History Literature / FirebirdLackey

* HeroesWantRedheads: Ilya finally falling for [[spoiler:the Firebird]] at the end.

* GuileHero: We're told that Ilya is a more than competent warrior; he gets beaten only because his brothers gang up on him and they gang up on him because they can't take him one on one. However, apart from his brothers, he never encounters an enemy he can beat in a fight. The boar, the rusalka, the winter, the Katschei, his demons, the Katschei, the dragon, and [[RuleOfThree the Katschei]] all have to be beaten with his wits, or just fled from.

Then someone starts [[FelonyMisdemeanor stealing the Tsar's cherries]]. These are rare and special cherries, bred to ripen late and satisfy Ivan's sweet tooth after the normal season is over. The thief strikes in the night, and no matter how the Tsar berates and threatens, the guards are always found dead asleep at their posts.

* TheUnfavorite: Ilya, ever so much. His father isn't upset that his brothers tried to kill him, but that they got caught. He's not upset that Ilya's been rendered a fool, but that he'll now have to take care of said fool for the rest of his or Ilya's life.

A fantasy tale by Creator/MercedesLackey published in 1996, ''Firebird'' is based on Creator/TheBrothersGrimm's "Literature/TheGoldenBird", the Russian ballet ''Theatre/TheFirebird'' with music by Music/IgorStravinsky, and several Russian fairy tales, including "Literature/TsarevitchIvanTheFireBirdAndTheGrayWolf."

Ilya is entranced, but when she sees him, the Firebird flees in terror. Unfortunately, those who see the Firebird are cursed with bad luck so they can't catch her. Seemingly as an apology for this, the Firebird later gifts Ilya with the ability to [[SpeakFluentAnimal speak with animals]]. [[HilarityEnsues Adventure ensues.]]

* LivingLieDetector: Ilya suspects Mother Galina may be one (he's certainly never been able to lie to her), and fears the Katschei might be one. [[ChekhovsSkill His experience in getting around the former helps him considerably with the latter.]]

* NoOntologicalInertia: As soon as the sorcerer dies, all his magical creations disappear or revert to their former state. The gardens, gone; the palace, back to being a regular, if large, palace; the statues, free; the monsters, people again.
* ObfuscatingDisability: Ilya pretending to be a fool. As one person says, "He's a fool, not an idiot."
* OddFriendship: Ilya's mentors, a shaman and a priest. Sorta TruthInTelevision considering how Russian Christianity and Paganism tended to be practiced side by side.
* OurLichesAreDifferent: Katschei. His heart is hidden inside a magically fast duck, hidden inside a magically fast rabbit, locked inside a magic chest at the top of a magically tall tree, and guarded by a magical mechanical dragon.

* SacredHospitality: The Bannik, spirit of the steam bath house, will react favorably to humble and respectful guests, so long as the the "third bath turn is given to him".

* ShowDontTell: We only ever hear of Ilya's martial prowess; he never has to demonstrate it. Fortunately, he manages to win with skills he had ample time to demonstrate, avoiding abuse and acting more injured than he is.
* SoulJar: The Katschei's heart is encased in diamond. And hidden inside a magic duck. Which is hidden inside a magic rabbit. Which is sealed in a stout chest, bound with bronze. Which is on top of a magically tall tree. Which is guarded by a never-sleeping, never-eating magical dragon. Good lord.

* SuccessionCrisis: Tsar Ivan has eight grown sons by his wives, an unspecified number of illegitimate children by the household staff, and nowhere near enough land to provide a decent inheritance for all of them. Since he can't bring himself to murder his own children, he instead encourages them to fight amongst themselves in the hopes that they'll start eliminating each other and simplify the problem for him (as well as keep them to busy too conspire against ''him'').

* TheUnfavorite: Ilya, ever so much. His father isn't upset that his brothers tried to kill him, but that they got caught. He's not upset that Ilya's been rendered a fool, but that he'll now have to take care of said fool for the rest of its life.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: The Firebird.

* WhoWantsToLiveForever: The Katschei never seems to eat his magical fruit, or despoil his maidens (he more makes them dance and sing so he can prove he has power, not because he lusts for them), or even enjoy ''anything''. It would appear that having his heart ripped out (selling his soul) removed his ability to enjoy anything other than power.

A fantasy tale by Creator/MercedesLackey, ''Firebird'' based on Creator/TheBrothersGrimm's "Literature/TheGoldenBird", Russian ballet "The Firebird", and several Russian fairy tales like "Literature/TsarevitchIvanTheFireBirdAndTheGrayWolf".

Ilya Ivanovitch is the middle son of Tsar Ivan (really, he's just a boyar, but he ''calls'' himself a tsar) in the country of Rus. His father is a greedy, jealous {{Jerkass}}, and Ilya's six brothers are no better, with Ilya as TheUnfavorite.

Then someone starts [[FelonyMisdemeanor stealing the Tsar's cherries]].

Ivan finally declares that his sons will stand guard over the orchard in order from eldest to youngest, and whoever catches the thief will be named his heir. While his brothers try and fail, Ilya sneaks into the orchard himself, armed with pins to keep himself from falling asleep, and discovers the truth; the thief is the beautiful, mysterious, and magical Firebird.

Ilya is entranced, but when she sees him, the Firebird flees in terror. Unfortunately, those who see the Firebird are cursed with bad luck so they can't catch her. [[HilarityEnsues Adventure ensues.]]

* AndroclesLion: Ilya gets help from a horse, nightingale, fox and the titular Firebird by saving their lives (or tasty apples, in the horse's case).

** [[spoiler:After he defeats the Katschei, Ilya joyfully claims Tatiana as his bride... and finds out in short order that she's a silly, selfish, spoiled bitch. He'd walk away from a free kingdom in a heartbeat, but Tatiana's so spoiled that she can't look after herself, and so selfish and bitchy that if he walked away no one would lift a finger to help her. The closer the wedding comes, the more he regrets not leaving with the Firebird, because she's by far the superior woman (no pun intended) and a far more suitable wife for him. Luckily, Tatiana's even more stupid [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard than Ilya knows]]...]]

** Ilya has a way with the ladies and is willing to be patient to get what he wants. According to the bannik, the spirit of the bathhouse, women are prone to talk when men aren't around and they all speak highly of Ilya, even after they've moved to higher stations (and, hence, into his older brother's or father's beds). In fact, one of the reasons his brothers want him dead is because he's so well liked by women.

* ChekhovsGunman: The nightingale and the fox Ilya frees both [[AndroclesLion come back to help him later.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: It's stated multiple times that a man who sees the firebird will ever after be discontented with an ordinary life. Even a life of fabulous wealth and power with a beautiful wife isn't enough for Ilya. He wants ''magic''.

* HumanResources: Anyone who isn't a prince and enters the Katschei's palace is fed to the monster staff.

* ImprovisedTraining: When posing as a mad fool and dead bored, Ilya improvised training to keep fit. There's a notable passage of the book [[ItMakesSenseInContext that makes perfect sense in context]] of [[FridgeBrilliance a life of extreme physical labor]], but is sure to make anyone who's run track double over laughing:

* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: The Katschei has a thing for jailbait (by modern standards anyway). He abducted most of his maidens on the eve of their sixteenth birthdays.
** At the very end, Ilya mentions that he also took maidens of the eve of their ''weddings''. This might simply be because sixteen was a common marriage age back then.

* LieDetector: Ilya suspects Mother Galina may be one (he's certainly never been able to lie to her), and fears the Katschei might be one. [[ChekhovsSkill His experience in getting around the former helps him considerably with the latter.]]

** Also a subtle one with the Kosschei himself. Ripping out his heart for magical power and near-immortality seems to have taken his ability to enjoy ''anything'' else.

** [[spoiler:After he defeats the Koschei, Ilya joyfully claims Tatiana as his bride... and finds out in short order that she's a silly, selfish, spoiled bitch. He'd walk away from a free kingdom in a heartbeat, but Tatiana's so spoiled that she can't look after herself, and so selfish and bitchy that if he walked away no one would lift a finger to help her. The closer the wedding comes, the more he regrets not leaving with the Firebird, because she's by far the superior woman (no pun intended) and a far more suitable wife for him. Luckily, Tatiana's even more stupid [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard than Ilya knows]]...]]

* ChekhovsSkill: Ilya's habit of speaking with ExactWords to Mother Galina pays off with the Koschei, as does his ruse as the fool, and his learning to stay awake in the face of the Firebird's music.
* CompleteImmortality: The Koschei, unless his heart is destroyed at his feet. Wounds instantly heal and he cannot bleed, age, or die.

* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: The Koschei has a thing for jailbait (by modern standards anyway). He abducted most of his maidens on the eve of their sixteenth birthdays.

** The Koschei's maidens. Subverted with [[spoiler: Tatiana]], who may not have enjoyed being the Koschei's prisoner but certainly developed a taste for the luxuries his magic made available.
** Ilya's second encounter with the Firebird leads to him freeing her from one of the Koschei's traps.
* DumbMuscle: All of Ivan's sons save for Ilya, to varying degrees. Piotr however is the most cunning... not smart, but cunning. The Koschei's demons are even worse.

* GuileHero: We're told that Ilya is a more than competent warrior; he gets beaten only because his brothers gang up on him and they gang up on him because they can't take him one on one. However, apart from his brothers, he never encounters an enemy he can beat in a fight. The boar, the rusalka, the winter, the Koschei, his demons, the Koschei, the dragon, and [[RuleOfThree the Koschei]] all have to be beaten with his wits, or just fled from.
* GuiltyPleasure: Ilya is a little pleased to see [[spoiler:Pietor]] among the Koschei's statuary. He's really, ''really'' pleased to be able to rub his brother's face (and his father's, by proxy) in his eventual, overwhelming success. He's also very pleased to [[spoiler:leave his brother and his cheating bride to their dismal fate together.]]

* HumanResources: Anyone who isn't a prince and enters the Koschei's palace is fed to the monster staff.
* IAmAHumanitarian: The Koschei's demons, at least those that can stomach meat. They especially love "man-parts".

* LieDetector: Ilya suspects Mother Galina may be one (he's certainly never been able to lie to her), and fears the Koschei might be one. [[ChekhovsSkill His experience in getting around the former helps him considerably with the latter.]]

* OurLichesAreDifferent: Koschei. His heart is hidden inside a magically fast duck, hidden inside a magically fast rabbit, locked inside a magic chest at the top of a magically tall tree, and guarded by a magical mechanical dragon.

* PerpetualMotionMonster: The dragon and the "puppets" in the Koschei's palace are implied to be mechanical in nature, possibly even robots that obey short logical orders. More than that, neither need sleep or fuel, though the puppets do seem to "tire" and need a day to recharge.
* ProperlyParanoid: Both Ilya (apropos his brothers) and the Koschei (apropos everyone).
* RefugeInAudacity: Oh, that marvelous vixen! The final time she gets the dragon to shout, she does it just after the Koschei walks out of sight! This is what puts him over the edge so he turns it into a statue.
* RuleOfThree: Ilya encounters the Koschei three times, and the third time kills him.

* SatelliteLoveInterest: Ilya falls in love with Tatiana because she's incredibly beautiful. [[spoiler: After rescuing her from the Koschei, he comes to the unpleasant conclusion that her looks are the only pleasing thing about her. Fortunately, he catches her cheating with his brother Pietor, which gives him grounds to end their engagement.]]

* SoulJar: The Koschei's heart is encased in diamond. And hidden inside a magic duck. Which is hidden inside a magic rabbit. Which is sealed in a stout chest, bound with bronze. Which is on top of a magically tall tree. Which is guarded by a never-sleeping, never-eating magical dragon. Good lord.

* WhoWantsToLiveForever: The Koschei never seems to eat his magical fruit, or despoil his maidens (he more makes them dance and sing so he can prove he has power, not because he lusts for them), or even enjoy ''anything''. It would appear that having his heart ripped out (selling his soul) removed his ability to enjoy anything other than power.

A fantasy tale by Creator/MercedesLackey, ''Firebird'' is a retelling of a less-than-common folktale.

** [[spoiler:After he defeats the Katschei, Ilya joyfully claims Tatiana as his bride... and finds out in short order that she's a silly, selfish, spoiled bitch. He'd walk away from a free kingdom in a heartbeat, but Tatiana's so spoiled that she can't look after herself, and so selfish and bitchy that if he walked away no one would lift a finger to help her. The closer the wedding comes, the more he regrets not leaving with the Firebird, because she's by far the superior woman (no pun intended) and a far more suitable wife for him. Luckily, Tatiana's even more stupid [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard than Ilya knows]]...]]
** Also a subtle one with the Katschei himself. Ripping out his heart for magical power and near-immortality seems to have taken his ability to enjoy ''anything'' else.

* ChekhovsSkill: Ilya's habit of speaking with ExactWords to Mother Galina pays off with the Katschei, as does his ruse as the fool, and his learning to stay awake in the face of the Firebird's music.
* CompleteImmortality: The Katschei, unless his heart is destroyed at his feet. Wounds instantly heal and he cannot bleed, age, or die.

* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: The Katschei has a thing for jailbait (by modern standards anyway). He abducted most of his maidens on the eve of their sixteenth birthdays.

** The Katschei's maidens. Subverted with [[spoiler: Tatiana]], who may not have enjoyed being the Katschei's prisoner but certainly developed a taste for the luxuries his magic made available.
** Ilya's second encounter with the Firebird leads to him freeing her from one of the Katschei's traps.
* DumbMuscle: All of Ivan's sons save for Ilya, to varying degrees. Piotr however is the most cunning... not smart, but cunning. The Katschei's demons are even worse.

* GuileHero: We're told that Ilya is a more than competent warrior; he gets beaten only because his brothers gang up on him and they gang up on him because they can't take him one on one. However, apart from his brothers, he never encounters an enemy he can beat in a fight. The boar, the rusalka, the winter, the Katschei, his demons, the Katschei, the dragon, and [[RuleOfThree the Katschei]] all have to be beaten with his wits, or just fled from.
* GuiltyPleasure: Ilya is a little pleased to see [[spoiler:Pietor]] among the Katschei's statuary. He's really, ''really'' pleased to be able to rub his brother's face (and his father's, by proxy) in his eventual, overwhelming success. He's also very pleased to [[spoiler:leave his brother and his cheating bride to their dismal fate together.]]

* HumanResources: Anyone who isn't a prince and enters the Katschei's palace is fed to the monster staff.
* IAmAHumanitarian: The Katschei's demons, at least those that can stomach meat. They especially love "man-parts".

* LieDetector: Ilya suspects Mother Galina may be one (he's certainly never been able to lie to her), and fears the Katschei might be one. [[ChekhovsSkill His experience in getting around the former helps him considerably with the latter.]]

* OurLichesAreDifferent: Katschei. His heart is hidden inside a magically fast duck, hidden inside a magically fast rabbit, locked inside a magic chest at the top of a magically tall tree, and guarded by a magical mechanical dragon.

* PerpetualMotionMonster: The dragon and the "puppets" in the Katschei's palace are implied to be mechanical in nature, possibly even robots that obey short logical orders. More than that, neither need sleep or fuel, though the puppets do seem to "tire" and need a day to recharge.
* ProperlyParanoid: Both Ilya (apropos his brothers) and the Katschei (apropos everyone).
* RefugeInAudacity: Oh, that marvelous vixen! The final time she gets the dragon to shout, she does it just after the Katschei walks out of sight! This is what puts him over the edge so he turns it into a statue.
* RuleOfThree: Ilya encounters the Katschei three times, and the third time kills him.

* SatelliteLoveInterest: Ilya falls in love with Tatiana because she's incredibly beautiful. [[spoiler: After rescuing her from the Katschei, he comes to the unpleasant conclusion that her looks are the only pleasing thing about her. Fortunately, he catches her cheating with his brother Pietor, which gives him grounds to end their engagement.]]

* SoulJar: The Katschei's heart is encased in diamond. And hidden inside a magic duck. Which is hidden inside a magic rabbit. Which is sealed in a stout chest, bound with bronze. Which is on top of a magically tall tree. Which is guarded by a never-sleeping, never-eating magical dragon. Good lord.

* WhoWantsToLiveForever: The Katschei never seems to eat his magical fruit, or despoil his maidens (he more makes them dance and sing so he can prove he has power, not because he lusts for them), or even enjoy ''anything''. It would appear that having his heart ripped out (selling his soul) removed his ability to enjoy anything other than power.

* YourCheatingHeart: [[spoiler:Ilya catches Tatiana in bed with Pietor on their wedding day, giving him grounds to break the engagement and leave with the Firebird.]]

* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: The Katschei has a thing for jailbait. He abducted all his maidens on the eve of their sixteenth birthdays.

** [[spoiler:After he defeats the Katschei, Ilya joyfully claims Tatiana as his bride... and finds out in short order that she's a silly, selfish, spoiled bitch. He'd walk away from a free kingdom in a heartbeat, but Tatiana's so spoiled that she can't look after herself, and so selfish that if he walked away no one would lift a finger to help her. The closer the wedding comes, the more he regrets not leaving with the Firebird, because she's by far the superior woman (no pun intended) and a far more suitable wife for him. Luckily, Tatiana's even more stupid [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard than Ilya knows]]...]]

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: At one point Ilya muses that if his Ivan had encouraged his sons to work with each other and against each other, he could have created a band of warriors who could have brought him even more land, wealth and fame, and incidentally not ended up in a situation where Ilya had to fake his death and go wandering off into the wilderness.

* PerpetualMotionMonster: The dragon and the "dolls" in the Katschei's palace are implied to be mechanical in nature, possibly even robots that obey short logical orders. More than that, neither need sleep or fuel, though the dolls do seem to "tire" and need a day to recharge.

* FirstGirlWins: Ilya picks the Firebird in the end.

** Could also be a unconscious shout-out to ''Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms'', where DangerousSixteenthBirthdays abound... Lackey never actually says so (because I'm fairly sure it was published by a different company) but I'm pretty sure that ''Firebird'' is actually set in the same universe, though probably a long time earlier (perhaps Ilya and the Firebird are ancestors of Sasha from ''Fortune's Fool''? Sasha does mention that seventh sons in his family also tend to bring home a magical bride). The FinalBoss from ''The Fairy Godmother'' is explicitly said to have taken up residence in the Katschei's empty castle.

* OddFriendship: Ilya's mentors, a shaman and a priest. Sorta TruthInTelevision considering how Russian Christianity and Paganism tended to be practised side by side.

* BlondGuysAreEvil: Ilya may be the only exception. His father and his brothers are all jerks.
* BlondesAreEvil: Not all of them, as many of the Katschei's maidens, being mostly Russian and from the north, are blond. However, [[spoiler:Tatiana]] qualifies.