Sic Semper Tyrannis is a series of independently published books by Eli Solitas.
Four strangers in a turbulent climate are thrown into a cosmic plan far larger than themselves. A rebel soldier has just discovered that he lacks the ability to die. A wandering pariah in Patria watches as sickness spreads from the south. A wounded young apostle from the southwest sets off to a world they do not understand. A world-weary smuggler strikes out with a gun, a plan and the weight of the world on her shoulders.
They’ve all got secrets. Everybody is afraid these days. The world is changing. This will not end well. Trust is not easily obtained, and between the tyrannical rule of ancient dynasties, the sinister practices of postmodern cults and communes and a timeless class struggle that might tear the whole system apart, things are collapsing from the bottom up.
Little do these four strangers know, they are the first of many.
The books are divided into three cycles; the God Cycle, the War Cycle, and the Human Cycle. The books are currently in the middle of the God Cycle.
The God Cycle:
- Sic Semper Tyrannis: Passage was released in July 2020.
- Sic Semper Tyrannis: Serendipity was released in September 2020.
- Sic Semper Tyrannis: Oculus was released in October 2020.
Sic Semper Tyrannis contains examples of:
- Action Girl: Victory is a prime example of this.
- Code Name: For safety reasons, those on the Blue Road often use code names. These names are usually unconventional, i.e. Victory, Immortal, Baby, and it’s easy to tell when someone’s not using a code name.
- Crapsack World: The world is plagued with war and death. The authorities can't be trusted. On top of that, people have to deal with horrors roaming the land.
- Dude, Not Funny!:Siro: They used to need somebody small to plant stuff in the vents. Like, dead animals, to make the whole place stink. And they used to think it was so funny I was from Haf, because of everything. So sometimes they'd shut off both ends of the vent until I, like, begged them to let me out.
Teigr: That's - That's not funny. - Everything's Sparkly with Jewelry: Bailey wears a lot of jewelry. A lot. Impetus describes him as resembling a disco ball.
- Eye Motifs: There are a lot:
- Oculus is the name of a god and its religion. It means "eye" in Latin. Oculan churches are decorated with eye shapes. Certain sects of Oculans have one of their eyes gouged out.
- In the physical books, the section breaks are a simple drawing of an eye. It’s implied to be the drawing Baby receives from an Oculan child in Passage.
- Gratuitous Latin: “Sic semper tyrannis” translates to “thus always to tyrants.” The phrase states that bad outcomes will eventually befall tyrants.
- The Latin meaning of "impetus" is "to rush upon/attack." Their siblings are also named after Latin words.
- Novus’ name translates to “new.” It can also mean young, inexperienced, or revived.
- Oculus, which means "eye" in Latin.
- Rubrum, which translates to "red" in Latin.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Every book is a One-Word Title.
- Loyal Animal Companion: Babs to Siro.
- Meaningful Name:
- Victory chose her name because she “wins a lot of fights.”
- Baby is named after his naïveté.
- Impetus, Enutriet, Interitus, and Luo are named after Latin words. They roughly mean attack, destruction, nurture, and atone/pay respectively.
- The English definition of impetus is “the force or energy with which a body moves.”
- Teigr Aragon is revealed to be the leader of the Wolves.
- Novus’ name translates to “new.” It can also mean young, inexperienced, or revived.
- Meaningful Rename: Jamie finally accepting his name as “Baby” acts as a rite of passage.
- Oh, My Gods!: Is said a lot.
- One-Word Title: Every book is named after a word of importance, sometimes an Arc Word.
- Passage
- Serendipity
- Parental Substitute: Victory becomes this when she meets Baby.
- Resurrective Immortality: Siro is unable to stay dead.
- Those Two Guys: Anna and Quinn.
- War Is Hell: The books begin in the middle of a fierce war. Serendipity begins with an entire base being bombed. People are scared and untrusting. Dying is a very real probability.
