History Literature / ArciaChronicles

* FantasyGunControl: Subverted in the Deer duology, where pistols were common among rich nobles, but played straight after the TimeSkip. It was justified in-story by [[spoiler:TheChurch discovering a magic that'd make gunpowder explode prematurely, rendering guns useless since they could explode in your hands at any moment]].
** The Deer duology had not only pistols, but early 17th-century level of tactics in warfare, with the mix of musceteers and pikemen ruling the field.

* HeroicSacrifice: Too many examples to list. Perhaps the most touching example happens in ''Incomparable Right'' with the sacrifice of [[spoiler:Faithful, Gerika's ''[[NonHumanSidekick lynx]]'', who willingly throws himself into magical fire to let her escape Tarra. Actually, for that particular sacrifice, nothing short of an Elven sacrifice would have worked (originally, Roman was to be sacrificed), but Faithful's sheer devotion and intelligence apparently sufficed]].
** In fact, the very title of the second novel comes from a HeavyMithril song and refers to the "incomparable right to [[ChoosingDeath choose one's own death]]".

* CapuletCounterpart: Gerika is daughter of the first duology's BigBad Mikhai Godoi but falls in love with René and joins his side.

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Starting from the third novel, Arcia becomes very much like the England during the the WarsOfTheRoses. Ifrana is France (King Joseph is obviously Louis XI), Miria is Spain, Darnian Union is Germany, Er-Atev is generic Muslim world, Tayana is Russia, Frontera is Ukraine, Escota is Scotland, etc. Original Eland from the first duology is Viking Scandinavia.

** ''Blood of Sunset'' (2002). Set 600 years after the ''Incomparable Right'', the novel reenacts the WarsOfTheRoses from Charles Tagere's (Richard Plantagenet's {{expy}}) marriage until Philip Tagere's (Edward IV) ascension to the throne, against the backdrop of yet another AncientConspiracy and various supernatural powers ramping up for the FinalBattle.

** ''The Dark Star'' (2001). An [[TheMasquerade Elven undercover agent]] Neo "Roman" Ramierl and a [[{{Pirate}} Pirate Duke]] René "Lucky" Arroy team up to thwart an AncientConspiracy that aims to incarnate an evil Old God Roigu as a child of a mortal woman, who happens to be René's distant relative. They partly succeed but in process, kick off the devastating War of the Deer (named after said Old God's physical form).

* BigBrotherComplex: Raphael and Dariolo Kerna.

* OurElvesAreBetter: Belief of some Elves in their superiority over other races causes a lot of evil, most notably, Roman's sister ?nke who [[spoiler:[[OedipusComplex murders her own father Asten]], one of the strongest opponents of "Elven superiority"]]. It is also subverted soon thereafter with ?nke's mother Nanniel, who shares much of her views but [[spoiler:dies by [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing herself]] to save human victims of a Roigian cult]]. After that, the idea of Elven superiority slowly withers and dies, until [[spoiler:an ''entire Elven clan'' sacrifices themselves to protect Tarra]].

* UnstoppableRage: When Eanke [[spoiler:kills Asten]], Gerika taps into TheDarkSide for the first time. Let's just say that all that's left of both ?nke and her escort afterwards can be put into a small box. A very small box.

The '''''Arcia Chronicles''''' (''Хроники Арции'') is a HighFantasy novel series by Russian author Vera Kamsha. Sadly and perplexingly, they haven't been translated to any other language yet.

The series is set in a ConstructedWorld of ''Tarra'', which itself is a part of TheMultiverse. What makes Tarra stand out is that unlike other worlds, it doesn't have {{god}}s: some nine thousand years ago, the "Seven Lightbringers" conquered Tarra, [[DeathOfTheOldGods slaughtered the native Old Gods]] and whatever worshipers they had, and ruled Tarra for seven thousand years in the name of the "[[LightIsNotGood Light]]". After that, the "Light" called them back, leaving Tarra [[GodsHandsAreTied effectively defenseless against cosmic threats]]. Therefore, it is up to local humans and a handful of [[OurElvesAreBetter Elves]] (left behind by two renegade Lightbringers) to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch out cosmic monstrosities]] eying Tarra. The books are mostly set in Arcia (hence the title), a VestigialEmpire (later, TheKingdom) in what is likely the most densely populated region of the world.

The '''''Arcia Chronicles''''' (''Хроники Арции'') is a HighFantasy novel series by Russian author Vera Kamsha. Sadly and perplexingly, they haven't been translated to any other language than the original yet.

The series consists of six novels as of 2011, with the final tome in planning:

The '''''Arcia Chronicles''''' (''Хроники Арции'') is a HighFantasy novel series by Russian author Vera Kamsha. They haven't been translated to any other language than the original yet, but seeing how they are among the best Russian fantasy series of The2000s, they have good chances to be translated to English.

* UnstoppableRage: When ?nke [[spoiler:kills Asten]], Gerika taps into TheDarkSide for the first time. Let's just say that all that's left of both ?nke and her escort afterwards can be put into a small box. A very small box.

* NonHumanSidekick: René's Jan-Florentine (a toad who doubles as a living Philosopher's Stone) and Gib. Gerika's "pet" lynx Faithful, who was passed down to her after [[spoiler:his original master Stefan, Crown-Prince of Tayana and her love interest, died]].

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: A recurring motif from the second duology onward is that women in power are more dangerous than they are useful. [[AuthorAvatar Gerika]]'s explanation is that men can be (though not always are) motivated by honor and abstract obligations, whereas women always live for themselves and the ones they love. Especially bad are those who only love power, which is what the Cialian Order is all about. This is particularly evident in the stories of Agnesa (Margaret of Anjou's expy) and Anastasia, though notably subverted by Marta Tagere, who is a far more capable monarch than her [[spoiler:first]] husband.

* WrittenByTheWinners: The CorruptChurch is particularly guilty of this. After the War of the Deer, they overwrite its history, e.g. making Mikhai the righteous king and René, the bad guy, who seduced Mikhai's innocent daughter Gerika to get his throne. They attempt to do it even more blatantly after Alexander's defeat, presenting him as a CardCarryingVillain and Pierre Tartue, as the rightful heir. They even employ a playwright... a slight poke of {{Shakespeare}}'s ''Theatre/RichardIII''.

* TheRemnant: Kinda. Roigu is the last of the Old Gods by the (mis)fortune of having been imprisoned by his own kind long before the Lightbringers invaded Tarra. The Seven have never found him before the Great Exodus.

* CharacterOverlap: There is a possibility that the Chronicles and Kamsha's other cycle, ''ReflectionsOfEterna'', are set in the same multiverse: [[spoiler:in ''Black Poppies'', Gerika mentions that her last love interest (while she was still amnesiac, wandering the other worlds) was a certain "blue-eyed Alva from Cinaloa". It just so happens that ''Reflections'' feature a major character named Roque Alva, who has BlueEyes and rules a province named Kenalloa (though Gerika's lover may have been any one of his ancestors, too)]]. WordOfGod, however, [[http://kamsha.ru/forum/index.php?topic=1863.0 says]] that this is just a coincidence.

The '''''Arcia Chronicles''''' (''Хроники Арции'') is a HighFantasy novel series by Russian author Vera Kamsha. They haven't been translated to any other language than the original yet, but seeing how they are among the best Russian fantasy series of {{the 2000s}}, they have good chances to be translated to English.

** The Deer duology had not only pistols, but early 17th-century level of tactics in warfare, with the mix of musceteers and pikemen ruling the field.

* {{Immortality}}:
** TheAgeless: Elves.

* SmugSnake: The great majority of villains. Initially, at least some of them were somewhat competent, if not nearly as much as they thought, but in the latter books all of the surviving ones are downright pathetic. Nearly all of the human-level bad guys past the first duology only remain dangerous because the good guys tend to suffer from ContractualGenreBlindness and fail to treat them as they deserve. Magical ones, well, have magic, which makes them more threatening, but their level of competence is the same.

* WrittenByTheWinners: The CorruptChurch is particularly guilty of this. After the War of the Deer, they overwrite its history, e.g. making Mikhai the righteous king and René, the bad guy, who seduced Mikhai's innocent daughter Gerika to get his throne. They attempt to do it even more blatantly after Alexander's defeat, presenting him as a CardCarryingVillain and Pierre Tartue, as the rightful heir. They even employ a playwright... a slight poke of {{Shakespeare}}'s ''RichardIII''.

* {{Immortality}}: Elves are Type II. Gods border Type I [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu but not quite]].

The series is set in a ConstructedWorld of ''Tarra'', which itself is a part of TheMultiverse. What makes Tarra stand out is that unlike other worlds, it doesn't have {{god}}s: some nine thousand years ago, the "Seven Lightbringers" conquered Tarra, [[DeathOfTheOldGods slaughtered the native Old Gods]] and whatever worshipers they had, and ruled Tarra for seven thousand years in the name of the "[[LightIsNotGood Light]]". After that, the "Light" called them back, leaving Tarra [[GodsHandsAreTied effectively defenseless against cosmic threats]]. Therefore, it is up to local humans and a handful of [[OurElvesAreBetter Elves]] (left behind by two renegade Lightbringers) to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch out]] monters eying Tarra. The books are mostly set in Arcia (hence the title), a VestigialEmpire (later, TheKingdom) in what is likely the most densely populated region of the world.

* DeathOfTheOldGods: Part of the backstory of includes the Seven [[LightIsNotGood Lightbringers]] physically destroying all the Old Gods of Tarra. This returns to bite Tarra mightily in the ass nine thousand years later when the Lightbringers leave and a bunch of monsters show up to devour the now completely defenseless world.

The series is set in a ConstructedWorld of ''Tarra'', which itself is a part of TheMultiverse. What makes Tarra stand out is that unlike other worlds, it doesn't have {{god}}s: some nine thousand years ago, the "Seven Lightbringers" conquered Tarra, [[DeathOfTheOldGods slaughtered the native Old Gods]] and whatever worshipers they had, and ruled Tarra for seven thousand years in the name of the "[[LightIsNotGood Light]]". After that, the "Light" called them back, leaving Tarra [[GodsHandsAreTied effectively defenseless against cosmic threats]]. Therefore, it is up to local humans and a handful of [[OurElvesAreBetter Elves]] (left behind by two renegade Lightbringers) to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch out]] {{Cosmic Horror}}s eying Tarra. The books are mostly set in Arcia (hence the title), a VestigialEmpire (later, TheKingdom) in what is likely the most densely populated region of the world.

** ''The Dark Star'' (2001). An [[TheMasquerade Elven undercover agent]] Neo "Roman" Ramierl and a [[{{Pirate}} Pirate Duke]] René "Lucky" Arroy team up to thwart an AncientConspiracy that aims to incarnate an [[CosmicHorror evil Old God]] Roigu as a child of a mortal woman, who happens to be René's distant relative. They partly succeed but in process, kick off the devastating War of the Deer (named after said Old God's physical form).

* DeathOfTheOldGods: Part of the backstory of includes the Seven [[LightIsNotGood Lightbringers]] physically destroying all the Old Gods of Tarra. This returns to bite Tarra mightily in the ass nine thousand years later when the Lightbringers leave and a bunch of {{Cosmic Horror}}s show up to devour the now completely defenseless world.

* ArcWords: "Dark Star" throughout book one. Also, the Prophecy of "St." Eric:
-->"You must wait. Wait, even when it sounds like madness. Wait and remember. The seeds have been sown. They need time. The Year of Three Stars will come, and the Last of Kings will raise his sword. The Blue Star will sink in sea, the Red one will rise again, the Dark one will not fade. She was lit by the Chosen One but will light the way for the Last, heralding disaster. Don't fear the night, don't fear the day. Darkness will protect from Darkness; Light, from Light. Don't weep for those leaving for war... The Lynx Constellation... The Dark Star... They cannot converge, but their light is timeless..."

-->"You must wait. Wait, even when it sounds like madness. Wait and remember. The seeds have been sown. They need time. The Year of Three Stars will come, and the Last of Kings will raise his sword. The Blue Star will sink in sea, the Red one will rise again, the Dark one will not fade. She was lit by the Chosen One but will light the way for the Last, heralding disaster. Don't fear the night, don't fear the day. Darkness will protect from Darkness; Light, from Light. Don't weep for those marching off to war... The Lynx Constellation... The Dark Star... They cannot converge, but their light is timeless..."

** ''Argument of Kings'' (2002). Covers the War of the Daffodils until Alexander Tagere's (RichardOfGloucester) [[ReluctantRuler crowning]] and ties the duology nicely into the overarching plot by proclaiming him the Last of the Kings, whose coming was prophesied in the end of ''Incomparable Right''.