Immortal Consequences

August is the novel’s deuteragonist (the second most important character in a story) and its love interest. Following the generic convention of “opposites attract,” his character presents a major foil to Wren, creating dramatic tension around their ambiguous relationship. This is furthered by his enigmatic past and cynical exterior which drives the hostility masking August and Wren’s desire for each other. An older soul than many of the students, August has more experience and knowledge but is also often condescending. He has been at Blackwood Academy for over a century and cultivates a fearsome reputation, encouraging rumors that he is a “walking corpse” to keep others at a distance. This carefully constructed persona of cold indifference conceals his true motivations, which are tied to his sister, Edith, and his undercover role within the Demien Order. His initial interactions with Wren are framed as a competitive rivalry, but he later admits to himself that this is a method first to “keep her distracted” (38) from his true motives and then to hide his true feelings for her.

August is primarily motivated by a deep-seated, though often hidden, loyalty and a desire for atonement. His backstory positions him as a character navigating immense internal conflict, torn between his forced allegiance to his sister and his growing dedication to Wren and the other nominees. The dynamism of is character is driven by his shift from the former to the latter, motivated by his love for Wren and his increasing connections with the others. Key character turning points are when he suggests allegiances with the other nominees and, especially, when he gives a piece of his soul to save Wren, and act of vulnerability and sacrifice. August’s increasingly protective role signals a shift from self-preservation to collective responsibility. Despite his lies and affiliations with the Demien Order, August’s arc demonstrates a struggle for redemption, positioning him as a character who, despite being immersed in corruption, ultimately chooses to fight for a moral cause.

Headmaster Silas is the primary antagonist, embodying the novel’s narrative jeopardy, and driving the theme of The Tension between Collaboration and Competition. Silas forces the protagonists to question authority and forge their own moral compass. His interactions with the nominees, particularly Wren, are masterclasses in psychological manipulation. He preys on their ambitions and fears, offering them what they desire in exchange for their compliance. As the head of a corrupt institution, Silas’s character is used as a metonymy of Blackwood Academy and the dark forces behind it: This is also signaled by his name which means “of the wood.” When the denouement reveals that Silas is a Corrupted Soul who fought his way out of the Shadow Lands and seized control of Blackwood, Marie draws on the medieval Judeo-Christian Lucifer myth, which casts the devil as a fallen angel who, when banished from heaven for the sin of pride, set up his own order in hell, in opposition to God.

The revelation of Silas’s true nature is a major turning point towards the book’s end, foreshadowed by his sinister portrayal throughout. This shapes both the novel’s narrative arc and its place as the first in a forthcoming series. Silas’s primary motivation is revealed as the preservation of his power and the system he has built. As the creator of the Decennial Festival as a ritualistic sacrifice, feeding 11 student souls to the Ether every 10 years to maintain his power, Silas is the catalyst for the novel’s fantasy trial structure. As he justifies these actions as a necessary evil for the “greater good,” the novel uses his character to critique the application of utilitarian philosophy that prioritizes systemic stability over individual lives.

Marie’s choice of the UK-usage title “Headmaster,” rather than the modern US-usage “Principle” is an example of the many Dark Academia tropes in the novel, which draw on archaic or Anglo-centric style to create a Gothic atmosphere.

Irene Manette Bamford serves as the key female foil to Wren, as both suffer from past trauma and are subjected to similar moral temptations, but are shown to react in different ways. The novel uses the multiple perspectives of the six students to reveal Irene’s concealed motivations and drive for self-preservation at all costs, exploring Adolescent Rule-Breaking as a Transition into the Adult World. Defined by her ruthless pragmatism and intense desire for power, Irene views the Decennial as a means to escape the powerlessness that defined her mortal life. Haunted by a traumatic past with her mother, she believes that strength and control are the only tools for survival. Despite her hard exterior and often cruel actions, her chapters hint at a hidden vulnerability, developed in her fiercely loyal friendship with Masika Sallow. Masika’s perspective of Irene offers the reader an opportunity to emote with Irene by providing a model of empathy and revealing vulnerabilities that Irene herself conceals.

In a novel that explores false self-representation, Irene’s character is presented as a paradox, as she conceals her “good” more likeable self beneath a deliberately “bad”. Irene’s behavior and attitudes are often defiantly amoral, in that she openly rejects the moral frameworks around her, from cheating on an exam to considering an alliance with the malevolent Demien Order. Although the novel often portrays Irene as antithetic, it avoids black-and-white judgements on her actions, suggesting that her anarchic independence and disobedience may be turned on its head in a world of shifting moral frameworks. When Irene wins the Decennial and becomes an Ascended, a position she immediately uses to secretly collaborate with the Demien Order, her significance to the novel series is assured.

Olivier Dupont presents as a flamboyant and witty student although that chapters from his perspective show that he uses humor and charm as a shield. His carefree and theatrical demeanor belies a deep and profound terror of the Forgetting, the process by which Blackwood students lose their mortal memories before being permanently sent to the Ether. Having been at the academy longer than most of his peers, Olivier is secretly beginning to experience this memory loss, which fuels his desperate need to win the Decennial and become an Ascended. His struggle makes him a direct representation of the theme Memory as the Essence of Human Experience, as he fights to preserve the past that defines his identity. Olivier is also shown struggling with excessive alcohol consumption, a destructive behavior that he uses in an attempt to numb his anxieties.

Olivier’s most significant relationship is his friendship with Emilio Córdova which develops into a romance. The “will-they-won’t-they” ambiguity of their connection forms part of Olivier’s character arc toward self-acceptance and expression. Olivier adopts a protective, almost mentor-like role toward Emilio, and their bond becomes a central emotional anchor in the narrative, made especially poignant by the premise that only one nominee can survive the Decennial. This friendship provides Olivier with a purpose beyond his own survival, motivating him to protect Emilio from the dangers of Blackwood and the Decennial. His decision to form a strategic alliance with the formidable August Hughes is driven by his desire to keep Emilio safe, alongside his own fear of the Forgetting. Olivier’s journey sees him evolve from a character who uses frivolity to mask his fear into someone who confronts that fear for the sake of another.

Emilio Córdova is a strongly dynamic character who undergoes one of the most significant transformations in the story. Introduced as a timid and studious “newbie,” he is haunted by his mortal death by an accidental overdose and believes his presence at Blackwood is a punishment he deserves. He hopes to prove himself worthy of crossing over to the Other Side, viewing it as a path to redemption but is beset by low self-esteem. He is academically brilliant but less physically strong than other and unskilled in reaping, often relying on his friend Olivier Dupont for protection. His defining characteristic is his intellectual curiosity, which leads him to immerse himself in the Library’s ancient texts, where he uncovers crucial information about Blackwood’s secrets and the nature of shadow magic. His character is an expression of the different forms of individual strength and value within communities.

Emilio’s character arc is defined by his journey toward courage and self-acceptance. His friendship with Olivier is the primary catalyst for this change, as Olivier’s unwavering belief in him helps him see his own value. From the start, Olivier notes that Emilio has deep qualities that are “hard to come by around here” (20). While at first a reluctant participant in the group’s rebellious activities, Emilio grows into an unlikely hero. During the first trial, he overcomes his physical fear to slay a monster and save Irene and Olivier, a pivotal moment that marks his transition towards self-belief. He also becomes the intellectual core of the “unfortunate acquaintances,” using his research to piece together the truth about Louise and the corruption within Blackwood. Despite being fatally wounded in the third trial, his discoveries prove essential to understanding the larger conflict, cementing his importance to the narrative. This is encapsulated by the way he guides Olivier through the arcane spell book in Chapter 57, demonstrating that he is an equal partner with complementary strengths to his more overtly confident counterparts.

Masika Sallow serves as the moral and emotional anchor for her best friend, Irene Bamford. Masika is exceptionally skilled in defensive magic, a specialty that reflects her protective and cautious nature. Her past is marked by a significant trauma: She lost someone she loved, Catherine, to the Demien Order. This experience has left her with a deep-seated distrust of the Order and a fierce determination to prevent her friends from succumbing to the allure of forbidden power. It also foreshadows Irene’s connection to the Demien Order. As a repeat of this pattern, Masika constantly tries to temper Irene’s ruthless ambition with appeals to empathy and loyalty, acting as the guardian of Irene’s humanity, a struggle that she will ultimately lose.

Masika’s primary conflict is her struggle to reconcile her loyalty to Irene with her own moral principles. She is often forced to be complicit in Irene’s rule-breaking but consistently questions the ethical cost of their actions. Throughout the Decennial, Masika proves herself to be a formidable and resourceful competitor, but her focus remains on mutual survival rather than individual victory. This contrasts with Irene’s self-reliant approach, which causes the two to be divided. The end of the novel shows Masika’s path diverging further from Irene’s, after Masika is rescued by the resistance and Irene joins the Demien Order, repeating Masika’s experience with Catherine.