Line #16 Literature/TheOracleTrilogy


1	The Oracle Trilogy by Catherine Fisher consists of ''The Oracle, The Archon'' and ''The Scarab''. US titles are ''The Oracle Betrayed'', ''The Sphere of Secrets'', and ''The Day of the Scarab'', respectively.
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3	Set in an ancient Egypt-like land, the books follow Mirany, who has been selected to be a priestess of the one god that rules over the Two Lands but who secretly suspects he does not really exist - at least until he starts talking in her head. The priesthood of the Two Lands holds that the god incarnates himself on the earth in the form of a human, the Archon, and with the last Archon dead the search has begun for the child who is his next incarnation. But the situation is as much political as it is religious, and the god has chosen Mirany as his instrument against the schemings of the rest of his people.
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5	----
6	!!This series provides examples of:
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8	* TheAlcoholic: Oblek. He kicks the habit at the end of ''Archon''.
9	* AlmightyJanitor: Kreon is a slave and cleaner in the City of the Dead. He's also the Shadow of the God.
10	* AmbitionIsEvil: Rhetia wants so badly to be the head priestess, she's ready to unleash a war over it. Seth's desire for greater power and influence almost leads to his corruption. Argelin becomes blasphemous and insane with his scheming to replace the Archon.
11	* AntiHero: The Jackal, the Fox, Seth, and Oblek to an extent.
12	* ArcNumber: Nine.
13	* BuriedAlive: The punishment for any heretic priestess, being entombed without water or air in the Archon's grave. [[spoiler:Mirany barely escaped this.]]
14	* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[spoiler: Chryse just can't seem to be able to pick one side and stay on it.]]
15	* CoolMask: The Archon and the Nine are made to wear these masks in public.
16	* CultureChopSuey: The civilization in the series seems to be a blend of Bronze Age Greece and Egypt, while the City of the Dead's architecture is reminiscent of ancient Incan temples.
17	* DeliberateValuesDissonance: No one bats an eye about the presence of slaves or thieves being brutally maimed.
18	* EnemyWithout: [[spoiler: The guardians of the Well of Songs.]]
19	* ExactWords: [[spoiler: Argelin's Ironic Punishment]] at the end of The Scarab. [[spoiler:"The Archon must die for his people" - and when you have named yourself Archon...]]
20	* GentlemanThief: The Jackal.
21	* GildedCage: The Archon spends his life in the palace, worshipped and showered with gifts, but he's not allowed to speak with anyone or to show his unmasked face.
22	* GodInHumanForm: Alexos as the God and Kreon as the Shadow.
23	* GodIsFlawed: The god frequently expresses self-doubt and fear in his chapters.
24	* GodsNeedPrayerBadly
25	* GoMadFromTheIsolation: Oblek remembers the former Archon lost his marbles after spending fifty years masked and unable to really talk with someone.
26	* HourglassPlot: ''Archon'' has Seth leaving on a travel with Alexos, while Mirany struggles to keep the city peaceful. [[spoiler:''Scarab'' swaps their roles, with Mirany going to the Underworld with Alexos and Seth staying behind in the war-torn city.]]
27	* HumanSacrifice: "The Archon must die for his people" is a society tenet.
28	* LoveMakesYouCrazy: [[spoiler:Argelin]], so much in ''Scarab''.
29	* ManipulativeBastard: Argelin, Hermia, [[spoiler: and Chryse.]]
30	* MeaningfulName: Seth is ambitious to the point of corruption and quite the {{Jerkass}} at first glance, but he shows himself reliable again and again when chips are down. The Egyptian god Seth also helped his pantheon in spite of being their TokenEvilTeammate.
31	** Alexos contains the Greek root ''alex'', which means ''defender''. Also crosses with IronicName as he often ''needs'' to be protected.
32	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The Jackal and the Fox
33	* ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler: Chryse, for majority of The Oracle.]]
34	* OnlyFriend: Oblek, to the former Archon.
35	* PuppetKing: Argelin and Hermia's plot for ''Oracle''. A hint of nepotism, too, since their favourite candidate is Argelin's nephew.
36	* RageAgainstTheHeavens: [[spoiler: Argelin]] during The Scarab.
37	* {{Reincarnation}}: The Archon is the repeated reincarnation of the god in human bodies. It's unknown if the Shadow is similarly reincarnated.
38	* RunningGag: Once by book, Rhetia schemes to becomes the Speaker yet someone ''always'' manages to steal her thunder. ''Oracle'' has the Rain Queen herself, ''Archon'' has Mirany and ''Scarab'' has [[spoiler:the very ''male'' Seth]] instead of her.
39	* ScaryScorpions: One of the symbols of the god is a scorpion. Mirany's priestess duty is to carry one for all religious events.
40	* ShipTease: Seth and Mirany have a bit of it.
41	* SourSupporter: Alexos seems to attract them. Seth and Oblek practically compete to see who can be more sour.
42	* ToHellAndBack: [[spoiler: Mirany, Argelin, and Alexos travel to the Underworld in The Scarab.]]
43	* TookALevelInKindness: Rhetia, after ''The Oracle''.
44	* UnholyMatrimony: Argelin and Hermia start as this, but their relationship frays in ''Archon''.
45	* VastBureaucracy: The City of the Dead is home to one where Seth and Kreon work.
46	* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler: Rhetia.]]
47	* WideEyedIdealist: Mirany at first. She grows out of it right quick.
48	* WomanScorned: The Rain Queen, oooh boy.
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Context Literature / TheOracleTrilogy