King of Envy

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of graphic violence and sexual assault.

The main point of contention in the development of Ayana and Vuk’s relationship is the latter’s deep commitment to loyalty. As Vuk sums it up, “She [Ayana] was engaged. I was the best man. And though I’d crossed many lines and twisted many morals in my life, loyalty was the one value I held fast to” (49, emphasis added). King of Envy thus centers the importance of loyalty in Vuk’s personal ethos, while also examining the cost of such loyalty.

Vuk’s commitment to loyalty reflects his past history with the Brotherhood and the persistent threat of their assassination attempts, as the Brotherhood has no sense of loyalty and engages in frequent double-dealing with him. As the rivalry for leadership shows, the members of the Brotherhood are not even loyal to one another. By contrast, Vuk is deeply loyal to those who help him, especially Jordan, who helped him when the Brotherhood demanded a payment from him. Such loyalty, however, comes with a heavy emotional cost: In Vuk’s case, the agony of seeing the woman he’s long loved marry his best friend. Though he initially believes his feelings are unrequited for the 16 months of Ayana and Jordan’s engagement, their eventual reciprocity does not resolve this agony.