“Ash stuck to every surface of the landscape, a layer of poisoned snow. Houses lay in charred piles like pyre wood. Nothing stood tall anymore. The village had been brought to its knees. Her cry cut through the silence like a scythe. Bodies big and small curled against the ground and hardened into rubble.”

Aster paints a vivid picture of the devastated village through descriptions like “poisoned snow” and “charred piles.” The observation that the village “had been brought to its knees” uses personification to give the setting a mood of utter defeat and desolation. In addition, a simile likens Isla’s cry of despair to a scythe. In art and literature, death is often depicted as a figure wielding a scythe, so this figure of speech offers another reminder that Isla is responsible for the village’s destruction, as well as conveying her anguish at what her powers have wrought.

“‘If waging a war for one woman is a crime, then please do consider me a criminal.’ Closer. ‘If killing thousands to keep you alive is wrong, then consider me a villain.’ She now had to tilt her head to see him clearly. He leaned down. His breath was hot against her mouth. ‘If loving you this much is my downfall … then consider me already on my knees.’”

Grim’s dialogue builds rhythm through the repetition of “if-then” statements. This sentence structure underscores his point that his complete devotion to Isla is already a foregone conclusion and that he will commit any crime for her sake. Although Grim’s readiness to do bloody deeds like “killing thousands” for her sake horrifies the protagonist, this devotion is the cornerstone of his characterization and figures prominently in the theme of The Tension Between Love and Duty.

“‘The king of Lightlark is in love with her,’ Grim said, as if it were a joke. As if she had been a spy sent in to make Oro, King of Lightlark, fall in love with her to gain access to his power. The court laughed. The soldiers began to murmur. Her rage turned into a wildfire.”

The sentence “Her rage turned into a wildfire” uses a metaphor to express Isla’s wrath at Grim’s words to the Nightshade court. However, this figure of speech has the potential to become dangerously literal if Isla does not contain her power. This offers a reminder of the destructive capacity of her emotions as well as the constant self-restraint needed to keep her magical abilities in check.

“Even through the thick stone exterior, she could hear it now, howling. The sky had gone a strange shade. Whorls of green and purple peaked between clouds, illuminated by flashes of light. The stone rumbled with thunder.”

Aster provides auditory imagery with the words “howling” and “rumbled” as well as visual imagery with the phrases “[w]horls of green and purple” and “flashes of light.” Storms figure prominently in the novel’s plot, and these descriptions appeal to the reader’s senses, depict the supernatural tempests’ might, and seek to create an atmosphere of eeriness and suspense.

“Fury battled within Isla. She wished for her powers, so she could tear the ship to pieces, so she could shatter the sky and sea like a storm. It was this dangerous anger, this serpent within her always ready to strike, that was why she needed to keep the bracelets on.”

This passage uses a metaphor to compare Isla’s “dangerous anger” to a “serpent within her always ready to strike.” Serpents act as a symbol of treachery in the novel, so this figure of speech illustrates the protagonist’s inner conflict and her fear that she cannot trust her own powers and emotions.

“‘I wish I hadn’t given myself to you, like a fool. I wish I hadn’t let you betray me, and lie to me, and manipulate me, and I hate you.’ Her chest was heaving. ‘I hate you, I hate you, and I would throw this damned necklace into the sea if I could!’”

The repetition of the phrases “I wish” and “I hate you” adds vitriol to Isla’s verbal attack on Grim. The black diamond necklace she wears is a symbol of their marriage, making her declaration that she “would throw this damned necklace into the sea if [she] could,” the equivalent of saying that she wants to end their marriage.

“Her finger continued its path until its point, and she flinched, nearly dropping the feather in surprise. Its tip was as sharp as her dagger’s. A drop of blood dripped down her finger like a tear. The feather’s white point now gleamed red.”

This passage contains two similes, one likening the “drop of blood” to a tear and one comparing the quill’s sharpness to the tip of Isla’s dagger. These comparisons provide foreshadowing and create a mood of tension and danger. During the climax, Aster reveals that the quill is connected to Lark, the novel’s antagonist. By exposing the feather to her blood and using it as a means of communication, the protagonist unwittingly lends Lark strength. The author’s use of literary devices signals the importance of what might otherwise seem a relatively minor moment in the action-packed story.

“The snake queen, they called her. The Wildling snake. Just like the council that had tried to warn Grim. A traitor in our midst. A lover of the king of Lightlark, come here to spy. To destroy. The words filled her with rage—and also with hurt, because what if they were right? She didn’t want to be a traitor. She didn’t want to pretend. She didn’t want to be all the things they thought she was.”

Aster associates snakes with treachery, so the title “snake queen” encapsulates the Nightshades’ scathing opinion that Isla is a traitor. The repetition of the words “She didn’t want” at the start of the last three sentences is an example of anaphora that helps the narrator express the protagonist’s inner conflict. The passage also highlights a shift in Isla’s perspective. The fact that she doesn’t want to be “a traitor” to Nightshade reveals that she’s no longer certain Grim is her enemy.

“Her voice was a low growl. ‘If you want these, you’ll have to come out and get them.’ Silence. There were only her ragged breath and heartbeat and the waterfall beating against the pool to mark seconds in the night.”

The passage before the augur’s first appearance is filled with auditory imagery that draws out the moment’s suspense. The protagonist’s “low growl,” “ragged breath,” and “heartbeat” express the determination and anticipation Isla feels as she waits for the man to emerge from hiding.

“She groaned, tasting the chocolate. It was velvety, rich. Hot compared to the cold of the stone still against her back. Her eyes fell closed, savoring it.”

The description of the “velvety, rich” hot chocolate appeals to the reader’s sense of taste, while the beverage’s heat and the cold stone appeal to the reader’s sense of touch. These sensory details aim to create a sensuous mood, illustrating the chemistry that lingers between Isla and Grim despite the complex web of betrayal and secrets between them. This tender and quiet moment foreshadows greater physical and emotional intimacy between the couple.

“It was easier than admitting that she got a twisted sort of satisfaction in seeing the life leave the eyes of those she had seen hurt others. That with every kill … something inside of her was growing. And there was never a shortage of people to hunt down. Even as she killed the worst in society, over and over, more seemed to take their place, like relentless weeds.”

The simile comparing Isla’s targets to “relentless weeds” dehumanizes the people she kills. This degrading language underlines how Isla’s perspective has changed since the start of the book. At first, she felt horror and deep reluctance about the idea of taking even one life, but now she experiences “a twisted sort of satisfaction with every kill.” This satiated feeling foreshadows the revelation that Isla has the magical ability to acquire the power of anyone she kills.

“She ripped the curtain back. Her dagger dropped to the floor. There was a figure, right outside her window, filling it like a god. Oro.”

The short, simple sentences in this passage create distinct images, conveying how time seems to slow as Isla and Oro reunite for the first time since the battle at the ending of Nightbane. The fragment that contains only Oro’s name emphasizes the protagonist’s surprise at seeing him. The simile that compares the Sunling king to “a god” expresses his power, his handsome and muscular physique, and his vast importance in Isla’s life.

“But before she could wrap her fingers around it, a roar cut through the storm like a blade carving it in half […] The sky had gone red. And from those blood-brushed clouds emerged a creature emitting spirals of flame. No. Not flames. Lightning.”

Aster increases the suspense of this battle scene through visual imagery, such as “blood-brushed clouds,” and auditory imagery like “a roar.” The simile comparing the creature’s roar to a blade emphasizes the danger that Isla and Wraith are in. The fragments at the end of the passage emphasize Isla’s shock at the remarkable and perilous creature before her.

“Part of her ached, truly ached, to just crawl back into that bed. Let Oro help her get warm again, let that warmth be a bonfire that lived permanently in her bones, making her feel safe and loved. Go to the beach with him, the one he had promised to take her to.”

Throughout the novel, Aster symbolically associates Oro with heat and Grim with cold. The author reinforces this association in this passage through Isla’s daydream about the beach Oro “promised to take her to.” The metaphor comparing the warmth Isla desires from Oro to “a bonfire that lived permanently in her bones” reflects her longing to act on her feelings and be with him. The repetition of the word “ached” underlines the protagonist’s love for Oro and her struggle to resist her desires.

“He said that at the end of the world, a girl will be born from life and death. The girl will either destroy the world … or save it. She would be either a curse … or remedy.”

Each of the sentences in this passage contains a set of opposites, such as “life and death.” The contrast between opposing concepts—a rhetorical technique known as antithesis—gives the prophecy gravitas and upholds the series’s overall interest in duality. The author’s use of punctuation contributes to the suspenseful tone by providing a pause before the hopeful endings of the last two sentences. This prophecy plays a key role in the theme of The Uncertain Existence of Free Will by making it clear that the protagonist’s actions are of immense significance to her world, a burden she wishes to free herself from.

“The beast within her—the one that made her powers deadly—uncurled. She gave into it, only here. Only in a land where she couldn’t hurt anyone. As her power unleashed across the island, the monster within felt relief.”

Aster uses metaphors to describe Isla’s power as “[t]he beast within her” and “the monster within.” The figurative language emphasizes the danger Isla’s magic poses and helps to explain her reluctance to trust herself and harness her full might. Isla’s ability to unleash her power without harming anyone on the isle that bears her name represents a step forward on her journey toward self-acceptance.

“At any moment she could be torn to shreds. She could be pulled back off the wall. She knew that, and she kept climbing and climbing, dragging her bloody ankle behind her, until she reached the top and hauled herself over it.”

The repetition of the words “she could” builds suspense by reminding the reader of the danger that Isla is in. Additionally, the repetition of “climbing and climbing” illustrates the protagonist’s perseverance despite her injury.

“His eyes slipped down her body, slowly, and she felt his gaze like rough knuckles dragging down her neck, her chest, her ribs, her hips, her legs. Then, his eyes were meeting hers again, and it was undeniable, this force between them, an energy quivering like a strike of lightning.”

Aster uses literary devices to depict the tension between Isla and Oro. The list of her body parts—“her neck, her chest, her ribs, her hips, her legs”—makes the Sunling’s desire clear despite the distrust and complications between the characters at this point of the story. Even though Isla is in love with Grim and has recently remarried him, the simile comparing the “undeniable” energy between her and Oro to “a strike of lightning” shows that her connection with Oro remains just as irresistible to her.

“Her pleasure was a wildfire, razing the world, setting it aflame, flaring with every stroke, every nip.”

During the flashback to Isla and Oro’s last night together before the battle, Aster uses language about heat to depict the characters’ love. The metaphor likening the protagonist’s pleasure to a “wildfire” adds to the scene’s passionate mood and also reinforces Oro’s symbolic association with heat. Words like “aflame” and “flaring” further support this connection.

“She took the tooth from her pocket. The moment it was freed from the fabric, it flew across the room, as if summoned, digging into the wall. No, not a wall. A single page stretched upon it. The crimson red ink was faded, nearly illegible. Carefully, she peeled it off the stone. Read over it quickly. Relief flooded her like an oasis in her bones.”

Visual imagery, such as “crimson ink,” helps the reader picture the missing page from the prophet’s book. In addition, the simile comparing Isla’s relief to “an oasis in her bones” conveys the main character’s emotions at finding the object of her quest while reinforcing the scene’s desert setting.

“My love for you is like that forever flame, Isla. Relentless. Stubborn. Endless. Burning brightly, even if you’re not around to see it.”

By comparing his feelings for Isla to his culture’s sacred “forever flame,” Oro uses a simile to express his permanent and reverent love for her. Setting the adjectives “Relentless. Stubborn. Endless” apart as fragments rather than listing them in a single, smooth sentence adds emphasis to the words. Oro’s description of his emotions as “[s]tubborn” shows that, like Isla, he wrestles with inner conflict because of their romantic attachment.

“‘The bracelets stole away my power. They worked well. For a little bit, I almost felt like myself again. But then, I started killing. Something inside me started awakening.’ She felt tears like thorns in the corners of her eyes. ‘I’m afraid, Oro. I’m afraid of what I might do. I don’t trust myself.’”

The simile comparing Isla’s tears to “thorns in the corners of her eyes” functions on multiple levels. The mention of vegetation connects to her Wildling heritage and plant powers, traits she shares with her ancestor, Lark. These commonalities contribute to her struggle to trust herself and her fear that there is something dangerous “awakening” within her.

“I can’t feel him. I can’t feel him. I CAN’T— Her vision went black as power exploded out of her. She could taste it, feel it slide against her skin like a blade, ripping the air itself into tatters, shattering everything in its path. Her skyre burned. Her heart burned.”

Aster expresses Isla’s overwhelming despair through the repetition of “burned” and “I can’t feel him” as well as the capitalization of “I CAN’T.” In addition, the simile comparing her power to “a blade” underlines the danger her magic poses, foreshadowing the moment when she nearly kills Oro by lashing out with her magic in this scene.