The Wrath of the Fallen

Dianna is the second protagonist of this romantasy, a dynamic and round character whose journey is intertwined with Samkiel’s. Her identity as an Ig’Morruthen places her in a constant state of internal and external conflict. To the realms, she is a monster by birth, a member of the same race that destroyed Rashearim. This perception clashes with her true nature, defined by fierce loyalty, protective instincts, and a deep capacity for love. In this dichotomy, she embodies the theme Monstrosity and Heroism as Artificial Categories. Her struggle is literalized through her possession by the ancient Ig’Morruthen, Gathrriel, who seeks to use her body as a “perfect vessel” (78) for his vengeance. This forces Dianna to fight for control of her own body and mind, battling the monstrous heritage that others fear and that Gathrriel represents. Her victory over him by igniting her own internal fire is a powerful assertion of her selfhood, proving that her identity is defined by her choices, not her bloodline.

Her relationship with Samkiel is the cornerstone of her character development. She is his amata—a lover tied to him by a magical bond—and her love for him is a powerful, sacrificial force. It is Dianna who consistently pulls him back from the brink of Oblivion, whispering, “I’m with you now and forevermore” (16) to ground him. This connection makes her a crucial source of stability for the entire realm. Her devotion is most profoundly demonstrated when she sacrifices her soul to resurrect him, an act that has universe-altering consequences and leaves her vulnerable to Gathrriel’s possession. This act exemplifies the theme of Love as a Catalyst for Both Salvation and Destruction, as her selfless love saves Samkiel but also unleashes a new danger upon the world and herself.

Dianna is also a resilient survivor, shaped by trauma. Having been manipulated by Kaden for centuries and forced to witness the murder of her sister, Gabby, she refuses to be a pawn in anyone’s game. This history fuels her fierce independence and her protectiveness of her new, found family, particularly Miska. She is determined to reclaim her agency and forge her own path, rejecting the monstrous label society has placed upon her. When facing her enemies, she is brutal and unapologetic, but her violence is almost always in defense of those she loves. Her journey is one of self-acceptance, as she learns to reconcile her feared heritage with her own identity as a protector, a queen, and a partner.

Nismera is the primary antagonist of the narrative, a static and round character who embodies the archetype of the tyrant. Her single, unwavering motivation is the accumulation of absolute power. Having ruled the realms for a thousand years through fear and intimidation, she views Samkiel’s return as a threat to her entire world order. Her pursuit of the Medallion demonstrates the boundless nature of her ambition. This relentless drive makes her a direct foil to Samkiel, a reluctant ruler burdened by his power. His benevolent leadership contrasts with her use of Fear as a Tool of Political Domination.

She expertly uses the fears of others to maintain her control, manipulating the new gods of Arcelia by stoking their fear of Samkiel and Dianna, and she deceiving her own brothers, Kaden and Isaiah, by creating a facade of familial care while secretly viewing them as disposable weapons. The revelation that she orchestrated the imprisonment of her brothers and the murder of Zasyn, Samkiel’s mother, exposes the depths of her treachery. To Nismera, family and loyalty are not emotional bonds but tools to be used and discarded. Her interactions are purely designed to further her own political goals.

Kaden begins as an antagonist but evolves into a morally ambiguous anti-hero, making him a dynamic and round character. Initially Nismera’s loyal commander, he is motivated by duty and a desire to protect his younger brother, Isaiah. After being killed by Samkiel’s Oblivion, he is resurrected by Death and bound to Dianna and Isaiah. This event fundamentally alters his trajectory. His experience in the void of Oblivion strips him of his former arrogance, leaving him a “living ghost of flesh and blood, empty and alone” (224). Haunted by his past and stalked by Death, his primary focus shifts from serving Nismera to ensuring Isaiah’s survival, even if it means sacrificing his own life.

His relationship with Dianna is a source of continuous internal conflict. For centuries, he manipulated and controlled her, using her love for her sister as leverage. Yet, his actions were also complicated by his own unrequited love for her. After his resurrection, he is forced to confront the reality that she now belongs to Samkiel. While he accepts this, his lingering feelings manifest in a grudging protectiveness. He steps between Dianna and Prince Eryx, and he catches her when she is shot from the sky, acting on an instinct he can no longer deny. This tension between his past actions and his present feelings makes him a conflicted character. His journey is one of atonement, as he navigates his new reality as a man marked by Death and bound to his former enemies.

Isaiah is a secondary antagonist and a foil to his brother, Kaden. He is a dynamic and round character driven by the tension between loyalty and personal desire. Isaiah’s defining characteristic is his unwavering devotion to Kaden. His primary motivation is to protect Kaden from any perceived threat. This fierce brotherhood is the emotional core of his character, transcending his allegiance to Nismera.

In contrast to Kaden’s calculated and often cold demeanor, Isaiah is impulsive and emotionally volatile. This is most evident in his interactions with his enemies, whom he taunts with a reckless arrogance that often escalates conflicts, such as when he verbally spars with Umemri, the King of the Otherworld. This impulsiveness also extends to his romantic feelings. His infatuation with the celestial Imogen becomes a driving force for him, leading him to risk everything to rescue her from Milani’s warship. This quest provides him with a personal motivation separate from Kaden’s.

Like Kaden, Isaiah is a product of trauma, having been imprisoned in Yejedin by his own family. Because of this abandonment, he yearns for acceptance and belonging. His eventual disillusionment with Nismera, coupled with his loyalty to Kaden and his love for Imogen, pushes him toward a reluctant alliance with Samkiel and Dianna. Though he remains hostile and untrusting, his actions are ultimately dictated by a desire to protect the few people he considers family.

Gathrriel is an antagonist whose presence creates a significant internal conflict for Dianna. As the first and most powerful Ig’Morruthen, he is an ancient being driven by a singular, all-consuming desire for vengeance against the gods who he believes killed his amata, Vvive, and their child. His possession of Dianna symbolizes the overwhelming and destructive nature of grief, a literal manifestation of a past trauma taking control of the present. Gathrriel’s motivation exemplifies The Redemptive and Destructive Power of Love, as his eternal love for Vvive has twisted into an endless, violent wrath. He serves as a dark mirror to Samkiel, whose love for Dianna also threatens to unleash world-ending power. His connection to Dianna is not just parasitic; he identifies with her, telling her, “We share the same rage. The same pain” (73), suggesting that their bond is forged in shared trauma. Ultimately, he is a force of pure, focused vengeance, a ghost from the past that Dianna must overcome to fully claim her own identity.

Cameron is a key supporting character who acts as a loyal friend and a comic foil to the more serious protagonists. As a dynamic and round character, he provides both comic relief and a source of unwavering emotional support for Samkiel and Dianna. His loyalty is absolute; he stands by them through battles, political turmoil, and personal crises, often using his sarcastic humor to diffuse tension. As a newly turned Ig’Morruthen, Cameron grapples with his new identity and the powerful, sometimes volatile instincts that come with it. This internal struggle mirrors Dianna’s own journey of self-acceptance. His personal story arc is also defined by a deep sense of loss and guilt over the disappearance of his love, Xavier. His ongoing, fruitless search adds a layer of pathos to his otherwise cheerful demeanor, revealing the vulnerability beneath his confident exterior. He serves as a grounding force for the central characters, representing the steadfastness of found family in a world defined by betrayal and war.

Reggie, or Roccurem, is a mentor and a tragic supporting character. As a fate—a being of ancient wisdom—he offers crucial counsel to Samkiel and Dianna, helping them to understand the prophecies and political machinations that threaten the realms. His knowledge of the past provides vital context, but his power is waning. His visions have become sporadic and unclear, a consequence of his past sacrifice to save Dianna from Nismera. Reggie’s fatherly love for Dianna, a forbidden attachment for a fate, ultimately leads to his demise. His willingness to break the sacred rules of his kind to guide and protect her underscores his compassionate nature. His murder at the hands of Nismera is a pivotal moment in the narrative, serving as a catalyst that solidifies Dianna’s resolve to destroy Nismera.

Vincent and Camilla are intertwined supporting characters who drive a key subplot centered on the pursuit of forbidden power. As fugitives on the run from Nismera, they highlight the vast reach of her tyranny. Vincent, Nismera’s former second-in-command, is a dynamic character haunted by the atrocities he was forced to commit while magically bound to her will. His primary motivation is to protect Camilla, seeing it as a path to redemption. He is willing to sacrifice himself to ensure that she and the dangerous medallion stay out of Nismera’s hands. Camilla, the powerful witch who mended the medallion, is also dynamic. Her feelings for Vincent evolve into a love so strong that she ultimately chooses his life over the fate of the world, surrendering the medallion to save him. Their relationship is a microcosm of The Redemptive and Destructive Power of Love. Their love gives them the strength to defy a goddess, but Camilla’s choice to save Vincent allows a world-altering weapon to fall back into the hands of the antagonist.

Miska is a symbol of innocence and resilience. A young healer, she is a dynamic and round character who, despite enduring abuse and being kidnapped multiple times, retains her capacity for kindness and trust. Her journey is one of finding a true family after being treated as a disposable tool. She is adopted into the central group, and her presence provides Samkiel and Dianna with a tangible, innocent life to protect. Her bond with them, particularly Dianna, becomes a source of motivation, grounding their epic struggles in the personal responsibility of caring for a child. Miska also demonstrates significant growth; she moves from being a timid victim to a brave young woman who actively studies self-defense. Her decision to help the wounded Kaden and Isaiah, her kidnappers, showcases her nature as a healer, one who chooses compassion even toward her enemies. She represents the hope for a better future and the enduring strength of a good heart in a world dominated by violence.

Unir, Samkiel’s deceased father, is a mentor and a catalyst for major plot developments. Appearing as a ghost who has temporarily escaped the afterlife, his motives are enigmatic and his actions morally ambiguous. He forces Gathrriel to possess Dianna, believing it is the only way to gain the knowledge needed to defeat Nismera, demonstrating a willingness to sacrifice others for what he perceives as the greater good. Unir’s character is primarily a vessel for revealing long-buried secrets that reshape the narrative’s history. His confessions about creating Nismera as a weapon, lying to Samkiel about the true nature of Oblivion, and his true role in Kaden and Isaiah’s imprisonment dismantle the heroic image his sons held of him. He is a flawed, tragic figure whose past mistakes continue to haunt the living, proving that the consequences of a father’s sins are visited upon his children.

Umemri, the King of the Otherworld, is a minor antagonist whose actions are fueled by grief. He is a static and flat character driven by a desire for vengeance against Samkiel, whom he holds responsible for the death of his mate, Sth. The prologue reveals that his slaughter of a town is a violent expression of grief. This backstory immediately establishes him as a reflection of the novel’s central theme, The Redemptive and Destructive Power of Love. He becomes a cautionary figure, demonstrating how all-consuming love, when lost, can leave a destructive rage in its wake. His alliance with Nismera is purely opportunistic, a means to his revenge on Samkiel.