Have you spotted these stories in the wild?

[alias_sqbr]

First: anything about werewolves (yes even fanfic) that takes into account modern understandings of wolfpacks as families, where "beta" wolves are just younger kids who'll eventually grow up and form their own packs, not inherently submissive losers. (I think it's something like that?)

Second: A story whose protagonist starts out being informed they're part of a special secret magic race/the chosen one/a lost heir etc (see: Harry Potter, most fantasy), then eventually realises they're not: it's a misunderstanding or a trick. Then they have to figure out how to deal with the situation they've gotten tangled up in without any special skills/blood etc (or with less than they expected to have, like if Harry really was a wizard but Neville had turned out to be the one in the prophecy).

The friend in the Twelve Kingdoms anime fits this, but she's a side character and intended as a contrast to the protagonist who is genuinely special. I want any genuinely "special" characters to be secondary.

I've had an idea along these lines knocking about in my head for years (and dream about it too, had a variation last night where all these people from the future got angry at me for not being the wise future religious leader they thought I was, turns out the real messiah was a throwaway clone I'd made of myself earlier) and I'd be curious to see how another author approached it.

Comments

[azdak]

If you'll forgive a drive-by comment from someone you've never heard of - I saw this post on a friend's reading list - China Mieville's Un Lun Dun starts off with a white girl learning that she is the Chosen On, as prophesied by a Book in an alternate London, only to be immediately put out of action so that her sidekick, Deepa, who has no special skills and doesn't feature in any propecies, has to do all the heroing and manages to save the day.

[alias_sqbr]

Oh yes, you are entirely forgiven :D That sounds like exactly what I'm after, I knew I'd made a mental note to read Un Lun Dun for a reason.

[trouble]

Minerva Wakes, by Holly Lisle, has the main characters be told that they had received magic rings that made the bearers the Weavers of the World. The main female character says something about how she always knew she was special... and then is told "Well, no, you received them by mistake, much to our chagrin because you're really terrible at this."

[nemonclature]

Oooh, no. 2 sounds awesome, I have no ideas, though I might try braving tvtropes, but shall be stalking your comments!

[nemonclature]

Aaaand I come bearing TVTropes: Missed the Call and The Unchosen One. Enjoy!

[cest_what]

I would have mentioned Un Lun Dun too, although the chosen one is booted from the story early on, so it's less her dealing with being unchosen and more her sidekick working out how to navigate a prophesy set up for somebody else. (I think it's developed a bit clunkily sometimes, but there are some very cool things too.)

The Prydain Chronicles and The Plum Rain Scroll are both children's/YA fantasy with boy heroes who from memory the narrative sets up to be revealed as special or chosen in some way, only to then have them not be.

Homestuck is a decent example of the trope too, don't you think? Or at least a relative of it.

... also that one episode of Buffy where Dawn thinks she's a Potential Slayer.

[alias_sqbr]

Hee, awesome. Thanks!

[alias_sqbr]

Ooooooooh thank you! And there's a few there I recognise and enjoyed being reminded of.

[alias_sqbr]

Yes, the Prydain chronicles! I loved "You almost certainly aren't the son of anyone special, but you're a good king now so who cares?"

Destiny in Homestuck is so twisted and self referential it's hard to say.

[mooreeffoc]

Glad Un Lun Dun got mentioned! Count this as another rec. :D Tanith Lee's Claidi series (starting with Law of the Wolf Tower) also matches your first criterion, though it takes a while to reach the reveal. Ursula le Guin's Annals of the Western Shore stories might be considered a loose fit, in that all of them centre around the protagonist first finding out that they have magic and then realising that said powers aren't as useful as they seem/can't be used to save anyone/are less important than other non-magical traits of theirs/etc. Oddly enough, I can't think of many non-YA examples; most adult fantasy seems to play the You Are Special trope straight.

I'm not a huge werewolf person, but would read the hell out of something with proper familial wolfpack dynamics. *grabby*

[alias_sqbr]

most adult fantasy seems to play the You Are Special trope straight

Yes, it's interesting! Perhaps authors trying for Serious Deconstructionist Adult Fantasy feel that the "you are special" trope isn't worth bothering with at all. Anyway, thanks for the recs!

[fred_mouse]

Ooh, yes, Plum Rain Scroll. S - I currently have it out, if you are interested in borrowing. There are also two sequels, although I've not read the third, as it was finished post-humously.

[fred_mouse]

In terms of werewolves, some of verity's Teen Wolf fanfic probably fits the bill, but I can't think of specifically to point you at, other than "You bought the whole pie" (http://archiveofourown.org/works/572838) which follows Derek as the rest grow up and move away. There is the distinct possibility that I have othe stuff bookmarked as well.

In terms of profic, I don't think I've seen much in the way of reference to alpha/beta leader/follower dynamics, so no comment there.

As to the unchosen trope, the only thing I can think of are Pratchett's Rincewind Stories - is that in the right vein?

[alias_sqbr]

I'll check out that fic, thanks! Rincewind RUNS AWAY from the idea of being chosen, which isn't really what I mean but is certainly an interesting variation :)