History Literature / Spellsinger

* ExcaliburInTheStone: The One True Sword in the Lost City is this, which [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield only a true hero]] can pull out of the throne it is thrust into.

* EverythingsWetterWithOtters: Mudge most prominently, but any given otter also qualifies, particularly since otters as a rule tend to be crazily awesome.

** The cage had previously knocked out Jon-Tom's spellsinging with the insult "He runs the gamut of emotions from A to B", which was originally thrown at Creator/KatherineHepburn by Creator/DorothyParker.

-->'''Cage''': If I had to listen to singing like yours much longer, I'd poison you.
-->'''Mudge''': If I 'ad to listen to ''you'' much longer, I'd take it!

* TurtlePower: Clothahump -- greatest wizard in the world (and on several occasions he proves it), and he's a turtle.

* SeldomSeenSpecies: Increasing numbers of them as the series progresses.

* SimpleStaff: Jon-Tom's backup weapon when he's unable to use his spellsinging. Justified due to his lack of weapons training and long reach compared to almost everyone/thing else. A series of four or five "decorative" studs on the staff [[SubvertedTrope release a concealed spearpoint]] from the butt end of said "simple" staff, however...

* YouKeepUsingThatWord: "Arboreal" is used as if it means "flying" or "winged"; its actual definition means "lives/travels in trees".

* NiceHat: In the same style as Myth/RobinHood and [[VideoGame/KingsQuest King Graham]] Mudge wears a peaked green hat with a feather sticking out. His love for this hat has even been passed down to his son Squill who wears a similar one. And it's implied he has several, as his original was put on display in his house.

** [[spoiler: The villain from the eighth book takes this trope UpToEleven, singing so horribly that merely being on the same island as him ''kills plants''.]]

** In the third book it even becomes ''more'' literal, as Jon-Tom has to battle with a ''[[UpToEleven mockingbird]]'' Spellsinger brought in by the villain - after their battle ends in a draw, though, the bird declares Jon-Tom a WorthyOpponent and [[HeelFaceTurn joins with him]] in a "jam" session ([[IncrediblyLamePun minus the berries]]).

* CoolHat: Mudge's green cap with a feather. Which brings to mind Myth/RobinHood or [[VideoGame/KingsQuest King Graham]]. Squill wears a similar cap.

* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: Flores, whom Jon-Tom had a crush on back at UCLA. To his great dismay, it turns out she's ''not'' a ditzy [[TheCheerleader cheerleader]], but an ActionGirl.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: Book four has a rather extensive opening scene which doesn't include Jon-Tom or any of his companions at all--starting first with a VillainOpeningScene (though not from the villain's perspective) showing how he rises to power, then shifting to the wizard he deposed and [[GondorCallsForAid his attempts to call for Clothahump's help]], and finally on [[ADayInTheLimelight the messenger]] [[ImpededMessenger who is nearly slain en route]] but manages to barely escape with his life. It's rather effectively done, and even the fact it seems like a case of DevelopingDoomedCharacters is subverted by the fact that the councilors mentioned here, and the wizard, all turn up alive in the dungeon at the end ([[WhatHappenedToTheMouse except for Oplode's apprentice]]).

* ContemptibleCover: Most of the early editions' covers seem to have nothing to do with the actual contents. Talea fares particularly badly on books one and two, and Mudge looks old and gnarled on the latter as well (and also looks like a rat instead of an otter).
** Book five is probably the worst contender. As the cover shows the heroes surrounded by 4 multicoloured punk imps playing electric guitars. First, they did not dress like punks in the book, they were all red generic looking imps, and they had unique instruments each, none of which were electric guitars. As well as Clothahump on the cover is wearing a ridiculous looking wizard's hat, he is never shown wearing any hats ever and if he did, it wouldn't be one that goofy looking.
** Book three has Roseroar on the cover. Only instead of the [[BrawnHilda 500 lb block of muscle]] the book describes her as, she's noticably smaller than Jon-Tom (when it was mentioned that she's one of the few individuals who's taller than he is) and appears to be nothing more than a human wearing a costume from {{Theatre/Cats}}--she's even got breasts and a human nose.

** Also Folly from book three. Not only was the name given to her by Corroboc because he and his crew believed her to be useless and worthless, she ends up inadvertently causing a great deal of trouble for Jon-Tom by getting mugged and taken to the Friends of the Street, then believing TheMole and [[DistressedDamsel getting kidnapped]] and [[HypnotizeThePrincess ensorcelled]]. Lampshaded several times by both Mudge and Roseroar.

* * All mammals in the world's Verse are [[TalkingAnimal intelligent and capable of speech]], but most of the hoofed species lack the ability to handle objects with their forelimbs. A variety of mouth-operated tools allow them to manipulate objects.

* AppealToIgnorance[=/=]ShiftingTheBurdenOfProof: Mudge's argument that exploding pine cones must exist on Earth as well to explain those who disappear in the woods, the lack of evidence of explosions (and some bodies never being found) is explained by the bodies being vaporized, and the only reason Jon-Tom doesn't know about it is the trees are smart enough to only do it when lots of people aren't around to see it.

* {{Expy}}: The Muddletup Moors seem to be this series' equivalent to the [[Literature/TheNeverEndingStory Swamp of Sadness]], though here it's more "The moors of 'I stopped giving a crap to the point of dying from utter depression and boredom'".

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast[=/=]TheDreaded: Crancularn is this for a number of people. The female Warthog warrior "Regrett" who is not only AxCrazy but is completely invincible.

* AllMythsAreTrue: Played with--apparently fictional animals from our world have been known to pop up as anthros in that world. Such as the [[SherlockHolmes Hound Of The Baskervilles]] and the [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazi Eagle Emblem]].

* RealityEnsues: What do you get when you take a bunch of animal species, give them human mannerisms and sentience but retain their natural instincts and abilities, and then put them all close together in cramped civilized quarters? The...aromatic musk of Lynchbany Towne. (And it's even worse in the summer, at high noon.)
--> '''Jon-Tom:''' Are you saying that... that ''smell...'' is ''normal?''
--> '''Mudge''' ''(sniffing):'' No, no. A mite weak today. Wait til the sun's a bit higher: ''then'' it'll be normal.

-->'''Mudge:''' I'll have you know, me elephantine kitten, that [[CompletelyMissingThePoint my language is as fucking refined as anyone's!]]

* TurtlePower: Clothahump--greatest wizard in the world (and on several occasions he proves it), and he's a turtle.

* [[UngratefulBastard Ungrateful Bitches]]: In Chorus Skating, after Jon-Tom and Mudge save half a dozen Princesses from a Grizzly who is implied to have kept them as sex slaves. Once they escaped, and Jon-Tom states that he isn't able to send them all to their respective Kingdoms through magic, and calmly explained the complicated and dangerous reasons. They continue to whine up a storm about it. Mudge calls them out on that.

* TheUnpronounceable: The Brulumpus' real name.
* VaguenessIsComing: Justified--Clothahump's divinations have not told him what or who the threat to the Warmlands is, so he has no choice but to describe the crisis in vague terms. This is rectified once he is able to learn more information, though he still isn't able to figure out just what the danger is, even after infiltrating Cugluch, until practically the last minute during the battle (and it still takes Jon-Tom to actually identify it).

* VirginPower: Doesn't ''quite'' work on [[IncompatibleOrientation this particular]] {{Unicorn}}.

* YourUniverseOrMine: In ''The Time of the Transference'', Jon-Tom must choose between returning to our world and remaining in the warmlands--where he not only has friends and magical abilities, but a wife, Talea.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: A twisted version thanks to ValuesDissonance, but many of the Plated Folk generals are disturbed by and afraid of the "Font of Evil" Eejakrat has conjured...because it kills from a distance, and across worlds.

* EverythingsWetterWithOtters: Mudge most prominently, but any given otter also qualifies, particularly since otters as a rule tend to be CrazyAwesome.

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: The Bellwoods have flowers shaped like bells (and ring like them too). Lynchbany is named for the ConMan ferret Tilo Bany who, after one too many schemes, [[DarkerAndEdgier was lynched at that spot hundreds of years ago]]. ([[{{Squick}} And his magically-preserved body]] [[DeadGuyOnDisplay is still there]].)

* ForegoneConclusion: After numerous mishaps and misadventures in and around Lynchbany, Jon-Tom goes back to Clothahump's Tree, planning to try using his newfound spellsinging combined with the wizard's magic to send him home and exchange a real engineer. This event happens...[[SpoiledByTheFormat with about half of the book still left to go]], guaranteeing the attempt is going to be a failure. The way it fails, however, and what the result of it is, are still rather unexpected.

* DeathOfAChild: Occurs ''[[{{HSQ}} right in the very first pages of the prologue]]'', to demonstrate what a CrapsackWorld this is (and [[WouldHurtAChild what horrific villains it has]]).

* SonOfAnApe: Used frequently by Mudge in reference to Jon-Tom. Also on one occasion by Dormas the hinny. Given that monkeys in Mudge and Dorcas's world are [[PettingZooPeople fully sentient and civilized]], the implication may have been that Jon-Tom is foolish or frivolous rather than primitive.