| Classification | Definition | Examples from Dorothy Dunnett's novels |
| Correspondences | Scenes, phrases or events in HoN that directly link Nicholas to Lymond or the LC. Often when Nicholas is directly feeling or seeing an image of something that echoes exactly an event or feeling of Lymond's. | Nicholas's feeling of dread about a child echoing directly the death of Khairredin; the silver tissue Nicholas sees in Gelis's room in C&R just before she and Nicholas are reunited, echoing the silver tissue dress of Philippa's when Lymond finds her in the house with Bailey; Nicholas and Lymond both quoting 'tant que je vive' in reference to their love for Gelis and Philippa. |
| Mirroring | How specific scenes or situations are set up in similar ways in both series; not direct correspondences, above, but situations and motifs that repeat. | How elements of Nicholas's time in Poland mirror Lymond's time in Russia because both men were 'frozen' and trying to escape their past and shut out those they loved. |
| Thematic links | These are actually very similar to mirrorings, but are separate because they are related recurring themes rather than one-off events. | Nature vs. nurture. Also, this category covers all the great imagery links, such as DD's use of shells, sea images, birds, etc. |