Morgenregen: The Black Forest Fairy is a 2013 novel by Anastasia Robin Louis that chronicles the adventures of Rebellious Princess Morgenregen of the fairies in the Black Forest in Germany as she travels to save her people from extinction. The story takes place in 15th century Swabia, though the author has said that she made her main settings fictional
so as to divorce her story from historical events.
This book contains examples of:
- Action Girl: Morgenregen is in a lot of fights.
- All Myths Are True: The story of Blackwing.
- Always Second Best: Erik, or at least he feels he can never beat Frieder because he is not blood.
- Ambition Is Evil: Erik, though he develops over time.
- Authority Equals Asskicking: Succession in the Black Forest royal family works by the claimant challenging the incumbent to a duel.
- Beard of Evil: Erik has a goatee.His handsome face held stern nobility, from his precisely trimmed black goatee and firmly set jaw to his thin lined mouth and icy, lake-blue eyes.
- Bilingual Bonus: Morgenregen's Meaningful Name. Also, characters tend to burst into German when excited.
- Cain and Abel: Erik and Frieder, though the picture grows murkier as the story progresses.
- Clap Your Hands If You Believe: Fairies become stronger through human belief
- The Coup: Morgenregen attempts this against her mother. It doesn't go well.
- Dance of Romance: Frieder and Morgenregen's balcony scene.
- The Dark Times: Blackwing's rule.
- "Blackwing became king of die Fee and the humans of Swabia became his slaves. Those who would not serve were jailed, tortured, or killed. It was a time of despair and darkness unlike mortals had ever known."
- Dead Person Impersonation: Blackwing impersonates Erik after killing him.
- Death of the Hypotenuse: More like potential hypotenuse. Axel is killed off just as he's getting close to Morgenregen, forestalling a Love Triangle.
- Disposing of a Body: When Blackwing disposed of Erik's body. Happens simultaneously with Dead Person Impersonation, and Blackwing actually reflects on the convenience of the transformation spell that lets him achieve both at the same time.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Schallenberg is burned down near the beginning of the novel for allegedly harboring rebels.
- Evil Chancellor: Erik is this to Frieder during their father's absence and later sickness, though not in the sense of being malicious or scheming as incredibly hard-nosed.
- The Evil Prince: Erik's first introduction is burning down the village of Schallenberg.
- Evil Overlord: Legends are whispered of Blackwing's terrible rule.
- Fairy Tale Wedding Dress: What Frieder drew for Morgenregen.
- Fallen Princess: Morgenregen goes from princess of die Fee of the Black forest to barely-dressed human vagabond.
- Fantastic Racism: Morgenregen and Blackwing against humans.
- Final Battle: Between Morgenregen and Blackwing.
- Geas: Primrose's doom on Morgenregen.
- "A human you shall become – your powers gone, your immortality revoked. Only when you are able to humble yourself and perform an unselfish boon for one of them shall the spell be broken."
- It turns out Blackwing was under one, too.
- Genre Blindness: King Eider doesn't believe in fairies. Then one of them puts him in a coma.
- Hostile Weather: Literally, when Morgenregen uses rain against Eider.
- Humanity Ensues: Morgenregen's punishment. Also Blackwing's.
- Humans Are Bastards: There's certainly some basis for Morgenregen to think so, as it's human disbelief that's killing off her people.
- I Didn't Mean to Kill Him: Morgenregen originally meant to give Eider a scare, not kill him. Not that she was too unhappy when she thought she'd accidentally killed him.
- Jerkass: Erik shows remarkable callousness for the people whose homes and lives his men are destroying in Schallenberg. Blackwing lives and breathes this trope, seeming to delight in the suffering of others.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Erik is harsh and often cruel, yet is affectionate with his young sister Silke and members of his household.
- Heroic BSoD: Frieder, after Morgenregen tried to kill his father before his eyes. Also Morgenregen in jail after the same incident.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Erik when he used the boon Blackwing owed him to protect Frieder and Silke.
- The High Queen: Primrose, Morgenregen's mother, is temperate and reasonable even in the face of her people's impending extinction.
- Kick the Dog: Erik when he burned down Schallenberg.
- Also when he slapped his comatose father.
- Loophole Abuse: Erik used his killing of Axel, which freed Blackwing from his curse, to extract a boon from the fairy lord.
- Magically-Binding Contract: Erik forces one on Blackwing in return for lifting his curse (by killing Axel), forbidding Blackwing to harm Frieder or Silke.
- Manipulative Bastard: Blackwing urged Morgenregen to kill Eider then arranged to have her attempt discovered.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: Morgenregen used to have 80 sisters. She now has 73.
- Meaningful Name: Morgenregen's name means "morning rain," and she controls the rain.
- Missing Mom: Frieder's mother Queen Sonja died some years ago.
- Never Found the Body: Axel's body disappeared after his and Morgenregen's battle with the guards at Wirtenhammer. Also Erik, but that's because Blackwing got rid of it.
- Not Quite Dead: Axel turned back up alive. Or rather, Blackwing regained his memory and powers through the death of Axel.
- One-Gender Race: Die Fee come close to this as every named fairy except one is female, and Morgenregen mentions having a massive number of sisters but no brother.
- Pet the Dog: Erik has surprisingly sympathetic moments, including tenderness toward his sister Silke, watching out for his men, and being nice to the help.
- Politically-Active Princess: Morgenregen. This leads her to attempt a coup and makes her a Rebellious Princess against her mother the queen.
- Prince Charming: Frieder ultimately ends up Morgenregen's Prince Charming.
- Princess Classic: Subverted pretty hard with Morgenregen, who is a very flawed character.
- Protagonist Title: The title is Morgenregen's name, plus a helpful description to boot.
- Rape, Pillage, and Burn: Or one out of three, when Erik burned down Schallenberg.
- "Rear Window" Witness: Poor Silke witnessed her own father's murder by Blackwing pretending to be Erik. She pretended to be asleep through the whole thing, afraid of what "Erik" might do to her.
- Rebellious Princess: Morgenregen disagreed with her mother's policies.
- Redemption Equals Death: Erik died saving his siblings.
- The Resenter: Erik clearly resents Eider's favoritism of Frieder.
- Revenge: Blackwing's motivation. Not only does he want to enslave humans as he did before, he wants his own people wiped out for standing up to him the first time.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Morgenregen is a strong proponent of proactive action. She blames her mother for not being the same.
- Sibling Rivalry: Erik and Frieder vie for their father's attention and squabble over policy.
- Sickbed Slaying: Morgenregen attempts, then averts, this. Unfortunately there were witnesses.
- Slave Race: Blackwing turned the humans of Swabia into this.
- Take Over the World: Blackwing ruled over Swabia, but was always looking to expand his domain.
- Vorpal Pillow: Averted when Morgenregen started to stifle the comatose Eider but then stopped herself/was stopped by discovery.
- The Wise Prince: Frieder is always concerned with increasing his subjects' welfare.
- Warrior Prince: Erik's first appearance is leading men in a mission against Schallenberg. He is also shown in personal combat.
- Warrior Princess: The titular princess can handle herself in a fight.
- Weather Dissonance: When Morgenregen rains on King Eider some of his men comment on how unnatural it is.
- Weather Manipulation: Morgenregen's power is manipulating rain. It's in her name, yo.
- Winged Humanoid: Fairies are this in the book.
