Thraxas

The Thraxas novels are a series of comic fantasy detective novels by Martin Scott. Thraxas himself is an overweight, drunken, failed sorcerer, who also happens to be a skilled swordsman and the best private detective in the city-state of Turai. Aided by his best friend Makri, an ex-gladiator, he constantly gets into dangerous situations and embroiled in political intrigue, but a combination of luck, detective work and Makri's axe always gets him out again.

The books

1. Thraxas (winner of the 2000 World Fantasy Award)
2. Thraxas and the Warrior Monks
3. Thraxas at the Races
4. Thraxas and the Elvish Isles
5. Thraxas and the Sorcerers
6. Thraxas and the Dance of Death
7. Thraxas at War
8. Thraxas Under Siege

The series doesn't have a conclusion, and it's currently unknown whether the author will ever write book 9.

Tropes used in the Thraxas series include:

• Action Girl: Makri.
• Another Dimension: The magic space seems to be one of these.
• Awesome McCoolname: Most sorcerers have one of these, e.g. Lisutaris Mistress of the Sky, Glixius Dragonkiller.
• Chainmail Bikini: Makri wears one of these when collecting glasses in the bar, because it gets her better tips. When she's expecting a fight she wears a more sensible outfit.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Dandelion. Although she often turns out not to be as crazy as she sounds.
• Friendly Playful Dolphin: The dolphins in the bay are intelligent and quite talkative. According to Dandelion, anyway, who's the only person to try talking to them.
• Granola Girl: Dandelion again.
• Half-Human Hybrid: Makri is half human, a quarter orc and a quarter elf. Her parents were a half-orc and a half-elf.
  • Also the sorcerer Horm the Dead, half human, half orc, and quite possibly all zombie, if his name is as accurate as he claims.
• Luke Nounverber: Many sorcerers complain that Tirini Snake Smiter has never smitten a snake in her life.
• Our Orcs Are Different: Orcs in this setting have dark reddish skin and black hair, but otherwise don't seem to be too different from humans. They can certainly interbreed with them.
• Raised by Orcs: Makri grew up as a slave in the orcish gladiator pits.
• Thieves' Guild: Two of these - one old and established, one new and upcoming. Both people you don't want to get involved with.
• Vancian Magic: As a magical failure, Thraxas can only carry one spell at a time and has to reload it every night. It's not clear how much the more powerful sorcerers are bound by this rule.
• Warrior Monk: Thraxas runs into two different groups of these in Thraxas and the Warrior Monks.