History Literature / BreakingTheWall

* WrongContextMagic: Brenda's major trait throughout the story. She's able to call upon the powers of the Rat, despite the fact that she shouldn't ''have'' access to those powers while her father yet lives.

The ''Breaking the Wall'' trilogy was written by Creator/JaneLindskold, author of the ''Literature/FirekeeperSaga'', and has three books: ''Thirteen Orphans'', ''Nine Gates'', and ''Five Odd Honors'', detailing the Orphans' quest to defend themselves from attack from the Lands and make their return to it and discover the cause behind them after all this time.

* BookBurning: An instance of this taken UpToEleven is what created the Lands Born of Smoke and Sacrifice and is the reason people from the lands call Earth the Land of the Burning.

* UnfortunateNames: Des Lee, full name Desperate Lee. The result of an ignorant nurse and a Chinese relative with a heavy accent trying to say how Des's mother had desperately wanted a boy.

* HumanResources: The [[spoiler:Mahjong sets]] handed down the Orphans' family lines.

* {{Mahjong}}: The Thirteen Orphans' magic is based around various Mahjong hands. Early training has apprentices hand-making tiles to use their spells with.

* GenreSavvy: Brenda, at one point rushing along [[TalkingInYourDreams a messenger in her dream]] specifically to avoid waking up before she learns anything useful. Also, nobody makes the mistake of assuming Brenda's message was AllJustADream.

%%* CoolBigSis: The Ox's daughter, Hua was this for the second generation Orphans.

%%* FormerChildStar: Pearl Bright, though she subverts the usual definitions of what occurs to these characters in old age.

%%* InternalReveal: What was ''supposed'' to happen with Brenda at the start of the series.

* TheAtoner: Loyal Wind.

* CheerfulChild: Lani

* CoolBigSis: The Ox's daughter, Hua was this for the second generation Orphans.
* CoolOldGuy: Both of the Monkeys we meet, Waking Lizard and Bent Bamboo. Shen Kung.
* CoolOldLady: Pearl & Deborah.
* DarkActionGirl: Honey Dream in the first book.
* EasternZodiac
* FormerChildStar: Pearl Bright, though she subverts the usual definitions of what occurs to these characters in old age.

* TheInnerReveal: What was ''supposed'' to happen with Brenda at the start of the series.

* SmugSnake: Honey Dream and especially Tracy Frye.

* StraightGay: [[spoiler:Albert Yu.]]

The ''Breaking the Wall'' trilogy was written by Creator/JaneLindskold, author of the ''Literature/FirekeeperSaga'', has three books: ''Thirteen Orphans'', ''Nine Gates'', and ''Five Odd Honors'' which detail the Orphans' quest to defend themselves from attack from the Lands and make their return to it and discover the cause behind them after all this time.

* AlliterativeFamily: The Nitas. Besides Nissa and (No)Lani, every person in the family also has an N name.

* BookBurning: An instance of this taken UpToEleven is what created the Lands Born of Smoke and Sacrifice and is the reason people from the lands call earth the Land of the Burning.
* ButNotTooForeign: Every Orphan who isn't pureblooded Chinese. Given the nature between earth and the Lands, probably not even then.

* [[spoiler:StraightGay]]: Albert Yu.

* UnfortunateNames: Des Lee, full name Desperate Lee. The result of an ignorance nurse and a Chinese relative with a heavy accent trying to say how Des's mother had desperately wanted a boy.

The ''Breaking the Wall'' trilogy was written by Jane Lindskold, author of the ''{{Firekeeper}}'' series, has three books: ''Thirteen Orphans'', ''Nine Gates'', and ''Five Odd Honors'' which detail the Orphans' quest to defend themselves from attack from the Lands and make their return to it and discover the cause behind them after all this time.

These exiles, who came to call themselves the Thirteen Orphans, represent the welve animals on the Chinese zodiac, with their emperor representing the cat. They settled in our world, doing what they could to preserve their magical knowledge until the exile was rescinded for either themselves or their descendants.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Righteous Drum, Honey Dream, and Flying Claw. Also, if you take his word for it, Franklin Deng.

* [[WellDoneSonGuy Well Done Daughter Gal]]: Pearl, before waking up to what a JerkAss her father was. Honey Dream as well, though her father is far more acknowledging.

* NeverMessWithGranny: Pearl Bright. When your first on-page action in one of the books is beheading an attacker who took you by surprise, you've earned your place in this trope.

Today, Gaheris Morris, great-grandson of the original Exile Rat, had planned to impart this knowledge to his heir apparent, his daughter Brenda. He brought her to California to visit the current Tiger, their HonoraryAunt Pearl Bright, and introduce her to the current Cat, Albert Yu. What they find when they arrive is an Albert Yu lacking any memory of the Thirteen Orphans and the start of a journey that will eventually lead them and the other Orphans into battle against enemies from the Lands Born of Smoke and Sacrifice.

The ''Breaking the Wall'' trilogy was written by Jane Lindskold, author of the ''Literature/{{Firekeeper}}'' series, has three books: ''Thirteen Orphans'', ''Nine Gates'', and ''Five Odd Honors'' which detail the Orphans' quest to defend themselves from attack from the Lands and make their return to it and discover the cause behind them after all this time.