History Literature / TheBlackSwan

[[SwanLake Once upon a time]] there was a princess named Odette who was kidnapped by the evil sorcerer Eric von Rothbart and subjected to an unusual curse: she is human only at night under moonlight; by day she is a beautiful white swan.

* LowerDeckEpisode: This is ''SwanLake'' from Odile's point of view.

** Also, Queen Clothilde has been manipulating her son his whole life so that she can keep the throne, and even intends on having him killed.

Not to be confused with the film ''Film/BlackSwan'', or the [[Film/TheBlackSwan1940 swashbuckler movie]].

* TheHunter: Von Rothbart.

* CostumePorn: Though it's prevalent throughout the book (including for weapons!), Odile's ballgown is ''the'' moment. Think PimpedOutDress plus DominoMask plus [[FluffyFashionFeathers black swan wings]] ''plus'' [[GemEncrusted jewels all over]]. Odile is embarrassed at how over-the-top it is.

Not to be confused with the film ''Film/BlackSwan'', or the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/TheBlackSwan1940 swashbuckler movie]].

Not to be confused with the film ''Film/BlackSwan''.

A fantasy novel by Creator/MercedesLackey, also known as the author of the ''HeraldsOfValdemar'' and ''Literature/ElementalMasters'' series.

** Not sure if Lackey intended it at the time, but the hawk-princess (also an enthusiastic falconer) is also Foreshadowing. This princess gets ADayInTheLimelight short story later on, where she body-swaps with a magical hawk (who did an earlier BodySwap herself, and states that she was the latest in a long line of girls to do so) in order to escape her arranged marriage.

[[SwanLake Once upon a time]] there was a princess named Odette who was kidnapped by the evil sorcerer Eric von Rothbart and subjected to an unusual curse -- she is human only at night under moonlight; by day she is a beautiful white swan.

* AbusiveParents: Von Rothbart has been neglecting and undermining his daughter's self esteem for all her life. [[spoiler: He also steals her magic regularly and uses PeoplePuppets magic on her to further his plans. Few people can blame Odile for killing him.]]

* BodySnatcher: [[spoiler: Von Rothbart uses magic to [[PeoplePuppets take control of Odile]] at the ball so that she can seduce and distract Siegfried -- or at least, not warn him.]]

* DancesAndBalls

* NoWomansLand: While high born women are treated with respect, they are still considered pawns and chattel by their fathers. Lower class women on the other hand are constantly disrespected and mistreated. Even Clothilde's scheming is largely prompted by her frustration that she would not be allowed to rule in her own right.
** The finale [[spoiler: with Odile being brought onto the council]] suggests that Seigfried is working on fixing this, if only a little.

* DrivenToSuicide: The gypsy girl. This has a lot of FridgeBrilliance to it, as the Roma have a strong culture around purity and for a Roma girl to lose her virginity -- ''especially'' to an outsider -- before marriage makes her "dirty" and "unclean" by their culture, not to mention an automatic outcast.
Medieval culture in general frowned on this too of course.

* IronicHell: Averted for Clothilde, [[spoiler: she gets the real thing, FireAndBrimstoneHell if the religious views shown throughout the book are any indication.]]

* LoveAtFirstSight: Siegfried for Odette, and Odette quickly follows him. Interestingly, one mostly sees this happening from ''Odile'' aka outsider's view, which actually enhances the heartwarming aspects of it.

* NoWomansLand: While high born women are treated with respect they are still considered pawns and chattel by their fathers. Lower class women on the other hand are constantly disrespected and mistreated. Even Clothilde's scheming is largely prompted by her frustration that she would not be allowed to rule in her own right.

* ExactWords: Siegfried swears to marry the woman who is standing next to him. Whoops.

* AllMenArePerverts: Yup. From the selfish prince to the priests. Some of them grow out of it and become sympathetic characters.

* AllMenArePerverts: Yup. From the selfish prince to the priests.

* BelligerentSexualTension: Odile and Benno have a lighter version of this, mostly thanks to their first meeting being...''unique''.

* [[BoltOfDivineRetribution Bolt of Sorcerous Retribution]]: [[spoiler: This is how von Rothbart puts an end to Clothilde's wickedness. Her fellow plotter Uwe is caught in it but he survives enough to make a full confession and reveal every amoral thing Clothilde has done. Had Clothilde survived she would have been humiliated and lost everything she had worked for. Soon after that [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Odile does the same to him.]]]]
* ChekhovsGun: Odile casually mentions at one point that wizards are generally warded against ordinary weapons but not gold or silver, and that she and her father carries little silver daggers.

* CostumePorn: Though it's prevlent throughout the book (including for weapons!), Odile's ballgown is ''the'' moment. Think PimpedOutDress plus DominoMask plus [[FluffyFashionFeathers black swan wings]] ''plus'' [[GemEncrusted jewels all over]]. Even Odile seems embarrassed at how over-the-top it is.

* CryCute: One of the freshly-caught swan maidens at the beginning of the book. Odile's inner monologue is full of acid comments about how [[InelegantBlubbering hideous this would be]] by daylight.

* DoesNotLikeMen: Odile initially. At one point she gets hit with utter ''hatred'' for all men for the wrongs they can do. [[NoWomansLand She has good reasons for it.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: The gypsy girl. This has a lot of FridgeBrilliance to it, as the Roma have a strong culture around purity and for a Roma girl to lose her virginity - ''especially'' to an outsider - before marriage makes her "dirty" and "unclean" by their culture, not to mention an automatic outcast.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Odile and Von Rothbart. Odile admits that she would probably have done anything for him if he'd just asked...but instead he forcibly bespells her to betray her friend, stealing her ''own magic'' to do it, and that's the end of that. [[spoiler: Even at the very end after she ''stabbed'' him, Odile is such a [[WellDoneSonGuy Well Done Daughter Gal]] that she would have saved him...if he had asked. He didn't and she struck him with lightning, leaving him nothing but ashes.]]

* MundaneUtility: Odile frequently uses her magic to make life more comfortable and convenient. The time where she uses magic to clean dirty, dusty tapestries that had not been touched in decades and to make a small island in the middle of a swamp for herself and the flock to use as shelter is particularly awesome. While it might be dismissed as non-threatening kitchen magic by her father, it requires a high level of skill and control.

* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: The Baron's view of his magical punishments. It doesn't particularly matter to him whether it's real betrayal, treachery which he enticed or tricked the other person into, or just something that is betrayal [[HalfTruth from a certain point of view]].
* {{Scare Em Straight}}: Siegfried's recurring nightmare about the gypsy girl.

* ShelteredAristocrat: Siegfried in the beginning is very selfish and self-centered. Mostly because his mother ensured that he would not be fit to rule. Later he starts to become a better person much to the relief of the royal advisers and the others around him.

* BigFancyCastle: Siegfried's castle is a a few times larger than the large Von Rothbart manor.

* TheScourgeOfGod: Baron von Rothbart, particularly to the swan maidens [[spoiler:and Clothilde]].

* DrivenToSuicide: The gypsy girl. This has a lot of FridgeBrilliance to it, as the Roma have a strong culture around purity and for a Roma girl to lose her virginity - ''especially'' to an outside - makes her "dirty" and "unclean" by their culture, not to mention an automatic outcast.

* DrivenToSuicide: The gypsy girl.

* CostumePorn: Odile's ballgown. Think PimpedOutDress plus DominoMask plus [[FluffyFashionFeathers black swan wings]] ''plus'' [[GemEncrusted jewels all over]]. Even Odile seems embarrassed at how over-the-top it is. Deserves double mention since it's one of the few (if ''only'') outfits to get so lovingly detailed.

* CostumePorn: Odile's ballgown. Think PimpedOutDress plus DominoMask plus [[FluffyFashionFeathers black swan wings]] ''plus'' [[GemEncrusted jewels all over]]. Even Odile seems embarrassed at how over-the-top it is.

* [[BoltOfDivineRetribution Bolt of Sorcerous Retribution]]: [[spoiler: This is how von Rothbart puts an end to Clothilde's wickedness. Her fellow plotter Uwe is caught in it but he survives enough to make a full confession and reveal every amoral thing Clothilde has done. Had Clothilde survived she would have been humiliated and lost everything she had worked for.]]