Galva serves as the novel’s deuteragonist, and she is also a crucial foil to Kinch. She is a round but largely static character who enters the story with a fully formed, deeply ingrained code of honor that contrasts sharply with Kinch’s initial amorality. As an Ispanthian knight and veteran who has been trained in the martial art of Calar Bajat, she is a supremely skilled and disciplined warrior, and her actions are guided by a strict, if sometimes brutal, set of principles. For instance, she strategically maims the bandits in the Forest of Orphans rather than killing them without need, and this calculated act of disabling force showcases her pragmatic yet principled nature. Her springwood shield, a rare artifact that “heals itself” (16), serves as a potent symbol of her resilient and enduring code of conduct in a world that constantly seeks to break her spirit and sully her honor.

Like Kinch, Galva is a deeply secretive and strategic individual who understands the value of a concealed identity. She is eventually revealed to be the “first daughter of the Duke of Braga” (252), although she hides this highborn lineage until it becomes a necessary tool for negotiation. Her choices in this matter align with the novel’s exploration of The Strategic Concealment of Identity. Her most significant secret is her war corvid, Dalgatha, a fearsome and illegal creature of war that she hides as a magical “sleeper” tattoo on her chest. The decision to remove her chain mail and release the bird is a high-stakes gambit that she undertakes only in the most desperate situations.

Above all, Galva is defined by her fierce and unwavering loyalty. Her primary motivation is her quest to find and rescue Queen Mireya, the true heir to Ispanthia, and she undertakes this mission with solemn devotion. Although her loyalty is initially focused on her distant sovereign, it gradually extends to her traveling companions as well, and as her relationship with Kinch evolves from a wary, adversarial dynamic to a true partnership built on mutual respect, this transformation reflects the positive aspects of Finding Loyalty in Unlikely Alliances. Her devotion is also spiritual; a follower of the Ispanthian death goddess, also named Dalgatha, she has made extreme physical sacrifices, including the ritual removal of her breasts. This act, which is meant to show that she “prefers blood to milk” (295), signifies her complete commitment to her path as a warrior and her lifelong status as a “bride of Dalgatha” (94) whose life is dedicated to serving death, whether on the battlefield or in the name of her queen.

Norrigal Na Galbraith functions as the tritagonist and a vital magical specialist within the group. A dynamic, round character, she begins her journey as a promising but somewhat naive witchling who grows into a powerful and indispensable ally. Initially introduced as the great-niece of the formidable witch Deadlegs, Norrigal possesses a significant and innate magical talent, though her control is somewhat unrefined and has the ability to foil friends as well as foes. During her first few days on the road, she demonstrates her abilities through practical cantrips, such as creating a “fire-nut” (111) that initially warms her companions but then threatens to set Kinch on fire. She also uses a magically enchanted false nose to track her quarry by its magical scent. Although her developing power is sometimes a liability, her willingness to learn and adapt showcases her potential.

As she develops an amorous relationship with Kinch (whom she eventually marries for a month in an old Galtish tradition), Norrigal undergoes a journey of emerging confidence and self-discovery. Initially operating in the shadow of her famous great-aunt, she steadily becomes more assertive, and her skills are essential to the group’s survival. Her bravery is exhibited when she uses her animated staff to protect Kinch from an axe throw, and when she later deploys a blinding powder to save the shipwrecked survivors from the kraken. These moments mark her transition from a gifted apprentice to a capable field practitioner of magic.

However, her complex relationship with her own identity and power is later revealed to be intertwined with that of Deadlegs herself, suggesting a mystical connection that transcends a simple family bond and hints that the two characters may indeed be different versions of the same person. Throughout most of the novel, Norrigal becomes far more than just a source of power. She often serves as the moral and emotional anchor of the party, frequently calling out the absurdities of Kinch and Galva’s bickering and providing a compassionate, optimistic counterpoint to their hardened cynicism.

Malk Na Brannyck, a seafarer and veteran of the goblin wars, is initially introduced as an antagonist and a foil to Kinch, but he undergoes a dynamic character arc that transforms him from a threatening enemy into a loyal ally. As a Coldfoot Spear, a member of an elite Galtish infantry unit, Malk embodies traditional codes of honor and national loyalty. His initial animosity toward Kinch is deeply personal and stems from Kinch’s long-ago decision to shirk the military muster and join the Takers Guild, an act that Malk believes dishonored their people and indirectly contributed to his own father’s death in the Goblin Wars. This grievance fuels his desire for vengeance, making him a formidable and relentless adversary who is determined to hold Kinch accountable for what he perceives as cowardice and betrayal.

However, when Malk’s ship is destroyed by the vengeful kraken, he must work with Kinch and his group to survive, and Malk’s subsequent transformation stands as a core example of Finding Loyalty in Unlikely Alliances. He grudgingly tolerates Kinch on the deserted island, and later, the group’s shared trauma and mutual need for survival aboard the goblin ship force Malk into a pragmatic truce with Kinch. This new bond gradually evolves into a genuine camaraderie, and he sets aside his rigid desire for vengeance in favor of a more flexible morality that focused on overcoming immediate threats to the group. This shift allows him to recognize new forms of fellowship that transcend the traditional boundaries of kin and country. His fighting prowess, which has been honed in the Goblin Wars, thus becomes a vital asset to the group, and his eventual friendship with Galva, another veteran, solidifies his place within their found family. Malk’s journey from a bitter enemy to a steadfast companion illustrates that even the most deep-seated grudges can be overcome by shared purpose and mutual respect. The author also emphasizes Malk’s new status within the group in order to maximize the emotional impact of his eventual death at the hands of ravenous goblins in Molrova.

Sesta is a primary antagonist who represents the insidious and far-reaching power of the Takers Guild. As an Assassin-Adept, she is one of the Guild’s most elite and magically augmented agents, and her magical tattoos make her a living weapon, for she is covered in mysterious glyphs that grant her supernatural abilities. Her character is a personification of The Strategic Concealment of Identity, for she spends most of the novel hidden inside the physical form of Bully Boy, a blind tabby cat that Kinch adopts in a moment of pity. This disguise allows her to operate as the Guild’s unseen eyes and ears on Kinch’s quest, and she periodically appears in human form to manipulate or threaten Kinch. As time goes on, it becomes clear that her ultimate goal is to advance the Guild’s secret agenda to capture Queen Mireya, whose actions threaten their power base. Sesta is a static, flat character in that her motivations are singular and unwavering. She is less a person than a physical manifestation of the Guild’s brutal will, and the constant threat of her murderous presence ensures that Kinch can never truly escape his obligations. The eventual reveal of her identity and the violent confrontation that follows serve as the climax of Kinch’s internal struggle with his ties to the Guild. Once Sesta is killed, Kinch’s status as a betrayer of his guild is cemented, and he has no choice but to flee their long grasp as he seeks to use their most secret records to destroy them.

Known as Deadlegs, Guendra Na Galbraith is a powerful and independent witch who serves as a key mentor figure. She lives in the mysterious Downward Tower and operates outside the control of the Magickers Guild, representing a wild and untamed form of magic. She is the one who orchestrates Norrigal’s journey with Galva, providing her supposed “great-niece” with the tools and guidance necessary for the quest. Her immense power is demonstrated through her ability to animate dirt-wight servants, create a clockwork horse from a staff, and graft the severed legs of a corpse onto her own body. Her relationship with Norrigal is later revealed to be far more complex than it initially appears, as the two are different versions of the same person.

The novel’s denouement suggests that both Norrigal and Deadlegs are the same person at different points of life, but the novel does not clarify how this can be true, nor does it reveal the magical mechanism that makes it possible, thus foreshadowing further explanations in the next installment of the series. Within the confines of The Blacktongue Thief, Deadlegs acts as a source of crucial wisdom and aid, and she also appears at the end of the novel in a dramatic deux ex machina that solves the main characters’ immediate problems and tasks them with quests that will continue into the next novel. Ultimately, however, her motives and the true extent of her abilities remain enigmatic.

Queen Mireya is the central objective of the heroes’ quest, initially functioning as a classic MacGuffin, the “lost princess” (56) whom Galva must find. However, her backstory reveals her to be a powerful and cunning figure who subverts this trope. To survive the machinations of her usurping uncle, King Kalith, the young Mireya feigned a mental break, and because this ploy saves her from assassination, it represents a prime example of the novel’s focus on The Strategic Concealment of Identity. In the novel’s present-day timeline, she is now the queen of Oustrim and has become a formidable witch who has the ability to communicate with animals. Her decision to outlaw the Takers Guild in her kingdom makes her their primary target and directly instigates the novel’s central conflict, as the Guild is implicated in provoking the giant invasion in order to destabilize her rule and eliminate the threat that she poses to their widespread power throughout the human kingdoms. Although she only appears late in the narrative, her presence and political importance drive the entire plot.

Yorbez serves as a mentor figure and a living embodiment of Ispanthia’s martial traditions. As Galva’s Calar Saram, or swordmaster (287), she is a hardened and supremely skilled veteran of the Goblin Wars. Her pragmatic, no-nonsense demeanor provides a grounding influence for the group. Like her former student, Yorbez has taken the “cut of Dalgatha” (295), a ritual double mastectomy signifying her devotion to the warrior goddess of death. This physical scarring underscores her identity as part of a generation of Spanth women who were forged in the crucible of war and who prioritize martial duty above all else. She is a static character whose role is to provide counsel, offer combat support, and serve as a direct link to the military world from which Galva originates.