Shield of Sparrows

Odessa Cross is the novel’s 23-year-old protagonist and narrator. Her physical appearance serves as indirect characterization, hinting at her difference from the rest of her family and kingdom. She initially hides her true hair color beneath brown dye, but as she becomes comfortable in Turah, she eventually allows the natural red-orange hue to shine. Nor is her hair the only thing that sets her apart. Each kingdom’s citizens have different colored starbursts in their eyes, and while those born on Quentis soil feature amber starbursts, Odessa’s irises are pure gold. The novel does not explain her unique physical features, though her otherness is heavily implied: At the end of the novel, when the slain crux transforms into a human woman, Ransom notices that the woman’s hair is the exact same shade as Odessa’s, implying a connection between Odessa and the crux.

Odessa prioritizes trust and honesty, desperately seeks autonomy, and yearns for a sense of family, making themes of The Importance of Freedom to Personal Growth and Belonging as a Choice central to her character arc. At the start of the novel,