Does Evander’s love for Bryony fundamentally alter his violent nature? Please use examples from the text to support your argument.

Males are rulers in both Vartena and Scillari, with Idris refusing to hand power over to Theodora even though she is the more capable ruler. What does this say about the societies depicted in the novel? Why are even immortal goddesses not shown as rulers of the realms in Scillari?

How do the shifts in narrative point of view between Bryony and Evander inform the reader’s impression of their relationship?

Explore the symbolic meaning of the garden of roses in Evander’s palace. What do the roses say about Evander himself?

Compared to the fairytale “Beauty and the Beast,” how does May’s novel challenge the original’s framework. Give at least three ways in which May’s novel reworks the archetypes of the myth.

Based on research on the tropes of dark romantasy and your own reading of dark romance, analyze how author Elizabeth May uses and subverts genre conventions in the novel.

Does Bryony’s embrace of violence lead to genuine liberation, or does it ultimately trap her in a cycle of trauma and codependence with Evander?

Sibling-pairs often act as foils to each other in the novel, as shown in the depictions of Evander-Bastien and Bryony-Theodora. Why are these siblings depicted as foils? How does the portrayal add to your reading of the novel?