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Paladin of Shadows: Difference between revisions
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A modern military fiction series written by [[John Ringo]], focusing on Mike "Ghost" Harmon, a [[Retired Badass|former Navy SEAL]], and all-around [[Anti-Hero]]. The first book is a self-admitted author wank piece with a significant focus on BDSM that was originally not intended for publication. However, between fan response to a snippet posted on Baen's Bar, and the head of [[Baen Books]] (at the time, Jim Baen, who has since passed away) insisting that it be printed, it was published for release to the public. Works later in the series (starting with ''Kildar''), however, tend more towards, as described elsewhere in the comments to the linked [[
The inspiration for [http://hradzka.livejournal.com/194753.html OH JOHN RINGO NO], an opinion which [http://hradzka.livejournal.com/194753.html?thread=760769#t760769 the man himself shares]. Involves lots of hookers, harems, [[BDSM]], and plenty of [[More Dakka|dakka]], with bouts of [[Stuff Blowing Up|blowing shit up]].
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* [[Affably Evil]]: Kurt Schwenke is fairly polite man who's hobbies happen to include [[Moral Event Horizon|torturing prostitutes with various chemical concoctions]], killing people with said chemical concoctions and being a [[Master of Disguise]] and expert assassin.
* [[...And Show It to You]]: [[Badass Grandma|Mother Lenka]], in ''Unto the Breach'', rips the heart out of a captured Chechen fighter, and bites into it, the last thing its former owner sees before dying.
* [[Autobots Rock Out]]:
** The slaughter of the bunkers guarding the retreat path in ''Unto The Breach'' were taken out to the accompaniment of [[
** Mike occasionally uses music to help boost the morale of his allies.
* [[Author Tract]]: Mike's warped mental commentary on the politically correct history class he'd just had. Although, John Ringo admits he wrote the character to be as negative as possible.
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** Katya is working on becoming one, under Jay's tutelage.
* [[Mathematician's Answer]]: From ''Choosers of the Slain'':
{{quote|
"Are you talking about Anastasia teaching Katya or the other way around?" Nielson asked, grinning.
"Yes." }}
* [[Memetic Mutation/Literature|Memetic Mutation]]:
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** That's not a harem, it's a fucking entourage.
* [[Mighty Glacier]]: Shota. He may be dumb as a box of rocks, but he's shown at one point wearing armor so heavy that opening a explosive-trapped door just knocked him on his ass, his favored weapon is a rocket launcher, and when an enemy made it into the trench where the Keldara were fighting, Shota just picked him up and bashed him against the wall until he stopped squealing.
* [[Money, Dear Boy]]: [https://web.archive.org/web/20140220201513/http://johnringo.nitro.gen.nz/FAQ/PaladinofShadowsFAQ.aspx Ringo originally didn't even want to write the first book, but it was preventing him from writing anything else until he got it out. When he did so, he originally was not going to publish it under his own name, not even with his usual publisher, until his regular publisher read it and waved money under his nose. And Ringo had a mortgage to pay.]
* [[More Dakka]]: Plenty to be found throughout the series, but particularly demonstrated by the slaughter of the bunkers mentioned above, and the improved M-60s used at the end of the battle with the Chechens.
* [[Never Mess
* [[Old Shame]]: ''Ghost'' was John Ringo clearing his head of ideas that he couldn't shake. His [http://hradzka.livejournal.com/199220.html gleeful participation] in the "OH JOHN RINGO NO" meme should show you what he thinks of it. [[Word of God]] says that the working title was ''The Wanker Piece'' before marketing forced him to drop it.
* [[Outside Ride]]: Mike, at the beginning of ''Ghost'', does this on the van that's being used to kidnap coeds.
* [[Pink Mist]]: What the commander of a Chechen Islamic army was turned into by Lasko, in ''Unto the Breach''. Live on international television. From roughly ''two miles'' away.
* [[Profiling]]: In ''A Deeper Blue,'' middle eastern terrorists are threatening to unleash VX on Florida. As the situation spins closer and closer to deadline, the situation isn't helped by the fact that the local law enforcement is concerned that the media would accuse them of it if they prioritized suspects based on nationality or color of skin, bringing up issues related to racial profiling.
* [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Proud Warrior Race Guys]]: The Keldara. Descendants of the [[wikipedia:Varangian Guard|Varangian Guard]] who've taken extensive efforts to retain their warrior culture in the ass-end of Soviet Georgia. To put it simply, they're ''[[Horny Vikings|Vikings]].''
* [[Punch Clock Hero]]: Mike's team, Keldara and otherwise are this. They are mercenaries after all.
* [[Retired Badass]]: Mike, for pretty much the entirety of the first novel, aside from an occasional gig as a "troubleshooter" for the government.
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* [[Strawman Political]]: The French internal security representative in Part III of the first book of the series. The college Co-Eds in the first part are a very borderline example, being mostly typical upper-middle class American teenagers.
* [[Too Kinky to Torture]]: In ''A Deeper Blue'', Anastasia is kidnapped and tortured for information, but as she's a hardcore BDSM submissive, the beating only turns her on, allowing her to engage in some impromptu information warfare (see [[Torture Always Works]], below).
* [[Torture Always Works]]:
** ... except when being done on on someone who gets off on being given pain. Anastasia, mentioned above, is questioned for names of Mike's team, but she instead gives the interrogator a list of his own goons.
** Elsewhere in the series, particularly ''A Deeper Blue'', this trope is played straight.
* [[To the Pain]]: In ''Unto the Breach'', the captured Russian microbiologist invokes this trope when explaining to his captor why he was bracing for an impact and nervously checking his watch:
{{quote|
** Afterward, to his rescuer, on his captor's condition:
{{quote|
* [[Title Drop]]:
** Mike, at one point, recites the Shakespeare quote that gave the book ''Unto the Breach'' its name.
** Mike is said to be listening to ''[[The Rolling Stones|Paint it Black]]'' at one point in ''A Deeper Blue'', with the relevant part of the song the opening quote of the prologue.
* [[Truth in Television]]: Wait... given the [[Rule of Cool]] entry, above, how?! The sex trade is very much a real problem, especially eastern Europe. Ringo and [[Taken (
* [[Weapon of Mass Destruction]]: A common item of contention in the series. And now {{spoiler|Mike}} has one, as well as a former Russian bio-weapons scientist.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:
[[Category:Paladin Of Shadows]]▼
[[Category:Literature]]
[[Category:Thriller Literature]]
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