As in many contemporary dark romantasies, the focal figures’ have had traumatic experiences. These deeply shape their characterization. Grim is shaped by neglect and the physical and emotional abuse he experienced during childhood. His emotional blunting is a shield, a response to accidentally killing Laila, the only relative he was close to.

Aster’s stylistic choices, such as her use of first person-narration and stream of consciousness, capture the lingering effects of Grim’s trauma. For example, Grim has a flashback during a council meeting: “Memories again, choking me. Blood spilling across those halls—The ancient councilman is speaking again” (49).

Similarly, Oro’s is traumatized by accidentally taking a life as a child. From the moment he gilds the attendant, he lives with shame and self-loathing (511).

The pain that the narrators experience as children continues to haunt them for centuries, emphasizing the far-reaching effects of trauma.

Grim and Oro’s childhoods impact their ethics. This is particularly important because they’re rulers whose choices affect the lives of thousands of subjects. Grim “learned to block out” his own emotional pain (33). He shows his opponents on and off the battlefield no compassion because “no mercy was ever shown to [him]” (33). Oro’s emotional scars contribute to his own capacity for violence, such as when, after witnessing sudden deaths at the onset of the curses, he blames and attacks Grim. More insidiously, Oro’s pain influences his decisions even when he purports to be acting on behalf of the greater good and takes time to weigh his choices. For example, he’s willing to kill Grim and condemn thousands of Nightshade people because he thinks breaking the curses will give Egan’s death meaning.

Although Grim and Oro both experience traumas, Grim lacks a support network and family. Grim’s father keeps him from “anyone [he] ever had a chance to care about” (72) Grim’s father kills Grim’s mother and pits Grim against his siblings. Grim’s tendency to isolate himself as an adult traces back to this abuse and to the death of his sister, his only loving connection. In contrast, Oro has a strong support system of family and friends. Crucially, Enya is present during the gilding and offers him unwavering compassion at his lowest moment: “Everyone else might have left you here, but I never will, that look said. I will never leave you. You are not alone” (274). Oro’s lack of isolation explains why he feels safe forming friendships as an adult instead of secluding himself away like Grim.

Oro and Grim’s trauma shape their relationship with one another. Both know the horrors of war firsthand, and this knowledge underpins their plan to become rulers so that they can foster peace between their peoples. At the same time, their pain contributes to the dissolution of their friendship because they struggle with trust.

For both Grim and Oro, Isla serves as a catalyst for healing. She rekindles Oro’s hope in the world by helping him break the curses. In addition, Isla helps Grim confront his past, move past his emotional blunting, and rediscover positive memories. As Grim says: “For centuries, whenever I thought of my childhood, I only thought of the bad. But now […] I remember the pockets of light” (200). Grim and Oro’s stories demonstrate that trauma strongly impacts individuals’ personalities and perspectives, but that loving relationships create opportunities for growth.