Spark of the Everflame

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and child death.

“Only one thing is certain: my mother’s disappearance on that hot, cursed afternoon set off a chain of reactions so unexpected, so far-reaching, that even the gods themselves could not predict the consequences that would later come to pass.”

The dramatic tone of this passage sets the stage for the series’ epic proportions even as it names Auralie’s disappearance as the main inciting event. This plot point propels Diem out of her insular, domestic realm and into the wider world beyond. Words like “unexpected” and “far-reaching” capture the propulsive impact of Diem’s mother’s disappearance, igniting the start of Diem’s Quest for Self-Discovery.

“I’d never taken a life before. As a healer, I’d sworn a vow to help, not harm. And I didn’t want to be like the cruel Descended, playing god as I dealt out death like a deck of cards. But if my own life was on the line…Survive, my father’s words echoed in my ears. At whatever cost, to whatever end. Survive first, mind the consequences later.”

Diem’s experiences in the city cause her to question who she is, and when she kills in self-defense, she must suddenly redefine her understanding of The Tension Between Good and Evil. She wants to fight for peace and goodness and is therefore weighing how her actions might reflect on her character. Diem also relies on her father’s wisdom to navigate this difficult moment—a habit inspired by her childhood dependence trust in Andrei. Her thoughts indicate that she is still in a developmental stage where she needs her guardian to help her make the right choice.

“For a moment, I couldn’t move. He was so much closer than he’d been before. Close enough to notice the square set of his jaw, the sweeping cliffs of his cheekbones, his nose—straight as a broadsword’s blade. Close enough to sell the cedar and leather of his woodsy musk. Close enough to see that his icy eyes, stark against his bronzed skin, weren’t just a static blue—they moved, illuminated by a churning swirl of light and veins of shadow. Gods, he’s beautiful.”

Diem’s first encounter with Prince Luther foreshadows how her feelings for him will develop over the course of the novel. Her use of descriptive language to capture the architecture of his facial features creates a viscerally intense passage that reflects her physiological response to Luther’s presence and his “beauty.