The study guide compares Havelock’s workshop to a Prohibition-era speakeasy. Discuss the ethics of Prohibition in the context of the subplot about a looming bylaw threatening to police magic in Montréal.

Comment on Detective Laurent Rouzet’s decision to reject magic entirely, despite his capacity for it. How does his decision fit into the novel’s framework of magic?

Discuss the novel’s views on pet adoption. Is the novel suggesting that some animals should not be adopted? Why or why not?

Analyze how Valérie Renard’s ambition complicates a straightforward reading of her as morally corrupt.

Discuss Havelock’s character as a study in introversion. Is the novel suggesting that all introverts must learn to engage with the world around them? Why or why not?

Analyze how vulnerability is essential to the development of the relationship between Agnes and Havelock.

Discuss Yannick as a foil to Valérie. In what ways does he emphasize the character flaws that inform Valérie’s antagonism of Havelock?

Discuss the novel’s insights on sibling dynamics by contrasting its two prominent sibling pairings: Agnes and Élise versus Havelock and Valérie.