History Literature / KingdomsDisdain

* ''Feast of Lights'': The [[YouMeanXMas holiday special]], set between ''Sick Butterfly'' and 'Corpse Beetle''. [[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BQJRJS8X?ref_=dbs_mng_crcw_1&storeType=ebooks]]

** Names his first shortsword [[Franchise/StarWars Luke Skywalker and his third one Ewok]]

* CrapsackWorld: Some characters believe they exist in one, although the land of Laskmeer has both good and bad things about it.

* TraumaCongaLine: Both Cardinal and Sareash go through this in Blood Drain. Cardinal because of the graphic fight against the mother leeches and [DudeWheresMyRespect perceived lack of respect from his party]; and Sareash due to witnessing [TheDungAges true poverty for the first time] and [BreakTheHaughty general tiredness].

->''"But I don’t want to cure world hunger. I want to make [[BigCreepyCrawlies giant bugs.]]"''
-->-- '''Keltnin Savos''', ''Web of Bones''

-->-- '''Keltnin''', ''Web of Bones''

* ShoutOut: Cardinal names his shortsword [[Franchise/StarWars Luke Skywalker]]. The reference is obviously lost on the other characters.

* {{Animesque}}: Combat is inspired by anime battle scenes, and [[spoiler: Gamoriel takes the form of a chibi]].

* BadassBoast: Cardinal attempts this when he bravely confronts the green-eyed Elven assassin. Unfortunately, he's drunk off his ass, so all he says is, "If I had a sword, I'd stab you with it!"

BlueAndOrangeMorality: Zaiveeur, and Clokkens in general, has a moral code. It's just alien to most humanoids.

* TheComicallySerious: Mad Crossbones.

->''"...religion seemed to be part of everything they did here, like it was Alabama, only, Jesus was some kind of space dragon?"''
->''"Good dragon Christians thought I was an evil wizard."''

* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Cardinal.

->''"That made sense. They may have almost killed me and filled my body with eggs, but they made me feel damn good about it."''

* GiantSpider: In the very first book.

* WickedStepmother: How Sareash views Lady Solth. Only time will tell if she's right...

->''"The world that played itself out in her eyes might have been preferable to the one we occupy—a world where everyone has a place and a purpose, where hard work is rewarded in equality, and where justice shines down like the sun."''

** [[WordOfGod Lang]] has gone on record saying he wants to [[AvertedTrope avoid]] one-to-one comparisons of fictional races to real life cultures.

* NonIndicativeName: Because he rode into Aldroy wearing all red in a chariot pulled by skeletons, Cardinal is given the rather frightening title of "Heretic Wizard, Bloodmage". This is despite the fact that (at the time) he knows no magic and it's Mad who controls the skeletons. This actually prompts Cardinal to learn magic, so that he can "live up to" his title.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler: "The key to getting away with manipulation was to always act the fool, and Lactrun made sure to do that at all times."]]

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler: BloodKnight Sareash ultimately spares Worm, a man she fully intended to murder as brutally as possible; while Cardinal, normally the group's NiceGuy, masters enough raw hate to kill Zaiveeur, an opponent he previously regarded as a friend.]]

* Ten Thousand Teeth
* House of Flies
* Blood Drain
* The Distants
* Corpse Beetle
* Sick Butterfly
* The Spokes of Decay
* The Nature of the Beast

* ''The Tale of the Useless Prince'': A prequel about the [[OriginStory young life]] of Minister Lacturn.
* ''Feast of Lights'': The [[YouMeanXMas holiday special]], released on Lang's blog.

The Kingdom's Disdain (2020) is an ongoing series of fantasy novellas by Paul! Lang.

* Web of Bones

!!This series provides examples of:

!!Books in the series so far:

! Main Series:

! Tie-In Books:

* ''Feast of Lights'': The HolidaySpecial.

* The Tale of the Useless Prince

* AntiVillain: [[spoiler: Lacturn wants every member of the royal family's head on a pike. However, his ultimate goal is a better Kingdom for the masses.]]

* TheConspiracy: In House of Flies, Cardinal overhears what sounds like one. [[spoiler: Minister Lacturn seems to be its leader.]]
* CoolSword: The castle has a whole Hall of them. Valsrofen, the Untainted Blade, is the coolest; at least in Sareash's eyes. According to legend, it was forged by a Dragon God and won't strike anybody the wielder loves. (This has yet to be tested in modern times)

* DarkIsNotEvil

* GiantSpider​
* GoldDigger: Lady Sloth's primary reason for marrying the King. Though she also at least likes him as a person and given her background, can you blame her?
* GrapplingHoodPistol: Zaveur weilds dual harpoon guns and uses then to both attack and move in fights.

* HumansAreWhite: Averted. Most of the people of Aldroy are brown/tan, but some are darker or fairer and aren't seen as unusual. Skin tone doesn't seem to denote "Race" in this world as much as culture and religion do.

* TheMentor: Thermavorous; he taught Sareash the way of the sword early on and in general acts as a guardian to her.

* MercyKill: [[spoiler: Mad uses these exact words when he kills the mother leeches' victims in Blood Drain.]]

* AwesomeMcCoolName: It's a D&D inspired fantasy novel; they're all over the place. Mad Crossbones; the Rot Lord; Heretic Wizard, Bloodmage; Bal'Someth the Dragon God...

** [[WordOfGod Lang]] has gone on record saying he wants to [[AvertedTrope avoid]] one-to-one comparisons of fictional races to real life cultures, because of the UnfortunateImplications often associated with this trope.

* AffablyEvil; [[spoiler: Zavieur the Clokken]], in contrast to his partner [[{{Jerkass}} Worm]]

** [[spoiler: Zavieur is a hitman, but a pleasant guy who genuinely likes Cardinal.]]

BlueAndOrangeMorality: Zavieur, and Clokkens in general, has a moral code. It's just alien to most humanoids.

* ThePowerOfHate: The Decay Beam can only be used on a truly hated target.

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler: BloodKnight Sareash ultimately spares Worm, a man she fully intended to murder as brutally as possible; while Cardinal, normally the group's NiceGuy, masters enough raw hate to kill Zavieur, an opponent he previously regarded as a friend.]]

(As described on Amazon)

The Rot Lord has drowned the land of Laskmeer in fear, death, and giant bugs. One young human arbitrarily decides [[JumpedAtTheCall he will be the savior of the world!]]

Why not him?

Might as well be him.

* Ten Thousand Teeth
[[TrappedInAnotherWorld Cardinal]] and Mad Crossbones have been sent to the desolate Dust Fields to hunt a deadly beast called a zarklago. Sounds easy enough, right? How big could it be? [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin How many teeth could it possibly have?]]

[[Theatre/Hamlet Something is rotten in the]] City of Aldroy. No dark corner, cave, or chamber is safe from the influence of the Rot Lord. Princess Sareash, [[TheChosenOne chosen by the prophets of the Dragon God Bal'zomest]], has simmered to a boiling point, and so has the land itself. The quest cannot wait any longer. It begins now.

The quest to kill the Rot Lord is underway, but the life of an adventurer is not as [[HighFantasy glamorous]] as [[WideEyedIdealist Cardinal or Sareash may have hoped]]. There's a lot of [[TheDungAges mud]], [[FantasticRacism discrimination]], [[NakedPeopleAreFunny exposure]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking general discomfort]] to contend with, and magical assassins. Did we forget about the magical assassins?

Cardinal seeks guidance from a terrible astral being that speaks through the flames. Princess Sareash is left alone with Mad Crossbones. Will Cardinal survive his time in the darkness beyond the stars? [[WithFriendsLikeThese Will Sareash and Mad survive each other's company?]]

Come with me, and I will show you the desolation of Black-Raddle. Many souls were lost, many hearts broken, and clean hands were tainted forever with blood. Here, the dead walk. Here, [[MessyMaggots terrible maggots]] devour homes and families. Here, the royal scion of Aldroy stood against the hand of death.

The final showdown between our heroes and the Shadow Guild Cardinal has returned from the Desert of Eternal Night, and he has a few new tricks up his sleeve. Will his new arcane power be enough to resist Worm and his conjured horde?

* TheChosenOne: Sareash... maybe.

* CreepyAwesome: Mad, again.

* FunnyMoments: In "House of Flies", Cardinal describes the name of his favorite resturaunt in Aldroy as "Squiggle Squiggle Picture of a Horse".
** In the same book, he makes increasingly absurd guesses (Dwarf? Hobbit? Leprechaun?) at what fantasy race different shopkeepers might be.
** A lot of Mad's TheComicallySerious moments can be this.
** Drunk!Cardinal in Blood Drain.

* NightmareFuel: A lot of the monsters, but special mention goes to the Mother Leeches. They sedate animals, including humans, with their toxins, leaving them in a state of motionless euphoria, and lay their eggs inside their bodies. As parasites, they keep the animal alive as long as possible, but barely.
** The [[DeaderThanDead Decay Beam]].

* TearJerker: [[spoiler: Thermavorous's death, mentioned above. He was Sareash's mentor and the one who trained her on the sword... and she ends up killing him on accident.]]