A self-published fantasy book by some guy named Graham Jones. Taking place on the fictional island kingdom of Firdalkyl, which is apparently just somewhere off the coast of New York City. The story follows our protagonist, an introverted and rather grumpy boy named Alex Hofenstein, who came to the island to receive training from the Holy Cross, a religious organization devoted to resolving supernatural phenomena around the world. As he arrived on the island, little did he know about the upheavals that would arise in the kingdom... upheavals that would arise from the clashes between those who seek to uncover the secrets of the island and those who seek to maintain its order.
Beware of spoilers below!
The Key of Yliaster contains examples of:
- Affectionate Nickname: Rui refers to Leon as Leo-chan.
- Ax-Crazy: Joachim. Just Joachim. He's crazy enough to strap explosives on himself just to threaten other people. Then again, he's an immortal vampire.
- Bad Boss: I hope you left a will for your family if your employer is Joachim. He's killed people simply because they annoy him. Not exactly the kind of person you want to work with.
- Big Bad: Duke Gresham seems to be heading in this direction, and so is Rufus. And then Wilhelm Mengele shows up.
- Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: Rui and Leon generally engages in this. Leon if often the Tsukkomi, while Rui is the Boke.
- Buffy Speak: Rui sometime speaks like this.
- Church Militant: The Holy Cross, an organization that helped the Royal Army maintain Firdalkyl's peace.
- Childhood Friends: Leon and Rui.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Rui has a rather... unique thought process.
- Deadpan Snarker: Alex, who does not hesitate to point out other people's stupidity. Leon also counts.
- Creepy Monotone: How Leon speaks.
- The Dragon: Joachim is this to both Duke Gresham and Rufus. That is until he stabs them in the back. As it turned out, he was already somebody's else Dragon
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: Erik, who is Alex's class' drill instructor. The man has quite a potty mouth, and is not afraid to use it.
- Establishing Character Moment: When Rui greets Jonah by pulling his cheeks and asking if he is a gummy bear, you should know that she's not normal.
- Evil Genius: While Joachim might find philosophy and politics boring, he's quite good at using his head in combat.
- Eyepatch of Power: Leon sports one.
- Faux Affably Evil: Joachim can be polite, but at the same time, he's asking which part of your body do you want him to sever first.
- Fiery Redhead: Rui. Though, she's probably more energetic rather than hot-headed.
- For the Evulz: Joachim, who does what he does simply because it's fun for him.
- The Good King: King Harald is perpetually worried about his people, and is a benevolent ruler in general.
- The Heavy: Joachim. While there are other villains, he is the primary source of troubles for our heroes, and takes the more direct approach compared to the other villains.
- He Is Not My Boyfriend: Oh, Rui. No matter how much you deny it, everyone knows that you like Leon.
- The Hero: Alex
- An Ice Person: Rui.
- It Amused Me: Rui's primary reason for her antics, such as saying things like "Are you a Gummy Bear?" to other people. She simply wants to see how they react.
- Jerkass: Joachim takes the cake. Luke is also on the list, as he is a spoiled brat who doesn't respect anyone saves for himself.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While Alex generally doesn't like dealing with people and constantly mocks his friends, he will jump in and help them if the situation demands it. Leon can also be counted as one toward Rui.
- The Man Behind the Man: Wilhelm Mengele.
- Marionette Master: Sort of. Joachim can bring the dead back to life and turn them into marionettes, which he can control.
- Military School: The Royal Academy, where the Holy Cross and the Royal Army trains their new recruits.
- Named After Somebody Famous: Having Mengele as your last name is a pretty good indication that you're evil.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Wilhelm Mengele, the Alchemist of Death.
- Nice Guy: Jonah. Leon to a certain degree.
- Our Vampires Are Different: in the book's lore, vampires do not burn to ashes, but rather, only get weakened during the day. They can still be killed by decapitation. Though, Joachim seems to be somewhat special, as he does not get any weaker during the day, and can regenerate even his head, if he needs to.
- La Résistance: The Firdalkyl Restoration Movement, led by Rufus, views themselves as one. However, their actions of terrorism and the level of collateral damages they are willing to cause do not exactly make them sympathetic.
- Shock and Awe: Leon. The guy is not called "Lightning Reaper" for no reason.
- Smug Snake: Joachim, who loves to tell everyone about why he's so much better than them. Unfortunately, he can back his boasts up. Another example is Luke, who always think that he's above everyone else.
- The Social Darwinist: Wilhelm Mengele is one. In his eyes, the weak is an obstacle that will hinder the strong's growth.
- The Sociopath: Mengele
- The Stoic: Leon generally doesn't show a lot of emotions.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Chloe and Rui have this dynamic.
