History Literature / OperationChaos

* VirginPower: During the War, Virginia had developed the magics that went with being a virgin. After her marriage, she has to retool her skills.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

* SenseOfProportion: At one point, while hiding in the Cult's temple to [[spoiler:search for evidence of his daughter's kidnapping]], Stephen is stated as "waiting three hundred million microseconds (5 minutes), feeling each one of them."

* SenseOfProporation: At one point, while hiding in the Cult's temple to [[spoiler: search for evidence of his daughter's kidnapping]], Stephen is stated as "waiting three hundred million microseconds (5 minutes), feeling each one of them."

The narrator (a [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf]]) recounts a series of tales (originally four separate short stories) involving various paranormal adventures, from WorldWarII (which took place against an Arab Caliphate that invaded the United States) through the Sixties, culminating in one that links them all together.

* AManIsNotAVirgin: A male wizard in a unicorn-using cavalry unit hastily points out that he's a liaison officer who travels by flying broomstick (since riding a unicorn would imply that he's a virgin).

%%* DepravedBisexual: [[spoiler:The incubus/succubus.]]

* LanguageOfMagic: Magic works much more effectively if the caster uses an esoteric language -- esoteric to his/her culture, that is (Steven at one point creates a minor but effective spell in PigLatin). So student mages come to the U.S. from Africa or Asia to learn spells in American street slang. Simple LawOfSimilarity, obviously; you can not expect to get extraordinary results from ordinary language.

%%* BeastOfBattle: Steven ''is'' one.

%%* ChildrenAreInnocent
%%* CreepyCathedral

%%* DefrostingIceQueen: Virginia, Steven's partner in WW2 [[spoiler:and eventual wife.]]

%%* ElementalEmbodiment

%%* GoodCopBadCop: Steven and Virginia.

%%* LanguageOfMagic
%%* TheLegionsOfHell

%%* OurGeniesAreDifferent

%%* RagtagBunchOfMisfits

%%* SmokingIsCool
%%* TakenForGranite
%%* ToHellAndBack: Literally.

%%* VirginPower

%%* WeatherDissonance
%%* YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb

* CatsAreMean: Svartalf treats Steve like dirt.

* DefrostingIceQueen: Virginia, Steven's partner in WW2 [[spoiler:and eventual wife.]]
* DemonLordsAndArchdevils: [[spoiler: One of whom is Hitler!]]
* DepravedBisexual: [[spoiler:The incubus/succubus.]]

* KnowNothingKnowItAll[=/=]SmallNameBigEgo: Professor Abercrombie.

* AllMythsAreTrue

* BadassLongcoat: Steven has one.
* BeastOfBattle: Steven ''is'' one.

* ChildrenAreInnocent
* CreepyCathedral

* ElementalEmbodiment

* FieryRedhead: Ginny, natch.

* GoodCopBadCop: Steven and Virginia.

* HotWitch: Ginny

* LanguageOfMagic
* TheLegionsOfHell

* {{Magitek}}

* NonHumanSidekick: Svartalf the cat.

* OurGeniesAreDifferent

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits

* SmokingIsCool
* TakenForGranite
* ToHellAndBack: Literally.

* VirginPower

* WeatherDissonance
* YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb

* BlondGuysAreEvil[=/=]BlondesAreEvil: The incubus and succubus our heroes encounter are both ash blonde. [[spoiler:And actually the same person.]]

* MagicalIncantation: Magic is more potent if and incantation is spoke in a language foreign to the caster. Although a real language is preferable, PigLatin will work in a pinch.

* FatBastard: An evil weretiger Steve encounters early on is monstrously fat in human form, because of the conservation of mass.

* OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous: [[spoiler:The incubus and the succubus are actually a single being which takes male or female forming depending on who it's attempting to seduce]].

* OtherwordlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous: [[spoiler:The incubus and the succubus are actually a single being which takes male or female forming depending on who it's attempting to seduce]].

* HornyDevils: An Incubus and a Succubus, who turn out to be [[spoiler:[[GenderBender the same being]].]]

* EvilEye

* MagicPants: Steven has a near-literal example in a [[MySuitIsAlsoSuper specially-designed combat suit]] that stretches with him when he transforms. Subverted in a scene in which he transforms while wearing normal civilian clothes and is completely naked when he changes back. Luckily, Ginny is there to [[YouMustBeCold lend him]] [[ModestyFurCoat her coat]], which is barely big enough to cover his... ahem... attributes.

'''''Operation Chaos''''' is an AlternateHistory MagiTek novel by Creator/PoulAnderson. It takes place in a world where technology never advanced past a primitive combustion engine, so instead magic takes its place in all things in an otherwise modern (for the time the book was written) setting. [[MundaneUtility Cars and trucks are replaced by flying brooms and carpets, crystal balls act as televisions, radios, and telephones, were-creatures use flashbulbs created by the Polaroid corporation to transform at any time instead of just by the light of the moon, and Ivy League colleges have courses in witchcraft.]]