48 pages • 1-hour read
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon
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Character Analysis
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is the protagonist and point-of-view character of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon. Cinnamon’s family owns a spice farm, and she is named after the cinnamon spice. Her siblings are similarly named for spices (such as Cherry and Cumin), and together, they represent the humor with which Lemming infuses her fantasy world. Cinnamon is 24 years old, and at the outset of the novel, she establishes that she wants little more than to live a quiet life farming spices and spending time with her family. While other women in her village have started families or worked to stand out in hopes of being chosen as Myva’s champion, Cinnamon has done the opposite—remained single waiting for the right person and tried to blend in so Myva wouldn’t notice her. As a result of these behaviors, Cinnamon feels distanced from the other women in her village because, while she acknowledges that being chosen by Myva is an honor, “it was an honor that I had NO desire to be a part of” (2).
With the entrance of Fallon into her life, Cinnamon becomes a reluctant hero. Unlike those chosen by Myva, who seek glory and recognition for the great deeds they will do to save the realm, Cinnamon is motivated by the safety Fallon’s demon protection can offer her village and family. Thus, while destroying Myva’s phylacteries involves adventuring across the land and facing dangers Cinnamon doesn’t want to face, she does it because she cares too much about her loved ones to not act. Cinnamon’s reluctance is also fueled by the loss of Cherry. Since Cherry was taken while the girls were pretending to be on a quest, Cinnamon feels responsible, believing Cherry was taken because Myva was displeased. As Cinnamon learns the truth of what Myva is and experiences the divides Myva has caused between humans and demons, Cinnamon starts to realize that there is more to the world than she thought, and she isn’t responsible for what happened to Cherry.
Fallon
Fallon is Cinnamon’s love interest and the shadow dragon demon. He has “dark coal eyes that sucked you into their endless abyss” (26). Prior to being stunned by the cinnamon spice, Fallon is controlled by Myva, and that control turns him into a beast who attacks without provocation. The fact cinnamon allows him to break free of Myva’s control symbolizes how Cinnamon also changes his view of life and relationships. While trapped behind Volsog gate, Fallon experienced harsh conditions where his only focus was survival. Freed from the demonic prison and Myva’s curse, Fallon sees what life never offered him as a prisoner, specifically Cinnamon’s love and family. His first interaction with them in Chapter 2 both solidifies his instant connection with Cinnamon and makes him want what she has—a family that loves and cares for its members. This desire helps Fallon overcome his overprotectiveness at the end of the book. Even with the protective shield he creates for Cinnamon, he still fears something will happen to her out in the world, but he recognizes how much her family means to her and wants that family for himself, ultimately allowing him to cope with his fear so they can both be happy.
As a love interest, Fallon is dominant and morally questionable at times— things which are partly informed by his demon nature. Due to his time imprisoned behind Volsog gate, Fallon learned to be harsh and unforgiving to survive, and he brings these lessons into the world. As a result, his first instinct is to overpower threats, as seen by how he treats anyone who threatens Cinnamon, as well as by his retribution against the mages of Wandermere. With help from Cinnamon, Fallon comes to understand that he no longer needs such a harsh reaction to threats, though he still tends to overreact when she is in danger. This overprotectiveness leads to Fallon killing people for even looking at Cinnamon in a way he dislikes—the morally questionable part of the romance. Cinnamon is capable of taking care of herself, but she finds Fallon’s overprotectiveness attractive, even as she recognizes how harmful it is.
Myva
Myva is the antagonist of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, and she represents the influence of power on misinformation. Rather than the goddess humans believe she is, Myva is a lich sorceress who has twisted history to trick humans into protecting her. Centuries ago, when Myva cursed and imprisoned demons, Myva realized she could ensure humans would protect her by giving them a religion to cling to. By making the demons into enemies, dividing her soul into the four phylacteries, and establishing temples as places where humans could pray for protection, Myva rewrote her history and influenced her future by suppressing the truth and propagating a believable lie. As a result, she gained human protection and was even able to use humans as warriors to fight off the demons trying to destroy her. Together, these events symbolize how the world changes when information is hidden. Myva’s curse and the division between humans and demons also show how keeping groups separated is key to enforcing lies. When Fallon is freed from the curse and able to show Cinnamon the truth about Myva, the lie begins to unravel because the misinformation Myva has perpetuated only holds up when people don’t question it.
Usha
Usha is a citizen of Wandermere, and she represents how different places have different cultures, as well as how the truth changes people. Prior to meeting Fallon, Usha believes demons are animalistic creatures incapable of emotions or higher thought because this is what she’s been raised to think. When she witnesses Fallon acting like a human, her world is upended, and this sudden departure from everything she thought she understood about demons forces her to entertain beliefs that sharply contrast with her own. This further opens her up to believing the truth about Myva and demons, and Usha’s ability to acknowledge new information and change her opinions based on that information symbolizes Acceptance is a Choice. In this way, Usha also represents the influence of upbringing and how change is up to each individual. Usha grew up believing demons were animals, but this does not mean she is forced to hold this belief for her entire life. However, neither does it mean she is completely at fault for the actions of Wandermere’s people toward demons. Usha never questioned her beliefs about demons because nothing ever made her consider there was a reason to. Thus, for Usha, Fallon is a catalyst for Usha expanding her understanding of the world.
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