Line #65 Literature/AHarvestOfWar


1	''A Harvest of War'' is a 2015 LowFantasy novel by Bogdan Rafael.
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3	Set in its own ConstructedWorld, it follows a trade harbour's attempts to deal with its feudal overlord, Queen Rhona Thyll, who demands an exorbitant war tax as an excuse to sack the city, named Draeze. Since the citizens are mostly pacifists and/or have no idea how to defend themselves they have to send out letters (the tech level is early Renaissance) to friends abroad to come help defend Draeze or intimidate the queen. Prominent among these is another Rhona, a gigantic member of a race called the [[NobleSavage Wilds]] with a temper to match.
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5
6	!!This book contains the following tropes:
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8	* ActionGirl: A dime a dozen, including the main characters, but Guinevere Thyll is [[TheAce an action girl among action girls]] and even more of a MemeticBadass in-universe than her cousin the queen. This is all considered perfectly normal for the most part.
9	* ActualPacifist: Ayan. Her only contribution in combat is to put out the fires on a man who gets an incendiary bomb to the head and lead him to safety.
10	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: The Alesians, natives of the region just to the east of Draeze, seem to be this, being clearly the most vicious Thyll Mooks. They are infamous for their banditry and even some of their allies are disgusted by them.
11	%%* AntiHero: Wild Rhona. Most heroic characters.
12	* BadassAndChildDuo: Wild Rhona with her daughter Brianna.
13	* BadassBookworm / MostWritersAreWriters: Wild Rhona, the protagonist, has written several books including a history anthology from which the book's opening quote is supposedly lifted. Other Wilds are shown reading in their leisure time.
14	* BadassFamily: Tadhg and Rhona; Guinevere and the other Rhona; the Bors family.
15	* BadassPacifist: Ayan, for the natural ease with which she commands the respect of violent people who could tear her apart with minimal effort.
16	* {{BFS}}: Downplayed. Wild Rhona's weapon is a realistically-sized zweihander, complete with a ricasso and an extra set of parrying hooks for half-swording. Her height and strength allows her to fence with it [[OneHandedZweihander one-handed]].
17	* BerserkButton: Several cases.
18	** Touching a Wild's food is a good way to commit suicide.
19	*** Don't even touch your Wild ''friend's'' food without their permission unless you want to be yelled at.
20	** For Wild Rhona, slavers and slave overseers. To a much lesser extent, knights.
21	** Queen Thyll has a bunch:
22	*** Don't take it too far when questioning her judgment. You don't have to be a YesMan but know when to STOP.
23	*** The word "economy".
24	*** Any implication that she's not a contender for WorldsMostBeautifulWoman.
25	** DownplayedTrope with Ayan: Cussing will get her most violent reaction to anything: [[ActualPacifist shouting.]]
26	* TheBerserker: Wild Rhona claims to be able to enter a berserkergäng without drugs. She doesn't seem to need it.
27	%% * BigBad: Rhona Thyll.
28	* BigGood / SupportingLeader: Raghnall Bors. [[spoiler:Later replaced by Egil.]]
29	* BrawnHilda: The main character is ''huge,'' scarred and wrinkled. She used to be an AmazonianBeauty and still draws some MaleGaze during her ShirtlessScene.
30	* TheBigGuy: Baindur, the {{Ambadassador}} of a foreign power in Draeze. Not the tallest, but certainly the heaviest character with any sort of role in the story.
31	* TheBrute: Rare protagonist example: Wild Rhona is lighter than Baindur, but she's stronger and [[AntiHero more vicious]]. They're on the same side too.
32	** Baroness Shelby is the Thylls' Brute. Despite the title she's [[AvertedTrope not really]] TheBaroness.
33	* BloodKnight: Wild Rhona can't wait to start fighting. In fact, she doesn't, even [[InvokedTrope invoking the trope]] in her dialogue, though not by name.
34	* CardCarryingVillain: Rhona Thyll more or less describes herself as a terrorist and her cousin Guinevere is OK with being called evil though she won't tolerate "criminal".
35	* CombatPragmatist: Just about everyone; slipping away from this generally costs a character their life or at least a serious injury.
36	%%* CoolOldGuy: Tadhg and Raghnall Bors.
37	* DaChief: Cynetryth Payne, of the Draeze Provosts (Police, fire brigade, closest thing to a military). She also tries to be a ByTheBookCop.
38	%% * DeadpanSnarker: Tadhg, especially at his showboating daughter.
39	%% * TheDreaded: Queen Thyll. Even worse: Guinevere.
40	%% * EndOfAnAge: The pre-gunpowder age.
41	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The first scene is one for the main character. [[spoiler:And the book as a whole.]]
42	%% * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: The queen and Penda Mortimer.
43	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Rhona Thyll draws the line at paedophilia, though she is [[CardCarryingVillain surprised at herself]] for it.
44	* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Rhona Thyll is a very dangerous, violent bully. [[TrueCompanions Most of her knights are the same and get along with her just fine, though.]]
45	* HalfTheWomanSheUsedToBe: At one point Wild Rhona cuts a petite Thyll soldier in half at the waist.
46	* ImportantHaircut: Wild Rhona shaves her head for penitence for her OldShame.
47	%% * IntrepidMerchant: The Makimbas and Ayan.
48	* LadySwearsALot: Wild Rhona and one-scene character Sapphire Culpepper swear a lot more than the other characters and are the only ones who use CountryMatters.
49	* LightningBruiser: For their respective sizes, Wild Rhona is very fast and Guinevere Thyll is ''extremely'' strong.
50	%% * MadeASlave: Thousands of Draeze citizens. [[spoiler:Seems like it won't stick, though.]]
51	* MadeOfIron: The Wilds. Can survive such things as an arrow to the chest[[spoiler:, falling from a balcony on the same chest or an arquebus bullet to the ''face''.]]
52	** DentedIron: Wild Rhona is heavily scarred and mentions being in constant pain. [[spoiler:Ankle strength is a distinct problem.]]
53	* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate / DepravedDentist: Guinevere Thyll is a competent medic and a CardCarryingVillain, but not a MadDoctor.
54	* OddFriendship: Wild Rhona the BloodKnight and Ayan the ActualPacifist.
55	* OlderHeroVsYoungerVillain: Wild Rhona is 58; the queen is 39.
56	** NeverMessWithGranny: Wild Rhona also has adult children. Egil's mother is also mentioned as undefeated.
57	* OneSteveLimit: Averted with the main characters, both named Rhona. Still, they are not easily confused.
58	* PintSizedPowerhouse: Guinevere Thyll is a borderline example: normal, even north of average for a woman, but she can beat opponents three times her size without resorting to WaifFu. Rhona Thyll is a clearer example, being HollywoodThin into the bargain and managing the same with some difficulty [[spoiler:and a poison ring.]]
59	* RapePillageAndBurn: Both the goal and MO of the Thylls in Draeze.
60	* RedBaron: Guinevere "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Bloody Fist]]" Thyll. Ayan, of course, thinks it's childish and doesn't hesitate to point it out.
61	** BloodyHilarious: Guinevere herself is amused that she earns the nickname more as a medic (while genuinely helping people) than as a warrior.
62	%% * SatelliteLoveInterest: Penda Mortimer for Queen Thyll.
63	* ScreamingWarrior: Wild Rhona is fond of shouting and singing (badly) in battle.
64	* SlidingScaleOfRealisticVersusFantastic: Unrealistic for the separate human race and dubious psychology. Would be completely mundane otherwise.
65	* SmallNameBigEgo: Owen Thyll, the queen's son and heir. [[spoiler:So much so that his mother discards his life without a second thought.]]
66	* TheSpartanWay: Wilds are literate, have access to and understand technology. Wild Rhona is a writer/historian and other Wilds are strongly implied to be blacksmiths. They choose to live in woods as hunter-gatherers and seem to teach their children to be independent in terms of survival requirements at a very young age.
67	%% * StoutStrength: Prince Egil and Ambassador Baindur.

Context Literature / AHarvestOfWar