Her Soul for Revenge

One of the novel’s narrators and protagonists is Zane, a demon who is approximately five centuries old. During that time, he has earned a reputation as a prolific soul reaper. This has made him extremely powerful, as each soul that a demon reaps increases their power. Zane becomes fascinated with Juniper when he learns that she escaped the Libiri’s attempt to sacrifice her and spent three years incarcerated in a psychiatric hospital after trying to kill Victoria in revenge. He teaches her how to kill dangerous Eldbeasts and then spends the next three years following her, admiring her tenacity for survival.

Zane attributes his fascination with Juniper to his interest in reaping the souls of violent, dangerous people, as well as his attraction to people who have “sharp edges,” as he considers them more complex and intriguing than nonviolent or emotionally balanced people. He’s pleased when Juniper bargains with him to help her kill the Libiri (instead of having him kill them on her behalf), as he finds her violent tendencies appealing. He proposes that he and Juniper engage in “consensual non-consent” scenes that allow her to fight against him as hard as she wants before he overpowers her, correctly believing that this will psychologically benefit her. In addition, Zane derives sexual pleasure from Juniper’s violence, as he has typically found human partners insufficiently vicious for his preferences.

He’s initially possessive of Juniper, which he attributes to a demon’s tendency toward covetousness. Increasingly, however, he realizes that his desire for her goes beyond physical attraction or a craving for increased magical power. He initially fights these feelings before recognizing that he’s romantically attached to Juniper. Once he realizes that he’s in love with her, he struggles somewhat with his desire to shield her from danger, though he understands that keeping her away from the fight with the Libiri would emotionally damage her, even if it would improve her physical safety.

Zane consistently supports Juniper throughout the novel, helping her in her quest for revenge and encouraging her as she begins to process the trauma that the Libiri inflicted on her. Zane’s priorities thematically highlight The Importance of Consent, which helps foster his connection with Juniper and distinguishes his violence (against Juniper and in general) from that of the Libiri. Zane’s sadism extends only as far as his partners’ consent allows, and he detests the Libiri for taking advantage of the less powerful.

In addition, Zane has a longstanding relationship with Leon, which causes minor friction with Juniper in their early acquaintance, as the Libiri previously forced Leon to hunt Juniper. Leon and Zane were sexual partners in the past and now share a close friendship. Zane is pleased when Juniper and Leon accept that they have a mutual enemy in Kent Hadleigh rather than considering one another enemies.

Jeremiah is a minor antagonist who ascends to the role of primary antagonist after Juniper kills his father, Kent. Jeremiah grew up in the Libiri knowing that either he or his sister, Victoria, would be sacrificed to the Deep One when the time came. This left Jeremiah hungry for power and determined to sacrifice whomever he had to gain it. Jeremiah is vicious and gleeful about the violence he commits: He kills Juniper’s brother, Marcus, and then brags about Marcus’s terror and pain during the murder.

When Kent dies, Jeremiah secures power far more quickly than Juniper anticipated, something he does with indiscriminate violence. Jeremiah quickly sacrifices his twin sister, without remorse, and then slaughters one of his followers as an extra sacrifice to the Deep One.

Jeremiah becomes possessed by the Deep One following the dual sacrifice, which grants him extreme strength even as it puts significant stress on his body. This makes him a formidable opponent who is nearly immune to bullets and demonic attacks. Zane and Juniper withstand Jeremiah’s attacks long enough that the Deep One’s power overcomes Jeremiah’s physical form, abandoning Jeremiah when it no longer has use for him. Juniper kills Jeremiah, leaving the Libiri decimated by the violence in the novel’s climax and without a leader.

Kent is the leader of the Libiri and the primary antagonist in the first part of the novel. He’s cruel, controlling, and manipulative; he has pitted his children against one another, pushing them to compete for his affection, and the loser is destined to be sacrificed to the Deep One. Kent is also dismissive of his “illegitimate” daughter, Everly, whom he treats as less than her half-siblings. He encourages Jeremiah and Victoria to bully Everly, which backfires when Everly overcomes her fear of him enough to rebel. Kent is self-aggrandizing and believes that others owe him their fealty and obedience. He spends much of his time during the novel compelling Leon to his service using a binding spell that has enslaved Leon for a century. Kent insists that demons exist to obey a human “master.”

His hypocrisy is most obvious in the scene where Juniper and Zane torture and kill him. Even as he’s being held prisoner, Kent insists that Juniper’s sacrifice would have rendered her suffering “beautiful.” In revenge, Juniper and Zane torment him and ask him if he still considers suffering to be beautiful when he’s the one who’s suffering. Up to the moment of his death, Kent insists that these situations aren’t analogous, indicating how completely he believes in his superiority over others.