Line #14 Literature/ShiftingElements


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shifting_elements.png]]
2	''Shifting Elements'' is a 2012 urban fantasy novel by Leigh-Ann Foster.
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4	Ghislaine Whowood works at Corativellus, a company invested in restoring their split world. Her place in the company shifts immediately, and continues to do so until she and her newly formed team discover something that may put a stop to any shifts.
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6	Available as an ebook on[[http://www.amazon.com/Shifting-Elements-ebook/dp/B008Z4HOC0 Amazon]] (and formerly on Smashwords.)
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8	!! This work provides examples of:
9	* ActionGirl: Most of the cast qualifies. Ghislaine is hardly afraid of combat and proves quite capable of defending herself. Hania shows off, able to handle several of the creatures on her own. Sabriel is an accomplished spellcaster, serving to train [[spoiler:Watson]] and help defend the town against the creatures as well.
10	* AerithAndBob: Justified - the setting is a post-apocalyptic-invasion world rife with magical creatures, psychics, and spellcasters who were all torn from their homes and thrust into settlements scattered across their world. There is a fantastic variety of names from all cultures and traditions to be found pretty much anywhere you go.
11	* AfterTheEnd: The Split War resulted in the mass relocation of much of the world's mundane, as well as magical population, though the world (and its people, and its creatures) are mostly still intact.
12	* AndIMustScream: A side effect of [[MysticalPlague the Blight]]. [[spoiler:But averted by Ghislaine in the beginning of the book.]] [[spoiler:She describes her time as a statue as feeling, but not in a way that's really comparable to our understanding of human consciousness.]]
13	* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:Ghislaine, who has been fighting her transformation into the earth goddess for most of the book]], does so as a HeroicSacrifice to [[spoiler:cleanse the world of the rapidly-spreading Blight.]]
14	* BadassBookworm: Watson, after his training with Sabriel.
15	* BrokenMasquerade: Taking a casual poll of the population, you will find an interesting mix of half-blooded supernatural creatures, psychics, spellcasters, and {{Muggles}}. TheMasquerade is still in full effect for some people, though many supernatural creatures are just as likely to be met with tolerance following the events of the Split War.
16	* CombatPragmatist: Most of the cast has no qualms with taking every advantage they can muster in a fight, considering most of their enemies are monsters. This extends to humans and faeries when they engage in combat as well.
17	* CursedWithAwesome: [[spoiler:Ghislaine, who doesn't want the responsibility.]] [[spoiler:Watson, who wants to keep his job.]] [[spoiler:Ormr, who wants a family.]] Much of the cast, depending on their individual reactions to their various supernatural abilities. Sort of a theme, really.
18	* DeathOfTheOldGods: Many of the world's gods have died, moved on, or been forgotten following the events of the invasion and the Split War. [[spoiler:The events of the book kick off a new addition to the pantheon though.]]
19	* EldritchAbomination: Horrible spined creatures that transmit a MysticalPlague? Pretty much.
20	* [[spoiler:EvilSorcerer: Our BigBad is a fairly anonymous spellcaster who wants to stop things changing, so he summons beasts from another plane to spread a MysticalPlague that ... stops people from changing.]]
21	%%* ExpressiveHair / PrehensileHair
22	%%* ExtranormalInstitute
23	* TheFairFolk: A few types of TheFairFolk appear in the novel, and many more are referenced, including nymphs, satyrs, and of course, the domovoi.
24	%%* FunctionalMagic
25	%%* GenderIsNoObject
26	%%* GodsNeedPrayerBadly:[[spoiler:]]
27	* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: This is Jay. [[spoiler:Until the very end, that is.]] Overlaps with TheVoice.
28	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:]]
29	* HeroOfAnotherStory: Other employees of Corativellus.
30	* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: One briefly occurs after [[spoiler:Ghislaine reverts to her statue form.]]
31	* IJustWantToBeNormal: Well, comparatively normal.
32	%%* ISeeDeadPeople: [[spoiler:]]
33	%%* ImmortalityInducer: [[spoiler:]]
34	* InhumanlyBeautifulRace: The many varieties of fae are this.
35	%%* LikeRealityUnlessNoted
36	* MamaBear: Ghislaine, Hania, most of the female characters actually.
37	* MundaneUtility / UtilityMagic: Quite a bit of both, actually.
38	%%* MysticalPlague
39	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: This trope is all throughout the book. For starters, [[spoiler:Ghislaine botches a mission before and gets herself turned into stone by a basilisk, triggering her gradual ascent to godhood.]] Later, [[spoiler:Jay protects Ghislaine by directing Watson's actions, forcing Ghislaine to recruit him, lest Jay lose his job.]] Near the end, [[spoiler:the BigBad gets close to Ghislaine, he points out that he can spread TheVirus to the whole world using her as a conduit. Followed shortly thereafter by a gruesome YourHeadAsplode moment when Jay freaks out.]]
40	* TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: Averted by Corativellus, who only wear the robes because it's traditional.
41	%%* PsychicPowers
42	* TakenForGranite: Ghistlaine begins the novel this way.
43	* {{Telepathy}}: Jay's primary method of communicating with the team.
44	%%* TookALevelInBadass: Watson
45	%%* UrbanFantasy
46	* TheVoice: Jay is this to Ghislaine and everyone on her team.
47	%%* WeirdTradeUnion
48	* YourHeadAsplode: The ultimate fate of [[spoiler:the novel's villain.]]

Context Literature / ShiftingElements