Line #5 Literature/TheLastKingOfOstenArd


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/twwc.jpg]]
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3	->''"[[TheProphecy All the voices lie except the one that whispers. And that one will steal away the world.]]"''
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5	''The Last King of Osten Ard'' is the sequel quadrilogy to Creator/TadWilliams' ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn'' which is being released [[SequelGap over twenty years]] after the original.
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7	* ''The Witchwood Crown'' (2017)
8	* ''Empire of Grass'' (2019)
9	* ''Into the Narrowdark'' (July 2022)
10	* ''The Navigator's Children'' (scheduled for November 2023)
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12	More than thirty years have passed since the end of the [[TheWarJustBefore Storm King's War]], and all the surviving characters have aged and developed accordingly. The continent of Osten Ard has seen mostly peaceful years under the rule of the [[RulingCouple royal couple]] Simon and Miriamele, who are now about fifty and grandparents to the heir to the throne, [[RoyalBrat Prince Morgan]], and his young sister.
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14	But good times can't last - as the [[TheLastTitle quadrilogy's title suggests]] -, and something dark is stirring again in the far north, where thirty years ago the defeated Norns retreated to their icy mountain fortress of Stormspike while their queen slept. Now Utuk'ku has reawakened and she and her people plot their slow revenge against their mortal enemies. Meanwhile, in the southern duchy of Nabban, some of Osten Ard's [[BigScrewedUpFamily most powerful nobles]] are caught up in a rising conflict that's only just a step away from open CivilWar. On the eastern plains, the Thrithings clans aim to expand their territories in an increasingly violent manner; and in the Western Kingdom of Hernystir, a dangerous cult is involved with secret lore that was thought to have been banned from the world forever.
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16	With threats looming and mysteries multiplying, characters old and new will have to play their parts in the coming struggle - and not all of them will be ready.
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18	The character sheet for both this series and its prequel is [[Characters/MemorySorrowAndThorn here]].
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20	----
21
22	!!This series provides examples of:
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24	* AbdicateTheThrone: Prince Josua effectively did this ... by upholding the common belief that he died at the end of the events of the first trilogy.
25	* TheAlcoholic: Astrian, Olveris and Porto have a severe case of alcoholism, leading to Morgan wondering if they are ever actually sober - not that Morgan himself isn't pretty much an addict. [[spoiler: At least Porto and Morgan are GoingColdTurkey involutarily at one point.]]
26	* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: Slowly all the lands beneath the High King's Ward fall into war or into the hands of the Norns.
27	* AlternativeCalendar: The immortal Sithi have so-called "great years", which are about sixty normal years. A ceremony is held when a new great year begins, which is a plot point within the time frame of these novels.
28	* AnAesop: Much like the original trilogy, the clear message here is "let go of your grudges." Every villain is prosecuting a long-time grudge, many against people with only a passing relationship to the original offenders. The heroes, on the other hand, tend to prefer buckling down and getting on with the work in front of them.
29	* AndIMustScream: Dragon blood causes this. Anyone touched by it is subjected to unending pain -- both physical and mental. Hakatri has it worst by far, but [[spoiler:Makho and later Jarnulf are also affected.]]
30	* AntiHero: Prince Morgan is just as unlikely a hero as his grandfather Simon, being a drunk, dissolute, easily influenced lout when we first meet him.
31	* TheAntiNihilist: Qina. Even if the end of the world is inevitable, she's determined to do whatever she can before it happens.
32	* BatmanGambit: Pulled off by [[spoiler: Utuk'ku, near the end of ''Into the Narrowdark''. A large army of Norns is heading to the Hayholt, presumably to recover the Witchwood Crown, and as expected Jiriki gets as many of the Sithi fighters as can be spared to go help his old friend Seoman. However, it is discovered that the document from Tanahaya's master Himano, which stated the Witchwood Crown was in Asu'a, is a forgery, raising fears that Jiriki may be heading into a trap. This proves to be the case, as it's revealed that the Norns only sent a token force and the rest of the army is actually an illusion conjured by Ommu.]]
33	* BeneathTheEarth: The ruins of Asu'a beneath the Hayholt, and Nakkiga, the land of the Norns inside the mountain Stormspike.
34	* BigBad: This time, it's Utuk‘ku, backed up by Akhenabi and Ommu the Whisperer -- but it seems there's even more going on than just that.
35	* BloodKnight: Khendraja'aro hasn't changed a bit.
36	* BreedingSlave: The Norns use them to repopulate after the events of the first trilogy. Nezeru's mother Tzoja [[spoiler: aka Derra, Josua's daughter]] is one of these slaves.
37	* TheCaligula: Hard to tell if King Hugh of Hernystir is just an UnwittingPawn in a more elaborate plan, but he is definitely a ruthless, backstabbing monarch.
38	* ChekhovMIA: Prince Josua. [[spoiler:They NeverFoundTheBody, maybe HesJustHiding or fell victim to UncertainDoom. We have yet to find out. Pasevalles ''claims'' to have lured him out to the Kynswood and bashed his head in with a rock, but this has yet to be confirmed.]]
39	* TheChessmaster: Utuk'ku & Akhenabi for the Norns. [[spoiler: Pasevalles and Turia Ingadaris respectively for their own designs.]]
40	* ComingOfAgeStory: For both Morgan and Nezeru.
41	* CovertGroup: The League of the Scroll prefers to operate beneath the public radar as its quest for knowledge is often dangerous to its members.
42	* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Sir Astrian is - surprisingly - not just talk.
43	* CreepyCrows: Crows gather for and around Unver to herald his ascention to the fabled Shan of all the Thrithings.
44	* DarkerAndEdgier: ''The Witchwood Crown'' is this compared to its counterpart in the first trilogy, ''The Dragonbone Chair''. While the older book keeps a relatively light and positive outlook for most of its run (granted, the following books quickly rectify that), the latter is darker throughout and even starts out with the attempted murder of a ''[[OurElvesAreDifferent Sitha]]''.
45	* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler: If Pasevalles is not lying, all of Simon's and Miriamele's twenty years of search for Prince Josua were in vain, because Pasevalles killed him back then.]]
46	* DeadPersonImpersonation: [[spoiler: Jarnulf.]] His true name is Gilhedur. He killed the real one and took his place when he started his mission to murder [[spoiler: Utuk'ku.]]
47	* DemonicPossession: Ommu the Whisperer besets the body of a young Norn woman. [[spoiler: And later that of Princess Lillia.]]
48	* DoorStopper: The new series certainly follows the original in this aspect, with the paperback of ''The Witchwood Crown'' clocking in at just under 700 pages.
49	** The third book will be split into two parts, ''Into the Narrowdark'' and ''The Navigator’s Children''.
50	* DoYouWantToCopulate: Nezeru tries it on [[spoiler: Jarnulf, who flees the scene. She is more successful with Morgan later on]]. Simon makes several attempts on Miriamele and is usually successful.
51	* DramaticIrony: We know from the end of ''The Witchwood Crown'' that the traitor in the Hayholt is [[spoiler:Lord Pasevalles]]. Come the third book (''Into the Narrowdark''), he's covering his tracks so well that the heroes still haven't figured it out.
52	** When Miriamele is held captive by a crazed hillbilly who wants to marry her, she consoles herself by imagining that Simon has sent the Erkynguard out to comb the countryside for her. However, since [[spoiler:Simon believes her to be dead, nobody is coming.]]
53	* DramatisPersonae: So many names!
54	* DrinkingOnDuty: ''Played With''. [[spoiler: Turns out Astrian and Olveris were paid to keep Morgan company … and a drunk.]]
55	* DroitDuSeigneur: Halfblooded Norns are required to mate with any pureblood who demands it of them.
56	* EldritchLocation: The Narrowdark Valley of the third book's title. It is filled with eternal fog, poisonous waters and plants and mutated animals and also sports a house-sized [[OurOgresAreHungrier ogre]] that hunts down any unlucky visitors.
57	* EvilChancellor: [[spoiler: Pasevalles]], exactly by the book.
58	* EvilGloating: [[spoiler:Pasevalles]] just can't help himself when he finally has Simon imprisoned in a dungeon, having declared him dead.
59	* EvilOrphan: [[spoiler: Pasevalles]], though his wrath is somewhat understandable because of his OrphansOrdeal.
60	* {{Expy}}: Prince Morgan is one for Shakespeare's Prince Hal. He clearly has the potential to be a great king one day, but for now he's slumming in taverns with his alcoholic companions, including one MilesGloriosus who's much older than the others.
61	* FolkHorror: The Hernystir storyline has aspects of it, with King Hugh making covenant with the Norns after resurrecting a pre-Aedonite faith.
62	* GladToBeAliveSex: [[spoiler: Nezeru and Morgan after finally escaping Da'ai Chikiza.]]
63	* GreaterScopeVillain: The series explores the reasons the Sithi and Norns left the Garden in the first place, having somehow unleashed an unstoppable destructive force called Unbeing. While Unbeing has yet to truly exert its power on Osten Ard, the loss of the Garden is directly responsible for almost every conflict in the series so far.
64	* GuileHero: Morgan isn't worth much in a straight-up fight. His talents are coming up with ideas and befriending the right people.
65	* HalfBreedDiscrimination: Official Norn policy.
66	* HappyEndingOverride: The whole series for its prequel series ''Memory, Sorrow and Thorn''. The Storm King was defeated, but in a world as vividly drawn as Osten Ard, it was never likely that everything would be fine forever after defeating one BigBad.
67	* HauntedCastle: Naglimund once more becomes hell on earth.
68	* HeroicBSOD: Simon suffers one at the start of ''Into The Narrowdark'' when [[spoiler:he believes Miriamele is dead.]]
69	* HonorBeforeReason: The Norns' entire society is based on this principle, though with its own definition of honor which is mostly linked to executing what is perceived as the will of the queen. Also seen in some Sithi; an example is Jiriki's kinsman Yeja'aro, who needs a ''lot'' of convincing to [[spoiler:help Simon when he finds the latter in a cell]] when Jiriki's orders to him were only to deliver a message.
70	* HumanSacrifice: Well, Norn sacrifice.
71	* TheILoveYouStigma: Lady Faiera confessed her love to [[spoiler: Josua]]. It was not only not reciprocated but also very likely became an UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom for both characters -- or so it seems until we find out whatever happened to the latter after that.
72	* KlingonPromotion: Still practiced by the Thrithings-Men.
73	* KnockoutGas: Kei-vishaa used by the Sithi and Norns. Can be liquid as well.
74	* MacGuffin:
75	** The Witchwood Crown itself. Also the bones of [[spoiler: Hakatri and the armor of Ruyan Ve.]]
76	** The necklace Jarnulf sends with his letter, which is an obvious copy of the pendants the members of the League of the Scroll wear.
77	** Miriamele’s wedding ring.
78	* MagicMirror: Lady Faiera had one, an old Sithi artefact. She had no idea how it worked, but played with it nonetheless, screwing herself well over. Also she fears that whatever power resides in the mirror is the reason for [[spoiler:Josua]]'s fate -- whatever it might be.
79	* MindRape: Utuk'ku and Akhenabi are capable of this. Viyeki knows it well, so do Nezeru and Tzoja.
80	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Eolair tries to convince Vorzheva to return to Erkynland. Before he has a chance, Astrian and Olveris barge in to "rescue" him, leading to [[spoiler:Vorzheva's sister Hyara getting stabbed and Unver invading Erkynland in retaliation for his "stolen captive".]]
81	* NoSell: Apparently happens in ''Into the Narrowdark'' when [[spoiler: Jarnulf finally gets a clear shot at Utuk'ku. But much to his confusion, his arrow seems to pass right through her. It's later revealed that she and the Norn army she was traveling with were merely an illusion (lead by a small group of actual Norns) created as an act of misdirection, and the real Utuk'ku wasn't even present at the time.]]
82	* NostalgiaFilter: Several characters, but especially Simon and Miriamele tend to wear this occasionally in regard to their younger years; Simon, for instance, tends to regret that now that he's king, every decision and, in fact, every single word of his get scrutinized as opposed to how anonymous he was in his youth as a kitchen boy.
83	* NothingIsScarier: For most of ''Into the Narrowdark'', the ogre in the Narrowdark Valley is never seen and only his giant footprints are found.
84	* NotQuiteDead:
85	** [[spoiler:Lady Faiera]], though she was assumed to be.
86	** [[spoiler:Miriamele]] in ''Into the Narrowdark'', from the perspective of Earl Durward's family.
87	* ObnoxiousInLaws: Simon and Miriamele have little love for their daugther-in-law Idela, and like her parents not much better.
88	* OldSoldier:
89	** Eolair was already middle-aged during the original trilogy. Now he's pushing eighty, but still more than capable of riding around on adventures.
90	** Simon is no slouch himself when he participates in a battle to break a siege in ''Into the Narrowdark''.
91	* TheOrder: The League of the Scroll, founded by Ealsthan Fiskerne about two hundred years ago, is still active after playing a significant role in ''Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn.'' The group’s goal is to accumulate wisdom which will help protect Osten Ard and its people.
92	** ArbitraryHeadcountLimit: Never more than seven members.
93	** DwindlingParty: Decimated first by the Storm King's War, the League got back to having five members with two seats still empty. But the following years saw its members once more either dying or disappearing (Strangyeard, Faiera and Josua) and the empty spots were not filled.
94	** FactionMotto: "Podos orbiem, quil meminit" (shortened to "POQM") translating to "He who remembers can make the world anew" in Nabbanai.
95	** Members are ReasonableAuthorityFigures that should abide by the Lawful Good - if they don't, you'll easily have someone like Pryrates on your hands - or whatever happened to [[spoiler: Lady Faiera]].
96	** MembershipToken: The golden necklace with a scroll and quill pendant and the letters POQM on the back.
97	* OppositesAttract:
98	** MotorMouth Sir Astrian and Sir Olveris, TheQuietOne.
99	** Irresponsible drunkard Prince Morgan and stoic warrior Nezeru.
100	* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Simon and Miriamele's only son John Josua died from a fever and is only seen in dreams as a PosthumousCharacter.
101	* ParentalNeglect: Both John Josua and Idela were disengaged parents [[spoiler: before their deaths.]]
102	* PoisonedWeapons: The arrows with which Tanahaya got shot. Jarnulf uses dragonblood on arrowheads. And then there are the needles [[spoiler: the red thing left in the ruins beneath the Hayholt to get rid of curious people.]]
103	* PregnantBadass: Tanahaya as of ''Into the Narrowdark'', with Jiriki heavily implied to be the father.
104	* QuestionableConsent: While they do love each other and seem to enjoy their sexual relationship, Viyeki and Tzoja are still master and slave so their relationship is inherently this, especially in the beginning, where her only alternative to him was to return to the slave pens and be gang raped.
105	* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: [[spoiler: The red thing Pasevalles finds in the ruins beneath the castle and which later haunts Lillia and Tiamak and Thelía. Whatever it may be, the color spectrum does not look promising.]]
106	* ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated: [[spoiler: Both Miriamele and Simon are believed dead at some point in the story, which results in the whole realm (or rather what is left of the High King's Ward at this point) mourning them, plus a burial celebration for Miri. Yet, obviously both are alive.]]
107	* RevengeBeforeReason: Practically a way of life in Nabban.
108	* RightfulKingReturns: [[spoiler: Vorzheva wants to invoke this, because she says that Duke Isgrimnur and Count Eolair appointed Simon as the king because he would be easier to manipulate (this of course ignores the fact that Simon is a descendant of King Eahlstan Fiskerne, so him becoming king was already an instance of this trope), and that Josua's children were unfairly denied their rightful place as royalty. Unver, however, has absolutely no interest in taking the throne of Osten Ard.]]
109	* RulingCouple: Simon and Miriamele reign as High King and High Queen of Osten Ard -- though some of their subordinates sometimes have to be reminded of their equality.
110	* ScienceFantasy: While they were always there, the hints that the Sithi and Norns came from another world on starships are growing increasingly blatant -- [[spoiler:as it's mentioned that most of the eight ships landed in different spots all over Osten Ard, not even close to an ocean.]]
111	* SealedEvilInACan: Ommu the Whisperer, one of the Red Hand, who is released by Utuk'ku to aid in her revenge on the mortals.
112	* TheSmartGuy: Tiamak, Brother Etan and Aengas. Binabik as well, though he is more of a BadassBookworm. The latter is also true for Tanahaya.
113	* SecretLegacy: Whatever is going on with Josua and TheProphecy concerning his children runs InTheBlood.
114	* SecretTestOfCharacter: Pratiki to Viyeki -- though to what end remains to be seen.
115	* StormingTheCastle: The Norns attacking Naglimund as well as the rioters at the Sancellan Mahistrevis.
116	* SympatheticPOV: In contrast to the first trilogy, this one gives us [=POVs=] on several sides of the conflict(s), in particular among the Norns.
117	* SuccessionCrisis: With King Simon and Queen Miriamele's only son dead and their only grandson missing, Simon increases the search for Josua, once prince of Erkynland and younger brother of King Elias, Miriamele's father. [[spoiler: That Josua is in fact not the son of old King Prester John but of Sir Camaris is known to Simon, but hardly to anyone else.]]
118	* TomeOfEldritchLore: Oh no, another forbidden book! This time it's ''Tractit Eternis Vocinnen'' ("A Treatise On The Aetheric Whispers") by Fortis the Recluse.
119	* TwoLinesNoWaiting: There's hell going on all over Osten Ard. By the start of the most recent volume, ''Into the Narrowdark,'' we're getting [=POVs=] from Simon, Miriamele, Morgan, Nezeru, Tanahaya, Jiriki, Aelin, Qina, Tiamak, Eolair, Viyeki, Tzoja, Fremur, Jesa, Lillia, and even more as needed.
120	* TheUndead: Ommu the Whisperer. And [[spoiler: Hakatri after being resurrected by Utuk'ku]].
121	* UndergroundCity: Nakkiga. The ruins of Asu'a and Da'ai Chikiza are also revisited.
122	* UnequalPairing: Any Norn's relations with their human concubines, and specifically that of Viyeki and Tzoja. The fact that Viyeki genuinely loves Tzoja (as much as such a thing is possible) is one of the first signs that he's unusual for a Norn.
123	* VisionaryVillain: Utuk'ku on the side of the immortals and [[spoiler:Pasevalles]] on the side of the mortals. And yes, they work together. To a degree.
124	* VitriolicBestBuds: Morgan’s drinking companions Sirs Astrian, Olveris and Porto.
125	* WeAreStrugglingTogether: When the Sitha Yeja'aro is ordered to lead Aelin and his small company past the Norns to safety in ''Into the Narrowdark''. The Sitha and the humans don't get along ''at all''.

Context Literature / TheLastKingOfOstenArd