The Traitor's Game

Simon is the second point-of-view character and a secondary protagonist. Simon is 17 and has dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a “strong, square jawline” (19). He grew up in Woodcourt, where he was a servant. His father was killed when Simon was young after making the mistake of trusting an Endrean woman who sought refuge with their family, then turned on them. Simon believed Kestra was his friend when they were younger, until she accused him of stealing. He showed his ingenuity and bravery by escaping his cell through a sewage pit that led outdoors, but he feels guilty for leaving behind his friend, John.

Simon is a deeply loyal person, and he cherishes his attachments. After escaping Woodcourt, he was fostered by a kind, strong man named Garr, who taught Simon how to fight. Garr provided a model as a moral, decent man. When Garr was killed as one of the men Dallisor rounded up and murdered after Kestra’s kidnapping, Simon joined the Corack rebellion and vowed to remove Lord Endrick and the Dallisors from power. Simon feels an alliance to Tenger, especially since it was Simon’s error in judgment that led to the attack where Tenger lost part of his leg. As he sees some of the tactics Tenger takes as their leader, however, Simon wonders what Garr would think of his actions and whether he is turning out to be the man his foster father would have wanted him to be.

Simon is a young man of honesty and integrity, who hates to hurt others. He cannot hate Kestra, not even for falsely accusing him and causing the death of his friend. Simon softens quickly when he realizes he is attracted to Kestra, and as he appoints himself her protector, his feelings quickly turn to love. Simon is torn, however, when he realizes that Kestra doesn’t completely trust or depend on him. Nevertheless, driven by loyalty, he vows at the end of the novel that he will follow her, still seeing himself as her protector.

Trina is a secondary character and a member of the Coracks. Trina is initially introduced as a shifty and dishonest character, as shown by her description: “Trina’s [eyes] were like disks, narrow and sharp, and eager to do damage” (37). Simon thinks, “Trina was nearly impossible to figure out. Her emotions could shift within a single breath, and I’d seen her lash out in violence over the smallest of issues” (37).

Trina reflects other qualities that parallel Kestra. She is quick to strike out, threaten, or use physical violence to achieve her ends. She discovers she has a mixed but important heritage, as she is the daughter of Risha Halderian, who was executed for trying to assassinate Lord Endrick. Trina too is searching for a place to belong, and she hopes she has found it among the Coracks. Trina also feels she has an important role, as she believes she is the Infidante and it will be her task to select the next ruler of Antora.

Despite her sharp tongue, Trina provides important support to Kestra. She assists in helping the prisoners escape from the Dallisor dungeons, and after the town of Silven is attacked, Trina removes Kestra’s tracker so Endrick cannot find her. Despite Kestra’s disdain toward her, Trina offers Kestra friendship and alliance, suggesting these might be important qualities in their world, though Kestra rejects them.

Lord Endrick is the ruler of Antora and the overarching antagonist of the novel. It is his leadership that the Corack rebellion and the quest for the Olden Blade is meant to end.

Endrick is Endrean, which means he possesses magic, but he has also added to his own power by killing other Endreans and appropriating their power for his own. This consolidation of magic has made him seem nearly immortal, especially since he replenishes his power by visiting the Blue Caves. Endrick is held as proof of the Coracks’ belief that magic corrupts and, for this reason, any remaining Endreans ought to be killed. His cruelty and avarice are renowned and cause great suffering throughout the country. His manipulation is fairly straightforward, as he can simply force people to do his will. He wishes to expand his realm and thus his influence, which is why he devises the plan that Basil of Reddengrad will marry Kestra, then kill her, offering Endrick a reason to invade and conquer the country.

Endrick is ruthless to his opponents, as demonstrated by his orders for Henry Dallisor to imprison and kill Risha Halderian and Anaya after they attempted to assassinate him. Endrick’s vulnerability is that, after he infused his power into the Olden Blade, the blade can now be used to kill him. This sets up the quest that drives the plot of The Traitor’s Game and continues into the subsequent novels in the series.

Henry Dallisor is a supporting character and a secondary antagonist of the novel. He mirrors Tenger and Endrick in that he is a man in power, and he also mirrors Darrow in that he is a father figure to Kestra, though a failed one.

Henry Dallisor is a flat character in that he does not seem to have motives of his own, other than staying in Lord Endrick’s good graces. He goes along with whatever Endrick commands, which includes the plan to murder his own adopted daughter. Henry does demonstrate a human quality when it is revealed that he loved Lily Dallisor enough to accept the child she adopted as his own. However, he is more effectively a further illustration of the cruelty of Endrick’s reign and the kind of opposition that Kestra will encounter when she tries to challenge Endrick’s rule over the Dominion.