“Melodic laughter filtered in through the open gap of his office door. He knew who the perpetrator was, though how could he not? […] No one had dared laugh in The Villain’s office before her, at least not loudly enough for him to hear. It was enough—on this dreary last day of the work week—to push him over the tyrannical edge.”

Maehrer’s diction in words like “dared” and “perpetrator” frame laughter as a grave offense, poking fun at Trystan’s self-serious perspective. The passage adds to the irony of the revelation that Evie was destined to be the Villain, not Trystan.

“You can’t be happy. An insidious voice that sounded too much like her own stated it. Like a fact. That’s why everyone’s always leaving you behind. That’s why no matter how hard you try to remain bright and positive, it will always end. It will always go wrong.”

In literature, anaphora refers to the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive words or phrases. In this excerpt, the repletion of “That’s why” and “it will always” highlight the cruel, cynical self-criticism that Evie experiences despite her efforts to “remain bright and positive” for everyone else. Her inner division reflects the broader Tension Between Fate and Free Will as she fears that she’s doomed to lose everyone despite her best efforts.

“Sex was meant for physical release so he could continue his evil work unencumbered by base needs, but with Evie, it was different. [….] A wine he could not un-taste, a storm he could never withstand. She was eclipsing everything he thought he understood and molding it with her lovely fingers into something new, until he was someone new.”

Maehrer uses metaphors to show how loving Evie transforms Trystan. Their physical encounters are compared to a “wine he could not un-taste” and “a storm he could never withstand,” and this figurative language presents their bond as something entirely unique and overpowering. The metaphorical language of the last sentence compares Trystan to clay that Evie is “molding […] with her lovely fingers into something new,” signaling a shift in which he begins to accept that there is more to him than his role as The Villain.

“But beware the unmasked Villain / And their Malevolent dark— / For nothing is more dangerous / Than a blackened good heart.”

Rhyming prophecies are a common feature in romantasy novels. In this stanza, the prophecy uses slant rhyme (“dark” and “heart”). The phrase “blackened good heart” offers further evidence that the kindhearted Evie is destined to be The Villain, foreshadowing the novel’s resolution.

“Destiny shrugged, a haunting laugh following the motion. ‘I expect nothing. Nothing except the story I intended for Rennedawn to unfold. The story I planned.’”

Maehrer develops the theme of The Tension Between Fate and Free Will by portraying Destiny as a sentient monster who seeks to rewrite the characters’ lives. Diction like the precise adjective “haunting” adds to the passage’s ominous mood and reinforces the novel’s argument that fate must be resisted.

“Trystan stood, sputtering, ‘Y-You cannot get the same airiness in a pastry with a fork, Lyssa! That is outrageous.’ ‘Were we not just speaking of the end of Rennedawn?’ Gideon asked with a half grin, then sobered when Lyssa came up beside him. ‘You don’t find that outrageous?’”

The author creates humor by juxtaposing Trystan’s appalled reaction to Lyssa’s “outrageous” baking technique with the entire kingdom’s fate. His concern over this mundane matter offers another sign that he isn’t the unfeeling villain he tries to present himself as.

“Evie felt the hit like a brick knocking into her back, and all air escaped her lungs when she hit the ground, Trystan falling just beside her. An inhuman screech rent the air.”

The author employs multiple literary devices to create suspense during a fight scene. For example, the simile “like a brick” offers an image of the creature’s dangerous strength, and the onomatopoeia of its “screech” raises the tension.

“Tatianna softened, adept at knowing when she’d pushed too far. ‘I’m sorry. You clearly have experiences with her I could not possibly understand. It was her I was judging, not you.”

Tatianna’s apology to Winnifred demonstrates her sensitive, empathetic nature. Her readiness to admit that she cannot fully understand Winnifred’s experience models Vulnerability as Strength, exemplifying her role as a healer and as the group’s moral anchor.

“‘I became a mother the day you left. [….] I can tell you with utmost certainty: no matter how difficult my life has become, no matter the obstacles I have to navigate in my own mind, no matter my very uncertain future’—she smiled, her eyes going somewhere else—‘I am certain I would never leave her.’”

The repetition of “no matter” is an example of anaphora that underscores Evie’s love for her younger sister and her resolve to care for her. Her words also function as an indictment of Nura’s selfishness and explain why Evie opposes Lyssa’s participation in the group’s perilous plans later in the story.

“‘You thought Greta was cooking us!’ Trystan accused. ‘There was a giant pot! What else was I supposed to assume it was for?’ ‘A giant,” Greta offered, waving around a rather large spoon. ‘I’m Fee’s personal chef.’”

Subverting fairytale conventions is a key part of the novel’s humor and genre. In this passage, the ironic reveal that Greta is “Fee’s personal chef” parodies familiar tales of witches who live in gingerbread houses and eat people, particularly in the famous story of “Hansel and Gretel.”

“Evie was speaking out of her arse, but if it got the giant to at least show them where the key was, they could work out a way to steal it. Thinking like a villain. She was relieved that the pinch in her chest wasn’t there, just contentment. ‘It’s simple.’ Fee smiled with satisfaction, and Evie’s contentment ran screaming from the room.”

Maehrer personifies Evie’s emotions by saying that her “contentment ran screaming from the room.” This personification humorously conveys the protagonist’s unease at the giant’s challenge.

“‘So, this is your ancestor, then?’ Evie asked softly, staring at a man who looked very much like a king should. Regal, strong, kind. It’s what Trystan would’ve been. If you’d never been born. Oh, good. She had been eagerly awaiting her mind to send her on today’s doom spiral.”

By structuring the list of adjectives “Regal, strong, kind” as a fragment and using asyndeton for emphasis, Maehrer underscores the noble qualities of Trystan’s ancestor, qualities that he may have also exemplified if fate had taken another course. The passage’s use of second person (“If you’d never been born”) adds to the self-recrimination of the protagonist’s thoughts, offering insight into the guilt that shapes her characterization. The final two sentences undercut some of this tension with humorous verbal irony by describing her “doom spiral” as something she’s been “eagerly awaiting.”

“‘Tell the king I did this!’ she yelled, feeling overcome, a bit like she was watching someone take hold of her. Someone she didn’t know. And that someone was content—content to be feared, to be hated. Content to be…The Villain.”

The repetition of “content” underlines how Evie’s characterization shifts as she begins to embrace her new place in the story even though it opposes her previous self-image. The Capitalization of “The Villain” underscores that this is a predestined role, and the ellipsis draws out the last sentence to add to the tension.

“Cold dread settled in her gut. Another WANTED flyer. This one reading: WICKED WOMAN / THE TRUE VILLAIN / LATEST ATROCITY: / BURNED DOWN DEADLANDS THEATER. And then—Evie smelled smoke.”

The olfactory imagery of the smoke raises the stakes by revealing that the theater Evie’s being framed for destroying is already on fire with her inside. This passage comes at the end of a chapter, making it an example of a cliffhanger, a classic structural technique to create suspense.

“‘Because that day I walked into the Maverines’ house, I knew I was going to be turned into a frog,” he admitted, the words burning his tongue. ‘Did you? How?’ ‘I’m the one who arranged it,” he growled. [….] As they say, the truth will set you free, Alexander thought.”

Maehrer makes the aphorism Kinglsey invokes literal by having the revelation of his secret be the key to passing Fate’s test and being released from the vines. The revelation that Kingsley arranged his own transformation into a frog is one of the story’s main plot twists.

“‘I was trying to show you I could take care of myself!’ Lyssa flopped on the ground dramatically, spreading her limbs like a starfish.”

The simile “like a starfish” offers a comedic description of the pouting Lyssa’s posture. This action offers a reminder that she’s still a child despite the important responsibilities placed on her as a wielder of a rare form of magic.

“The contrast between her gentleness and the eerie mist surrounding her was peculiar indeed. Light and shadow, vibrant color and darkened gray. It wasn’t an entirely outlandish depiction of the woman herself.”

The excerpt employs pairs of opposites (“her gentleness and the eerie mist,” “Light and shadow, vibrant color and darkened gray”) to capture the duality of the novel’s protagonist, a cheerful, kind woman destined to be a villain. This reinforces the theme of Action as the Basis of Morality by reiterating that the “eerie mist” of her dark magic doesn’t make her inherently evil.

“‘You wear reading glasses?’ Keeley asked, pointing at the lenses like they were weapons of mass destruction.”

The author uses a hyperbolic simile to liken Gideon’s reading glasses to “weapons of mass destruction.” Keeley’s reaction provides humor and uses the romantic connection between the two characters to alleviate some of the tension as the plot nears its climax.

“The setting sun was now hitting the water, and she noticed with a jolt of joy that it was creating a ring of rainbows reflecting off each wave. It was a beautiful setting for such an ugly scene.”

The juxtaposition of the “beautiful setting” and the “ugly scene” foster a tense atmosphere as the protagonist and her allies are trapped with several of their antagonists. Additionally, alliteration in phrases like “jolt of joy” and “ring of rainbows” help to convey Evie’s admiration for the natural beauty she witnesses.

“Evie was humbled, seeing the impact of one man. The lives he’d touched, the stories he’d altered with a gentle hand. How one life could touch so many, how no soul need be wasted, and how every act of goodness would live on even after they departed this world. It was a privilege to witness. A life well lived.”

The repetition of “how” is an example of anaphora that serves to show the immense impact one person can have on others’ lives. Although Arthur dies before this book opens, his influence on characters like Trystan lives on, offering an argument for the positive difference individuals can make when they accept Action as the Basis of Morality.

“‘My dear, my life is as long as an endless thread.’ Fate appeared sympathetic but unmoved. ‘This is not the first tragedy I’ve witnessed. I suffer through each one.’”

The simile comparing Fate’s life to “an endless thread” is a subtle allusion to Greek mythology, in which fate is personified as women who spin and cut the threads of humans’ lives. The author’s diction reinforces the theme of The Tension Between Fate and Free Will. Even though Fate is “sympathetic” to the characters’ plight, she’s “unmoved” because she understands that her intervention, even with good intentions, would compromise mortals’ autonomy.

“He knew the sight well. The pitchforks swinging, the torches held high despite the daylight clearing their path, the raucous yells for The Villain’s demise. But then he heard a call that stilled him. A call for Evie Sage. [....] ‘A milestone moment for you, and here I am without a portrait artist to capture it,’ he muttered dryly in response to the beaming smile on Sage’s face.”

Maehrer juxtaposes Evie’s “beaming smile” with the conventional angry mob’s torches, pitchforks, and “raucous yells.” In addition to humorously subverting tropes, her excitement and pride demonstrate how she enjoys some aspects of her role as The Villain.

“Evie’s jaw was hanging so low, Gideon worried it would unhinge and fall off. ‘Are you proposing to me...right now?’”

Gideon’s worry that his sister’s jaw might “unhinge and fall off” is an example of hyperbole that illustrates her shock. The humor and romance of Trystan’s unexpected proposal undercuts the tension as the protagonist, her love interest, and her brother are captured by their main antagonist.