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(Much of ''Shadow of the Lion'' is a fantasy reworking of Lackey's contributions to the science fiction shared-world [[Alliance Union|"Merovingen Nights"]] begun by [[C. J. Cherryh]], several passages taken almost word-for-word. Maria Garavelli and Caesare Aldanto start as [[Expy|expies]] of Cherryh's characters Altair Jones and Thomas Mondragon, but diverge when {{spoiler|Caesare betrays Maria. Mondragon would've betrayed anyone ''else'' to protect Jones}}. Marco and Benito Valdosta are based on Lackey's Rigel and Deneb Takahashi.)
The second novel, ''This Rough Magic'', focuses on the characters of Maria Garvalli and Benito Valdosta, and borrows elements from the tale of Persephone (and Orpheus) from Greek mythology. Both characters find themselves in Corfu just as the island comes under siege by the Kingdom of Hungary.
The third novel, ''A Mankind Witch'', is a solo work by Freer. It follows the adventures of Prince Manfred and Erik between the events of the first two novels.
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{{tropelist}}
* [[Accidental Marriage]]: Erik, due to not knowing much of Mongol culture.
* [[Allohistorical Allusion]]: Nobody in-story seems to think of Vlad's grandfather as a vampire, but Vlad unknowingly plays out a [[Dracula]] image when an assassination attempt fails. Somebody shoots at him and misses (though sincerely believing he hit Vlad square), and Vlad says lead bullets aren't enough to kill him. The fellow reports that as a statement that only silver could do the job. Then Vlad comes walking out of a burning building; he's dressed all in black and his skin is very pale because he's been held in a dungeon for several years ... and he's carrying the corpse of a voluptuous woman, her throat ripped open (the missed shot hit ''her'', apparently by ricochet).
** {{spoiler|Svanhild}} is murdered in the same way as the character of the same name from [[The Saga of the Volsungs]].
* [[Anti-Villain]]: Count Mindaug. Smart, learned. "He needed power—preferably great power—simply because he could ill afford to let anyone else have it."
* [[Armor Is Useless]]: Subverted. The Knights of the Holy Trinity wear archaic heavy armour, which everyone admits is not too useful with plenty of firearms around. However, it is still a very useful defence against magical forces, which they regularly fight against.
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* [[Coitus Uninterruptus]]: How Francesca saves Erik and Manfred from the [[Cops and Detectives|schiopettieri]].
* [[Crowd Song]]: In the battle against Emeric in the end of ''Much Fall of Blood''.
* [[Deliberate Injury Gambit]]: Marco faces a better fighter with a longer reach in a knife fight. He wins by ''impaling his own left hand'' on the blade of his opponent's dagger, rendering it useless and allowing him to slay the man.
* [[Evil Mentor]]: Caesare Aldanto to Benito. {{spoiler|He helped kill the Valdosta boys' mother and only helps them because of the money he gets from their grandfather. He's a ruthless assassin and plotting to help the city fall to the coming invasion.}}
* [[Fake-Out Make-Out]]: With [[A Threesome Is Manly|Erik, Manfred, and Francesca]]. {{spoiler|There was '''nothing''' fake about it, either.}}
* [[A Father to His Men]]: A few people are uneasy about swearing allegiance to young Vlad when he mentions that his title among his people is Drac, meaning Dragon. He tells them that the Dragon protects his treasure, and his ''people'' are his treasure. If they swear fealty to him, ''they'll'' be his treasure, too. That does it; they drop to their knees [[Manly Tears|in tears]] and kiss his hand. They've longed to serve a ruler who understands how to be loyal to his people rather than just demanding they be loyal to him.
* [[Heroic BSOD]]: Erik, after {{spoiler|Svanhild is killed}}.
* [[High
* [[Historical Fantasy]] / [[Alternate History]]
* [[Identical Grandson]]: Vlad physically resembles his grandfather, this history's version of the Impaler.
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* [[Rags to Royalty]]: Marco and Benito in ''The Shadow of the Lion''.
* [[Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves]]: A common man is coerced into betraying the guerrilla fighters led by Erik when Caesare and the Shaman kidnap his young son. When they outsmart the trap and find out the man's son was killed (and ''eaten'' by the Shaman in his dog form), they give him the gnawed on thigh bone and tell him to spread the word about what the invaders do to children. This, in turn, helps raise up the populace against the invaders and [[Hoist by His Own Petard|drive them out]].
** In ''Much Fall of Blood'', Vlad suspects that a merchant from whom he bought supplies for his people is a spy for Emeric. When his suspicion is confirmed, some of his subordinates are ready to hunt down and kill the merchant, but he tells them he still owes the man some money for the supplies. Only once '''that''' is paid will he deal out justice for the betrayal.
* [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]]: What Benito is about to go on in the end of ''This Rough Magic''.
* [[Silk Hiding Steel]]: Katerina and Francesca.
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* [[Sorcerous Overlord]]: Jagellion of Lithuania/Chernobog
* [[Sudden Principled Stand]]: How Erik saves Kat in ''The Shadow of the Lion''.
* [[Word of Saint Paul]]: In-universe, Christianity gained another early high-powered missionary and organiser in Hypatia, and thus split into two groups, based on different Words of Saint Paul: the Pauline branch and the Petrine branch.
* [[Your Mom]]: ''Your mother is a tortoise''. Subverted when it's made into a running gag in ''Much Fall of Blood''.
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