History Literature / Once

After encounters in the forest with tiny glowing winged figures and a sensuous young woman who seems not quite of this world, Thom fears his stroke may have somehow induced hallucination. When [[HornyDevil some kind of hideous fiend]] attacks him in his bed, a [[TheFairFolk tiny]], strangely wizened, [[SizeShifter size]]-[[AnotherDimension shifting]] man comes to the rescue, and introduces himself as Rigwit, a brownie. Jennet, the [[AlchemicElementals undine]] girl from the woods, then introduces Thom to the world of the ''[[OurFairiesAreDifferent faerefolkis]]''...

* BlackMagic: Nell, implied to have some innate supernatural ability, uses occult ritual to, [[HornyDevil among]] [[SpidersAreScary other]] [[OurDemonsAreDifferent things]], [[spoiler:try to acquire the Bleeth inheritance.]]

* HornyDevil: A succubus. Thom wakes from a [[EroticDream dream]] about Jennet, and then Nell, to find himself being fellated by a four foot tall, muscular biped with a huge cranium, black eyes and pointy teeth; sent by Nell to acquire Thom's seed.

** From the forest floor around Thom emerge numerous, leering heads.

* ParentalAbandonment: Thom's father, [[spoiler:revealed to be Jonathan Bleeth, heir to Castle Bracken]] died before Thom was born. When Thom was ten, his mother Bethan apparently drowned herself. [[spoiler:Having been an undine who became human, the death of Jonathan stifled the magic which kept her alive.]]

* AgentMulder: Thom, by an unaccountably disturbed thicket, sees a multicoloured swarm of tiny, brightly glowing lights. Perplexed, he limply theorises them to be some undiscovered breed of butterfly.

* PowerIncontinence: Nell's overzealous [[IKnowWhatYouFear conjuring]] summons [[spoiler: phantasmal emaciated crones who torment her with promises of the physically corrupting effects of BlackMagic]]; a demonic figure termed the Diabolus, and [[spoiler: a BoltOfDivineRetribution]].

* LaserGuidedAmnesia: On condition that [[spoiler: Bethan make young Thom forget all knowledge of the ''faerefolkis'']], Sir Russell agreed to take charge of the boy's welfare.

** Thom, whose father died before he was born, and whose mother, when he was ten, apparently drowned herself, honed a solitary pragmatism when shipped off to boarding school.

** Katy Budd, Thom's physiotherapist, takes a liking to her charge; arrives at the cottage in his absence, is subjected by Nell to [[LovePotion aphrodisiac orchid roots]], flees, and is driven by Nell's familiar magpie into a car crash. [[spoiler: Happily, she survives]].

* TheFairFolk: Some of the ''faerefolkis'' delight in tormenting humans. Why? [[ForTheEvulz For fun]]".

* BlackMagic: Nell, implied to have some innate supernatural ability, uses various occult rituals to, [[HornyDevil among]] [[SpidersAreScary other]] [[OurDemonsAreDifferent things]], [[spoiler:try to acquire the Bleeth inheritance.]]

* TheFairFolk: Many such beings, some kind, some unkind.

* AlchemicElementals: Undines are "water feys," and seem to inhabit the forest lake.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To Herbert's earlier ''Literature/TheMagicCottage'' (1986). Both explore the theme of the nurture of nature by higher forces, and nefarious attempts to exploit such forces.

* AgentMulder: On walking to Little Bracken through the woods, Thom, by an unaccountably disturbed thicket, sees a multicoloured swarm of tiny, brightly glowing lights. Perplexed, he limply theorises them to be some undiscovered breed of butterfly.

After encounters in the forest with tiny glowing winged figures and a sensuous young woman who seems not quite of this world, Thom fears his stroke may have somehow induced hallucination. When [[HornyDevil some kind of hideous fiend]] attacks him in his bed, a [[TheFairFolk tiny]], strangely wizened, [[SizeShifter size]]-[[AnotherDimension shifting]] man comes to the rescue, and introduces himself as Rigwit, a brownie. Jennet, the [[AlchemicElementals undine]] girl from the woods, then introduces Thom to the world of the ''[[TheFairFolk faerefolkis]]''...

** Katy Budd, Thom's physiotherapist, takes a liking to her charge, arrives at the cottage in his absence, and is subjected by Nell to [[LovePotion aphrodisiac orchid roots]], flees, and is driven by Nell's familiar magpie into a car crash. [[spoiler: Happily, she survives]].

** Sexual intimacy, said to be "the strongest magic of all", enabled [[spoiler: Thom's mother Bethan]] to become human. Intercourse with Thom later enables Jennet to cast her magic back through time [[spoiler: to save Thom from Nell's magically induced stroke]].

* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler: Jonathan Bleeth, original heir to Castle Bracken, whilst serving in Northern Ireland, was killed by an IRA bomb before Thom was born.]]

* {{Meganekko}}: Katy.

A 2001 novel by Creator/JamesHerbert. Following a stroke, twenty-seven-year old carpenter Thom Kindred continues his recovery with a return to his childhood home of Little Bracken, cottage guesthouse to Castle Bracken, a sixteenth century mansion in the Shropshire countryside. His childhood friend Hugo Bleeth, heir to Castle Bracken, has arranged Thom's attendance by Nell Quick, self-professed [[HealingHands healer]] and nurse to Sir Russell Bleeth, the dying lord of the manor. Her oddly sly, lascivious demeanour somehow makes Thom uneasy. A plate then apparently throws itself to the floor, scaring her off. After encounters in the forest with tiny glowing winged figures and a sensuous young woman who seems not quite of this world, Thom fears his stroke may have somehow induced hallucination. When [[HornyDevil some kind of hideous fiend]] attacks him in his bed, a [[TheFairFolk tiny]], strangely wizened, [[SizeShifter size]]-[[AnotherDimension shifting]] man comes to the rescue, and introduces himself as Rigwit, a brownie. Jennet, the [[AlchemicElementals undine]] girl from the woods, then introduces Thom to the world of the ''[[TheFairFolk faerefolkis]]''...

* AlchemicElementals: Undines are "water sylphs," and seem to inhabit the forest lake.

** DownPlayed and [[JustifiedTrope justified]], a faery's spiritual demeanour and intentions effect human senses' interpretation. Rigwit has "an eccentric charm...bewitchingly intriguing," Jennet looks like a "fantastically beautiful" nubile young woman.

* DidNotGetTheGirl: [[spoiler: Averted. While Jennet must spend seven years in "the waiting place" as payment for magically influencing events to save Thom from Nell's magically induced stroke, she will return in human form to preside with Thom over the children's hospice.]]

* {{Heaven}}: A vision of part of the afterlife is glimpsed by Thom whilst making love with Jennet. A vast white void peopled with joyous souls, it's said to be a "waiting place."

** On departure to the waiting place, [[spoiler: Jennet]] leaves [[spoiler: Thom]] with the message "expect me." Herbert later noted this to be a deliberate nod to the autograph inscriptions of Creator/MargaretHamilton.
* [[SingleTear Single]] [[TearsOfJoy Tear of Joy]]: On Thom's realisation of his preordained vocation to [[spoiler: aid humanity's gradual reunion with the ''faerefolkis'' by founding in Castle Bracken a children's hospice to whose patients the ''faerefolkis'' will gradually apply their healing powers]], Jennet sheds a single tear, seemingly both in sorrow at [[spoiler: having to spend seven years in the waiting place]], and joy.

* [[SingleTear Single]] [[TearsOfJoy Tear of Joy]]: Jennet, on Thom's realisation of his preordained vocation to [[spoiler: aid humanity's gradual reunion with the ''faerefolkis'' by founding in Castle Bracken a children's hospice to whose patients the ''faerefolkis'' will gradually apply their healing powers]].

* EldritchAbomination: To Sir Russell's eyrie, Nell summons what appears to be a [[LivingShadow concentrated mass of pervasive darkness]], which amalgamates into various fearsome apparitions.

** The climax, in which Nell's overzealous conjuring rouses a demonic apparition, somewhat recalls ''Film/TheDevilRidesOut''.

* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Unintentionally summoned by Nell's [[SupernaturalFearInducer conjuring]], several rotted, mutilated witches taunt her with the ruinous effects of BlackMagic. Thought not to be spirits of earthly beings, Jennet notes them not to be actual ghosts.

* BigGood: The ''faerefolkis'' are guided by the "magics," an apparent CallBack to [[SentientCosmicForce forces]] mentioned in ''Literature/TheMagicCottage''.

* TheMedic: When a delirious Thom recovers from wasp stings, Jennet discreetly applies soothing creams. Rigwit, to aid his stroke-induced fatigue, consistently supplies him with plum-flavoured herbal juice, and later, some rather more powerful stuff, whose content he suggests [[YouDoNotWantToKnow better off not knowing]].

* FatBastard: Averted with a benevolent brownie, who has a paunch.