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The Spiral Arm is a Space Opera series by Michael Flynn, consisting thus far of
- The January Dancer
- Up Jim River
- In the Lion's Mouth
- On the Razor's Edge (forthcoming)
They take place in a far-future galaxy, caught between the League on one side, and the Confederacy on the other, of a starless rift, in a great game of intrigue and adventure.
Tropes included in these works:[]
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Arson, rebellion and leaving your licensed township.
- Artifact of Doom: The Dancer, they think.
- Bad Dreams: Discussed in January Dancer
- Blessed with Suck: You find a marvelous array of treasures — that you can't remove.
- Bottled Heroic Resolve: Booster
- Buy Them Off: Werguild is offered, after a civil war.
- The City Narrows: Terran Corner on Jehovah
- Compelling Voice: What the Dancer gives
- Corrupt Bureaucrat: On one planet, a country revolts from a honest administration.
- Daddy Had a Good Reason For Abandoning You: Sometimes you really have to deal with something dangerous.
- Darkskinned Blonde: The planet Alabaster's Phenotype Stereotype
- Disappeared Dad: the harper was raised by her mother alone.
- Doomed Moral Victor: Discussed in a subverted form.
- Dramatic Thunder: When the storm first strikes.
- Drowning My Sorrows: In the bar on Jehovah.
- Dysfunctional Family: The Hounds are somewhat likely this, according to noe.
- The Exile: Fa Li, according to those at court
- Famed in Story: The civil war was immortalized in song before it was four weeks old.
- Fearless Fool: The Brute
- Fire-Forged Friends: In the civil war.
- Fisher King: The emperor of the morning dew really hates that his subjects believe this.
- Friendly Enemy: After a civil war, the two sides often join to sing of the various exploits.
- Friend or Foe: A problem with an undercover war.
- Full-Circle Revolution: Discussed in a subverted form.
- Good Samaritan: Gives "booster" after an ambush.
- Green Eyes: One of the first things noted about the woman in the opening of January Dancer. Before her name, even.
- Green Eyed Red Head: Supplmented by the observation about her hair.
- Harmless Lady Disguise: Hugh uses it.
- Honorary Uncle: Does not make a man less dangerous.
- Honor Before Reason: Burning down your own ammunition factory to keep guns out of the war.
- In Harm's Way: Brute's opinion
- I Have Many Names: The narrator introduces the scarred man with observations about how many names he has
- I Gave My Word: Hugh's motive
- It Was a Gift: The harper's necklace
- King in the Mountain: Hugh escapes and promises to return
- La Résistance: The Loyalists
- Living Legend: Zorba
- Luke, I Am Your Father/Luke, You Are My Father: Both in a fraught scene
- MacGuffin: Discussed
- The Man Behind the Man
- Missing Mom: The motivation in Up Jim River
- Never Bring a Knife to A Gun Fight: An attempt to avert it by burning down the ammunition factory means
- Never Speak Ill of the Dead: the Fudir covers up a dead man's treachery.
- The Nondescript: Greystroke
- Oireland: A country puts it on for the tourist trade.
- Old Flame Fizzle: Despite Fire-Forged Friends
- One for Sorrow, Two For Joy: Invoked
- Ontological Mystery: Given the Dancer's powers, how can you know what really is happening?
- Opposites Attract
- Ouroboros: The Ouroboros Circuit
- Political Correctness Gone Mad
- Precursors: "the folk of sand and iron."
- Proud Warrior Race
- The Quest: Discussed
- Reassigned to Antarctica: Fa Li
- The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: Jumdar's characterization of the Loyalists.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: The man who betrays Hugh to an assasin
- Seven Deadly Sins: One library caters to at least five of them.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Discussed in January Dancer
- Shout-Out: Dozens
- Soft Gas: When you hit a star at speed — it's not true.
- Space Is an Ocean: Played with.
- Stern Chase: And a stern chase is a long chase.
- A Storm Is Coming: Drives them off the planet
- The Storyteller: The scarred man in January Dancer — the ministrel sought him out for it.
- Tap on the Head: the dangers are hinted at but not used.
- There Are No Coincidences: thought of a murder
- Used Future
- Wandering Minstrel: In the opening of January Dancer, a woman shows up at the bar, and plays for her food, without asking.
- White-Haired Pretty Girl: One of the Seven of Jehovah.
- Would Not Shoot a Civilian: One failure draws down opprobrium
- Xanatos Gambit: Retrieving Donovan
- You Are in Command Now: Hugh
- You Shall Not Pass: Many rear guards near the end of the war on New Eireann