The Narrow Road Between Desires

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical abuse and child abuse.

Bast is the novella’s main character. Nate Taylor’s illustrations depict him as a tall and handsome young man with long, dark hair. Unlike the Kingkiller Chronicle novels, this story doesn’t directly state that Bast is one of the Fae. However the narrator offers clues by frequently highlighting Bast’s alluring appearance and supernatural grace, such as his “sweet and sly and wild” face and the way that he “ma[kes] walking look like dancing” (2-3). Bast spends much of the story listening to children’s problems, and his solutions demonstrate cleverness, an understanding of the townspeople and their motivations, and a love of mischief. Early in the story, Bast warns Kostrel that some of the faen folk are malicious tricksters, but the protagonist sets himself apart from these Fae, particularly through his kindness toward Rike. In Chapter 9, the narrator observes, “You rip the seam or sew. That’s when you learned the sort of artist that you truly were” (174). Thus, by choosing to repair Rike’s relationship with himself, Bast decides what kind of artist and person he wants to be.

Bast serves as the protagonist and viewpoint character, giving him a central role in the novella’s structure and meaning.