Accomplice to the Villain

Twenty-nine-year-old Trystan Maverine is one of the novel’s main point-of-view characters. He is also the male romantic lead and Evie’s romantic interest. When Trystan was a little boy, his mother, Amara, was desperate to get rid of him. She made a deal with Benedict to imbue Trystan with Evie’s evil powers, which would give Amara an excuse to kill Trystan. Amara’s plan didn’t work, but her abuse left Trystan feeling unwanted and alone. While Trystan’s sister, Clare, always had a close relationship with their father, Arthur, Trystan struggled to garner his parents’ love and affection; as an adult, he remains alienated from his family. Worse, Trystan believes that he has to protect his beloved Evie and his friends from himself, too. As The Villain of Rennedawn, Trystan is convinced that he is the embodiment of evil and that his dark magic, which he cannot control, is evidence of his wickedness. Throughout the novel, he is at constant war with his innate impulses and his prescribed identity.

Trystan is also a dynamic character. He changes as a result of his adventures, relationships, and discoveries. Trystan is especially transformed by the love he and Evie share. In childhood, Trystan’s mother taught him that he was both unworthy and incapable of love. With Evie, however, he discovers that he can care for another person and that other people can genuinely admire and care for him. In response, he “broke every promise [he’s] made to [him]self” because he doesn’t have “a choice […] in loving [Evie]” (315). Even after Trystan discovers that Evie is, in fact, The Villain and he is the hero of the story, his love for her doesn’t falter. His devotion to her underscores his newfound ability to make sacrifices for those he loves and to listen to his heart.

Alexander Kingsley is one of the novel’s secondary point-of-view characters. He is Trystan’s best friend and an integral member of the Massacre Manor community. Kingsley, the son of King Gavin and Queen Brina of the southern kingdom, grew up believing that he was the rightful prince. Although he had the making of a good future leader, Kingsley often felt isolated and alone. His life changed when he befriended Trystan, Clare, and Tatianna.

For the last 10 years, however, Kingsley has been cursed to live as a frog. He longs for his human form. Over the course of the novel, the characters fight to reverse Kingsley’s curse. Although Kingsley at times feels guilty that his friends are so consumed by his fate, he is forced to rely on them for help because he has little agency as an amphibian. In particular, he cannot speak like a human and can only communicate by writing one-word signs.

Kingsley is thoughtful and often struggles to reconcile with his fate. He misses his parents and home, but also worries about fulfilling his role in the Rennedawn storybook prophecy. His stream-of-consciousness narration chapters convey his capacity for reflection and meditation.

Evie’s mother, Nura, and Evie’s younger sister, Lyssa, are secondary characters. The tensions between Nura and her daughters underscore the Complexity of Intimate Relationships.

Nura was an absent mother, cursed to live as a star by her former best friend. Although Nura was watching out for her family from her aerial home, she was unable to actively participate in her children’s lives. Now that she has been rescued, Evie and Lyssa find it so hard to adapt to Nura’s presence in their lives. Evie is thankful that her mother is alive and has returned to her and her family. However, she can’t help resenting Nura, feeling like her mother abandoned the family. Evie either tamps down her emotions in Nura’s presence to preserve Nura’s feelings or feels frustrated that Nura doesn’t understand her pain.

The sweet and endearing Lyssa similarly struggles to reconcile with her mom. She has never had a mother and doesn’t understand Nura’s role in her life—for Lyssa, that role has been played by the protective Evie. Lyssa needs a lot of love and attention because of her fraught childhood experiences. Over the course of the novel, Lyssa matures. Compelled to take more responsibility for herself when left behind in the manor, she also establishes a close bond with Becky.

These secondary characters form part of Trystan’s Massacre Manor staff. Trystan’s sister, Clare, has a big heart and a complicated personal history. Her relationship with her ex-lover, Tatianna, contributes to her Journey Towards Self-Discovery. Since Clare is estranged from her parents, life at Massacre Manor offers Clare the chance to find new modes of connection. She learns the value of her found family and also rekindles her relationship with Tatianna, who encourages Clare to interrogate her upbringing. Clare recognizes that her mother’s interference in Clare’s romance was harmful.

Becky is in charge of Human and Magical Creature Resources at Massacre Manor. She is also one of Evie’s closest confidantes. Even when their friendship is “still fresh and potentially fragile,” Evie feels as if she can “say anything to Becky” and she will understand (44). Becky is caring, thoughtful, and gracious; she offers Evie advice. Evie also contributes to Becky’s life, guiding her through romantic quandaries. Becky and Lyssa also establish a close bond when Evie and the others are away.

Tatianna is the healer at Massacre Manor. Tatianna is strong-willed and self-possessed. Although she cares for Clare, she doesn’t immediately jump back into a relationship, but asks Clare to take responsibility for her faults in the relationship first. Tatianna offers love and support to all of her friends and companions, who rely on her as a healer, a confidante, and a guide. She offers wisdom and a listening ear throughout the novel.