The Lost Redeemer
is a fantasy novel, the first in the Aeonica series by David Musk. The book follows the adventures of Nahlia Cole after her home is attacked by the Templars and she's forced to infiltrate a secret northern academy.
The Lost Redeemer provides examples of the following tropes:
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: It's said that Ethereum blades can cut through steel like paper. Unfortunately, these blades have become a Lost Technology over the centuries.
- The Ace: Elias is handsome, friendly, flirtatious, and considered to be the best student duelist in Whitecliff Academy. During his sister's POV chapters, she often remarks how easy things come to him.
- And Now for Someone Completely Different: Most of the book is told from Nahlia's perspective with the occasional chapter from Thane or Ciena. But towards the end of the novel, there are several chapters from Nahlia's father's point of view.
- Badass Bookworm: Nahlia starts out the first book as a librarian's apprentice. She goes on to learn Ethermancy from books since few living people believe in the lost magic.
- Battle in the Rain: It rains during Wolfe Clan’s match against Howler Clan, then again when the Templars attack Whitecliff.
- Dragons Are Divine: Subverted: Dragons are just a type of animal. Their exact level of intelligence isn't clear, beyond understanding pieces of human/Aeon language.
- Dual Wielding: Elias constantly fights with two swords.
- Elaborate Underground Base: Whitecliff has many underground tunnels and chambers including a harbor, a library, and a secret tomb.
- Fake-Out Make-Out: When Elias and Nahila are interrupted during their search for forbidden books, they decided this might get them in less trouble.
- Fantastic Racism: Many of the Aeons regard humans as inferior.
- Fire/Water Juxtaposition: Nahlia is surrounded by water in the moment she resurrects Elias. Thane is surrounded by fire in the moment Kira dies.
- Gender Is No Object: In Aeon culture, men and women both study martial arts and serve in the military. Averted with the humans, as we only see male Templars.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Nahlia is half-Aeon, half-human.
- Heroes Prefer Swords: Many of the Aeons fight with swords even as the humans develop more modern weapons like firearms.
- Katanas Are Just Better: Despite the setting being more European inspired than Japanese, katanas are the primary weapon of choice for Aeons. Many katana-wielding Aeons are able to hold their own against their gun-wielding opponents.
- Kill It with Fire: Being a Sanctifier who can manipulate energy with his mind, Thane uses fire as his primary weapon.
- Knowledge Broker: Casella Raider and Marabella Lawguard both fit this role. Each woman runs a spy network and always seems to know what the other characters are up to.
- Looking Busy: In the beginning of the book, Nahlia pretends to be scrubbing a table while she's eavesdropping on Thane's conversation with the locals.
- Ninja: The Sile'zhar are an elite group of assassins from the east who are clad in black from head to toe, leaving a narrow slit for their eyes.
- No One Could Survive That!: Nahlia survives several dangerous situations that would have been lethal for most people, most notably taking a bullet in the chest, then falling into a river from dozens of feet up. Justified due to her healing abilities.
- Notorious Parent: Nahlia finds out that her father deserted the Templar Order (the very faction that's currently hunting her).
- Pre-Meeting: Nahlia sees Thane at the beginning of the book, although she's unaware of his identity. She doesn't learn his name until later when he finds her in the Ethereal.
- Sequel Hook: The first book has several of these.
- Nahlia finds out that her mother is still alive.
- Thane swears an oath to take Nahlia to Dragonshard to see her mother.
- Ciena witnesses her twin brother die, then gets captured by the Templars.
- Cole is tasked with uniting the Aeons and humans against the invaders.
- Street Smart: Kira. Growing up as a slave on the island city of Kalamir, she's used to dangerous urban environments. In one chapter, she's able to climb out her window and follow Thane at night without being seen. She's later noticed by Joron, another Street Smart character.
- White Magician Girl: Nahlia fits this role for a good portion of the series. All of her abilities revolve around healing and protection in some way. Even when she's learning combat in Whitecliff Academy, she takes a more pacifist approach and prefers not to to hurt anyone.
- Wizarding School: Subverted: The Aeons have a secret academy, but the use of their magic is outlawed here, and all mention of it is removed from the library.
- Xanatos Gambit: A foreign ruler orchestrated a war between Reverie's two strongest races: the humans, and the Aeons who ruled over them. If the Aeons won the war, they would be without their armies. If the humans won the war, they would be without their leaders. Either way, the continent was weakened.
