Glow

Slade is a dark-haired, handsome man in his late twenties. He is half-human and half-fae, but he grew up in the fae realm of Annwyn, where he developed the magical power of rot under the abusive tutelage of his father. Over the course of the series, Slade assumes multiple identities. In previous novels, he became the King of Fourth Kingdom (King Ravinger) while simultaneously appearing under the guise of the commander of the realm’s army (Commander Rip).

Unlike the rulers of the other six kingdoms, Slade isn’t interested in gaining power for himself. His principal concern is to protect the people of his realm and to maintain in safety the people of Drollard Village. He is also fiercely devoted to Auren and would do anything to protect her, including slaughtering anyone who poses a threat. His character possesses dark traits that are more typical of a villain than a hero. As Auren points out, “We will be the villains for each other” (602).

The end of this novel allows Slade to play the hero and ride to Auren’s rescue. However, in attempting to save her, he inadvertently opens a dimensional rift that sends her back to Annwyn alone. He will continue his quest to reunite with her in the next book, while also dealing with the guilt related to ripping another hole in the world.

Ryatt is Slade’s younger brother. Unlike Slade, Ryatt is not descended from the fae and has no magic of his own. Since Ryatt and Slade look so much alike, Ryatt acts as Slade’s body double. He poses as Commander Rip whenever Slade is required to appear as King Ravinger.

Although Ryatt is loyal to his brother, he frequently criticizes Slade’s decisions and challenges his authority. He is particularly opposed to protecting Auren from the Conflux, seeing her as a threat to everyone in Drollard Village. Ultimately, Ryatt proves his loyalty by coming to Slade’s rescue and helping him escape the Conflux. Ryatt’s world is shaken at the end of the novel when all the people in Drollard, including their mother, vanish.

Elore is the Orean (human) mother of Slade and Ryatt. She is kind, gentle, and possesses the power of prophecy. Her marriage to the abusive Stanton drives her into the arms of a servant, resulting in Ryatt’s birth. Stanton is on the verge of killing her and all her human servants when Slade accidentally transports everyone to Drollard.

The trauma that Elore suffered leaves her withdrawn, and she rarely speaks. Nevertheless, she finds a way to be happy in her isolated quarters in the mountain, enjoying the company of her sons and Auren. At the end of Glow, Elore vanishes with the rest of the villagers and is presumably back in Annwyn.

Stanton is the brutal husband of Elore and father of Slade. He is a fae lord with the power to break things, which earns him the nickname of “The Breaker.” Years earlier, he helped the fae king to break the bridge that once connected Annwyn to Orea.

When Slade first shows signs of having powers, Stanton is proud, but his personal ambition makes him push his son too hard. He values dominance and cruelty, considering these to be signs of strength. When Stanton threatens to kill his wife and her entire household for her adultery, Slade clashes with his father. The magical battle between Break and Rot opens a portal that sends everyone but Stanton into Orea. At the end of the novel, Stanton may be dead, but his whereabouts are unknown.

Midas is a charlatan who became the king of Sixth Kingdom by claiming to possess the power of gold-touch. In reality, he possessed Auren and passed her abilities off as his own. Auren killed Midas in the finale of the book preceding Glow, after suffering years of imprisonment and abuse at his hands. Although Midas is now dead, he still casts a long shadow over Auren’s life. Her frequent flashbacks to his past cruelties and mind games make her struggle toward independence that much harder to achieve.

Kaila is the elegant, beautiful queen of Third Kingdom. She intended to marry Midas and consolidate her power, but her plans were disrupted after Auren killed him. She spends much of her time in this novel hatching plots to gain control of Fifth and Sixth Kingdoms for herself. No one suspects Kaila of wrongdoing because she charms the populace into trusting her.

Kaila has the power of capturing the voices of others, but she also twists their words to her own benefit. This becomes obvious in her sham testimony at Auren’s trial. By the end of the novel, Kaila is still intent on exerting control over three kingdoms, but her treatment of Auren has invited Slade’s wrath. It is implied that she will continue to act as the series’ principal villain now that Midas is gone.

Manu is Kaila’s brother. He is handsome and a born diplomat. While he has no magical power of his own, he is Kaila’s closest advisor and negotiates on her behalf with rulers of the other kingdoms.

Unlike his sister, he seems to retain some semblance of a conscience. When Auren first met him prior to Glow, he made a favorable impression on her. Despite this, Manu kidnaps Auren and brings her to the Conflux after she refuses to attend willingly. He appears to regret his actions but does nothing to stop the trial or attempted execution. This suggests that he will continue to remain loyal to his sister above all other considerations.

Osrik is the faithful leader of Slade’s army. He is physically imposing and formidable in battle but seems rough and uncouth to the social elites in the novel. Rissa looks down on him. Despite Rissa’s contempt, Osrik finds himself attracted to Rissa and suggests that she settle down in Fourth Kingdom. Undeterred by her repeated rebuffs, Osrik is patient and persistent. The novel ends with the possibility of a romance between them in future books.

Rissa is a beautiful blonde who was another of Midas’s concubines. Shrewd and ambitious, she had always planned to leave her career as a sex worker with enough money to make a fresh start. In prior books, she betrayed Auren, even though the latter treated her kindly. Rissa is driven by self-interest but still holds a soft spot for the other royal concubines. In Glow, she is warming toward Auren and developing a grudging attraction toward Osrik. She is stabbed at the end of the novel but will survive in future installments of the series.

Digby is a gruff, older man who is devoted to Auren. In the earliest books in the series, he was a guard appointed by Midas to watch over Auren in her gilded cage. He proved more loyal to her than to the king and was punished for his compassion toward the golden girl. In Glow, he escapes Midas’s clutches and is brought to Drollard Village to recover from his injuries. There, he is reunited with Auren and resumes his protective behavior toward her.

Lu is one of the commanders of Slade’s army. She is tough but good-natured. Her most distinguishing characteristic is the daggers shaved into her hair. As a member of Slade’s inner circle, she frequently offers pragmatic advice when the males around her let their egos get out of hand. At the end of Glow, Lu is sent to keep an eye on Queen Kaila.

Judd is a captain in Slade’s army and another member of his inner circle. He prefers to stir up trouble rather than finding diplomatic solutions to the friction among the six kingdoms. For much of Glow, he is confined to Drollard Village and seems restless to get back to military pursuits. At the end of the novel, he is sent on a trade mission to First Kingdom.

Hojat is a healer attached to Slade’s army. He is brought to Drollard to tend to Auren’s injuries after Midas hacks off the ribbons that grow out of her back. Auren suspects that Hojat may be fae because he exhibits no surprise at the nature of her injuries or her powers. His backstory is not revealed in Glow.

Malina is a striking, blue-blooded aristocrat with white-blond hair. She is the former wife of Midas. She should have become the heir to Sixth Kingdom but had no magic, so her father made Midas his heir instead. In prior books in the series, Malina rebels against her husband, and he sends an assassin to kill her.

In Glow, she flees to Seventh Kingdom, where she is duped into reopening the bridge between Annwyn and Orea. As the novel ends, she is horrified by the part she played in allowing the fae to return and invade Orea.