Literature / The Ancient Future Trilogy

The Ancient Future Trilogy is a series of fantasy/sci-fi novels by Traci Harding, featuring numerous elements from Celtic mythology and (later in the trilogy) Mesopotamian myth.

Tory Alexander, an Australian martial-artist and musician, is travelling through Wales in the 1990s when a stopover by a stone circle in the wilderness results in her being unexpectedly flung backwards through time to 519 AD. Moments later, she makes the acquaintance of Prince Maelgwn, heir to the throne of Gwynedd, and manages to impress him by beating his champion in hand-to-hand combat. Welcomed into the prince's entourage, she finds herself gaining influence at court through her knowledge of history, knowledge of martial arts, and 20th-century technology - gradually altering the course of history.

However, it soon becomes clear that Tory's arrival in Dark Age Gwynedd was not unforeseen: her journey through time was orchestrated by none other than Taliesin, the legendary prophet and wizard of Maelgwn's court, in order to change history for the better. As time passes and history drifts further off-course, Tory and her allies soon find themselves pitted not only against rival kingdoms and Saxon raiders, but against more supernatural threats trying to block Taliesin's plans for a better future, leading Tory on an escalating journey through history: to the 20th century, to the golden age of Atlantis, to the not-too-distant future, and into distant space.

Books in this series include:

• The Ancient Future: The Dark Age (1996)
• An Echo In Time: Atlantis
• Masters Of Reality: The Gathering
• This Present Past (prequel novel, 2018)

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Tropes In The Series As A Whole

• Fatal Flaw:
  • Tory has a tendency to get complacent when she feels victorious, leaving herself open to threats or failing to pay attention to early warning signs. Early in the first book, this tendency results in her getting slugged in the cheek by Brockwell during their introductory duel (though she recoups and wins anyway). Later, she also fails to heed the prophetic dreams or notice that Teo is behaving distinctly out of character. The former results in her being captured by Cadogan and losing her baby to Mahaud; the latter results in her being blindsided when Teo turns out to be possessed by Mahaud and takes Naomi hostage.
  • Maelgwn is notably stubborn, quick to anger, and more than a little jealousy-prone, resulting in numerous arguments with Tory, Taliesin, Brockwell, and other characters across the trilogy. In the second book, this allows Mahaud to get influence over Maelgwn after it's made to look as if Tory and Taliesin have betrayed him.
  • Brockwell is incorrigibly lustful and irresponsible, hence why he has an illegitimate son left in the care of the local prostitutes. A good chunk of the first book is spent trying to overcome this weakness... only for Mahaud to trick him into giving into his lust in the second book, cheating on his wife with an illusion of Tory, resulting in the Griffin coming after his family.
• A Form You Are Comfortable With: It's very common for immortal characters to hide their youthfulness with psychic illusions or shapeshifting, as is the case with Taliesin. By Masters Of Reality, Tory looks fifty to the rest of the world (though she's closer to eighty by now) and can even hide her true appearance from cameras. Once Brian is made immortal, he's immediately restored to the vitality of youth, but quickly gets the hang of using his psychic powers to make himself look like the fifty-something-year-old man that he was prior to receiving the potion.
• Identical Grandson: Different incarnations of the same characters always look alike, give or take a few very minor differences: within minutes of her arrival in the Dark Ages, people begin remarking on the fact that Tory is a dead ringer for Sorcha, Maelgwn's mother, while Tory can't help but notice that (once he's shaved the beard off) Brockwell is identical to her brother Brian.
• Immortality: The Immortals of the series are all unaging and possessed of a near-unbeatable Healing Factor; plus, as they grow older, they also develop all manner of other powers as a result of their connection to the higher spiritual realms, including everything from telepathy, telekinesis, shapeshifting, teleportation, and many others. Taliesin and Myrddin are both prominent members of the Immortals. By the midway of the first book, so is Tory... and as the series goes on, a growing chunk of the cast achieve immortality as well.
• Immortal Genius:
  • Taliesin is four thousand years old and fits the "wise, immortal sage" variant of this trope to a T, having had eons to develop his powers, study the future, and acquire priceless works of Atlantean technology. Needless to say, he serves as an advisor to Maelgwn and a mentor to Tory.
  • Myrddin, Taliesin's esteemed colleague and the legendary Merlin himself, is also immortal and equally as brilliant: quite apart from being a master of his powers and magic ritual, but he also provides a very helpful lecture on space-time in An Echo In Time so that Tory can change the past again. He's currently undercover in the 20th century as Tory's father.
• Immortal Ruler:
  • In The Ancient Future, less than a few months after marrying Maelgwn and becoming queen, Tory is made immortal to save her from injuries sustained in Powys. As such, she doesn't age at any point in the next twenty years of rule.
  • In An Echo In Time, Rhun achieves immortality, soon after replacing his parents as the ruling monarch of Gwynedd. However, it's indicated from historical records that he won't remain a permanent fixture of the land, ultimately passing his throne on to his son once he comes of age before vanishing into the mists of history.
• Inconspicuous Immortal:
  • Myrddin AKA Merlin is so inconspicuous that he's actually gone undercover as a mortal academic and has deliberately hidden his own memories of his true self to ensure he won't be found by unfriendly forces. Even after regaining his memories, Myrddin prefers to keep his head down and restrict his true identity to surprise appearances. As it happens, he's none other than the archaeologist Renford Alexander, Tory's father.
  • Thais the centaur is one of the more prominent immortals without access to a time machine, and has been taking The Slow Path across history, using his shapeshifting powers to disguise himself as an ordinary human. When Tory bumps into him again following their first meeting in ancient Atlantis, he's working in a relatively unglamorous position as a representative of an environmentalist group.
• Non-Linear Character: All reincarnating characters have elements of this, given that they can reincarnate into the past or the future seemingly at random. However, Taliesin takes the cake: not only is it possible to meet his previous incarnation AKA Teo in the 20th century, but it's also possible to meet younger versions of his current incarnation in modern Wales and primeval Atlantis.
• Reincarnation: A major element of the series; not only is reincarnation a reality in this setting, but various characters from the Dark Ages have been reincarnated as close friends and relatives of Tory in the 20th-century, easily recognized by their physical similarities. Among other things, Brockwell is Tory's brother Brian, Lady Catlyn is Tory's Aunt Rose, Katren is Naomi Paradis. More unusually, it's eventually made clear that reincarnation doesn't obey the laws of linear time: it's possible for early incarnations of the same person to crop up in the 20th century and for later, more advanced incarnations to appear centuries earlier. Things get really complicated when Taliesin is found to be a later incarnation of Teo, Tory's sensei... and even more so when Tory bumps into Miles Thurlow, one of Maelgwn's "earlier" incarnations in 20th-century.
• Reincarnation Romance: Tory and Maelgwyn keep meeting up across history and (depending on who they reincarnate as) often end up falling in love; their current attraction, love, and eventual marriage is no exception. Likewise, other reincarnations fall for the same characters they fell in love with during the Dark Ages. For good measure, while trapped in the 20th century, Tory eventually becomes close with Maelgwn's present-day incarnation - even marrying him in the aftermath of the second book.
• Trickster Mentor: Taliesin definitely wants the best for his friends and students, but he's not above concealing the truth, bending the facts, and outright lying if it means building a better world. Even when he finally owns up to the truth, there's no telling if he isn't holding something back.

Tropes Appearing in The Ancient Future: The Dark Age:

• Alas, Poor Villain: After his thwarted attempt to take over Gwynedd and kill Maelgwn, Caradoc is imprisoned under Powys for his failure, then left to rot; when Tory and Sorcha finally stumble across him, she finds him dying, in a horrific state of Body Horror, swinging wildly from bitter assumptions over why his mother treated him differently than Maelgwn to nostalgia over the happy childhood he once had. Sorcha is so moved by his sorry state that she uses Tory to deliver a Mercy Kill.
• And There Was Much Rejoicing: Nobody mourns the loss of King Chiglas when Rufus the dragon eats him alive; even his own courtiers are happy to see him go.
• Antagonistic Offspring: Caradoc is out to seize his father Caswallon's throne by any means available to him, hence his alliance with Chiglas. Early in the novel, he helps Vanora poison Caswallon, though he survives thanks to a folk remedy from Katren... and later, during his attempted coup, he successfully deals fatal injuries to Caswallon, though Tory makes sure that Maelgwn survives to take his place. However, later events put a new spin on this: Caradoc isn't the son of Caswallon at all, but his nephew, courtesy of a rape inflicted on the King's wife by Cadfer.
• Arranged Marriage: At the start of the story, Maelgwn has been engaged to Vanora, daughter of Chiglas, in order to ensure lasting peace between Powys and Gwynedd. Malegwn is not at all enthusiastic about this, given how enamored he is with Tory, and it ultimately turns out to just be a feint to allow Caradoc and Vanora an opportunity to stage a coup d'etat.
• Banishing Ritual: In the finale, the heroes are able to team up to perform a ritual that can banish Mahaud from their plane of existence, and though Mahaud does her best to struggle against it - even knifing Tory in the chest - she's ultimately dispersed.
• Bastard Bastard: Caradoc isn't actually Caswallon's son at all, but the result of the brutal rape of Caswallon's wife Sorcha by her brother-in-law Cadfer. Thanks to Cadfer's tutelage, Caradoc was groomed to become every bit as vile as he was, eventually transforming him into the barbarian psychopath encountered in the first half of the novel.
• Big Bad: The hag Mahaud, the Humanoid Abomination playing the kingdom of Powys from behind the scenes; even after King Chiglas falls, the threat of Mahaud remains - and follows Tory back to the present.
• Big Brother Worship: Tory greatly admired her brother Brian; tragically, he died two years prior to the start of the novel, and his death still haunts her. As such, when Brockwell turns out to be practically identical to Brian, it forms the bedrock of their friendship once he's gotten over having his ass kicked. As a result of the alterations to the timeline, Tory returns to the present to find that Brian survived his injuries.
• Big Labyrinthine Building: Taliesin's hidden fortress is an absolutely gigantic facility of over a thousand rooms, including specially designed bedrooms, banqueting halls, trophy rooms, private dens for supernatural entities that he's befriend or tamed, and a gigantic war room from which Taliesin can survey ongoing emergencies. Given the sheer scale of the place, he advises Tory and Brockwell not to wander off.
• Black Eyes of Evil: The otherwise-beautiful Vanora sports pitch-black eyes as an early indication that she should not be trusted.
• Cain and Abel: Caradoc is Maelgwn's brother and deadliest enemy, though the latter can't be acknowledged as long as their father is still alive. During the inevitable attempt at a coup d'etat (as sponsored by Chiglas and reinforced by Saxon mercenaries), Caradoc is very eager for the opportunity to murder Maelgwn.
• Child by Rape: Caradoc was born from Sorcha's rape at the hands of her brother-in-law Cadfer, and as an adult, Caradoc speculates that Sorcha was always slightly distant around him because of this.
• Claimed by the Supernatural: Tory first awakens in the Dark Ages to find her forehead marked with the painted emblem of a dragon, an early sign that she's being chosen for something very special by the Twyleth Teg.
• Cruel Mercy: After being cornered by Ione during the attack on Powys, Cadogan begs Brockwell to kill him rather than leave him at the mercy of his former rape victim. Brockwell coldly remarks that he'll consider it in a couple of hours, and leaves Ione to her fun.
• Curb Stomp Cushion: Brockwell gets his ass handed to him by Tory, but he's still able to nearly break her cheekbone with a punch and even manages to get a knife to her throat after being beaten - only being stopped from killing her by Maelgwn. Tory admits that she got too cocky for her own good.
• Deliberate Values Dissonance: The Dark Ages are not renowned for feminism or marriage equality; the use of women as commodities to be sold via marriage is considered perfectly normal, as is physical abuse and rape. Prostitutes are considered lower than second-class citizens, and simply living with them is enough to end up being branded with the same stigma even if you're chaste - as Ione knows too well. Needless to say, this is one of many things that Tory sets out to change once she becomes queen, banning the most misogynistic traditions, harshly punishing rapists, turning the local brothel into an orphanage, and allowing women representation in politics. Of course, in later books set during Tory's reign, foreign dignitaries look upon her practices as strange and distressingly radical.
• Demonic Possession: When Tory returns to the 20th century, Mahaud eventually follows - but because she can't survive in the positive timeline that Taliesin and Tory have created, she instead needs to possess a suitable vessel. Teo is her chosen victim, given that he's still angry over Tory's perceived betrayal and brimming over with envy.
• Dirty Coward: Cadogan. On top of being a rapist and a traitor, he's also a spineless rat, not to put too fine a point on it. In order of appearance: his only reservation over the rape of an eight-year-old Ione was the prospect of getting caught, his strategy for capturing Tory involved taking Katren as a hostage to force her to surrender, and after being cornered by his now-adult victim, he's left cowering and begging for mercy.
• Dissonant Serenity: Vanora has the unusual habit of remaining unemotional in the face of danger, to the point that she only seems appropriately spooked when Tory surprises her with a bit of Gigeresque Psychic Static.
• Distracted by the Sexy: During the first visit to Taliesin's fortress, Taliesin needs to talk in private with Tory, but Brockwell refuses to leave her unattended. So, knowing that Brockwell is an incorrigible horndog, he has a five-woman orgy waiting for him in his assigned room the night - leaving the "bodyguard" too distracted to notice Tory being escorted away for a private chat.
• Does Not Like Men: Ione instinctively distrusts men, having been brutally raped in the past; this seems to be restricted to adult males, as she seems comfortable enough with Bryce around. Once she regains the ability to speak, she confesses that she wants to trust men, but she needs to be given proof that such a thing is possible; thankfully, Sir Tiernan is able to step up and earn her trust.
• The Dog Bites Back: When the time finally comes for Cadogan to face justice for his crimes, first in line to deliver it is none other than Ione, the woman he raped. He's last seen being dragged screaming into a cell by a very satisfied-looking Ione.
• Door Slams You:
  • After turning traitor, Cadogan is able to pre-emptively knock out Ione by violently opening a door into her face as she moves to answer it, leaving her unable to stop him from taking Katren as a hostage and forcing Tory to surrender.
  • Later, Tory makes the mistake of forcing open an extremely heavy door just as Sir Tiernan is moving to open it for her, accidentally smacking him the head, leaving him struggling to recover from a concussion when he's supposed to be serving as the best man at Brockwell's wedding. Worse still, while still groggy, he mistakes Tory for Sorcha and deliriously confesses his love for her - right in front of Maelgwn.
• The Dragonslayer: Maelgwn has a reputation for slaying a dragon that was preying on the domain of King Catulus; in reality, Maelgwn actually befriended the dragon - who goes by the name of Rufus, by the way - and the two have remained allies ever since.
• Dreaming of Things to Come: Tory can sometimes see the future in her dreams, accurately predicting the attempted coup by Caradoc, and later seeing a vast outpouring of blood... though this is actually due to Mahuad spamming her with horrific images so she can't accurately predict anything.
• Drowning My Sorrows: After accidentally confessing his love for the late Queen Sorcha, Sir Tiernan spends most of the wedding-day festivities getting completely hammered while everyone else is wandering off to "plant some seeds". Fortunately, Ione finds him soon after, bringing him into a new relationship.
• Due to the Dead: In acknowledgement of his lamentable death, Caradoc is given a formal cremation so his spirit can find rest in the mountains he loved so much.
• Emergency Transformation: After Tory is mortally wounded following her ordeal in Powys, Taliesin gives her an incredibly rare potion of immortality to save her life. Consequently, she is essentially ageless and virtually indestructible, and remains so for the rest of the trilogy.
• Emotion Eater: Mahaud feeds on negative emotions like anger and fear, hence why she's allied with figures who can encourage them throughout the land - most prominently Cadfer and Chiglas.
• Enemy Civil War: Initially, Powys and the Saxon raiders are allies, with King Chiglas hiring the forces of the Saxon Chieftain Ossa as mercenaries to harass Gwynedd's borders. However, following their defeat in Caradoc's failed coup, Chiglas declines to pay Ossa for his time... resulting in the Saxons turning on Powys and besieging its capital city - conveniently allowing the perfect opportunity for Maelgwn and his forces to break into the city and rescue Tory after her kidnapping.
• Evil Uncle: Cadfer, the uncle of Maelgwn and Caradoc, was a particularly vile Evil Sorcerer that murdered King Caswallon's wife Sorcha and corrupted Caradoc into following his example. He's actually Caradoc's father, having raped Sorcha years before.
• Foreshadowing: During her arrival in Abberfraw, Tory can't help noticing one of the local women - Ione - giving Sir Cadogan a Death Glare as he rides past. It's later revealed that Cadogan was one of the men who raped Ione when she was a child.
• A Form You Are Comfortable With: Taliesin is not actually the old man he presents himself as to most of the world, as Tory discovers when he sees through his Glamour; apart from his silver hair, he's actually a much younger man, and claims that this appearance wouldn't give him any respect from the likes of Caswallon or Maelgwn. However, he's also used some minor shapeshifting to make additional changes to his appearance so he doesn't alarm any of his past incarnations should they get close enough to notice the similarities between them: he's a future incarnation of Teo, Tory's sensei and ex-lover.
• Handsome Lech:
  • Brockwell is quite handsome after he's had a decent shave and groom, considers himself god's gift to women, and already has a bastard son of about five years of age running loose. Once he warms to Tory, he flirts with her, but Tory firmly turns him down, especially since he's a past incarnation of her own brother. For good measure, a good chunk of his character development features him learning how to be faithful to one woman, grow out of his sexist habits, and take responsibility for his son.
  • Sir Cadogan, one of the knights under Maelgwn's command, is even more lecherous than Brockwell, to the point of trying to flirt with Tory from the moment they meet. Tory also shoots him down in flames, much to the amusement of the other knights, but he tries to press the issue when the two of them are alone - and ends up limping away with a pair of extremely bruised testicles for his trouble. Also, as time goes on, it becomes clear that he's not just a misogynist and a lecher: he's a rapist, having teamed up with Prince Caradoc to gang-rape Ione when they were younger.
• Happiness Realized Too Late: Abandoned in Chiglas' dungeon for his failure to take over Gwynedd, Caradoc gradually realizes he was happier as a child, back when he was still under Sorcha's wing and growing up alongside Maelgwn... but by then, it's too late for him to recapture any of it.
• Hates Being Touched: Ione, as a result of her rape, strongly dislikes being touched, especially by men. As such, it's a big step forward when she participates in Tory's team-building exercise and allows her assigned partner - Sir Tiernan - to hug her. However, when the hug goes on for a little longer than anticipated due to the commotion over Brockwell and Katren's relationship, Ione suffers a flashback and panics. As a result of telepathically receiving Ione's memories during this incident, Tory finally discovers that her attackers were none other than Caradoc and Cadogan.
• The Hecate Sisters: The triple goddess worshipped in Gwidion is characterized as thus, albeit with a warrior instead of a mother; Branwen is the maiden, Rhiannon is the warrior, and Keridwen is the crone - though rather than being an ancient hag as per most depictions, she's instead depicted as an unearthly-looking fae woman.
• The High Queen: By the time she actually marries Maelgwn and becomes queen, Tory has developed enough of a reputation with the people to make her widely renowned as a wise, just, and magnificent ruler throughout Gwynedd, even being perceived as an incarnation of the Goddess thanks to her infrequent possession by otherworldly spirits.
• History Repeats: Several years before the events of the novel, Sir Tiernan was in love with Queen Sorcha, despite being a loyal servant of his friend and liege King Caswallon; though nothing came of it, it ended with Tiernan getting his heart broken - especially when Sorcha was murdered by her brother-in-law Cadfer. Decades later, Tiernan finds himself watching history repeat itself when Brockwell, a loyal servant and close friend of the newly crowned King Maelgwn, falls in love with the newly crowned Queen Tory.
• Hope Spot: The rule of Tory and Maelgwn results in what looks like the beginning of a golden age, during which people start to let their guard down... unfortunately paving the way for a surprise attack in which Sir Cadogan abducts a pregnant Tory and delivers her to Powys.
• I Choose to Stay: Tory's return to the 20th century turns out to be strictly temporary, as she opts to stay in the Dark Ages and rule alongside Maelgwn.
• I Have Your Wife: In the finale, Mahaud uses Teo to capture Naomi in order to lure Tory and Brian into a trap; however, with a little help from Myrddin, they're able to lure her into a trap instead.
• Imperiled in Pregnancy: Tory ends up on the receiving end of a kidnapping after getting pregnant with Maelgwn's child, during which she is imprisoned in Powys and menaced by the witch Mahaud for the first time. She ends up losing the baby as a result, and the trauma would have killed her if it wasn't for Taliesin's potion of immortality.
• Invisibility Cloak: The Mantle of Gwydion is essentially a classic invisibility cloak; Taliesin gifts it to Tory for use in countering Caradoc's attempted coup de'tat, allowing her to simultaneously kick ass and annoy the bejesus out of the forces of Powys.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Brockwell, Maelgwn's champion, is a boorish, uncouth, and distinctly misogynistic character when Tory first meets him. However, he's also fiercely loyal to Maelgwn and despite his vicious temper, actually has a good heart. As time goes on, he and Tory soften towards each other - especially once he shaves off his beard and she realizes he's a dead ringer for her beloved brother. By the end of the story, Brockwell is Tory's friend and student in the martial arts.
• Just Desserts: Both Chiglas and Cadogan end up being eaten alive by Rufus the Dragon, and after the many acts of sadism and treachery they performed, nobody denies that this was a well-deserved end.
• Laser Blade: Dyrnwyn, sword of Rhydderch, is here depicted as a lightsaber-like blade. After being gifted it by Taliesin, Brockwell takes great delight in using in battle against the forces of Powys.
• Mark of the Supernatural: Taliesin's supernatural power is revealed well in advance by his vivid purple eyes and silver hair.
• Merlin and Nimue: Mahaud's origin story is that she was the Nimue in the backstory, being a pupil and sweetheart of Myrddin that was ultimately corrupted by receiving too much knowledge at once, eventually inspiring her to imprison her mentor once she'd gotten everything that she needed from him - though Myrddin eventually escaped and went into hiding.
• Moving Beyond Bereavement: Sir Tiernan is secretly in mourning for Queen Sorcha, having been in unrequited love with her prior to her violent death many years ago; consequently, he's shied away from close relationships ever since, all while hiding his misery beneath a laddish, committed-bachelor facade. His plotline features him learning to give up his grief and find love with someone who can genuinely love him back, in this case, Ione.
• Mundane Luxury:
  • During their first meeting, all Taliesin needs to do to put Tory at ease while they prepare for the next day's battle is to provide her with a 20th-century bathroom complete with toilet paper, tampons, and a recharger for the batteries in her Walkman - all incalculably valuable to Tory after so many months in the Dark Ages.
  • Also, while Brockwell is provided with half a suckling pig by Taliesin at dinner, Tory is provided with the one meal she's been missing for the last few months: a burger, fries, and a Coke.
• Not So Omniscient After All: Taliesin might appear to know everything before it's happened, but that's only because he's familiarized himself with established history; as he alters the past further, his knowledge becomes less applicable, forcing him to make use more of his magic and technology to counter potential threats. This unfortunately leads to Tory being kidnapped by forces loyal to Powys.
• Obfuscating Insanity: Ione pretends to be violently mad so that men won't try to take advantage of her; in reality, she's perfectly lucid around other women. She eventually drops the act once she's taken in by Tory, only briefly using it for the wedding tournament in order to get herself disqualified so that Brockwell will advance into the finalist round against the Black Knight.
• People Puppets:
  • Vanora uses her powers to take control of a prostitute that Cadogan has shacked up with so she can secretly recruit him.
  • While Tory is briefly trapped in the 20th century, Maelgwn is able to temporarily possess Miles Thurlow so he can keep her updated on events; later, Brockwell does the same albeit in Brian's body.
• Power-Strain Blackout: Channeling the spirit of Sorcha or the Goddess often results in Tory becoming faint, occasionally even passing out - not helped by the fact that it tends to happen in the aftermath of battles and other strenuous occasions.
• Predecessor Villain: Cadfer, the Evil Sorcerer responsible for corrupting his nephew Caradoc and murdering his sister-in-law Sorcha; he's been dead for years prior to the events of the story, but his influence continues to be felt throughout the first half of the novel.
• Prophetic Fallacy: Roughly halfway through the novel, Tory begins having visions of bloodshed - but with no context that might explain what she might be predicting. As a result, it's initially assumed that her developing psychic powers are being thrown off by the seasonal mass-slaughter of livestock; having no other ideas and every reason to be secure in her position, Tory eventually agrees... only to find out that the visions were actually being deliberately sent to her by Mahaud as a mocking warning.
• Protective Charm: As a wedding present, Maelgwn gives Tory a magical dragon pendant designed to protect her from supernatural threats. Unfortunately, though it can't be removed by Cadogan or Vanora, it's ultimately useless in the face of Mahaud's powers, resulting in Tory suffering a miscarriage and fatal injuries.
• Psychic Static: While being telepathically interrogated by Vanora during her captivity in Powys, Tory blocks her out by thinking of the xenomorph from Alien.
• Samus Is a Girl: During the tournament to celebrate Maelgwn and Tory's marriage, Taliesin makes a last-minute entry in the form of the Black Knight, who remains masked and dressed in body-concealing armor for the entire tourney. It's not until Brockwell gets his ass handed to him in the final round that the Black Knight finally unmasks - and turns out to be none other than Katren.
• Sarcastic Confession: After returning to the present, Tory ends up advising on Miles Thurlow's archeological dig at Lyn Cerrig Bach, and after being subjected to Tory's inexplicable knowledge of the area, Miles just asks what her secret is - wondering aloud if she happened to be there in a past life. Annoyed with his patronizing attitude, her reply is equal parts sarcastic and brutally honest:
  No, actually I wandered into the Otherworld and the fairies took me back to the year five hundred so I could have a look around for myself.
• She Cleans Up Nicely:
  • Maelgwn and the rest of his entourage look much more presentable once they make it back to civilization and have a chance for a shave; it's because of this that Tory realizes that Brockwell is actually a dead ringer for her brother Brian.
  • Katren is initially rather waifish and frail thanks to her impoverished upbringing, not to mention the abuse she's recently suffered from her husband. After being taken in by Tory, Katren blossoms into a fashionable darling of the court.
• Silent Antagonist: Chiglas, the monstrous King of Powys, never speaks in any of his scenes, conveying his opinion through creepy gestures and lecherous lip-licking. However, Tory realizes that he's actually telepathic and conducting regular conversations with his daughter Vanora, who is similarly gifted.
• Snow Means Death: It's during the winter that Cadogan betrays Gwynedd and kidnaps Tory, resulting in a colossal battle in Powys that ends with the deaths of Cadogan, Caradoc, Chiglas, and Tory's unborn child - not to mention nearly Tory herself.
• Soul Eater: Rufus the Dragon can devour the souls of his enemies, ensuring that they won't reincarnate after their death. Chiglas and Cadogan meet this fate after the failed attempt on Tory's life, hence why no future incarnations of them are encountered ever again.
• Stable Time Loop: Taliesin eventually explains that Tory must eventually return to the present for a brief visit to the 20th century... because it will allow her to meet Taliesin's past self and give him several of his most important ideas, including his visit to Atlantis and his plan to change Britain's history for the better. Sure enough, during the visit to the 20th century, Tory encounters a portal to the otherworld that allows her to meet Taliesin's earlier self, and all goes according to plan.
• Symbiotic Possession: Tory is infrequently possessed by the spirit of Maelgwn's mother, and later the Triple Goddess herself; though she's a little bemused by the process at first, she's more than willing to turn Willing Channeler if the situation calls for it.
• This Is My Boomstick: Tory is able to use Tae-kwon-do to impress Dark Age knights, ultimately earning her a reprieve from being murdered on suspicion of being a witch. Later, her Walkman and instamatic camera also make her a subject of awe around Maelgwn's court.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: After so many years of trauma and isolation as a result of her rape at the hands of Cadogan and Caradoc, Ione is idolized for her defeat of Ossa the Saxon, begins a loving relationship with Sir Tiernan, and even has her tongue restored by the Goddess.
• To Create a Playground for Evil: The ultimate goal of Mahaud is to make Britain as hellish as possible so that her malignant presence can be sustained, allowing her to go on feeding and enjoying herself indefinitely, hence why she's so opposed to Taliesin's plans.
• Tongue Trauma: Ione, a bodyguard to the local prostitutes and an eventual student of Tory, had her tongue cut out many years ago. A horrifying flashback reveals that it was in order to prevent her from revealing that she was raped by Caradoc and Cadogan. Following the disaster at Powys, Tory (while channeling the Goddess) rewards Ione for her service by restoring her tongue.
• Turncoat: Sir Cadogan, already lacking in moral fiber, betrays Gwynedd to Powys in exchange for the opportunity to take Caradoc's place as a suitor for Vanora, kidnapping Tory (with Katren in tow) and handing her over to Chiglas.
• The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Vanora is astonishingly beautiful, if rather cold and unsympathetic-looking, in contrast to her grotesque, slug-like father Chiglas.
• Voice Changeling: In the finale, Myrddin uses his powers to mimic Tory in a phone conversation so he can lure Mahaud out into the open where the real Tory can spring a trap.
• Voluntary Shapeshifting:
  • One of Taliesin's many magical powers is shapeshifting; as with his mythological counterpart, he used it for use in a Shapeshifter Showdown with his spiritual mother Keridwen. In the present, he uses it to reveal that, in a previous incarnation, he used to look exactly like Teo, Tory's sensei and lover.
  • According to Taliesin, Maelgwn used to have this ability as a child but lost it when he grew up and his education became more traditionally Christian.
• You Are Not Ready: According to Taliesin, gaining too much spiritual knowledge before you're ready for it can result in disastrous consequences, hence why it was for the best that he endured the purifying experience of being absorbed into Keridwen's womb, as the potion of knowledge could have easily led to him becoming corrupted into evil. Mahaud wasn't so lucky, instead descending into corruption after learning too much from Myrddin.
• Your Worst Memory: As a result of her growing psychic powers, Tory accidentally taps into Ione's worst memory while trying to calm her down during a panic attack: being gang-raped by Cadogan and Caradoc, then having her tongue cut out. Both Tory and Ione are left absolutely shattered by the experience.
• Would Hurt a Child: Once Tory bears Maelgwn a child, Rhun, Mahaud proves more than willing to try to capture or kill the baby - though thankfully Rhun's too well-defended for a direct assault.

Tropes Appearing in An Echo In Time: Atlantis

Set twenty years after the first novel, the reign of Tory and Maelgwn has been a prosperous one: the land is at peace, their allies are contented, and the now-adult children of the rulers of the land are well on the way to making names for themselves, most prominently Rhun, Tory's firstborn son.

Unfortunately, Mahaud the hag is not done trying to destroy everything Taliesin has built, and with help from the Saxons, returns from her banished state to wreak havoc on Gwynedd - worst of all via a deadly plague that quickly infects Maelgwyn. With the disease incurable, Tory is forced on a journey to Atlantis in order to save her loved ones...

• The Bermuda Triangle: Turns out that all the ships that go missing in the Triangle are actually being catapulted across history, quite a few of them ending up in Atlantean times. Unfortunately, such vessel turns out to be a Cold War-era nuclear sub... complete with working missiles.
• Big Damn Heroes: After seemingly abandoning Tory early in the novel, Taliesin's present self reappears in Atlantis to save Tory from the nuclear missile planted in the temple.
• Bittersweet Ending: Gwynedd has been saved, a permanent peace has been forged with the Saxons, the plague has been eradicated, Mahaud has been destroyed once and for all, Tory has given birth to a daughter and found love with Miles; best of all, the now-immortal Rhun is in position to safeguard Gwynedd's prosperity for the next generation as the new king. However, Maelgwn is gone for the foreseeable future, Tory has to be separated from Rhun so that she can be with the father of her child in the 20th century, and Rhun himself is stuck on The Slow Path for the next fifteen hundred years.
• But Now I Must Go: After Mahaud is finally destroyed and Maelgwn is taken away to other realms to be healed, Tory opts not to remain the queen of Gwynedd; quite apart from the difficulty of continuing her reign while separated from Maelgwn, the realization that she's pregnant with Miles' daughter prompts her to return to the 20th century so that they can raise baby Rhiannon together. Ultimately, Rhun is left to rule in her stead.
• Can't Stay Normal: After being taken under Taliesin's wing and repenting of her career as an evil sorceress, Vanora has retired to a simple life in Gwynedd... only for Ossa to show up at her door comparatively early in the novel, allowing Mahaud to brainwash her back into her service. Thankfully, she is able to survive unharmed and ends her story Happily Married to Eomenric.
• Dangerous Drowsiness: As their symptoms progress, victims of the Yellow Plague are gripped by fatigue and spend a lot of time sleeping, the end results being fatal.
• Deal with the Devil: The novel kicks off with Ossa the Saxon leader being tricked into making a deal with Mahaud, restoring her to life in exchange for revenge on Gwynedd, not realizing that he's being set up as a vessel for Mahaud.
• Defector from Decadence:
  • Aella, Ossa's daughter, is horrified by the treatment of Rhun and Bryce during their stay in Londonium and opts to set them free rather than let them suffer. The fact that she's in love with one of them - Bryce - certainly helps a bit. In the finale, Bryce and Aella are married in order to cement Gwynedd's newfound friendship with the Saxon kingdom.
  • Eomenric, Ossa's youngest son and Aella's brother, also grows increasingly disillusioned with the atrocities inflicted by his father, eventually following Aella and Bryce out of Londonium so that he can join the forces of Gwynedd in disrupting Mahaud's control over the Saxons.]]
• Deader than Dead: Mahaud is finally destroyed when all her Soul Jars are destroyed and her physical form is incinerated by Rufus, ensuring that she won't be coming back from the dead this time.
• Death Activated Super Power: As it turns out, Rhun has inherited Tory's immortality, even though he appears mortal enough to be afflicted with the plague. It turns out that in order to activate the immortal gene, Rhun has to die... which Tory helps along.
• Did You Just Have Sex?: During Tory's visit to the 20th century, Teo is finally able to recover from his infatuation with her by falling head over heels for a girl he meets in the Azores. Not long afterwards, Brian notices Teo going around with a noticeable spring in his step, and immediately comments on it.
  "I know that walk. That's Teo's 'I just got laid' stride."
• Empty Quiver: In the Atlantis plot, a rogue scientist is able to steal the nuclear missiles from a misplaced nuclear sub with the intent of using them against Atlantis under Mahaud's direction. One ends up planted at the heart of Atlantis, forcing Tory and past Taliesin to employ time travel in order to stop it, eventually resulting in the return of present Taliesin, who is able to disarm the nuke while Tory heads off to the 20th century.
• Enlightenment Superpowers: For the Atlanteans, immortality is portrayed not merely as a biological state of being, but a spiritual one attained through introspection and perspective. As such, the immortality potion is considered an illicit shortcut used only in direst need, to the point that the Atlantean scientist who invents it produces only one batch, and then destroys all knowledge of it.
• Find the Cure!: With Maelgwn dying of Mahaud's plague, Tory realizes that the only to find a cure is to venture even further backwards in time to Atlantis, where the bulk of the story takes place. The Atlantean scientists eventually determine that the only thing that can save Tory's husband is another immortality potion, and actually have to formulate one for her... only for Mahaud to steal it, forcing Tory into the 20th century in order to get it back.
• Have We Met Yet?: During her visit to Atlantis, Tory meets Taliesin... only to find that this is actually a previous incarnation of her mentor - the one she met in the 20th century - and naturally has no idea that his future self has just walked out on her.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: While possessed by Mahaud, Ossa is able to impale both Tory and Brockwell through the chest with his sword; thanks to her immortality, Tory survives... but Brockwell isn't so lucky.
• Kill It with Fire: After her various Soul Jars are destroyed, Mahaud is finally destroyed once and for all when Rufus fries her alive with his breath.
• Mundane Utility: While looking for the stolen immortality potion in the 20th century, Tory realizes that it's somewhere in the Azores; Miles is somewhat downcast at the annoyance of all the connecting flights and boat travel that they'll need to take in order to get there... only for Tory to just teleport them straight to the Azores.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After he finally realizes that he was deceived into spurning Tory and driving away Taliesin, Maelgwn is immediately overwhelmed with remorse.
• My Hovercraft Is Full of Eels: During a visit to the Azores with Tory, Miles attempts to order breakfast in Spanish; fortunately, the waitress speaks English and politely explains that they don't have "flaming pig balls" on the menu, much to the amusement of Tory and the others.
• Mystical Plague: Mahaud's Yellow Plague, which is spread like a virus and afflicts people with realistic symptoms but was created through magic.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: After being given a special protective talisman by Selwyn in order to protect him from Mahaud's psychic influence, Rhun gives his away to his lover so that she'll be safe. Not only does she not need it, but Rhun finds out too late that he's been left open to the same plague afflicting his father - leaving Tory in the position of having to save both of them.
• Noble Top Enforcer: Eomenric, Ossa's son and second-in-command, is immediately iffy about taking orders from Mahaud. As their journey into Gwynedd continues and the people that they meet continue to treat them with kindness despite recognizing them as Saxons, he also realizes that the country they planned to conquer did nothing to deserve it, contrary to Ossa's bitter assumptions. The final straw proves to be Vanora's forcible possession, which Eomenric is so horrified by that he actually tries to stop it from being completed; as a result, he becomes a Defector from Decadence, even fighting against his fellow Saxons in battle.
• Protective Charm: Selwyn hands out mystical talismans in order to spare Tory and her inner circle from being affected by Mahaud's influence in the same way as Maelgwn was.
• Sadistic Choice: After finally getting the immortality potion she needs to save Maelgwn's life from the plague, Tory realizes to her horror that Rhun's been infected as well... and there's only enough potion for one of them. It takes some input from a future incarnation of Tory to reveal that the best option is to save neither of them: Rhun was conceived after Tory took her own potion of immortality and will have inherited eternal life from her, so he must die to activate his powers; Maelgwn can be taken to an otherworldly site where he can be healed, but it will result in him being put on a celestial bus until he's been reborn as an immortal. The potion of immortality, meanwhile, can be saved for someone else...
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After realizing that Mahaud has ruined all his hard work and turned Maelgwn against him and Tory, Taliesin teleports himself the hell out of Gwynedd. He returns in order to save Tory and Atlantis from the armed nuclear missile at the end of the Atlantis plotline, and again when the time comes to save Malegwn from the plague; turns out that he was just visiting the future for answers on how to set things right.
• Stable Time Loop: During her visit to Atlantis, Tory's immortal physiology becomes the basis for the creation of the immortality potion that past Taliesin will eventually use on Tory herself during the events of the previous book - thus paving the way for her visiting Atlantis in the first place. Both Tory and past Taliesin are left deeply bamboozled by this turn of events, even bringing up the Chicken-and-Egg Paradox.
• Took a Level in Badass:
  • Selwyn, previously known only as Maelgwn's squire and later Taliesin's protege, is now a major practitioner of magic and able to coordinate the efforts of Tory and her allies throughout the worsening crisis. As such, he's left to tend to Maelgwn while Tory searches for a cure.
  • Tory's powers have increased tenfold in the decades since the previous book, allowing her to pull off some impressive feats of telepathy and teleportation.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: Maelgwn, after being corrupted by Mahaud and led to believe that Tory betrayed him, stops giving a shit, even refusing to lift a finger to help the rest of the kingdom - forcing Rhun to step in to act in his stead. He eventually comes to his senses once he realizes his mistake, but by then, it's almost too late: Mahaud's infected him with a deadly plague.
• Weather Manipulation:
  • Mahaud employs a number of spirits to disrupt the weather around Saxon territory, ensuring several seasons of famine that Ossa assumes to be punishment inflicted upon his people by a victorious Gwynedd. Over time, these leave Ossa desperate and resentful enough to accept Mahaud's offer of an alliance in exchange for a chance at revenge against Tory.
  • During the final battle between Tory's allies and the Saxon invaders, Mahaud makes it rain fire. Selwyn, having inherited Taliesin's arcane machinery, counters by making it rain hard enough to extinguish the flames.
• We Have Become Complacent: Taking place several years after the previous novel, Gwynedd has enjoyed a long and prosperous rule thanks to Tory and Maelgwn, and the land is at peace. Unfortunately, Mahaud takes this as an opportunity to turn the Saxons against Gwynedd, empowering their chieftain into a significant threat to the peace - resulting in a swathe of destruction being carved through the country before Tory and Taliesin can recover.
• You Already Changed the Past: During her brief return to the Dark Ages to retrieve tissue samples from Maelgwn for his cure, Tory finds her husband left alone for some reason, and as she vanishes back to Atlantis, she hears a woman's voice screaming "wait!" Later, after arriving home with an immortality potion for Maelgwn only to find Rhun dying from the plague as well, Tory realizes that the reason why Maelgwn was alone was because everyone left him to greet Tory's arrival; believing that she might be able to get her past self to have two immortality potions made instead of one, she rushes back to Maelgwn's bedside - just in time to see past Tory vanishing back to Atlantis, unable to recognize her future self's voice shouting "wait!"

Tropes Appearing in Masters Of Reality: The Gathering

• Book Ends: The novel ends with Noah chronicling the lives of the immortals, his work starting off with the very first sentence of The Ancient Future.
• Chekhov's Gun: The immortality potion from the previous book finally comes in handy when Brian is fatally wounded early in the book, allowing Tory to make her brother immortal.
• Good Thing You Can Heal: When the time comes to reveal the immortality achieved back in the first book, Tory demonstrates by stabbing herself in the hand.

Tropes Appearing in This Present Past

Long before Tory arrives in Gwynedd, Taliesin starts out as a lowly woodsman by the name of Gwion Bach... right up until he makes the acquaintance of the goddess Keridwen, introducing him to the world of magic and the immortals who dwell within. As a result, he grows close to the goddess and her family, befriending her son and daughter, and even becoming directly involved in her work. However, it's not long before events begin spiraling out of control as events in both the mundane and magical realms conspire to transform Gwion into the legendary immortal magician Taliesin...

• Back to the Womb: As his story is consistent with the original myths, Gwion ends his apprenticeship with Keridwen by being exposed to the potion of knowledge, trying to escape via Shapeshifter Showdown, then being eaten and accidentally absorbed into Keridwen's womb - before eventually being reborn as Taliesin.
• Enfant Terrible: Chiglas - previously seen as the loathsome monarch of Powys - is encountered as a child here. He's a nasty piece of work in the habit of playing around with animal skulls and telepathically threatening his mother's life.
• Grumpy Old Man: Morda, Keridwen's servant, is a very grouchy old man with little patience for Gwion's antics - even before he gets his eyes ripped out.
• Longest Pregnancy Ever: Following the big Shapeshifter Showdown and Gwion ending up back in the womb, Keridwen reveals that the pregnancy is going to last for a lot longer than normal, as it can only develop while Keridwen is in the mortal realm... and due to the Night Hunter's edict, she's forbidden from visiting the mortal realm except during a full moon, meaning that the pregnancy will last twenty-three years.
• Magic Feather: Early in the story, Keridwen gives Gwion a bottle of potion that she claims can give him the wisdom of the gods; Gwion later gives it to his King, claiming that the vial is an amulet that would imbue him with divine favor and allow him to complete his quest. It works... and Keridwen reveals her trick to Gwion, revealing the power of belief in the process.
• An Offer You Can't Refuse: Gwion first becomes an apprentice to Keridwen when King Owain Ddantgwyn orders him to serve in his stead as an assistant to the goddess - or spend the rest of his life in a suitably hellish dungeon, during which he might end up working for Keridwen anyway.
• Sadistic Choice: After taking the form of a grain of wheat and being eaten by Keridwen, Gwion realizes that he has the chance to escape by shapeshifting into something else... though this will end up killing Keridwen in the process, and despite the collapse of their relationship, he still cares for her. Faced with a choice between his own life and the life of his beloved mentor, Gwion ultimately decides to let the goddess have her vengeance, allowing her to digest him... though of course, it doesn't end that simply.
• Shapeshifter Showdown: As with the original myth, Gwion gains shapeshifting powers from the abortive potion of knowledge and uses them to escape from an extremely pissed-off Keridwen, only for Keridwen to counter each shape with one of her own until he's forced to hiding as a grain of wheat, whereupon Keridwen becomes a hen and eats him. And as with the myth, she ends up becoming pregnant with him.
• Shapeshifting Excludes Clothing: After first gaining his shapeshifting powers and instinctively shapeshifting while unconscious, Gwion wakes up naked.
• Stronger with Age: Lord Tegid, Keridwen's husband, grows as he ages; having started out as a human-sized younger man, he's ballooned into a giant over the course of the last three hundred thousand years.
• Time Abyss: The various gods of the otherworld and other immortals tend to be absolutely ancient. Tegid is quite open in admitting that he's more than three hundred thousand years old, though he doesn't look a day older than sixty.
• Toy-Based Characterization: Young Chiglas enjoys playing with animal skulls, pausing from play only to issue telepathic death threats to his mother, firmly establishing him as an Enfant Terrible.
• Trauma Conga Line: Minor character Bran is put through the ringer in a very short space of time: he gets killed in battle, recruited into an army of zombies, brought back to life, menaced by a dragon, dragged into the otherworld, and bitten by an air elemental. As such, after everything he’s suffered, he takes some umbrage at being called "timid."
• Trickster Mentor: Keridwen turns out to be even more deceptive than Taliesin and isn't above playing tricks on Gwion in order to help him learn - and secretly encouraging him to be more unscrupulous in order to achieve the best possible ends.