“The thing about desperation is that it steals the right choice from our list of options.”

Desperation is personified as an active force that “steals,” emphasizing its consuming and controlling nature. The paradox lies in the idea that desperation, which should prompt urgent decision-making, instead limits choice. This aligns with Brie’s betrayal of Sebastian (which she chooses because she fails to see another way to save her sister) and Sebastian’s betrayal of Brie (which he chooses out of a desire to augment his already considerable power).

“Where do you think legends begin, if not from truth?”

Bakken’s rhetorical question challenges Brie’s assumptions about folklore, positioning myth as a distortion rather than a fabrication. It subtly alludes to one of the novel’s broader themes—unraveling the truth behind Faerie’s legends. It also highlights the role of goblins in the novel and how they, like humans, tell truths that the fae are magically bound from revealing.

“At first I nearly snorted every time they call me lady. That’s the one thing I’ve never been accused of being, but after hours of having them fuss over me, I’m more annoyed by the title than anything else.”

Brie’s humorous tone masks a deeper discomfort with her new role. The irony in “the one thing I’ve never been accused of” highlights her self-perception as an outsider to aristocracy. This moment underscores the tension between Brie’s identity and the world she is thrust into, reinforcing the theme of social hierarchy and her resistance to it.

“I’m ashamed that part of me wants to go home—that I wish I could leave this place and these awful creatures. Ashamed that I wish I didn’t have to be the one to rescue my sister.”

The repetition of “ashamed” at the beginning of each sentence emphasizes Brie’s internal struggle and self-reproach. This anaphora reflects the weight of her guilt and the pressure she places on herself. Though Brie is steadfast in her determination to save her sister, she has moments where she laments that she needs to maintain this steadfastness. Rather than recognizing the strength required to fight against strong odds to save Jas, she criticizes herself for ever growing weary of this responsibility.

“The modest apprentice I mooned over for two years has servants and subjects.”

This quote is an example of Ryan’s use of effective diction. The contrast between “modest apprentice” and “servants and subjects” highlights Brie’s disillusionment upon discovering Sebastian’s identity. The phrase “mooned over” carries a self-deprecating tone, implying that her past infatuation was based on a false perception. The use of “servants and subjects” rather than just “people” emphasizes power dynamics, foreshadowing the control that Sebastian will later attempt to exert over her.

“In truth, I expected the human slaves in Faerie to be drugged or mindless and treated like disposable tools, but if the twins are representative of life for humans here, my assumptions were completely off base.”

After arriving in Faerie, Brie struggles with the limits of her preconceived notions about fae, which are neither always correct nor always incorrect. Dramatic irony emerges later when she discovers that the “twins” are glamoured fae, meaning that her revised perspective was also false. This highlights the recurring motif of deception in the novel.

“How can feeling unworthy of a position I never wanted make me feel so small?”

Despite not wanting to be a princess—something that stems largely from her anxieties about income inequality as perpetuated by the monarchy’s wealth—Brie nevertheless is hurt by the implication that she is unworthy to be a princess. This line resonates with the novel’s broader commentary on power—Brie doesn’t seek status, but the world around her forces her to confront its weight.

“I’m not sure which part of Elora doesn’t expect [to keep information about menstruation private]. Girls are taught to dread their cycles, to never speak of them and hide every evidence of their existence. With all the trouble it brings—and risk of pregnancy is high on that list when there’s never enough food—menstruation is considered a curse more than a sign of good health.”

Arya’s rude questions about Brie’s menstrual cycle and fertility indicate the extent to which the potential human brides are, at least to the Seelie queen, not true partners but merely guarantors of heirs for Sebastian. Brie’s assessment of these questions indicates her understanding of the link between reproduction and poverty and how the onus of this burden might fall more heavily upon women. The novel thus shows marriage and reproduction as political and economic prospects as well as emotional ones.

“Sounds like he made quite an entrance when he returned to the palace—running inside with her in his arms and generally playing hero to her damsel in distress.”

Kane’s sarcastic tone critiques the trope of the heroic prince saving the helpless maiden. The phrase “playing hero” suggests that Sebastian’s actions are performative, reinforcing the idea that the Seelie Court values appearances over reality. Sebastian’s actions put Brie in the role that he continually directs her toward—one where he limits her power under the guise of protecting her. This foreshadows the later revelation that Sebastian is seeking to keep Brie at his side so that he can exploit her power, not purely out of affection for her.

“You will find, Princess, that the real magic in our world is tied up in free will. Not even the strongest fae—or the greatest thief—can take that which can only be given freely.”

Finn’s statement supports the novel’s theme of autonomy versus coercion. The parallelism between “strongest fae” and “greatest thief” equates brute strength with cunning, suggesting that power takes many forms. This line foreshadows the significance of Oberon’s crown, which can only be given, not stolen, mirroring Brie’s own journey toward reclaiming agency over her choices.

“I was always under the impression that the fae were strictly loyal to the court they were born into, but Finn seems to have assembled a little band of misfits.”

Brie’s shock that Finn’s allies come from different courts in Faerie highlights one of her incorrect assumptions about the fae. That Finn has obtained allies from all parts of Faerie further suggests that he might be considered an ally in subsequent installments in the series—though Finn betrays Brie, and she is angry with him at the end of the novel, his ethos about protecting disempowered fae regardless of court matches Brie’s own assessment of Faerie.

“Who says hope has to be desperate?”

Finn’s rhetorical question prompts Brie to reconsider her assumptions about hope. Brie thinks of herself as someone who does not have hope, something that she frames as the opposite of logic or good sense. Desperation, by contrast, is something that she equates with being forced to make bad choices due to lacking any good ones. However, Finn’s question reframes hope as something that does not need to come from a place of suffering but can exist independently as a positive force.

“‘Why do any Unseelie come here if it’s so bad?’

‘Because their existence under Mordeus’ rule is so grim that the risk is worth it,’ Pretha says. ‘He’s greedy and selfish, and he doesn’t care about taking care of his whole kingdom. His laws favor the rich and powerful and punish the less fortunate.’”

This exchange reveals the dire state of the Unseelie Court and its subjects, shifting Brie’s black-and-white perspective of Faerie politics. Previously, she viewed the Unseelie as evil, but this moment humanizes them and forces her to acknowledge that they, too, are victims of oppression. Brie’s evolving perspective foreshadows her later realization that corruption exists across both courts, not just among the Unseelie.

“‘In my world, power means the ability to cheat someone out of their life, their choices, their free will.’ His piercing gray stare burns into me, and I feel like he sees too much. I roll the glass between my hands and study the liquid. ‘I don’t care to toast to power.’”

The repetition of “their” emphasizes how power is used to strip people of autonomy. Brie’s understanding of the Faerie courts and morality shifts as she learns more about Faerie politics. By the midpoint in the novel, she does not have a full understanding of the various deeds and misdeeds of the different fae rulers, but she has begun to frame her understanding of power—whether wielded by fae or humans—as a corruptive force.

“‘The Seelie Court stole the [Grimoricon] during the war and has guarded it since, though it belongs to my court and its magic cannot be used by the golden fae.’

‘Then why did they steal it?’

He takes another sip and stares off into space, as if flipping through millennia of memories to find the answer. ‘The same reason they’ve taken everything else. To weaken us.’”

Mordeus’s comments about the reason that the Seelie and Unseelie fight one another shows that the battle for dominance between the courts is merely to win against one another. This further illustrates the corruption of both fae rulers, as they hurt and kill countless fae and humans to obtain these meaningless wins against one another. These power struggles are not about righteousness but about control.

“Faerie might have its own problems, but the fae are no more cruel and selfish than humans.”

Brie eventually embraces that the differences between humans and fae are less than what she initially expected. This shift in perspective does not necessarily mean that she no longer sympathizes more strongly with humans—she laments that Mordeus kills human servants at the novel’s climax—but it makes her more sympathetic toward the fae who are subject to the same desperation she experienced in Elora.

“I love Sebastian. I might not ever be able to marry him, but I do love him. It kills me to think that he feels like he has to stand before me and ask if I’m in love with another male. It kills me because even if I don’t love Finn, I do feel something. I feel more than I should.”

Here, Brie reflects on how her love for Sebastian might not be sufficient to entice her to want to stay in Faerie and marry him. In this respect, Brie frames love not as a force that defeats all other obstacles but as merely one element in an overarching set of concerns that makes for a strong and stable partnership. Though her attraction to Finn is one such concern, it is not presented as the primary barrier between her and Sebastian. Ryan thus includes a love-triangle plot element but deemphasizes it, compared to Brie’s other goals and values, such as saving her sister and showing class solidarity.

“I realize there is no lie I won’t tell, no object I won’t steal to save my sister.”

Throughout the novel, Brie struggles with guilt about deceiving Sebastian. Despite this, her comment here indicates that she does not regret the things that make her feel guilty. The hyperbole of “no lie” and “no object” emphasizes her desperation and unwavering commitment to her sister. She goes into the deceit with her eyes open because she considers if what she gains (her sister’s life and safety) is worth more than what she might lose (Sebastian’s affection and trust).

“Don’t romanticize something you know nothing about.”

Finn here cautions an intoxicated Brie against admiring his tattoos. This implies that the tattoos have some dark meaning (which is not revealed in this installment in the series) but also offers a warning about Sebastian’s method of talking about the bond. While Sebastian insists that the bond is something of beauty and intimacy, his romanticizing plays on Brie’s ignorance of the terms of bonding. Sebastian takes advantage of this in the novel’s climax when he bonds with Brie even knowing that she will die due to his Unseelie blood.

“‘I always believed the Unseelie were evil,’ I say, continuing, ‘but I don’t believe that anymore. Some shadow fae are evil and some are good. And some golden fae are evil and some are good. But maybe…maybe the Unseelie who seem evil are just trying to make the best of a bad situation.’”

Brie’s framework about how seemingly “evil” Unseelie might be fighting desperate circumstances shows that her understanding of moral frameworks is not absolute. Doing something bad when desperate, she contends, is different from doing something bad when alternatives are available. The novel supports this position, as it suggests that Brie’s betrayals are defensible, while Sebastian’s are corrupt.

“‘I know what it’s like to work nonstop and still be a prisoner to your circumstances. Your mother’s camps?’

[…] ‘I won’t defend those camps,’ he says, his voice shaking. ‘But with so many Unseelie fleeing Mordeus’ rule, our court has been overrun. Our people are suffering, and the queen is putting her subjects first, protecting them from the shadow fae.’”

Sebastian’s response to Brie’s disparaging of the camps shows that his disagreement with his mother’s policies is thinner than he lets on. Though he says that he “won’t defend” the labor camps, he immediately pivots to defending them by arguing that the Seelie Court is being “overrun.” He also frames his people as “[theirs]” when he speaks of protecting them but frames the decision to maintain the camps as the queen’s. He thus presents himself as faultless but protective, a framework that endears him to Brie. She later sees through this rhetorical trickery, but not before she bonds with him.

“I would rather see my peasant-loving nephew on this throne than let a human woman take charge of my court.”

Mordeus’s angry comment as Brie takes the Unseelie throne indicates that he holds multiple prejudices. His emphasis on Brie’s gender indicates that he is sexist as well as prejudiced against humans. This indicates that Faerie—as well as Ryan’s human world—has gender discrimination, which further puts Brie at a disadvantage in the broad political and social sphere of Faerie.

“I want him to know what I’m capable of—that I’m not so easily manipulated or bested. I want myself to know.”

Brie knows that in Faerie, appearances influence reality; thus, her desire for Finn to know that she killed Mordeus is not merely about pride—it’s also about asserting and expanding her power, as perceived strength directly impacts real influence. Reminding herself of this boosts her confidence, something she has struggled with throughout the novel.