History Literature / GuinSaga

* {{Bishonen}}: Several of the main characters, most notably Aldo Naris.

* InformedAbility: Lady Amnelis, in the anime at least. She's supposed to be a great general and battle-hungry warrior, but once her older, more experienced adviser is gone, her head for strategy seems to disappear and the only weapon she wields is a conducting baton; mostly her talents seem to lie less in being a military officer and more in being very, very shiny. She also seems suspiciously helpless when being threatened.

* RealWomenDontWearDresses: Lady Amnelis take this to the extreme, reacting with disgust when shown the array of dresses her father wants her to wear. Her attitude is somewhat justified by the StayInTheKitchen attitude everyone around her seems to have in regards to her desire for battle. Pretty much everybody she talks to wants her to take off her armor, put on a dress, and get married, and in some cases, they go to great length to humiliate her into submission. Apart from her occasional empty threats in resistance, it works.

* {{BFS}}: Lord Marus of the Mongauls uses one of these, though it sometimes seems more like a BladeOnAStick.

The series started in 1979 and ran all the way into the late 2000's. For the first 19 volumes, the art was done by Naoyuko Kato before the job was taken up by Franchise/FinalFantasy artist Creator/YoshitakaAmano until volume 57 when he was replaced by Jun Suemi. Shinobu Tanno replaced him at volume 88.

* DoNotGoGentle

* DoomedHometown

* GambitPileup

* KickTheDog
* LadyOfWar: Lady Amnelis, General of the Mongaul White Knights.
* TheLancer: Istavan
* LaResistance
* LastStand

* MaskPower: Istavan
* MedievalEuropeanFantasy
* TheMillstone: Remus and Rinda, though they get better.
* NonHumanSidekick: Suni.

* PimpedOutDress
* {{Prequel}}: TheSwordOfParos. [[{{Expy}} Erminia resembles Amnelis a great deal.]]

* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized
* RousingSpeech
* SceneryPorn
* {{Shadowland}}: Nospherus.

* SwordAndSorcery
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Istavan.
* TeamPet: Suni

* WaifProphet: Rinda.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: In regards to the Sem.

* {{Wutai}}: The Country of Khume.

It begins with the Twins of Parros, [[HalfIdenticalTwins Rinda and Remus]], being transported by a [[SchizoTech magical device]] from their homeland as it is being invaded by the army of Mongaul. They awake in the [[TheLostWoods Roodwood]], and find Guin, a ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian''-like warrior with a leopard head, [[LaserGuidedAmnesia who can remember nothing but his own name]]. He ends up their 'knight' and agrees to help them home, with plans to also remember his forgotten past. In due time, they fight with spirits, are captured by [[AristocratsAreEvil The Black Baron]], meet a cameo of future characters before jumping into the river Kes to escape a raging inferno. [[CliffHanger This ends the first book.]]

* ActionGirl: Lady Amnelis certainly fits.
** Effectively more of a deconstructed FauxActionGirl: she's devoted to being a LadyOfWar, but doesn't fight herself, and various signs (and comments by characters) show she doesn't have the attitude for it. Explained that she's driven more by personal reasons such as her refusal to StayInTheKitchen than because she actually belongs on the battlefield.

* AntiHero: [[spoiler:Aldo Naris could be viewed as this.]]
* AntiVillain: The series takes time to look at all the different sides.
* AristocratsAreEvil: The Black Baron.

As the story progresses, [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters more characters are introduced]], and at times it's even difficult to remember who the designated protagonist is at any given time. Any of the story's arcs include fighting, political intrigue and lots of CharacterDevelopment.

* NotSoDifferent

* FiveManBand
** Guin (TheHero[=/=]TheBigGuy)
** Istavan (TheLancer)
** Rinda (TheSmartGuy[=/=]TheChick)
** Remus (TheSmartGuy[=/=]TheChick)

* SmallAnnoyingCreature: Suni.

* NoExportForYou: It's unlikely any more of the books will be translated in English.