Curse of Shadows and Thorns

Though he is referred to as Legion Grey for the majority of the novel, Legion grew up as Valen Ferus, the third child of Lilianna and Arvad, the last king and queen of the Ettan royals. Lilianna called him the Night Prince, as opposed to his eldest brother, Sol, the Sun Prince, and his older sister, the princess Herja. Valen lived a prosperous life with loving parents and was often accompanied by “‘Torsten Bror, a pyre fae, [his] brother’s consort and most loyal friend [and] Halvar Atra, an air fae, and son of the first knight of the Ettan court’” (275). As a child, Lilianna observed how Valen could use his fury to move earth, a very rare talent. He was never raised to be king, as his brother was first in line for the throne, but he promised to avenge his family when they were killed by the Timorans who usurped the throne.

Unbeknownst to him until the end of the novel, the first Timoran king used a Storyteller to curse Valen, making him, Tor, and Halvar forget their pasts but remember that they belonged together. Valen was also cursed to have an insatiable bloodlust about once a month, which would lead him to kill others senselessly. He did this in disguise as a figure that came to be known as the Blood Wraith, and feared by all for his mercilessness. Over the years, Valen—named Legion by his friends, as he forgot his real name—learned of a loophole in the curse, which allowed him to quell his bloodlust somewhat if he spilled his own blood.

As Legion, he was unaware of who he was or where he came from, and he was implanted with false memories. He knew he was not Timoran, which others suspected based on his darker features rather than the pale skin and hair of the Timorans, but he knew nothing of his magical abilities or the fact that he was nearly a century old. Knowing he must use a kind Timoran royal to break the curse, Legion worked his way up in society until he gained Zyben’s trust and could have contact with Elise, whom he believed could help him.

Much like Elise, Legion is known for his care for those around him. When he regains his memories as Valen, his first thought is of his late family and his loyalty toward them. He often puts others before himself, especially Elise, and makes various sacrifices so she can be safe and happy. Again, like Elise, he flouts the conventions of Timoran society and prefers the community of good people rather than noble people. Though he is secretive and confusing to Elise at the beginning of the novel, he is much more open than she expected, and never lies despite his many misdirections. His story continues in the following novels in the series, where the kingdom must deal with the reality of the Night Prince’s return.

Mavie, Mattis, and Siverie are Elise’s only true friends at the beginning of the novel. Her maids, Siv and Mavie, are Ettan, while Mattis is a half-Ettan craftsman, making them much below Elise’s station in their society.

Mavie became Elise’s maid when they were teenagers, and though Mavie did not initially like the girl whose family enslaved her, she later saw that Elise had a kind heart and did not care about the power structures the other royals upheld. Mattis is a carpenter who works in the town just outside Elise’s palace, and he is one of the few people who treats her as a person rather than a princess. They often trade books with one another and expand their knowledge of different subjects, though Mattis is often mischievous with his choices, as his uncle Bevan points out to Elise.

Siverie had only been Elise’s maid for a short time before the beginning of the novel, making Legion and his friends distrust her, especially because of her superior fighting skills and cold demeanor. Before becoming Elise’s maid, Siv was an Agitator sent to infiltrate the palace and kill a royal. However, in their first interaction, Elise showed Siv kindness, which Mavie later affirmed to Siv, making her question what the Agitators had told her about the Timoran royals.

After getting to know Elise more and befriending her, Siv cut off contact with the Agitators and betrayed her clan. She is heartbroken when the truth about her life is revealed to Elise, who resents her but ultimately forgives her. At the end of the novel, Siverie is the only one able to stick with Elise, and she takes her to her Agitator clan for protection. Elise’s friends emphasize her sense of justice and her caring nature, while also revealing truths about who she can and cannot trust.

Like Valen, Halvar and Tor were cursed to lose their memory, but in the Ettan court, they were “‘Torsten Bror, a pyre fae, [Valen’s] brother’s consort and most loyal friend [and] Halvar Atra, an air fae, and son of the first knight of the Ettan court’” (275). As fae, both men possess the magic of fury, but don’t know they can wield it while they are cursed. They also don’t know why they must stay with Valen, yet they are loyal to their prince, who becomes their friend.

The three always stay by one another, with Halvar working as a stablehand in the Lysanders’ palace while Valen and Tor are often nearby in town. They stay nearby so they can help Legion when he becomes the Blood Wraith, and they act as his Guild of Shade to protect others from his bloodlust as best they can. While Halvar is boisterous and Tor is often solemn, they both befriend Elise and see that she is taken care of, in part because they believe she can help break the curse but also because they see that Legion acts differently around her.

Elise has always known Bevan as the kind steward of the palace, so she is surprised to learn that he knows Legion, Tor, and Halvar quite well and is familiar with Legion’s curse. It is later revealed that Bevan is not Ettan, as she believed, but from another kingdom entirely. He does not wield fury, but another kind of magic his people—the Alders—call mesmer. Bevan knows what it means to be hunted, as other elixists were in the Eastern kingdom, and flees back to his kingdom before he can be kidnapped and his powers exploited by the new rulers of the Northern kingdom. Bevan shows Elise the importance of trust and loyalty before leaving, and makes her question the world outside of her kingdom.