Farsala Trilogy

The three books in this YA trilogy -- Fall of a Kingdom, Rise of a Hero, and Forging the Sword- were published by Hilari Bell from 2003 to 2006. The story- that of a pseudo-Arabian land called Farsala attempting to resist invasion -- is told in alternating perspectives by three very different characters: Kavi, Jiaan, and Soraya. They are, respectively, a repentant traitor, a bastard, and a deghass fighting to keep their land free for a year, after which the Hrum will retreat.

The land of Farsala, as has been mentioned, is a close parallel to Persia, and the Hrum are, for all practical purposes, the Romans. Hilari Bell does not go out of her way to emphasize this, however- she uses the two cultures to build a world familiar to her readers and then lets the story take over. The text is also littered with bits of world-building that seem to be mostly her own invention. As a result, the Farsala Trilogy stands out among young adult fantasy trilogies about three teenagers trying to save the world.

It is also noteworthy for its understated commentary about how heroes arise. In the first book, the chapters are intercut with shorter, Purple Prose-y sections telling the actual Persian myth of Sorahb, which includes the detail that he will be reborn when Farsala needs a champion. The later two books are intercut with sentences written in the same tone, which recount highly romanticized versions of the events in the books, all credited to the entirely nonexistant "Sorahb reborn."

Fall of a Kingdom was originally titled Flame and part of a series titled "The Books of Sorahb," but the second and third novels have no alternate titles.


 * Absurdly Sharp Blade: Watersteel, clearly based upon real-world Damascus steel.
 * Achey Scars: Both Kavi and Jiaan.
 * Action Survivor: Kavi.
 * A Simple Plan: Getting the Hrum gold.
 * Backstory: Kavi's past explains a lot about his hatred of the deghans.
 * Barbarian Tribe: the Kadeshi
 * Bittersweet Ending: Heavier on the sweet side.
 * Break the Haughty: Soraya. Jiaan's original rival and later disliked ally, Fasal, also gets hit with this.
 * Buy Them Off: It only makes it worse with the Hrum, but it was very easy to do with the deghans' lawkeepers.
 * Composite Character: The Sorahb reborn of legend is a composite of nearly the entire resistance.
 * Character Development: One of the series' main strengths, and in full effect for all of them. It's most striking with Soraya. She's barely recognizable as the same person by the end of the series, but it all feels totally natural.
 * The Chosen One: Discussed frequently, but never actually appears.
 * Daddy's Girl: Soraya again.
 * Demythtification: It's a freaking weird example, since there actually is magic and it's an in-story legend, but it's certainly revealing the reality behind the magic.
 * Disproportionate Retribution: Kavi tries to wipe out all the deghans.
 * Distinctive Appearances: Jiaan isn't remarkable looking, but Soraya's gorgeous ultra deghan hair gets a lot of emphasis, and anyone Kavi allies himself with warns him that if he betrays them then a young peddler with a scarred hand is easy to find.
 * Elemental Powers: The Suud magic.
 * Fantasy Pantheon: a diabolical version with the djinn. It's never confirmed whether or not they exist.
 * Friendly Enemy: Jiaan and Patrius, Kavi and Patrius.
 * Handicapped Badass: Kavi.
 * Heel Face Turn: Kavi is known for this, despite only actually turning twice.
 * Heroic Bastard: Jiaan.
 * Horseback Heroism: The deghans at first.
 * Honor Before Reason: Garren.
 * Idiot Hero: Subverted with Fasal. He starts out as a Proud Warrior Race Guy who would rather ride to his death than fight practically. He gets better as the story goes on. He still puts Honor Before Reason, but he can also think rationally when the situation is desperate.
 * Lovable Traitor: Kavi is this in universe among some.
 * Made a Slave: Soraya's mother and brother
 * Morality Pet: Soraya's relationship with her little brother is initially her only humanizing trait. She gets better.
 * My Country Right or Wrong: Patrius.
 * Pride: The deghans' fatal flaw
 * Proud Warrior Race Guy: All of the deghans
 * Realism: The story's distinguishing feature is how normal everyone is.
 * Rousing Speech: Jiaan at the end of Fall of a Kingdom
 * Spoiled Brat: Soraya in the first book.
 * Combat Pragmatist: Garren. Due to the Farsalan culture, it's considered a Moral Event Horizon moment.
 * The Messiah: Sorahb, a Discussed Trope. He never actually appears in-story and the intercut sections (which are a continuous narrative across the books) imply that the legend of the original Sorahb isn't any more accurate than the legend that the main characters give birth to.
 * Token Good Teammate: Patrius
 * True Companions: Kavi, not with the other heroes, but with Navi's family. Despite Soraya and Jiaan being actual family, they never really form a dynamic this close.
 * The Unchosen One: All three, for ignoring the Sorahb legend.
 * Virgin Sacrifice: Soraya, almost, but for political reasons.
 * You Killed My Father: This is Jiaan and Soraya's reaction when they find out what side Kavi was originally fighting for. They never actually carry out their revenge.