alken]] in the second novel.
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Noelien]].
* VillainDecay: The Blasphemies. [[spoiler:By the end of the story, they become clearly secondary. And Teliam Vore and the Vorians, since they were Deconstruction to begin with.]]
* VillainyDiscretionShot: During the first novel, most of the terrorists' attacks are not described. It is implied that the Vorians murdered hundreds of people using the Blasphemies.
* VitriolicBestBuds: The Vorians. Elsy and Basilien. Elsy and Elodianne. Elsy and… every friend she ever made?
* VomitDiscretionShot: A lot.
* VomitIndiscretionShot: Sometimes.
* WeaponBasedCharacterization: Elsy, who was some kind of gangster and street fighter before the first novel, fights with a knuckle duster. Basilien, same kind of past, mainly uses knives. Teliam Vore, when he comes back, has the Vore Helix, a baroque and giant weapon with two blades and a lot of pikes. The list just goes on.
* WeaponOfMassDestruction: All of the Blasphemies are used for destructive terrorist attacks.
* WeHaveForgottenThePhlebotinum: Elsy realizes, way too late during her suicide mission, how much matierist magicians could have been useful against opponents who spectacularly alter the environment all the time.
* ObliquelyObfuscatedOccupation: Maître Serpolet. He works for the government, that’s for sure. [[spoiler:He isn’t some political figure, that’s something too. He isn’t from intelligence either. So… why does he always give Elsy and Elodianne their special missions, why is he called "Maître" ("Master", an official title in France for certain judicial jobs, for a high rank in the military, and for university degrees), and why is he so mysterious and sometimes sarcastic?]]
* WhatTheHellHero – Very quickly in the first chapter of the first novel. Elsy commits murder. Also, in the novel final, [[spoiler:Pasquin wants her to stop her bloody rampage of terrified antagonists.]]
* Wildcard: Manoha.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: Most of the Vorians. Especially, Noelien doesn’t seem to be so appreciated by his friends, and he doesn’t like them a lot, either.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Teliam Vore grows as one of the most powerful magicians in history, distinguishes himself in a war without comparison against an epidemic of abominable creatures... and finally turns batshit insane. Also, [[spoiler:Noelien and Laudane during their final battles]].
* TheWorfEffect: Ohya and Manoha, mainly. The Atepehian people are so strong and resistant, they make excellent Worfs.
* WrongGenreSavvy: Sort of. The Vorians are all huge fanboys of pulp fiction, so they could have guessed their precise role in the main story – [[spoiler:the bad guys who get a tragic fate.]]
* WrongTurnAtAlbuquerque: In the third chapter of the first novel, [[spoiler:Elsy and Basilien get horribly lost in a Scum forest. Traumatic chase ensues]].
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Teliam Vore when he comes back. Cause unknown. [[spoiler:Maybe the Olgueron process or some Vorian experiment.]]
* ZeroApprovalGambit: Eldee tries to think he is doing this. That’s delusional, and [[spoiler:by the end of the first novel, following his capitulation, he has a violent epiphany: he’s nothing more than a mass murderer]].



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