Regarding Acturus (I am a fan I guess), I think a link is what I think of as the medieval Christian viewpoint that suffering and death in this world are transitory -- so it's not so dreadful that much of Urth's population was drowned at the end of UotNS, or indeed that criminals must be tortured then executed in payment for their acts.
I doubt it is a direct influence, but Tirant Lo Blanc has resonances with BotNS to me (a long time since I read the former unfortunately, so I can't be more specific).
| David Duffy. ,-_|\
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