King of Battle and Blood

Adrian, the Blood King of Revekka, is Isolde’s romantic interest throughout the novel. Many years ago, he was born as a mortal and served as one of King Dragos’s guards, and he then fell in love with Yesenia of Aroth. However, he was brutally whipped and forced to watch Yesenia burn alive when she and the rest of her coven were killed during the Burning. Afterward, he made a bargain with the goddess Dis so that he could take his revenge on those who destroyed his life and killed Yesenia. As part of this bargain, Dis turned Adrian into a vampire and ignited the supposed curse on Revekka. Dis also made an additional bargain: Yesenia could return to Adrian, but she would be reincarnated and would not remember her past. To regain her memories, she would have to fall in love with Adrian all over again and trust him enough to let him drink her blood.

While Isolde’s narration portrays Adrian as a dynamic character, it is instead her perception of him that is dynamic. From the moment he first tastes Isolde’s blood in Chapter 1, he knows that she is the reincarnation of Yesenia. As he tells her, “Your blood is truly a homecoming” (42). From that moment, he seeks to marry Isolde, and he treats her only with respect. Though he is occasionally sexually vulgar, he never disrespects her autonomy or independence. As their relationship develops, he grows increasingly tender in his physical and emotional intimacy with Isolde. In one instance, he tells her, “You call this treason, […] [b]ut this—us—is beyond choice” (191). Though Isolde feels conflicted about her romantic feelings for Adrian, he implores her to realize that her feelings cannot be refuted or avoided.

Though he cannot simply explain his past with Isolde or tell her why he loves her, he hints at the truth throughout the narrative. In direct contrast with Isolde’s father, King Henri, who repeatedly lies to her intentionally, Adrian seeks to tell Isolde the truth and helps her uncover her past. His honesty and kindness help Isolde embark on a journey of self-discovery that proves crucial to her character arc and to the broader narrative.

Killian is the head of King Henri’s guards in Lara. He serves as a secondary romantic interest for Isolde, though she is no longer interested in him once the narrative begins. In the past, he taught her how to fight and defend herself, but he still upholds traditional patriarchal values regarding romantic relationships. Isolde used to have a sexual relationship with Killian, but she found that their intimacy lacked passion, and she also dislikes Killian’s frequent attempts to wield her father’s power over her. As she reflects, “When Killian did not feel like he could handle me, he defaulted to using the threat of my father. And he wondered why I did not want to sleep with him anymore” (3). From the first pages, Killian is presented as manipulative and power hungry, and these tendencies are further illustrated by the revelation that Henri—without Isolde’s knowledge—has offered Killian Isolde’s hand in marriage if he kills Adrian. Killian does not care whether Isolde wishes to marry him; he seeks to own her and is offended when she would rather marry the Blood King.

When Nadia and the others in Lara call Adrian a monster, Isolde reflects that Adrian is not nearly as dangerous as mortal men like Killian. Though Adrian is a vampire who subsists on human blood, Isolde notes that Killian’s desire for power and control is far more dangerous and monstrous. Killian and Adrian therefore act as foils to one another; Killian seeks a marriage with Isolde to consolidate his own power and control her, while Adrian seeks a marriage with Isolde out of love and a desire to help her fully step into her independence.

Ana Maria is Adrian’s cousin and a fellow vampire. Ana was also Yesenia’s best friend, so when Isolde regains her memories from her past life, she remembers her friendship with Ana as well. Ana studies medicine in Revekka’s library and has taught herself some magic, which she uses in the battle against Ravena and Gesalac toward the end of the narrative. Ana is the one to identify Ravena’s use of crimson mist while performing an autopsy on the young girl whom Isolde attempted to rescue in Sadovea. Like Adrian, Ana has romantic feelings for a mortal; she is in love with her vassal, Isla, and saddened that the woman does not wish to become a vampire. Isla is killed during Ravena’s attack on the Red Palace. Ana’s grief will likely shape her character arc as the series builds.

King Henri is the ruler of the kingdom of Lara and the father of Isolde. He functions as an antagonist, though his true nature is not apparent until later in the narrative. He was previously married to Isolde’s mother, who came from the Atoll of Nalani. However, although his wife was from Nalani and his daughter has extended family there, he knowingly ignores King Gheroghe’s enslavement of Nalani’s people. Henri lies to Isolde about his knowledge of this injustice, which is one of the first betrayals of her trust. He also encourages Isolde to try to kill Adrian after the two are married. Later, when Isolde reveals the past-life connection between her and Adrian, he tries to kill her after shaming her for not killing herself in order to end Adrian. He values the survival of his kingdom above all else and is responsible for promoting false narratives about the history of Cordova and Adrian’s rise to power. Isolde kills Henri in self-defense and then decides to burn his body in defiance of traditional Lara burial rites. As she burns him, she also burns away her early life as Isolde: the part of her current life that was built on lies and deceit. She looks forward to her new life with Adrian, who represents the truth.