History Literature / TheWinterQueenContingency

* ShoutOut: An Ashe staple, particularly with Cassandra's many quotes and apropos rock and metal songs from Music/DavidBowie, Music/BlackSabbath, Music/IronMaiden, Music/{{Metallica}}, Music/CypressHill, Music/LeonardCohen, Music/YngwieMalmsteen, and Music/PinkFloyd, along with mentions of Music/PublicEnemy, Music/WhitneyHouston, and Music/{{U2}}. Also mention of Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart fitting "Dies Irae". Also naming UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli when discussing using his "rope-a-dope" strategy. There's also a subtle reference to Film/TheCrow (namely T-Bird's summation of Tin Tin's fate), "[Infected] want to eat my organs in alphabetical order."

* InspirationNod: The Prologue to Part Two ends with a rephrasing of the famous "night" narration from VideoGame/CastlevaniaIISimonsQuest, and Alpha's strike on Sarmat starts like the HALO Jump in Film/Godzilla2014 but ends like VideoGame/Castlevania1986. The title is also similar to "The Winter Contingency" stage/directive in VideoGame/HaloReach [[spoiler:which shares Part One's themes of a Dwindling Party of military elites and a coming global catastrophe. And there's a very subtle reference for the exact calendar day the nuclear war happens; three days prior was mentioned as August 26th, thus it happened on the 29th . . . as it was expected to in Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay.]]

* TheChessmaster: Angelina, following after Cassandra, in her battle against Sarmat and rebel officers on her own side.

* BlameGame: Mike and Cassandra were previously lauded for their actions in the first book, but the presumed breach of Oscar Lima that creates Oscar November is blamed on them by Karen Glory and others. [[spoiler:It's actually governmental malfeasance to make the infected into super weapons.]]

* GloryHound: Quite obviously with Karen Glory and her Glory Group.

* ChessMotifs: Begins lightly in Part One and finishes heavily in Part Two.
* TheChessmaster: Angelina, following after Cassandra, in her battle against Sarmat and nefarious officers on her own side. The implicit and explicit chess themes of strategy are light in Part One and heavy in Part Two.

As before, there are subtle and not-so-subtle AuthorTract messages around shared themes of doing good vs. seeming good, surviving vs. thriving, finding purpose/identity, connection, science, anti-authoritarianism, populism, economic inequality, civil liberties, nature, and grief, along with new themes of war, global politics, communication, appreciating life, time, the meaning of leadership, legacy, and love. Division is also a theme, as it's a two-part book series with two parts each, and Part One of this has twin protagonists. Ashe uses "division" to paradoxically emphasize unity where it may not be expected. And Ashe's ubiquitous HumansAreBastards.

* TooMuchAlike: Mirroring violent hatred, mortal enemies Elias and Sarmat each sail further over the MoralEventHorizon with whom they target (both including the relatively peaceful Sevens), revealing themselves to be even more bloodthirsty than first demonstrated.

* BookEnds: Chloe having a hand (well, paw) in bringing down an elite infected. There's also summery SceneryPorn [[spoiler:(that took about 70 years to return, providing a GreenAesop about how nuclear war is really bad)]] punctuated by a coming electrical storm.

As before, there are subtle and not-so-subtle AuthorTract messages around shared themes of doing good vs. seeming good, surviving vs. thriving, finding purpose/identity, connection, science, anti-authoritarianism, populism, economic inequality, civil liberties, nature, and grief, along with new themes of war, global politics, communication, appreciating life, time, the meaning of leadership, legacy, and love. And Ashe's ubiquitous HumansAreBastards.

* DualityMotif: PlayedWith. It's a two-part book series with two parts each, and Part One of this has twin protagonists. Ashe uses "division" to paradoxically emphasize unity where it may not be expected.

* DualityMotif: PlayedWith. It's a two-part book series with two parts each, and Part I of this has twin protagonists. Ashe uses "division" to paradoxically emphasize unity where it may not be expected.

* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Of the twin protagonists, Mike dies at the end of Part I and Part II begins with Cassandra's funeral.]]

* PropheciesAreAlwaysRight: [[spoiler:Even though Sevens are friendly, they fear extinction if they help humanity, and for good reason; even meeting with them is met with nuclear bombardment. The Reveal of Angelina being a Seven just before she defeats Sarmat means the Prophecy is still fulfilled.]]

* ShoutOut: An Ashe staple, particularly with Cassandra's many quotes and apropos rock and metal songs from Music/DavidBowie, Music/BlackSabbath, Music/IronMaiden, Music/{{Metallica}}, Music/CypressHill, Music/LeonardCohen, Music/YngwieMalmsteen, and Music/PinkFloyd, along with mentions of Music/PublicEnemy, Music/WhitneyHouston, and Music/{{U2}}. Also mention of Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart fitting "Dies Irae". Also naming UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli when discussing using his "rope-a-dope" strategy. There's also a subtle reference to Film/TheCrow, specifically T-Bird's summation of Tin Tin's fate, "[Infected] want to eat my organs in alphabetical order."

* ShoutOut: An Ashe staple, particularly with Cassandra's many quotes and apropos rock and metal songs from Music/DavidBowie, Music/BlackSabbath, Music/IronMaiden, Music/{{Metallica}}, Music/CypressHill, Music/LeonardCohen, Music/YngwieMalmsteen, and Music/PinkFloyd, along with mentions of Music/PublicEnemy, Music/WhitneyHouston, and Music/{{U2}}. Also mention of Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart fitting "Dies Irae". Also naming UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli when discussing using his "rope-a-dope" strategy.

* SceneryPorn: for the lovely natural world in Part One and the Epilogue. [[spoiler:SceneryGorn for most of Part Two.]]

* FateWorseThanDeath: What Sarmat expresses his intentions are with Angelina, including tearing out her eyes and decapitating her. When he gets the chance, his bodily positioning also implies sexual assault, done so in full view of his high command and media drones. [[spoiler:See The Reveal and Karmic Death for how that goes for him.]]

* FateWorseThanDeath: What Sarmat expresses his intentions are with Angelina, including tearing out her eyes and decapitating her. [[spoiler:See The Reveal and Karmic Death for how that goes for him.]]

* BigDamnHeroes: The story begins with Cassandra, Mike, and Chloe (yes, the cat) being this for an infected-overrun research mission. [[spoiler:Later on, Cassandra and Newland for Mike and the Master Sergeant, just as the latter were running out of ammo against a horde of the infected.]]

* ArrowsOnFire: [[spoiler:How Jeremiah dispatches all the super-important Infinite in the final fight.]]

* ButchLesbian: Angelina's overall style, albeit fitting for the world she's leading. She does use makeup [[spoiler:only for a specific purpose related to The Reveal]].
* TheCavalry: The story begins with Cassandra, Mike, and Chloe (yes, the cat) being this for an infected-overrun research mission. [[spoiler:Later on, Cassandra and Newland for Mike and the Master Sergeant, just as the latter were running out of ammo against a horde of the infected.]]

* MeaningfulName: Common for Ashe. Cassandra seeks the truth, no matter what. She's also an elite soldier "randomly" placed in Bravo group, whereas Mike (with lesser skills than her or his father; an "echo" of him) is placed in Echo. Angelina seeks peace, even while everyone around her pushes war. Jeremiah is much like the "weeping prophet" of the Bible. Sarmat . . . well, just Google what relevance his name has to a story involving nuclear weapons. His Field Marshal Belhor is a terrible devil to Remnant towns. Alpha is implied to be the very best warriors humanity has to offer in Part Two, but see Worf Effect. The Infinite Naval Ships ''Mirror'' and ''Leviathan'' each suggest what technical capabilities they have. Oh, and one guess what kind of person ''Karen Glory'' is like.

* MeaningfulName: Common for Ashe. Cassandra seeks the truth, no matter what. Angelina seeks peace, even while everyone around her pushes war. Jeremiah is much like the "weeping prophet" of the Bible. Sarmat . . . well, just Google what relevance his name has to a story involving nuclear weapons. His Field Marshal Belhor is a terrible devil to Remnant towns. Alpha is implied to be the very best warriors humanity has to offer in Part Two, but see Worf Effect. The Infinite Naval Ships ''Mirror'' and ''Leviathan'' each suggest what technical capabilities they have. Oh, and one guess what kind of person ''Karen Glory'' is like.

* MartialPacifist: [[spoiler:Angelina always tries for peace first, given so few remaining in this world. And while she said to be trained, obviously for being raised by Cassandra, she also has far more capability in battle (see The Reveal) that doesn't come out until Sarmat has pushed her completely to the limit.]]

* TheChessmaster: Angelina, following after Cassandra, in her battle against Sarmat and nefarious officers on her own side. The chess themes of strategy are light in Part One and heavy in Part Two.

* PreAsskickingOneLiner: [[spoiler:Angelina has a few choice words in her Defensive Feint Trap against Sarmat, right before curbstomping him. A primary one being a response to him disparaging her as a "pawn who thought she was a queen" by asking what happens when a pawn reaches the other side of the board. (For those unfamiliar with chess: it becomes any other piece other than a king, most often a ''queen''.) And a couple of others, being her legendary mother's (i.e., the badass Autumn Queen) daughter, ''and'' feeling like Muhammad Ali, given said trap.]]

* BookEnds: Chloe having a hand (well, paw) in bringing down an elite infected. There's also summery SceneryPorn [[spoiler:that took about 70 years to return, providing a GreenAesop about how nuclear war is really bad]] punctuated by a coming electrical storm.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: In Part Two, Angelina mirrors Cassandra (somewhat justified in that the latter became the adoptive mother and trainer of the former) and Jeremiah mirrors Mike. (WordOfGod is that Jeremiah was meant to have a personality and philosophy like Ashe deliberately, as the author was annoyed that some reviewers of the first book thought Mike was his AuthorAvatar. Ashe considered Mike to have a few shared traits for distinct characterization, but was otherwise meant Mike to be more of TheEveryman.)