Nyfain is the beast character of A Ruin of Roses and the main love interest for Finley. In beast form, he is enormous with glowing golden eyes and an aura of power. In human form, he is muscular and confident, and as Finley thinks the first time she sees this form, “he looked like a man who knew exactly what he was capable of” (77). Nyfain’s surly attitude marks him as a brooding romantic lead, and his role as the prince makes him an example of the alpha male stereotype often found in romance novels. This aligns with the beast character of Beauty and the Beast, though Breene departs from the traditional versions by having Nyfain change between beast and human forms. This allows him to be both the fearsome creature who protects the Forbidden Wood and the prince for Finley to find attractive. Nyfain is a romantic antihero, shown through how he treats Finley when she gets too close emotionally. He insults her emotions and pushes her away, making it sound as if the attraction between them is her fault. In truth, Nyfain does this because he has lost loved ones in the past and does not want to get close to her only to lose her too, but this does not excuse his behavior. Rather, his bullying adds to his problematic nature as a love interest, making him the main obstacle Finley must overcome to exercise her agency as a prisoner. This dynamic, in which the male love interest begins the novel as a bully who antagonizes the female love interest, is a trope in the dark romance and dark romantasy genres.

Nyfain’s backstory is primarily influenced by his relationships with his parents. Nyfain had a close bond with his mother prior to her death, a bond that the two expressed through their shared interest in gardening. Both had an affinity for working with the tricky everlass plant, which highlights both the plant’s importance and the uniqueness of the relationship between mother and son. The details of his mother’s death are not explored in A Ruin of Roses, but Nyfain blames himself for what befell her, which adds to his angry, brooding nature. In addition, Nyfain’s father disdained Nyfain’s interest in gardening, calling it “women’s work” and not worthy of an alpha prince. Like Finley, Nyfain grew up in a situation where acceptance would mean hiding parts of himself, but unlike Finley, he gave in to this pressure. Nyfain blames himself for not fighting harder, but since he was taught to never take blame, he shoves this anger off on those around him and holds them responsible for his attitude. After years of doing this to people who never fought back, Nyfain is thus caught off guard when Finley doesn’t accept his blame. Her choice to stand up forces Nyfain to realize how he has used others to avoid looking at his actions, making Finley a catalyst for Nyfain’s character growth.

Hannon is Finley’s older brother and a foil for her in terms of Escaping Restrictive Gender Norms. Where Finley is the protector of the family who takes risks to keep them healthy and safe, Hannon is the guy who “waited at home to patch [her] up when [she] came bleeding through the door” (14). Like Finley, Hannon is an outcast among the villagers because he does not conform to gender expectations. Unlike men like Jedrek, Hannon prefers to be a caretaker, and while he is as attractive as the other men, does not flaunt his looks to get attention. Hannon is also a foil for Finley in terms of his ideas about romance. Where Finley is bitter and jaded from a bad breakup prior to the novel’s beginning, Hannon holds on to the idea that he can find his true shifter mate—someone who completes and complements him in every way. This difference makes Finley’s potentially problematic romance with Nyfain stand out even more by highlighting what a healthier approach to love might look like. However, this does not mean Finley’s choices are beyond justification—only that her past has made her more willing to seek pleasure from sources Hannon would not. Regardless of their differences, though, Finley and Hannon are one another’s support system. Together, they juxtapose Nyfain’s lack of family support to show the importance of positive influence on development into adulthood.

Hadriel is the butler at the castle and a symbol of how The Importance of Resilience is not guaranteed. After 16 years under the demon curse and engaging in sexual acts every night, Hadriel feels used and longs to escape the life he has been forced into under demon control. However, Hadriel also realizes he has chosen to participate in the sexual acts, and while he claims he wants to stop, he knows he won’t. Hadriel is a symbol of how the curse has generally affected those trapped in the castle: The demons do not force anyone to participate in the castle’s nighttime activities, but they make it so difficult for the shifters to resist that people like Hadriel give up the fight before it even begins. Thus, Hadriel’s self-loathing is also based in the feeling he could do better but has chosen not to. Finley’s arrival at the castle offers Hadriel hope for the first time since the curse began. Interacting with someone from outside the castle makes Hadriel realize that a life away from the demons is possible. By the end of the book, Hadriel has not chosen to change his habits even though they make him unhappy, making him a representation of the difficulty inherent in breaking out of destructive patterns.

Leala is Finley’s lady’s maid and another servant trapped in the castle. Leala’s main role in the story is as a foil for Hadriel. While Hadriel hates himself for continuing to participate in the demonic sexual activities, Leala has embraced the demonic presence in the castle and used it to fulfill her desires. Unlike Hadriel, Leala does not hate herself because she has found a way to make the demons serve her, rather than being a pawn in their game. Leala’s open acceptance of what is considered “darker” sexual kink also makes her a comparison point for Finley. While Finley believes she has been jaded to romance by her ex-boyfriend, Leala truly has no interest in romance throughout the novel, making Finley realize she is not as uninterested or jaded as she believed. Leala, like Hadriel, does not change by the end of the book, but in her case, this represents how part of her does not need or want to be rescued.