Kingdom of the Cursed

Emilia di Carlo is the novel’s dynamic and round protagonist. Emilia’s desire for vengeance for her twin sister’s murder drives the novel’s plot and action in Hell. Initially defined by her grief, Emilia actively channels her sorrow into a formidable rage, a tool she learns to wield in the treacherous courts of the Seven Circles. Throughout the narrative, Emilia’s character development is linked to the theme of Asserting Feminine Power Through Rage and Desire. She transforms from a witch guided by mortal conventions into a strategic player who embraces emotions, such as anger and lust, that her upbringing has taught her to suppress. This transformation is an assertion of agency and forms part of her character’s arc toward knowledge, including sexual experience.

This evolution is tested during Emilia’s time in Hell. Her physical adventure mirrors her emotional arc, forcing her to confront her own desires, fears, and capacity for sin; particularly the potent illusions involving lust and envy compel her to move beyond shame and guilt, instead learning to control and harness these powerful feelings. Her relationship with Wrath is central to this development. She progresses from seeing him as a monstrous enemy to acknowledging a complex, undeniable attraction.