The Primal of Blood and Bone

“I knew exactly how worried Emil was when I woke, tasting the emotion in the back of my throat—thick like heavy cream.”

With Poppy’s powers spilling onto him, Cas, too, can now taste emotions as Poppy does, illustrated in the quote above. Describing emotions through the sense of taste—here Emil’s worry is cloying, like cream—is an example of the text’s use of the literary device of synesthesia.

“‘You must be getting really tired of being the one to keep both Poppy and me in line.’ Kieran chuckled as he approached. ‘Someone has to do it.’”

This conversation establishes Kieran’s role in the dynamic of the central trio. Since Poppy and Cas represent extremes of creative and destructive powers, Kieran brings in the balance. Further, both Poppy and Cas being impetuous and easily moved by their emotions, Kieran’s more measured approach is essential in decision-making. However, Kieran’s steadiness does not imply that he lacks emotions. It only means that he does not usually act from a knee-jerk response to his feelings. Kieran’s loyalty reflects Love as Both Sanctuary and Burden Under Pressure.

“Who was I?

[…] I was…I was a Primal. The one those who’d come before feared. I was the Harbinger and the Bringer the Ancients had dreamed of before the dawn of man. The Primal of Life and Death. I knew that. What I was. But not who I was.

And I knew those two things were vastly different.”

Poppy’s process of self-discovery in stasis illustrates the text’s important theme of Prescribed Destiny Versus Personal Agency. Poppy makes the vital point that her “what” and “who” are “vastly different,” indicating that one’s assigned role and supposed destiny do not define their self. The self is defined through one’s nature and above all, their choices.

“‘You can trust me,’ he said, his voice echoing around me. ‘Always.’

I’m not asking you to trust me.

My heart stuttered at the sound of his voice. […] I would always know his voice.

And he would never ask me to trust him.

[…] My gaze lifted to the being before me […] I knew who he was. What he was. He had been the end of every beginning. True Death. But now, he was the great deceiver […] ‘Let me take away your pain,’ Death whispered. ‘I know you’re ready, so’lis.’

The mist around my throat loosened. Anticipation swelled in Death. I dragged in the thinnest breath. ‘Never.’”

Illustrating the theme of love as both sanctuary and burden under pressure, Poppy uses the memory of Cas’s voice to pull herself out of Kolis’s manipulation. When Kolis asks her to trust him, she recalls that Cas would never make that demand of her; instead, he would earn her trust. The difference between Cas and Kolis makes Poppy realize Kolis’s coercion, and she refuses to submit to him. Poppy’s words additionally shed light on Kolis’s nature: He is “True Death” because he wants to consume the soul and the consciousness, rather than dispense death as a natural end.

“His scent was amazing. Like pine, spice, citrusy snow, and power […] but also something else […] Something infinite. I needed to be careful. I was weak. Muscles tensed as the aura pulsed and expanded until streaks of eather pierced his irises. Silvery bolts of essence laced with…crimson. Death.”

These lines highlight Poppy’s unique ability—shared by the wolven—to recognize the scent of others. They also contain a hint of foreshadowing, since Poppy can pick up a new scent in Cas which makes her wary. Linked with Cas’s destructive power, the scent reminds Poppy of death and of Kolis himself, foreshadowing Cas’s transformation at the end of the book.

“I held his gaze. ‘I applaud you on your maturity.’ I paused. ‘Reaver-butt.’

A low rumble radiated from Reaver’s chest. ‘And here I thought the wolf was the most annoying creature I’ve had to deal with. I was wrong.’”

The conversation between Cas and Reaver takes place after Reaver demands Poppy be woken up so she can rescue Jadis. Cas’s response to Reaver’s demand illustrates his immaturity. He baits the draken with insults, even though Reaver is the teenager in the equation (though thousands of years old, the draken is considered to be in his late adolescence). Additionally, the conversation showcases Armentrout’s use of contemporary slang in a high-fantasy setting.

“Disgust coated my skin, and I wanted nothing more than to take a wire brush to it. It didn’t matter that it had happened on some sort of metaphysical level. He’d touched me. He’d used me […] I wouldn’t cry, godsdamn it […] It had nothing to do with it being a vulnerability or a weakness. Crying felt like…acknowledgment. Like I was giving shape and form to what Kolis had done, making it real. And I couldn’t allow it to feel.”

When Poppy learns that Kolis possessed her during stasis, she makes an observation that highlights the complex nature of trauma. Whether the violation is physical or emotional, it is always felt in the body because it aims to belittle and subjugate the survivor. Thus, Poppy’s very skin crawls at the knowledge of Kolis’s “metaphysical” attack. She hates the fact that he used her like an object or a vessel. Her refusal to cry may not be the best approach, but highlights her resolve to fight Kolis’s power over her.

“‘You’ve spent your entire life fighting against those who sought to control you in one way or another. What Kolis did?’ His fingers slipped back down my spine. ‘Yeah, it was extreme, but it’s not the first time you’ve had to fight against someone exerting their influence over you.’

Gods, he was right.

The Priestesses. The Teermans. Duke Teerman. Alastir. Commander Jansen. My mother. Even Casteel, in the beginning.”

While Cas can be immature at times, he is also perceptive and empathetic toward Poppy, as these lines show. For all his flaws, Cas is a good partner for Poppy because he empowers her, in this case by reminding Poppy of her long history of resistance and resilience. Poppy’s memory of Cas’s initially controlling nature shows how far Cas has come as a character since the first few books of the series while also speaking to love as both sanctuary and burden under pressure.

“‘Everything here and beyond relies on balance, Casteel.’ The chair creaked as he tipped back and picked up another piece of cheese. ‘Where there is prosperity, there must be loss. With love, hate must exist. Life must give way to death. And so on and so forth.’

That sounded like a load of shit, but I kept that to myself. ‘I’ll have to take your word for it.’”

This passage is laced with grim humor—such as a Fate wolfing down on cheese as he delivers trite cosmic wisdom—but also shows how “wise” creatures like the Fates use obfuscatory language to gatekeep knowledge. Cas has little patience for Aydun’s philosophizing, since Aydun does not really offer him concrete advice. Significantly, however, Aydun’s statements reflect the importance and inevitability of change.

“‘Her Ascension unsettled the balance and freed Kolis. The damage from her Ascension, which so many prayed would never happen, has already been done and cannot be undone. That bell has been rung. The die cast. The bridge burned. The last chapter of the story written—’

‘I get it,’ I growled. ‘For fuck’s sake, man.’”

Aydun’s speech, packed with cliches, is a parody of oracular figures and wise men common in the fantasy genre. He makes the same point repeatedly, while offering little insight. Cas calls out Aydun on his verbal barrage, bidding him to stop.

“‘Every new life, every new being, has to start somewhere and with someone,’ Holland said, drawing my gaze to his. ‘And you are that someone. You are the start of a new pantheon.’

Me? The start of a new pantheon?”

Poppy’s incredulous response to Holland’s declaration of her divinity shows that she does not take herself seriously. Poppy finds it difficult to believe that she, an erstwhile mortal who has faced captivity, is the start of a new order of gods. However, Holland’s subtle observation is that no matter how great the order, it starts with one person and one event, much like the Universe emerging from a point. This speaks to the importance and inevitability of change.

“‘It’s so annoying when you two tag-team me,’ I muttered.

Casteel opened his mouth as what sounded like a choked laugh came from Kieran. ‘What?’ I frowned, and then my eyes widened, my face heating. ‘That was not what I meant!’

‘Good. Because I think you like that kind of—’

‘Casteel,’ I hissed.”

The light-hearted conversation is an example of the text’s use of humor, as well as a hint at the “throuple” dynamic between Poppy, Cas, and Kieran. When Poppy complains about Cas and Kieran ganging up on her to pester her about feeding, the two tease her about the use of the term “tag-team,” a sexual innuendo for multi-partner sex. Cas jokes that he and Kieran have “tag-teamed” or had sex together with Poppy during the Joining, and as far as he can tell, she enjoyed it.

“‘I’m…I don’t know how I ended up being the one making these decisions,’ I said. ‘I’m not prepared for this.’

‘I don’t think many who find themselves in your position are ever truly prepared, despite the training they may have had,’ Kieran said, sounding wise as usual.”

Kieran’s words show yet again why he is considered the wisest person of the central trio. Not only does he give right and applicable advice, he possesses deep knowledge about the workings of leadership and the history of gods, mortals, and other life forms.

“I’ve always said that knowledge gained in books wields a stronger sword.”

When Perry, a wolven friend of Cas’s, jokes that his father, Lord Sven, would love to research old tomes for clues on defeating Kolis, Sven makes a pithy remark about the balance between bookish and practical knowledge. The two are not polar opposites. On the contrary, the book—preparation and knowledge—sharpens the sword, i.e., battle strategy.

“‘That’s a red flag,’ Tawny murmured.

‘I’m a walking red flag.’”

The quippy conversation between Poppy, Tawny, and Cas is an instance of Armentrout’s use of quick, contemporary dialogue to keep the proceedings accessible to a general audience. Cas’s admission that he is a “walking red flag” is a send-up of the dark romance genre, where heroes can exhibit problematic behavior, such as extreme possessiveness.

“Her lips twisted into a vicious smile eerily similar to ones I’d seen on Poppy’s lips. ‘The fucker has quite the massive bone to pick with me.’

Poppy blinked.”

One of the text’s central tenets is the everyday humanity of the most powerful gods, as illustrated by Sera’s irreverent, most un-godlike utterance. Since Poppy has been nervous about facing the divine grandeur of her grandmother, Sera’s reference to Kolis as “the fucker” startles Poppy completely.

“‘I never see you as just Poppy…Not when all I can see is my everything. My world.’

A shudder ran through me.

Casteel dropped his forehead to mine. ‘There are no moments when I don’t need you with every fucking fiber of my being.’”

Cas’s heartfelt admission establishes him as the earnest, angsty hero of the romance genre. It also illustrates his intense, consuming love for Poppy, providing emotional heft to the Poppy-Cas story and invoking love as both sanctuary and burden under pressure.

“‘Come here, Poppy.’ Her eyebrow rose, and the gleam in her eyes shifted. Hardened. The essence inside me hummed […] I found myself anticipating whether she would continue to resist or give in. Either would delight me. The water stirred as she leaned back, dipping to briefly reveal two hardened nipples.

‘Why?’

Her refusal caused my blood to thicken and the eather to hum. The need to…dominate was sharp, pounding through me so intensely that it quickened my breath.”

Illustrating the text’s leaning toward the dark romance genre, this sexually explicit passage contains elements of power play and dominance. The passage also shows how sex is a vital force in the novel’s universe, associated with the essence of life. Cas’s arousal is linked with the surge of divine force—eather—in him, indicating that sex is neither shameful nor mundane, but a creative act.

“The similarity to Nyktos, his nephew, was clearly seen in the carved jaw and high cheekbones, but Kolis’s symmetrical features were almost…delicate. Perfectly pieced together. As we stared at each other, it made sense that Death would be crafted to be beautiful. It served as a comfort when death came and a lure when one fought to live.”

Poppy’s observation about the deceptive nature of Kolis’s physical beauty indicates her wisdom. She catches onto the fact that Kolis’s beauty is a weapon meant to stun his victims into submission. Though Nyktos, also a Primal of Death, is beautiful as well, his looks have a roughness which mirrors his plainspoken nature. Kolis’s beauty, on the other hand, is frequently described as perfect, implying it is artificial. Here too, Poppy uses the verb “crafted” to describe Kolis’s looks, suggesting they are a construct.

‘I do tend to see the good in those others only see the worst in.’ I flicked the hook. ‘I do demand that even those who are unjust are due fairness. […]

‘But I can also see when there is no good left. I demand justice for the wrongs committed by those who thrive on inequality […]’

Kolis arched a brow in challenge. ‘And?’

I stepped forward. Only two feet left between us. I slipped my fingers under my sleeve. ‘But when I do seek retribution, I am more vengeful than those whose blood I share.’”

The face-off between Poppy and Kolis is set up as a tense action piece, enlivened by crisp, edgy dialogue. Although Poppy is trying to distract Kolis so she can get close to him, nothing she speaks here is untrue or deceptive. Poppy admits that she is kind and just, yet, when provoked, her wrath is greater than even that of Sera. Poppy’s words also allude to her destruction of Isbeth, reminding Kolis not to underestimate her.

“‘I see the slut gave you some powers—’ I shot across the Hall […] Crashing into Kolis, I thrust my hand into his ruined stomach and slammed him into the wall […] ‘My Queen, I spoke, my voice filling with shadows and smoke, ‘gave me more than just parlor tricks.’ Tearing out ropey tissue, I gripped a fistful of his hair and pulled him back from the wall. My head snapped down, lips peeling back. I sank my fangs deep into his throat and didn’t release them […] Skin tore. Muscles snapped. Bones broke. I held on.”

The final, catastrophic encounter between Cas and Kolis illustrates Cas’s dual nature. He loves and honors Poppy so much that Kolis’s sexist slur for Poppy makes him erupt in rage. For his enemies, Cas is so destructive that he tears Kolis apart.

“‘I think he believes that if he had gone with Poppy to Pensdurth, none of this would’ve happened.’

‘Maybe he’s right.’

My gaze cut to him. ‘Seriously? You know Cas. The moment Kolis looked at her in a way that was even slightly offensive, he would’ve lost his shit’ […]

‘Maybe him losing his shit was exactly what was needed.’”

Jasper’s observation that Cas “losing his shit” may be irreverently worded, but constitutes an important insight, reflecting the novel’s interest in the importance and inevitability of change. While everyone in the novel has been fearing Cas’s destructive powers, Jasper notes that destruction is sometimes necessary to create something new.

“‘Do something with him.’

Millicent looked down and sighed. Turning, she kicked the back of his head, definitely cracking his skull. ‘Something ordered.’ She looked up with a smile that bordered on bizarre. ‘Something carried out.’

I stared at her for a moment. Nobody responded as my father and I left the atrium. ‘She’s…different,’ he commented as I led him back through the Hall of Gods.

I snorted.

Understatement of the year.”

Millicent—who has been missing for the entirety of the novel—returns in the last scene, to introduce plot points that will prove important in the rest of the series. Her appearance also adds levity to the tense, apocalyptic atmosphere, as she tortures Callum in response to Kieran telling her to take him away. Jasper’s stupefied response to Millicent further adds to the humor.