57 pages • 1-hour read
Throne of the Fallen
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Symbols & Motifs
Tattoos
Tattoos are a recurrent motif throughout the narrative, and each of the characters’ tattoos symbolically reflects aspects of their identities. In Camilla’s case, her glamour tattoo is symbolic of her loss of personhood, as it attests to how her parents used her as a pawn within their twisted games. The tattoo is originally created and placed by her mother to hide Camilla’s powers and her Unseelie origins while she was a child. Later, in a theatrical display of ownership, her father Lennox slashes through the tattoo to reveal her as an Unseelie princess in front of Envy, thereby creating a rift between them. Camilla’s glamour tattoo, which has allowed her a human life in Waverly Green and the possibility of returning to that life after she helps Envy, becomes a point of contention between her and Envy, as it covers the secret that she kept from him. After its removal, Camilla is left unmoored—she can no longer pretend to be a human but her time in the human world has made her unfit for the Wild Court.
In contrast, Envy’s tattoos proclaim his identity rather than obscure it. They attest to his identity, even the parts of it that he isn’t proud of. The tattoo on his back of a two-headed wolf, his House’s symbol, is an embodiment of his sin: “His wolves were forever chasing after something just out of reach. Never content. Monsters, green-eyed and vicious. Like him” (369). It symbolizes his constant need to know, grow, and achieve more, an innate part of his identity as Envy. By contrast, his tattoo of the Latin line Non ducor, duco, or “I am not led, I lead” inscribed below the belt line is both meant as an affirmation and as an indication of his courage and leadership skills (303). This truth is borne out by his commitment to members of his court, and his willingness to sacrifice his heart, and even death, to save them.
Art
Art is a recurring motif within the narrative and supports the theme of The Importance of Achieving Balance. Throughout the story, art often serves as a point of connection between characters: It fostered an affectionate relationship between Camilla and her human father, Pierre; it became the basis of Vexley’s extortion and forgery scheme with Camilla; and it becomes an intrinsic reflection of Camilla and Envy’s relationship, as art was how they initially came to work together.
In Camilla’s case, the art of painting also signifies the act of creation both in a tangible fashion, where her paintings could be imbued with magic and used to transcend realities, and in an emotional capacity, as the painting she made with Envy in the final chapter creates a balanced representation of their love and passion for one another. The art in the novel often calls to the idea of chiaroscuro, the interplay between light and shade, as a way to portray a balanced unity within opposite ideas. Envy, in particular, attends to this complementary opposition in his study, “wanting the contrast cast by the shadows to give it stark beauty. Chiaroscuro always fascinated him” (369). His interest leads him to eventually unify his own house symbols with Camilla, continuing to highlight the balance between their light and shadow, and the ways that they complement each other.
Anagrams and Puzzles
Anagrams and puzzles are a recurring motif within the narrative. Their appearance throughout also supports the theme of The Far-Reaching Repercussions of Revenge, as Lennox often uses anagrams and puzzles for the clues to his games. Kerri Maniscalco also suggests that playing wicked games is an inherent quality of the Unseelie, and perhaps the Fae at large, given how the Wild Court loves to entice and trap humans.
In addition, anagrams and puzzles are especially significant to and speak to Envy and Camilla’s characters, as both are prone to loving games and riddles. As Sloth tells Camilla, “If you want my advice, guard your heart and forget my brother. He is content with his games and riddles and plots” (247). Camilla reflects, “It was a warning meant to dissuade her, but it had the opposite effect. Camilla liked those things, too. Each day, lately, she liked them more and more” (247). Anagrams and puzzles become synonymous with both Camilla’s self-discovery through her growing feelings for Envy and also serve as foreshadowing for the unveiling of her Unseelie nature. In both anagrams and puzzles, the solution lies in plain sight, and in Lennox’s game, Camilla features heavily as the solution to his clues. Unlike the other clues, however, Camilla’s identity is the only puzzle Envy fails to solve before the end of Lennox’s game.
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