Cecilia is a dutiful, educated young woman living under the strict, health-anxious rules of her overprotective aunt. Though she outwardly conforms to middle-class Victorian standards by reading poetry and staying indoors, she secretly possesses rigorous pirate training. She seeks full membership in the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels and finds her quiet life disrupted when a hired assassin targets her.

Ned is a charismatic pirate currently operating without a flying house. He takes on various aliases, including the Italian assassin Signor Eduardo de Luca. Though Lady Armitage hires him to kill Cecilia, he is instantly enamored with her and actively sabotages his own assassination attempts. He associates with dangerous figures while pursuing his own hidden agenda.

Miss Jemima Darlington is Cecilia's elderly aunt and an eminent member of the Wisteria Society. Despite relying on a cane and harboring intense phobias about weather, illness, and sun exposure, she is a formidable pirate who fully embraces the scoundrel lifestyle. She keeps a tight, controlling grip on Cecilia's upbringing while engaging in high-stakes feuds.

Morvath is a male pirate captain commanding the massive flying battlehouse Northrangerland Abbey. He is a failed writer who fiercely claims Brontë heritage and harbors a deep hatred for the Wisteria Society. He seeks to dismantle female power and restore strict patriarchal rule to England through violent conquest.

Isabella Armitage is a ruthless, multi-widowed pirate and prominent member of the Wisteria Society. Driven by a bitter feud with Miss Darlington, she decides to hurt her rival by putting a contract on Cecilia's life. She is cold, calculated, and commands her own formidable flying battlehouse.

Constantinopla is a fiery, sixteen-year-old pirate-in-training. She attends a piracy school and freely flouts Victorian dress codes by wearing practical pants instead of skirts. She is bold, highly confident in her own superiority, and eager to prove herself in dangerous situations alongside the older women.

Tom is an older young man engaged to Constantinopla Brown. He holds traditional Victorian views on gender roles and expects to be the absolute head of his household, which frequently clashes with his fiancé's dominant, pirate-oriented worldview.

Pleasance is the housemaid for Miss Darlington. She learns the magical incantations to pilot the flying house, though she sometimes struggles with accurate navigation. She serves her employers with a mix of domestic duty and a burgeoning spirit for adventure.

Jane is a young woman striving to complete her prerequisite tasks to join the Wisteria Society. She adheres more strictly to ladylike Victorian norms than her peers, frequently criticizing those who dress or behave too wildly, which puts her at odds with Cecilia.

Jacobsen is one of Captain Morvath's aggressive henchmen. He tracks the protagonists across the countryside and executes his captain's violent orders without hesitation, frequently engaging in shootouts.

The powerful monarch of England who finds herself dealing with the complex, magical politics of the Wisteria Society and rogue pirates. She is authoritative, occasionally weary of the pompous men surrounding her, and commands her own Royal Special Service to monitor threats to the realm.

Frederick is Cecilia’s cousin and the heir to the Bassingthwaite fortune. He has a highly romanticized, poetic view of the world that often grates on Cecilia's more practical sensibilities, especially when he discusses their family legacy.

Alex is a fellow pirate and friend to Ned Lightbourne. He is loyal, observant, and assists Ned in surviving the dangerous rivalries between the various pirate factions by tracking movements and offering support.

Cilla is Cecilia's deceased mother. She is remembered fondly through portraits and locks of hair kept by those who loved her. Her tragic death at the hands of Patrick Morvath casts a long shadow over the current conflict and motivates those who seek to protect her daughter.

Anne is a veteran member of the Wisteria Society and Constantinopla's grandmother. She treats her numerous past heists and husbands with equal casualness, viewing both as easily replaceable assets in a pirate's life.

The elder Miss Fairweather is Jane Fairweather's grandmother and an established member of the Wisteria Society. She becomes embroiled in the chaotic thefts of the society's flying battlehouses.

Gertrude is a senior member of the Wisteria Society known for wearing elaborate hats made of taxidermy birds. She once attempted to poison Miss Darlington with a parrot, but the two women now maintain a polite, neutral relationship within the society.

Petunia is a member of the Wisteria Society whose property becomes a key target in the escalating conflict with Morvath's forces when her house is stolen right out from under her.

Randall is another of Patrick Morvath's henchmen, stationed at Northrangerland Abbey to guard against intruders and enforce his captain's orders.

Olivia is a member of the Wisteria Society who attends formal events and shares gossip regarding the whereabouts of other society members.