Line #30 Literature/TheWitchWatch


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_witch_watch.png]]
2	-> ''For centuries the dark arts have been wholly mysterious to those that do not practice them. We have mostly the church to thank for this. Their habit of burning books along with their owners has kept us in perpetual ignorance. It wasn't until this ministry was founded that we even began to study what we were fighting.''
3	-->-- '''Alice'''
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5	''The Witch Watch'' is an AlternateHistory novel by Creator/ShamusYoung, set in VictorianLondon; in which a [[ActionGirl young lady]] with a [[ScienceHero head for invention]], a [[HeartwarmingOrphan boy]] with a [[TeenGenius gift for sorcery]], and a [[OurZombiesAreDifferent rotting corpse]] with a [[DeadpanSnarker dry sense of humor]] all find themselves fighting against a [[OurLichesAreDifferent strange new threat]] to the [[UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria British crown]] while being under attack of [[ChurchMilitant the Church]].
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7	Notable for its [[ShownTheirWork historical authenticity]] and a sapid LowFantasy [[AlternateUniverse universe]] with a rather [[MagicAIsMagicA well-thought-out magic system]]. Has been likened to the works of Creator/TerryPratchett more than once, but includes just a tad less LampshadeHanging and {{Deconstruction}} and a tad more [[UrbanFantasy realism]] and [[DarkerAndEdgier grit]].
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9	----
10	!!This series provides examples of:
11	* AnimateDead: A normal use of revivification, which when not done right can bring people back feral. Particularly horrible when used on dogs. And [[spoiler: Lord Mordaunt uses this to create an army for himself.]]
12	* BlackCloak: The Four Horsemen. As Gilbert points out 'Why don't cults ever wear yellow robes? It would catch people off guard.'
13	** Which is slightly ironic, as he ends up disguising himself in a black cloak for a large part of the book.
14	* BoardingSchoolOfHorrors: To put it this way, it's unlikely that the pupils of the 'Ravenstead Academy' -- where the curriculum mainly consists of fear and only the strongest are allowed to 'graduate' -- are allowed to go home for the holidays.
15	* CentralTheme: Prejudice. People constantly underestimate each other and judge on appearances.
16	* ChurchMilitant: The Church's main activities seem to be killing things and burning evidence.
17	* DancesAndBalls: Sir Brook invites Lord Moxley and other influential people to a dinner and ball of all places to announce [[spoiler: his treachery]].
18	* DisappearedDad: Alice's missing father casts a long shadow over the story, and her life. [[spoiler:[[PosthumousCharacter It turns out he's dead]].]]
19	* DoingResearch: Alice is the Witch Watch's scholar, so it's natural her first attempt at solving a problem is to read up on it and even literally carry out experiments.
20	* ElementalPowers: Wizards are people who can invoke some of the primal forces of nature. Fire is by far the most common, but cases of wind and rain have been seen too and there are rumours of wizards with the powers of lightning.
21	* FateWorseThanDeath: Specifically ''undeath,'' having your undead head removed and buried beneath the ground where it remains conscious ''forever.'' 'We could dig his head up today and still find him screaming for release.'
22	* InstantDeathBullet: [[spoiler:Averted. Alice shoots a man with a low-caliber pocket pistol, and he survives just fine, though weakened. He even continues his verbal duel with Alice, which she lost when she, y'know, tried to kill him.]]
23	* KillItWithFire: The alternative way to dispose of an abomination, rather than leaving them as a sentient, powerless head. Also a favorite method of the Church in any situation.
24	* MagicIsEvil: The opinion of the Church and the general populace. To date most magic seems to have been used to cause suffering and destruction, although the Witch Watch has questions about how true it is.
25	* MasterSwordsman: Prince Leopold. Although Gilbert isn't bad himself, with his tactic of ''just let them stab you.''
26	%%* MundaneObjectAmazement: Simon and electric lights.
27	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Lord Mordaunt. He's even a Viscount. Of ''Ravenstead''.
28	* {{Necromancy}}: An important part of a book where the protagonist is raised from the dead.
29	* NobodyHereButUsStatues: A very non-comic example with the guards of the BigBad.
30	* OddlySmallOrganization: The Witch Watch consists of a dozen or so soldiers - and Alice - to investigate magic in all of Great Britain. [[spoiler:By the end of the book, it's been whittled down to just four people.]]
31	* OrphanageOfFear: Taking in orphans and using them as [[spoiler: an underfed energy source for dark magic]] is taking it a little far even for UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain.
32	* RitualMagic: It seems that most sorcery involves drawing the correct magic circles evenly and correctly. Wizardry on the other hand is an innate ability.
33	* SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic: Sorcery is passed down mostly through oral tradition and highly illegal books, which the owners sometimes copy, annotate, and modify through their own research. The Church has a tendency to burn and destroy anything magic they find, which makes them less effective at fighting magic than they should be. The titular Ministry disagrees.
34	%%* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: Used both ways during the ending.
35	* WhiteMagic: A point of controversy in-universe. Should healing magic be legal? [[spoiler:It turns out to be a form of BlackMagic that requires HumanSacrifice]].
36	* WrenchWench: Alice, although she studies magic her gift is clearly with mechanical things, including creating [[TitleDrop the Witch Watch]]. Close to a GadgeteerGenius.
37	* VillainWithGoodPublicity: The Four Horsemen are this and use it to their advantage. Later on it's revealed [[spoiler:Lord Mordaunt]] has built up a shiny reputation with important people as well.

Context Literature / TheWitchWatch