History Literature / TheLionsOfAlRassan

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* AFatherToHisMen: Rodrigo.
* AFriendInNeed: Rodrigo and Alvar.
* AloofDarkHairedGirl: Jehane and Zabirah.
* AmicableExes: Jehane and her ex from Fezana, Bakir.
* AnythingThatMoves: Ammar. Lampshaded more than once.
* BadassBookworm: Jehane. Ishak is implied to be one too.
* BadassMoustache: Rodrigo and Ramiro.

* BetterAsFriends: Jehane and Alvar.

* BrainyBrunette: Jehane, Ammar, Rodrigo, Zabirah...
* BrutalHonesty: Jehane.
* CannotSpitItOut: Ammar. Eventually subverted.
* TheCaptain: Rodrigo.

* CulturedWarrior: Ammar and Rodrigo. Ibn Musa becomes one.
* DadTheVeteran: Alvar's father is a medieval version of this trope.
* TheDandy: count Gonzalez. Ammar has shades of this too.

* DistantFinale:
* DoggedNiceGuy: Aweet Alvar...

* ForegoneConclusion:
* FrontierDoctor: Jehane and Ishak. [[spoiler: Alvar's wife]].
* GreyAndGrayMorality:
* GrumpyBear: Lain Nunez, Rodrigo's second in command.
* HappilyMarried: Rodrigo and Miranda, Ramiro and Ines. [[spoiler: Ammar and Jehane, Alvar and his wife.]]

** While not happening "on screen", Ishak ben Yonannon can arguably count. See the {{Cold Blooded Torture}} example above, and take into account that (as we learn later in the book) [[spoiler:he was completely aware of what would be done to him, but went on anyway to abide by his oath as a physician]].

* HistoricalFantasy:
* HolierThanThou: Ines of Valledo.
* HospitalHottie: Jehane. [[spoiler: Alvar becomes one.]]
* TheLancer: Lain to Rodrigo.

* MamaBear: Miranda and Zabirah. Both are also a case of StaceysMom.
* MarriedToTheJob: Jehane. [[spoiler: subverted when she marries Ammar.]]

* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Rodrigo and Amar.

* PapaWolf: Rodrigo.

* TheStrategist: Mazur. Ammar is this for Cartada.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Ammar.

* TwoLinesNoWaiting:
* WarriorPoet: Ammar.

** Later, Ammar himself is exiled on Almalik II's orders [[spoiler: for murdering Almalik I as instructed]].

** Later, Ammar himself is exiled on Almalik II's orders [[spoiler for murdering Almalik I as instructed]].

* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: A minor example. Offscreen, Ammar murders ibn Musa's steward for telling him where ibn Musa went on the grounds that the servant was treacherous and would have revealed the merchant's whereabouts.

[[StartToCorpse The story begins with murder]]. King Almalik of Cartada, the largest of the three Asharite kingdoms in Al-Rassan, arranges for a large number of his enemies slain in one afternoon. The Kindath physician, Jehane bet Ishak, inadvertedly keeps one of her patients from the execution, and is forced to flee her home town of Fezana. Following the event, the notorious military strategist and poet Ammar ibn Khairan of Cartada, former advisor of Almalik, is exiled. Meanwhile, in the Jaddite-controlled north, renowned Captain Rodrigo Belmonte, the man used to collect tribute from the southern kingdoms, is ordered south to quell a feud with his rival Gonzalez de Rada, and to do reconnaissance on the Asharite kingdoms in preparation for war.

* BiTheWay: Ammar and Sir Rezzoni. Rodrigo seems to be more AmbigouslyBi.

** The name "Asharite" comes from the Ash'arite school of Islamic theology [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asharite]] , which (along with the Maturidi and Athari) is one of the three classical schools of Sunni Muslim theology. For most of the Middle Ages, the Ash'arite school was the most widespread and dominant, including in Muslim Spain.
* CueTheSun: in the dramatic second battle between Ammar and Rodrigo.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: all courts described in the story fit the bill.

* DoggedNiceGuy: sweet Alvar...

* FieryRedhead: you don't mess with Miranda Belmonte.

* WellDoneSonGuy: Almalik the second. Jehane and Ibn hasan's sons have shades of this too.

[[StartToCorpse The story begins with murder]]. King Almalik of Cartada, the largest of the three Asharite kingdoms in Al-Rassan, arranges for a large number of his enemies slain in one afternoon. The Kindath physician, Jehane bet Ishak, inadvertedly keeps one of her patients from the execution, and is forced to flee her home town of Fezana. Following the event, the notorious military strategist and poet Ammar ibn Khairan of Cartada, former advisor of Almalik, is exiled. Meanwhile, in the Jaddite-controlled north, renounced Captain Rodrigo Belmonte, the man used to collect tribute from the southern kingdoms, is ordered south to quell a feud with his rival Gonzalez de Rada, and to do reconnaissance on the Asharite kingdoms in preparation for war.

* {{My Country Right or Wrong}} : Rodrigo and Amar.
* {{Nice Hat}}: Ibn Musa's leather hat.
* {{No Celebrities Were Harmed}}: Rodrigo Belmonte is based on El Cid.
* {{Papa Wolf}}: Rodrigo.
* Perfect Poison: Played straight in the murder of Almalik the first. [[spoiler: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with the poisoned arrow that hits Queen Ines.]]

* {{Tall DarkAndHandsome}}: Ammar.

* {{Triang Relations}}: Jehane, Ammar and Rodrigo. Type 3.

* {{Two Lines No Waiting}}

* {{What a Senseless Waste of Human Life}}: the massacre(s) in Fezana.

* {{Vestigial Empire}}: Al-Rassan, which has fallen far from its height.

* {{Anything That Moves}}: Ammar. Lampshaded more than once.

* {{Berserk Button}}: Don't bring up Raymundo's death in front of Rodrigo. It will end badly.

* {{Betty And Veronica}}: Jehane is Archie, Alvar the Betty and Ammar the Veronica. Mazur and Rodrigo were teased as a mixture of the two.

* {{Bittersweet Ending}}
* {{Blithe Spirit}}: Ibn Musa.

* {{Brainy Brunette}}: Jehane, Ammar, Rodrigo, Zabirah...
* {{Brutal Honesty}}: Jehane.
* {{Cannot Spit It Out}}: Ammar. Eventually subverted.

* {{Cold Blooded Torture}}: Ishak ben Yonannon, Jehane's father, had his eyes and tongue cut out for saving the life of the king's concubine; that is, in order to properly save her during childbirth, he had to see her naked. His eyes were taken for having seen her naked; his tongue, so he would never describe her beauty to others. Note that this was the king's way of showing mercy - had he given in to the priests' demands, Ishak would have been killed.
* {{Crystal Dragon Jesus}}: The Asharites are Muslims, the Jaddites are Christians, and the Kindath are Jews.

* {{Cue the Sun}}: in the dramatic second battle between Ammar and Rodrigo.

* {{The Dandy}}: count Gonzalez. Ammar has shades of this too.
* {{Deadly Decadent Court}}: all courts described in the story fit the bill.
* {{Deadpan Snarker}}: Pretty much every single character, though it's frequently lampshaded regarding Jehane and Ammar. Overall, it's pretty much a {{World Of Snark}}.

* {{Dirty Coward}}: Garcia.

* {{Distant Finale}}
* {{Dogged Nice Guy}}: sweet Alvar...
* {{Fantasy Counterpart Culture}}: The world is an analogue to Medieval Spain.
* {{Fiery Redhead}}: you don't mess with Miranda Belmonte.

* {{Foregone Conclusion}}
* {{Frontier Doctor}}: Jehane and Ishak. [[spoiler: Alvar's wife]].
* {{Grey And Gray Morality}}

* {{Has A Type}}: Rodrigo has a thing for [[DeadpanSnarker Deadpan snarkers]].

* {{Heroic Sacrifice}}: [[spoiler:Mazur ben Avren]].

* {{Historical Fantasy}}
* {{Holier than Thou}}: Ines of Valledo.

* {{Light Feminine And Dark Feminine}}: Jehane (light) and Zabirah (dark).
* {{Mama Bear}}: Miranda and Zabirah. Both are also a case of StaceysMom.

* {{Meaning fulName}}: Almalik means "the king" in Arabic. "King Almalik" doubles as a DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment.

** The name "Asharite" comes from the Ash'arite school of Islamic theology [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash'ari]] , which (along with the Maturidi and Athari) is one of the three classical schools of Sunni Muslim theology. For most of the Middle Ages, the Ash'arite school was the most widespread and dominant, including in Muslim Spain.

* {{BadassBookworm}}: Jehane. Ishak is implied to be one too.
* {{Badass Moustache}}: Rodrigo and Ramiro.

* {{BiTheWay: Ammar and Sir Rezzoni. Rodrigo seems to be more AmbigouslyBi.

* {{Dogged Nice Guy}}: sweet Alvar..

** Also, Queen Inez, who can be seriously sassy, and is clearly an adult version of the SpiritedYoungWoman}} trope.

** Alvar is very specific- he fell in love twice, both were [[Kindath physicians, with dark hair and light eyes, and have a famous physician father. Could this be a RaceFetish?]]

* WillTheyOrWontThey}}: Ammar and Jehane. [[spoiler: they do]].

* {{Chekhov's Gun}}: A duel between Rodrigo and Ammar is suggested as a solution to a debate on Ammar's worth to Ragosa. Both men refuse while staring each other down and the mood becomes suddenly grim, as Ammar explains that if they ever fight, he doubts it would be for entertainment or to determine wages.

Jehane meets Ammar in Fezana in the day of the massacre, the day that will changes their lives forever. However, they part ways as Jehane flees the city. Outside the city walls she meets Rodrigo, as he settles old debts with Garcia de Rada in the midst of a particularly ugly battle. Rodrigo's life also take a turn that day, as he is sent to exile by his king, Ramiro of Valledo, following the events.

[[StartToCorpse The story begins with murder]]. King Almalik of Cartada, the largest of the three Asharite kingdoms in Al-Rassan, arranges for a large number of his enemies slain in one afternoon. The Kindath physician, Jehane bet Ishak, inadvertedly keeps one of her patients from the execution, and is forced to flee her home town of Fezana. Following the event, the notorious military strategist and poet Ammar ibn Khairan of Cartada poisons king Almalik at the behest of the king's son, and is exiled. Meanwhile, in the Jaddite-controlled north, renounced Captain Rodrigo Belmonte, the man used to collect tribute from the southern kingdoms, is ordered south to quell a feud with his rival Garcia de Rada, and to do reconnaissance on the Asharite kingdoms in preparation for war.

* GrumpyBear: Lain Nunez, Rodrigo's

[[StartToCorpse The story begins with murder]]. King Almalik of Cartada, the largest of the three Asharite kingdoms in Al-Rassan, has a number of his enemies slain in one afternoon. The Kindath physician, Jehane bet Ishak, inadvertedly keeps one of her patients from the execution, and is forced to flee. The assassin Ammar ibn Khairan knocks off Almalik at the behest of the king's son, and is exiled. Meanwhile, in the Jaddite-controlled north, Captain Rodrigo Belmonte, the man used to collect tribute from the southern kingdoms, is ordered south to quell a feud with his rival Garcia de Rada, and to do reconnaissance on the Asharite kingdoms in preparation for war.

There have been rumours of a film adaptation, which have as yet come to nothing.

* BadassBookwarm: Jehane. Ishak is impled to be one too.
* BadassMoustache: Rodrigo and Ramiro.
* BettyAndVeronica: Jehane is Archie, Alvar the Betty and Amar the Veronica. Mezur and Rodrigo were teased as a mixture of the two.
** Jehane is the Betty and Zabirah is the Veronica to both Amar and Mezour.
* BiTheWay: Amar and Sir Rezzoni. Rodrigo seems to be more AmbigouslyBi.

* BlithSpirit: Iben Mouzza.
* BrainyBrunette: Jehane, Amar, Rodrigo, Zabirah...

* {{Cue the Sun}}: in the dramatic second battle between Amar and Rodrigo.
* TheDandy: count Gonzalez. Amar has shades of this too.

* DeadpanSnarker: Pretty much every single character. It's pretty much a WorldOfSnark.

* DoggedNiceGuy: sweet Alvar..

* FireyRedhead: you don't mess with Miranda Belmonte.
** Also, Queen Inez, who can be seriously sassy, and is clearly an adult version of the SpiritedYoungWoman trope.

* FrontierDoctor: Jehane and Ishak. [[spoiler: Alvar's wife]].

* HasAType: Rodrigo has a thing for [[DeadpanSnarker Deadpan snarkers]].
** Alvar is very specific- he fell in love twice, both were [[Kindath physicians, with dark hair and light eyes, and have a famous physician father. ]]

* {{Holier than Thou}}
* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Jehane (light) and Zabirah (dark).
* MamaBear: Miranda and Zabirah. Both are also a case of StaceysMom.
* MeaningfulName: Almalik means "the king" in Arabic. "King Almalik" doubles as a DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment.

* NiceHat: Iben Mouzza's leather hat.

* PapaWolf: Rodrigo.
* PerfectPoison: Played straight in the murder of Almalik the first. [[spoiler: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with the poisoned arrow that hits Queen Ines.]]
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Amar.

** In world HoYay rumors attribute this trope to the mentorship of Amar over Almalik the first.

* {{What a Senseless Waste of Human Life}}: the massacre(s) in Fezahna.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Amar and Jehane. [[spoiler: they do]].

* {{Cue the Sun}}
* {{Deadly Decadent Court}}

* FrontierDoctor

* {{My Country Right or Wrong}}

* PerfectPoison: [[spoiler: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with the poisoned arrow that hits Queen Ines.]]

* {{What a Senseless Waste of Human Life}}

!!This work contains the following tropes:

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* Teacher/Student Romance: Jehane and Ser Rezzoni were once lovers, but it's mentioned that he sleeps with all of his female students, [[BiTheWay and some of the male ones.]]

* [[spoiler:DisneyDeath]]

** While not happening "on screen", Ishak ben Yonannon can arguingly count. See the {{Cold Blooded Torture}} example above, and take into account that (as we learn later in the book) [[spoiler:he was completely aware of what would be done to him, but went on anyway to abide by his oath as a physician]].

''The Lions Of Al-Rassan'' is a 1995 fantasy novel by {{Guy Gavriel Kay}}. Its world is based off the Spanish Reconquista.