History Literature / KeeperOfTheLostCities

* AnachronismStew: Sometimes [[JustifiedTrope justified]], sometimes played straight.
** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]: Sophie spent the first twelve years of her life in the human world, so her owning an iPod, referencing human literature and films, and using words/phrases that originated from the human world (specifically human pop culture, like “fangirl” and “bad boy”) makes sense given her upbringing.
** Played Straight: The other characters, who have always known they were elves, lived their entire lives in the Lost Cities and only ventured into the human world occasionally, using words like “dude” and continually referencing [[PortmanteauCoupleName ship names]] for each of the InUniverse pairings.

** Played Straight: The other characters, who were grew up as elves and have only ventured into the human world occasionally, using words like “dude” and continually referencing [[PortmanteauCoupleName ship names]] for each of the InUniverse pairings.

* ChekhovsGunman: Lots of these, including [[spoiler: Sophie's old family, who get kidnapped by the Neverseen]] and [[Marella, who turns out to be a Pyrokinetic.]]

* FatalFlaw: Most of the main characters have more than one.
** Personal loyalty gets Sophie into a lot of trouble over the course of the series. She can also be reckless, as well as indecisive.
** Fitz has issues with anger, which cause him to lash out at others. [[spoiler:This is deliberately exploited by the Neverseen in Book 7.]]
** Keefe is extremely reckless, has low self-worth, and little regard for his own life.
** Tam holds onto grudges and prioritizes Linh’s safety above everything else.
** Dex has an inferiority complex and struggles with jealously.

* TheAce: Fitz, the “Wonder Boy”. He’s the best at everything, from telepathy to splotching.

* ChekhovsGun: When Sophie interrogates Gethen in Lumenaria, there is an unobtainable sword in his cell signifying that prisoners can't do anything. [[spoiler: When Fintan, Brant, Gethen, and Alvar destroyed the castle with outward channeling, it breaks free and Gethen uses it to kill Mr. Forkle.]]

** [[spoiler: Alden]]’s mind broke in ''Exile'', making him brain-dead which, by elf standards, is [[MeaningfulFuneral funeral]]-worthy.

* Doorstopper: ''Neverseen'' is a whopping 672 pages long. (The other books are no walk in the park, either!)

* DownerEnding:''Neverseen'' ended with [[spoiler: Keefe defecting to the Neverseen]].

* Chekhov'sGun: When Sophie interrogates Gethen in Lumenaria, there is an unobtainable sword in his cell signifying that prisoners can't do anything. [[spoiler: When Fintan, Brant, Gethen, and Alvar destroyed the castle with outward channeling, it breaks free and Gethen uses it to kill Mr. Forkle.]]

There are currently four books in the series:

## Nightfall
## Flashback

* Chekhov's Gun: When Sophie interrogates Gethen in Lumenaria, there is an unobtainable sword in his cell signifying that prisoners can't do anything. [[spoiler: When Fintan, Brant, Gethen, and Alvar destroyed the castle with outward channeling, it breaks free and Gethen uses it to kill Mr. Forkle.]]

There are currently four books in the series: ''Keeper of the Lost Series'', ''Exile'', ''Everblaze'', and ''Neverseen''. A fifth book, ''Lodestar'', is scheduled to come out in Fall 2016.

-->'''Keefe:''' Someone needs to tell Shade Boy the role of Troublemaker with Daddy Issues is already filled.
-->'''Tam:''' The only people who refuse readings are those with darkness to hide.

* MeaningfulFuneral: [[spoiler: Sophie and Dex]] have a funeral that leaves Grady and Edaline stricken for a second time - first they lost their daughter, now they supposedly lost their adopted daughter, too.

* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: [[spoiler: Sandor]] [[LiteralCliffhanger falls off a cliff]] in ''Everblaze'', breaking almost every bone in his body, but survives due to Elwin magic.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: If Sophie hadn’t tried to read King Dimitar’s mind, he wouldn’t have unleashed the plague on the gnomes, and ''Neverseen'' would not have happened. Seriously.

!!Main characters include:
* Sophie Foster - a Telepath, Inflictor, Polyglot, and Teleporter (and she may have more powers we don’t know of yet!), Cognates with Fitz. An elf raised by humans, she has a mysterious past, unknown parents, and secrets hidden so deep in her memory even she can’t find them. Who is this girl?
* Fitz Vacker - a Telepath, Cognates with Sophie. A middle child.
* Biana Vacker - a Vanisher. Her beauty could figuratively cause a solar eclipse.
* Keefe Sencen - an Empath. A brilliant student, but rebellious and sarcastic (and he’s got nice hair, too!). He initiated the legendary Great Gulon Incident, but we still don’t know what exactly it was. WE NEED ANSWERS SHANNON!!!
* Dex Dizznee - a Technopath. The ultimate best friend, but sometimes he wishes he was more than a friend to Sophie...
* Tam Song - a Shade. Very protective of his sister, Linh, and distrusting of strangers. Attends Exillium. An overall very interesting person.
* Linh Song - a Hydrokinetic. Tam’s sister with a very powerful ability that can be difficult to control. Attends Exillium.
* Mr. Forkle - the leader of the Black Swan. His other aliases are [[spoiler: Sir Astin and Magnate Leto]]. He was the one to tweak Sophie’s genes and knows everything about her past that she doesn’t. His full name is Errol Loki Forkle (the initials spell ELF).
----

* TheAce:
** Fitz, the “Wonder Boy”. He’s the best at everything, from telepathy to splotching.
* ActionMom:
** Della Vacker. In ''Neverseen'', she uses her Vanishing ability to stow away to join the Black Swan, where she naturally kicks ass.
* AngstComa:
** Elven minds break from guilt, sometimes inducing a death-like coma.
* AnimeChineseGirl:
** Linh Song and her brother Tam are actually described as “like they stepped out of an anime”.
* ArchnemesisDad:
** Keefe and his dad, Lord Cassius. Lord Cassius was a cold, unfeeling father - could almost be classified as abusive - and he and Keefe never got along very well. One memorable moment is when Lord Cassius discovered that Keefe had been drawing in his school notebook, and in his anger he ripped all the drawings to shreds.

---->'''Tam:''' I melted down the chain [of my registry pendant] after I ripped off the crystal and threw it in my father’s face. Now if I ever face him again, he’ll see exactly how little I miss living in his glittering prison.
* BadassAdorable:
** Sophie. Also Dex, who explodes things on a daily basis.
* BattleAmongstTheFlames:
** In ''Neverseen'', the climactic battle takes place literally inside a ring of fire.
* BigBad:
** The Neverseen is a rebel group who delights in killing humans, killing gnomes, and killing traitors.
* BigBrotherInstinct:
** Even though they’re twins, Tam is extremely protective of his sister, Linh.
* BrotherSisterTeam:
** Tam and Linh.
* BoardingSchoolOfHorrors:
** Technically a Day School of Horrors, Exillium is a school for the “hopeless cases”. The food is horrible, the medical care is subpar, and the teachers hate their job. The students aren’t allowed to speak to each other or even give out their names, and they have to hide their faces behind masks. Their “ticket” to the next day’s class is a bead that gives you an electrical shock when you touch it. [[spoiler: This all changes after a few choice words from Sophie to Councillor Terik.]]
* BrainBleach:
** When Sophie [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar sees Silveny and Greyfell having sex]]. Ewwwwwww...
* BystanderSyndrome:
** The Council (and the elves in general). Because of their indefinite lifespans, the elves ignore addressing problems that may cause trouble. [[spoiler: Such as all the gnomes dying.]]
* ChildProdigy:
** Sophie, who also has a PhotographicMemory, got into Yale at age twelve.

* TheChosenOne:
** Sophie, the one and only “Project Moonlark”.
* ColdBloodedTorture:
** Sophie and Dex were kidnapped, tortured, and burned by the Neverseen for information about the Black Swan - information that they didn’t have. Remember, these kids were ''thirteen''.
* ConflictingLoyalty:
** Keefe feels that he was “born” to be with the Neverseen, but he doesn’t necessarily want to follow his mother. It’s...complicated.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot:
** If Sophie hadn’t tried to read King Dimitar’s mind, he wouldn’t have unleashed the plague on the gnomes, and ''Neverseen'' would not have happened. Seriously.
* CovertDistressCode:
** “Swan song” is the Black Swan’s code word for a last resort.
* DarkerAndEdgier:
** Everything starts going downhill once the ogres get involved.
* Deadpan Snarker:
** Keefe Sencen.

---->'''Tam:''' I can already tell [the trees’ shadowvapor reading]’ll be off the charts, since, y’know, the trees are dying.
---->'''Mr. Forkle:''' That ''is'' what one would expect from a plague.
* DealWithTheDevil:
** It’s implied that [[spoiler: Keefe]] made a deal with the Neverseen: [[spoiler: he agreed to join their ranks in exchange for his mother’s life]].
* DeathWail:
** Oralie after [[spoiler: Kenric’s]] death.
* DisneyDeath:
** [[spoiler: Sophie and Dex]], after being kidnapped, were thought to be dead in the first book. They have a [[MeaningfulFuneral funeral]] and everything.

* DomesticAbuse:
** In ''Everblaze'', Sophie suspects that Lord Cassius abuses his wife, even though this accusation is proven false.
* Doorstopper:
** ''Neverseen'' is a whopping 672 pages long. (The other books are no walk in the park, either!)
* DoubleAgent:
** [[spoiler: Alvar]] is secretly working for the Neverseen.

* DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent:
** Jolie Ruewen. An elite prodigy secretly working undercover for the Black Swan by pretending to join the Neverseen but she’s not sure if she’s actually for the Black Swan or the Neverseen. And let’s not get Brant mixed up in this.
* DownerEnding:
** ''Neverseen'' ended with [[spoiler: Keefe defecting to the Neverseen]].
* DudeWheresMyRespect:
** Despite Dex being the best friend ever and blowing things up and fixing an iPod, he always gets the short end of the stick.
* EpiphanyTherapy:
** Needed for Keefe after [[spoiler: he discovered his mom was probably dead]].
* EvilIsBurningHot:
** Fintan and Brant are both Pyrokinetics, and work for the Neverseen.
* EvilMakesYouUgly
** Brant is missing an ear, a hand, and his face is “more scar tissue than skin”. That’s what you get for messing with a Ruewen.
* FaceHeelTurn:
** Dame Alina, after [[spoiler: being elected as a Councillor]], tells Sophie she is “not afraid to make hard choices”. She doesn’t go back on her word.

* FalseReassurance:
** Alden’s favorite phrase is “Nothing to worry about.” Even when there are definitely many, many things to worry about.
* GadgeteerGenius:
** Dex, the only Technopath who would think of stabbing a gadget with a stick to improve its signal.
* GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke:
** Sophie’s genes were tweaked by the Black Swan in order for her to have enhanced abilities.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
** Silveny transmits to Sophie an image of her and Greyfell having sex, in a truly TooMuchInformation moment for a middle-school book series.
* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals:
** Sophie has a blue stuffed elephant named Ella that she can’t sleep without.

* HalfIdenticalTwins:
** Tam and Linh are brother and sister, but identical in every other way - they have the same face, eyes, and hairstyle.
* HazyFeelTurn:
** Keefe - [[spoiler: is he evil now? Or is he just working undercover?]] WE NEED ANSWERS SHANNON!!!
* HopeSpot:
** After the DownerEnding of ''Neverseen'', it seems nothing will be okay ever again...then [[spoiler: Prentice wakes up.]] Maybe all is not lost.
* HumansAreBastards:
** Yep.
* IAmNotMyFather:
** Keefe is an Empath like his father, Lord Cassius, and also has several marked similarities to his mother, Lady Gisela. He doesn’t want to be like either.
* IAmWho:
** Sophie is an elf. She’s also genetically modified, has not one, not two, but four special abilities, and has alicorn DNA.
* IDidWhatIHadToDo:
** Keefe [[spoiler: made a DealWithTheDevil in order to save his mother]].
* IDontLikeYouAndYouDontLikeMe:
** Keefe hates Tam because he’s a pretentious bastard. Tam hates Keefe because he can’t be trusted.
---->'''Keefe:''' Someone needs to tell Shade Boy the role of Troublemaker with Daddy Issues is already filled.
---->'''Tam:''' The only people who refuse readings are those with darkness to hide.
* IWillProtectHer:
** Tam is extremely protective of his sister, Linh, even choosing to go with her into banishment rather than let her go alone.
* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure:
** The Neverseen threatened to hurt Sophie if Dex didn’t give them the information they wanted.
* InhumanlyBeautifulRace:
** Elves.
* ItsAllMyFault:
** Guilt is a HUGE theme in KOTLC. This happens at least once every book.

* Jerkass:
** Bronte is prejudiced against Sophie for her human upbringing (in the first two and a half books at least), and really doesn’t like that he can’t Inflict pain onto her.

* KilledOffForReal:
** Jolie Ruewen was killed in a fire before the start of the series. Although we have never actually seen a body, Shannon Messenger has confirmed that she is truly dead.

* LoveDodecahedron:
** Sophie likes Fitz and Keefe, Fitz may like Sophie and/or Linh, Keefe may like Sophie and/or Biana, Dex may like Biana and/or Linh, and Tam may like Biana. And absolutely none of this is officially canon.
* LukeIMightBeYourFather:
** Sophie thinks that Kenric might be her birth father, although this is not confirmed.
* ManipulativeBastard:
** Fintan, and Brant.
* MeaningfulFuneral:
** [[spoiler: Sophie and Dex]] have a funeral that leaves Grady and Edaline stricken for a second time - first they lost their daughter, now they supposedly lost their adopted daughter, too.

* TheMole:
** [[spoiler: Alvar]] secretly works for the Neverseen.

* MuggleFosterParents:
** Literal Foster parents. Sophie’s surrogate parents are humans, and Sophie herself thinks she’s human until Fitz arrives to tell her the truth.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** In ''Everblaze'', Sophie [[spoiler: attempts to read King Dimitar’s mind, is found out, almost starts a war, and provokes King Dimitar into unleashing a deadly plague.]] Nice.
* NightmareFuel:
** Sophie’s excursion into broken-Prentice-land in ''Exile''.

* NoOneCouldSurviveThat:
** [[spoiler: Sandor]] [[LiteralCliffhanger falls off a cliff]] in ''Everblaze'', breaking almost every bone in his body, but survives due to Elwin magic.

* ObfuscatingInsanity:
** [[spoiler: Brant]] pretended to be broken by the guilt of Jolie’s death, while in reality he was sneaking away to burn things for the Neverseen.
* ParentalBetrayal:
** Keefe’s mother, Lady Gisela, [[spoiler: is secretly working for the Neverseen]]. Not only this, but [[spoiler: she attempted to kill Keefe in ''Exile''.]]
* ParentalSubstitute:
** Grady and Edaline are Sophie’s foster, and later adopted, parents.

* PhotographicMemory:
** Sophie and Keefe both have photographic memories.
* ThePlague:
** Yeah.
* PlantPerson:
** Gnomes.
* PolarOppositeTwins:
** Tam and Linh. Tam is defiant, rebellious, and fiercely protective, while Linh is quiet, shy, and drawn into herself.
* PrinceOfPranksters:
** Keefe Sencen of the Great Gulon Incident.
* LaResistance:
** The Black Swan. ‘Nuff said.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter:
** Iggy the Imp. Also the verminion.
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight:
** Sophie, too many times to count.
* SecondSuperIdentity:

* SecretIdentity:
** The Black Swan leaders all wear disguises and have code names: Mr. Forkle, Squall, Blur, Wraith, and Granite.
** Mr. Forkle is actually both [[spoiler: Sir Astin]] and [[spoiler: Magnate Leto]].

* SelfSacrificeScheme:
** To make the cure for the gnomes’ plague, [[spoiler: Calla]] sacrifices herself by turning into a Panakes tree.
* SignificantAnagram:
** “Kofler” is an anagram for “Forkle”. [[spoiler: Mr. Forkle is Leto Kofler’s SecretIdentity.]]

* SinkOrSwimMentor:
** Bronte and his Inflicting sessions with Sophie.
* TheSquad:
** Sophie, Fitz, Biana, Keefe, and Dex. You could also include Tam and Linh.
* StarCrossedLovers:
** Kenric and Oralie. They’re obviously in love, but they can’t be together due to the rule that Councillors can’t get married.
* SuperiorSpecies:
** Elves.
* SyntheticPlague:
** The [[spoiler: ogres]] bioengineered the plague to get the gnomes to be their slaves.
* TearsOfRemorse:
** Dex at the end of ''Everblaze''. He keeps saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” after he [[spoiler: permanently puts an ability-restricting circlet on Sophie]].
* TellMeAboutMyFather:
** Sophie repeatedly asks Mr. Forkle this question.
* TokenEvilTeammate:
** Coiffe, the sardonic, resentful Black Swan member. Makes sense when you learn he’s actually [[spoiler: Timkin Heks]].
* WhenTreesAttack:
** The gnomes can control trees to make them, yes, attack you.
* WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent:
** Keefe’s dad, Lord Cassius, often expresses his wish that Keefe was more “like a Sencen”.

* WithholdingTheCure:
** King Dimitar used the cure to the plague as a bargain to get the gnomes to become his slaves.
* WizardingSchool:
** Foxfire, named after a glowing fungus.
* YouHaveFailedMe:
** Wylie to Sophie in ''Exile''. Wylie wants Sophie to wake up Prentice, but Sophie doesn’t know how.

** The [[spoilers: ogres]] bioengineered the plague to get the gnomes to be their slaves.

** In ‘’Everblaze’’, Sophie suspects that Lord Cassius abuses his wife, even though this accusation is proven false.

** ‘’Neverseen’’ is a whopping 672 pages long. (The other books are no walk in the park, either!)

** ‘’Neverseen’’ ended with [[spoiler: Keefe defecting to the Neverseen]].

** After the DownerEnding of ‘’Neverseen’’, it seems nothing will be okay ever again...then [[spoiler: Prentice wakes up.]] Maybe all is not lost.

** [[spoiler: Kenric]] was killed by Everblaze in ‘’Everblaze’’, leading to a MeaningfulFuneral and PersonalEffectsReveal. As with Jolie, we haven’t seen an actual body yet, leading to some theories of how he might have survived like [[spoiler: Fintan]], but most agree that it’s fairly certain that he is dead.

** In ‘’Everblaze’’, Sophie [[spoiler: attempts to read King Dimitar’s mind, is found out, almost starts a war, and provokes King Dimitar into unleashing a deadly plague.]] Nice.

** Sophie’s excursion into broken-Prentice-land in ‘’Exile’’.

** [[spoiler: Sandor]] [[LiteralCliffhanger falls off a cliff]] in ‘’Everblaze’’, breaking almost every bone in his body, but survives due to Elwin magic.
** [[spoiler: Fitz]] gets stabbed in ‘’Neverseen’’ but somehow lives.

** Keefe’s mother, Lady Gisela, [[spoiler: is secretly working for the Neverseen]]. Not only this, but [[spoiler: she attempted to kill Keefe in ‘’Exile’’.]]

** Dex at the end of ‘’Everblaze’’. He keeps saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” after he [[spoiler: permanently puts an ability-restricting circlet on Sophie]].

** Wylie to Sophie in ‘’Exile’’. Wylie wants Sophie to wake up Prentice, but Sophie doesn’t know how.

** [[spoiler: Alden]]’s mind broke in ‘’Exile’’, making him brain-dead which, by elf standards, is [[MeaningfulFuneral funeral]]-worthy.
** [[spoiler: Fintan]] supposedly dies along with [[spoiler: Kenric]] in ‘’Everblaze'', but makes an appearance in ‘’Neverseen''.
** [[spoiler: Sandor]] [[LiteralCliffhanger falls off a cliff]] in ‘’Everblaze'', breaking almost every bone in his body. [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat But somehow, he lives.]]

** [[spoiler: Sandor]] [[LiteralCliffhanger falls off a cliff]] in ‘’Everblaze’’, breaking almost every bone in his body. [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat But somehow, he lives.]]

---->'''Mr. Forkle:''' That ‘’is'' what one would expect from a plague.

** Tam Song.

** If Sophie hadn’t tried to read King Dimitar’s mind, he wouldn’t have unleashed the plague on the gnomes, and ‘'Neverseen'' would not have happened. Seriously.

** Sophie and Dex were kidnapped, tortured, and burned by the Neverseen for information about the Black Swan - information that they didn’t have. Remember, these kids were ‘'thirteen''.

* Cliffhanger:
** ‘’Everblaze’’ ends with [[spoiler: Sophie and her friends joining the Black Swan]].
** ‘’Neverseen’’ ends with [[spoiler: Keefe defecting to the Neverseen]] and [[spoiler: Prentice waking up]].

** In ‘’Neverseen’', the climactic battle takes place literally inside a ring of fire.

** Della Vacker. In ''Neverseen'', she uses her Vanishing ability to stow away to join the Black Swan, where she naturally [[Badass kicks ass]].

''Keeper of the Lost Series'' is an award-winning book series by Shannon Messenger aimed for children ages 8-12. However, it has also attracted hundreds of teen and young adult readers due to its riveting plot, intricate themes, and death-defying cliffhangers that will make you want to throw ‘'Neverseen'' against a wall.