A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summaries & Analyses
Quizzes
Reading Tools
Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
Anne is the young duchess regnant of Brittany, fiercely protective of her vulnerable homeland. Recognizing that foreign powers view her solely as a political asset to be claimed, she uses a facade of naive frivolity to disarm her adversaries. Beneath this carefully maintained image, she operates as a cunning strategist willing to sacrifice her personal freedom for the survival of her people.
Magical Adversary of Julien Moreau
Developing Connection to Louis of Orléans
Older Sister of Isabeau of Brittany
Older Half-Sister of Henri, Baron of Avaugour
Ward of Jean de Rieux
Proxy Wife of Maximilien of Austria
Political Target of Marguerite of France
Protector of Elesbed
Julien is a mysterious diviner who served under the name Miravi centuries earlier. He arrives in Anne's court with an ominous message from the king of the korriganed and displays a disturbing mastery of shadow magic. His charming demeanor masks a manipulative and dangerous ambition tied to ancient Breton folklore.
Dangerous Suitor of Anne of Brittany
Manipulator of Isabeau of Brittany
Secret Ally of Marguerite of France
Threat to Elesbed
Louis is a pragmatic nobleman and former political prisoner who previously fought alongside the Bretons. Hardened by war and captivity, he initially acts on behalf of the French crown to secure Anne's submission. However, his respect for the young duchess complicates his loyalties as he witnesses her courage firsthand.
Drawn to Anne of Brittany
Political Prisoner of Marguerite of France
Distrusted by Isabeau of Brittany
Ally of Henri, Baron of Avaugour
Marguerite is the powerful former regent of France and sister to King Charles. She operates as a cold, calculating imperial strategist focused entirely on the annexation of Brittany. She views Anne strictly as a political asset and utilizes intimidation and political leverage to enforce her will on the Breton court.
Older Sister of King Charles
Political Oppressor of Anne of Brittany
Employer of Louis of Orléans
Secret Ally of Julien Moreau
Commander of Guillaume de La Trémoille
Isabeau is Anne's younger sister, characterized by her youthful impulsiveness and fierce devotion to her family. While she understands the necessity of political sacrifice, she lacks Anne's strategic patience, often acting on raw emotion. Her desperation to save her sister leads her into dangerous bargains with unpredictable magical forces.
Younger Sister of Anne of Brittany
Younger Half-Sister of Henri, Baron of Avaugour
Close Friend of Elesbed
Manipulated by Julien Moreau
Henri is Anne and Isabeau's loyal half-brother and a steadfast protector of the ducal family. While he lacks Anne's aptitude for complex statecraft, he provides unwavering physical bravery and practical support. He readily participates in his sister's covert schemes and stands as a reliable guard in her chaotic political life.
Older Half-Brother of Anne of Brittany
Older Half-Brother of Isabeau of Brittany
Drinking Companion of Wolfgang von Polhaim
Comrade in Arms of Louis of Orléans
Jean is Anne's counselor and officially appointed guardian, deeply protective of his royal ward. His approach to politics is defined by extreme caution and conventional thinking, making him highly anxious about Anne's bold, magically-inclined strategies. He consistently prioritizes known, worldly threats over unpredictable supernatural dangers.
Elesbed is a practical and resourceful orphan who joins the ducal household as a companion to Isabeau. Having survived the harsh realities of war, she possesses an instinctive understanding of danger and Breton folklore that the highborn characters often lack. She quickly proves herself to be a brave and deeply loyal friend.
The Korrigan-Queen is an ancient and powerful faerie who acts as a mysterious, challenging mentor figure to the Breton duchess. She guards the deeper magic of the Lost Lands and operates by logic wholly alien to human politics. Her guidance is often cryptic, designed to test the resolve and motives of those who interact with the faerie world.
Mysterious Guide to Anne of Brittany
Enemy of Julien Moreau
Guillaume is a French envoy and general tasked with forcing Breton submission. He is an avid, passionate hunter, a trait that Anne actively exploits by fabricating a mythical beast hunt to distract him from his political duties.
Subordinate to Marguerite of France
Political Adversary of Anne of Brittany
Maximilien is the heir to the Holy Roman Empire, selected by Anne for a secret proxy marriage to protect Brittany. Though politically advantageous on paper, his reliability is compromised by his deep, haunting grief over his deceased wife.
Proxy Husband of Anne of Brittany
Employer of Wolfgang von Polhaim
Wolfgang is the Austrian envoy sent by Maximilien. He acts as the legal proxy for his master during the clandestine wedding ceremony in Brocéliande, performing the bizarre legal requirements to finalize the union before returning to Flanders.
Representative of Maximilien of Austria
Proxy Groom to Anne of Brittany
Secret Guest of Henri, Baron of Avaugour
Butter is a magically astute cat found by Elesbed following the mysterious events in Brocéliande. The feline possesses an uncanny sensitivity to supernatural threats and invisible shadows, often acting as a guide and protector when otherworldly dangers approach.
Pet of Elesbed
Helpful Guide to Anne of Brittany
Charles is the King of France, a monarch more interested in the romanticized pursuit of mythical beasts than the tedious realities of military campaigning. He views the acquisition of Brittany—and its young duchess—as a personal prize rather than a strategic necessity.
Younger Brother of Marguerite of France
Unwanted Suitor of Anne of Brittany
Calyx is the court diviner for Brittany. He provides crucial magical intelligence for the ducal council, though attempting to read the movements of ancient, faerie magic takes a heavy physical toll on his frail body.
Court Diviner for Anne of Brittany
Gralon Meur is a legendary human king who married a korrigan princess and ruled the enchanted city of Keris before it vanished. He lives a solitary existence in the magical woods, content to see his wife for a single moment each dawn.
Father of Ahèz
Host to Anne of Brittany
Ahèz is the cruel, petulant queen of Keris who perpetuates an endless, riotous nighttime festival. She prioritizes her own selfish desires over the needs of her people, maintaining absolute control through magical obstacles and stagnation.
Daughter of Gralon Meur
Adversary of Anne of Brittany
Hawiz is a trusted nurse and lady-in-waiting in the Breton court. She attends to the personal needs and secrets of the duchess, maintaining the daily functions of the royal bedchamber amidst political turmoil.
Confidant of Anne of Brittany