The Gates of Dawn is a Steampunk Web Serial Novel that follows the adventures of Paul Bowman, a former freighthauler who finds himself conscripted into the army of Aurora and then promoted to captain of an airship after accidentally winning a great battle.
The Gates of Dawn is published by chapters on DeviantArt. The first chapter is located here
Tropes:
- The Alliance: According to Malavar, Isafar is one, if a loosely organized example.
- Anyone Can Die: You know those other soldiers in the first chapter who aren't Paul? Don't get too attached to them.
- Attack Pattern Alpha: The Mordred Protocol
- Bifauxnen: Batu. Lord Wingate actually mistakes her for a man at first.
- Constructed World
- Cool Airship: The Celsius (RIP). The Dreadnought, not so much.
- Dirty Coward: Corporeal Fisher runs away from a small isafari scouting force, and is immediately shot in the back.
- Eyepatch of Power: Paul.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture:
- The entire region of Isafar is essentially Africa with the serial numbers filed off.
- Aurora also bears many similarities to Victorian England.
- Gentleman Adventurer: Corvin Malavar, Retired Badass and Cunning Linguist
- Going Down with the Ship: Defied by Lord Wingate, much to Lord Franklin's disapproval.
- Great Offscreen War: Aurora and Hadvar have been at war for the better part of four centuries. By the time the story begins, they have only just recently made peace.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Wolfram and Archie. Also Lord Wingate and Lord Newton.
- Miles Gloriosus: Captain Wilmont, at least until Paul puts him in his place.
- Office Lady: The Women's Auxiliary Volunteer Echelon (WAVE); an entire corps of them!
- Reassigned to Antarctica: Reassignment to the Dreadnought is generally the end for a military career.
- Running Gag:
- Is it "lieutenant" or "leftenant?"
- Paul describing people he doesn't like as "A bit of a prick."
- Samus Is a Girl: Lieutenant Commander the lady Fiora Marie Vaughn.
- The Scrounger: Lieutenant Butler
- Sedgwick Speech: Lieutenant Stuart gives one about how the isafari are savages with rocks and spears. He is sniped by one moments later.
- Sophisticated as Hell: The Queen describes herself at one point as a luckless cunt.
- Steampunk
- Survivor Guilt: Paul gets hit with a serious case after private Carter gets killed.
- Tagalong Reporter: Isabell Fairchild, much to Paul's annoyance.
- That Liar Lies: Paul calls Wilmont a "lying, lie-telling, teller-of-lies."
- Trading Bars for Stripes: Paul Bowman and Private Green
- Unobtanium: Fulgurite, which powers all air-ship technology, is only found in the Mountains of Dawn. (And supplies are beginning to run low!)
- Up Through the Ranks: Paul, after leading the charge at the Defense of the Southern Gap.
- Working-Class Hero: Paul is an illiterate former freighthauler who dreams of owning an airship of his own one day.
- You Are in Command Now: Paul Bowman at the Southern Gap after Lieutenant Stuart is Killed Mid-Sentence.
—-
