Miserere: An Autumn Tale is a dark fantasy novel by Teresa Frohock.
In a world where all faiths are real, a society of exorcists keep endless guard to prevent Hell from escaping to attack Earth. But Catarina has instead made a deal with a devil and is going to unleash them. Her captive brother Lucian takes a chance to escape, and has to rescue a foundling — a character brought from Earth — by magic he is forbidden to use, which sets the opposing forces against him as well.
Tropes included:
- All Myths Are True: Any religion can hold off the demons.
- And I Must Scream: Implied with the Rosa.
- Bearer of Bad News: Rachael tells Lucian, and has him tell Lindsey.
- Blood Magic: Names written in blood are especially powerful.
- Cain and Abel: Lucian and Catarina.
- Charm Person: Catarina gains a voice that causes this.
- Children Are Innocent: One character warns against trusting this trope.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Catarina inflicts it.
- Cool Sword: Don't steal their swords. It doesn't work for you.
- Damsel in Distress
- Deal with the Devil: Catarina has struck one
- Distressed Dude: Lucian
- Dreaming of Things to Come: Most people in Woerld can't dream. If you dream, it is prophetic.
- Due to the Dead: Rachael does it for Lucian's sake, not the dead woman's.
- Evil Is Deathly Cold: Catarina's amulet
- Evil Uncle: Lucian and Catarina's back story
- Familiar: Cerebus.
- A Friend in Need: Lucian to Lindsey
- Garden of Evil: The Rosa. Only without the evil.
- Glad To Be Alive Kiss: They remember their past in time for it to stop.
- Go On Without Me
- Green-Eyed Monster: Catarina
- The Hedge of Thorns: The Rosa's purpose.
- Herald: A priest sends Lucian on his escape.
- Human Sacrifice: Catarina's plan.
- I Know Your True Name: Part of the magic
- It's All About Me: Catarina
- It Was a Gift
- Light 'em Up: The light spell
- Light Is Good: Only good guys can cast the light spell.
- Like a Son to Me: What John had said to Lucian when he was convicted.
- Love Triangle: A sister and lover toward Lucian — because Catarina insisted on it.
- Magic Feather: Lucian explains that Lindsey is the source of the power, not the Psalter, which he merely gave her to help her focus.
- Mordor: The Barren
- Naïve Newcomer: Lindsey
- Our Ghosts Are Different
- Parental Substitute: Lindsey explicitly contrasts Lucian's pride in her with her own father.
- Peaceful in Death: Rachael thinks on the aversion.
- Power of Love: Matthew's ghost tells Lucian that God's power, based on love, is stronger.
- The Promise: Lucian's, to his sister.
- Protective Charm: Lucian tells Lindsey that the Psalter is this.
- Protectorate: Catarina to Lucian. This is a problem.
- Rule of Three: Lucian denies Catarina three times.
- Scars Are Forever: Lucian's limp
- Shrouded in Myth: The Rosa. Lucian picks the most palatable explanation of the fate of those it trapped for Lindsey; turns out that none of them are true.
- So Proud of You: Lindsey picks this up when he tells her she's Katharos.
- Tears of Blood: Katharos shed them on contact with the Fallen
- Tears of Fear: Lindsey asks if you're whiney to shed them.
- Tears of Joy: At one point, Lucian think he could shed them.
- Thicker Than Water: An argument Catarina uses on Lucian
- Title Drop
- Trapped in Another World: Everyone who comes through the Veil.
- Unable to Cry: It takes Lucian some time after he kills Catarina.
- The Un Favourite: Lindsey
- What You Are in the Dark: Rachael refuses an offer from Caleb that he do something alone because she would know she wasn't there.
- When Trees Attack: The Rosa moves.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Characters are brought into the Woerld, but never out.
