Darkship Thieves and its sequel Darkship Renegades are Science Fiction novels by Sarah A. Hoyt. Set in a solar system after a massive revolt against genetically engineered Mules who ruled the Earth, it features Thena, the daughter of one of the ruling Good Men, who finds herself accidentally in a ship from Eden, where some refugees from the revolt have lived for generations. Kit, its captain, saves her but insists on bringing her back, for safety.
A Few Good Men is set in the same universe and is affected by the same events.
Tropes included
- After-Action Healing Drama: Thena has to rush Kit to the doctor after Joseph tries to kill him.
- Arranged Marriage: Thena anticipiates this.
- Commonality Connection: Kit and Thena bond a bit over their common dealings with bureaucrats.
- Damsel in Distress: Thena in the opening
- Dark and Troubled Past: Kit's first wife died in a situation that made it look like he murdered her, and he won't clear his name.
- Day Hurts Dark-Adjusted Eyes: At one point bad enough to make Thena think her eyes are hurt.
- Distressed Dude: Kit, after his Heroic Sacrifice
- Driven to Suicide: Kit is thinking of killing himself after Mercy Killing Thena.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Thena's father never thinks of Kit's hostage value.
- Fallen Princess: Thena
- Heroic Sacrifice: Kit is willing to be taken captive to save Thena.
- It's All About Me: Thena's father. More and more clearly as the book progresses.
- Just the First Citizen: Earth is ruled by "Good Men".
- King in the Mountain: Thena observes that her welcome back to the lair was like this.
- Matter of Life and Death: Thena reflects on how eliminating the mentally ill was probably this, once.
- Meaningful Rename: Kit insists on it when they marry.
- The Mutiny: What sends her to flee her father's ship. She thinks.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: No one's ever brought back an Earthworm — err, Earther. A bureaucrat refuses landing permission on that ground.
- Species Loyalty: Thena's father accuses her of lacking this.
- Talking in Your Sleep: Kit is prone ot this.
- Try and Follow: How she ended up escaping the original attack
- Xanatos Speed Chess: Thena observes that she always has a Plan B, and often a Plan C, and all too frequently she has to resort to Plan F.
