The Serpent's Shadow

One of the main conflicts Carter and Sadie face in The Serpent’s Shadow is leading the Brooklyn magicians. Since they are both so new to their heritage, the siblings are still learning what it means to be a magician, even as they must teach others this exact concept. As a result, both Carter and Sadie find themselves questioning whether they are suited to lead. Throughout the novel, they must learn to navigate and accept the challenges of being an effective leader.

For Sadie, these questions center around maintaining morale, both for herself and for the Brooklyn magicians more broadly. Engaging in non-magician activities, such as the school dance, helps with her uncertainty, but as she learns in Chapter 5, her own morale comes second to that of her charges. When Walt backs out of the dance because he needs to preserve his strength, Sadie’s own desire to attend disappears. Still, she decides to go because the other magicians are so excited, even though it seems like she’s only “doing it out of duty, to make the others feel better” (80). Sadie recognizes that the others need this night away from the danger of their lives to bolster themselves for the fight ahead.