Direbound

“Our money, and our lives, goes to fighting the endless war with the Siphons.”

This passage, which thematically supports The Impact of Social Classes, outlines how the prospects of varied lifestyles and upward mobility are denied to most citizens of the kingdom of Nocturna. Because of the militarization of its people and its resources, the kingdom’s people are considered only in their usefulness for the war effort.

“They have a silly, childish name, given to them by the very kids who fear them. It’s almost hard to take them seriously when you hear it, which is part of the appeal. If you can laugh at it, it doesn’t seem true—like the Nabbers are nothing more than a childhood legend.”

While the looming threat of the Nabbers may have begun to disappear after Saela’s kidnapping, the novel nevertheless underscores how terrifying these dark figures are for the general population. Resorting to childish names to relieve the stress and anxiety they cause is a common defense mechanism that people use when they feel helpless and crave a sense of control over an uncontrollable situation.

“The war has been going on for five hundred years, but between our country’s Bonded and their direwolves and Astreona’s Siphon strength, it’s rare for either side to take much ground.”

Given the eventual revelation that the 500-year mark denotes when the Sturmfrost queen died, this passage calls into question whether Nocturna had ever known an extended peace before the war. It suggests that there may have been a period when Siphons weren’t the mortal enemies of humans, in which case future installments in the series might explore a diplomatic solution. This thematically alludes to one of The Effects of False History: that people are unaware of how their past shaped them.