Anathema

Zevander is the lord of Eidolon Castle and the leader of the Letalisz, a secret group of assassins working for King Sagaerin of Nyxteros in Aethyria. As an infant, he was cursed by Cadavros with sablefyre, an unstable magic that corrupts its users. Unlike his brother, Branimir, and Cadavros himself, Zevander has been able to resist the curse with poison and self-control, a key facet of his character.

Zevander’s background has led him to resist close relationships, even with his sister, Rykaia, making him seem callous and self-centered. However, he is also protective, and his resistance to intimacy is framed as his way of protecting himself and his loved ones, who could easily be victimized to hurt Zevander. As a child, Zevander was imprisoned and sold to the Solassions, specifically General Loyce, who abused him physically and sexually. This experience left both physical and emotional scars that keep him from connecting with others until he meets Maevyth.

Zevander is the deuteragonist, or secondary protagonist, of the novel, and his journey mirrors Maevyth’s. Though their goals appear to be at odds, Zevander gradually accepts Dolion’s prediction that Zevander and Maevyth are fated “mates,” meaning that Zevander cannot use Maevyth’s blood to cure his curse. Additionally, through Maevyth, Zevander uncovers many of his own feelings in the novel, such as his love for Branimir and Rykaia and his desire for a healthy sexual relationship. While Maevyth grows in physical and magical power over the course of the novel, Zevander’s growth is emotional, as he becomes more comfortable with his attraction to and dependence on Maevyth. The novel ends with Zevander confronting his past abuse, opening himself up to intimacy with Maevyth, and beginning to see his life with other people in it.

Zevander’s role in the novel is complex, like Maevyth’s. He is Maevyth’s primary love interest in the romance plot, and he also struggles to accept his attraction to her, contributing to the “slow-burn” romance trope of the novel. Additionally, Zevander knows all the things that Maevyth does not, such as how magic works, where he fits into the world, and what the primary issues in Aethyria are. This paradigm makes Zevander, along with Dolion and Rykaia, a guide for Maevyth, but it also opens the dangers of the unknown. While learning about the Corvikae is exciting and new for Maevyth, Zevander often provides the opposite perspective, acknowledging the dangers of magic that is uncertain and ancient.

Aleysia is Maevyth’s sister, though they are not related by blood. Maevyth often refers to Aleysia as her twin since they are about the same age. Aleysia is a foil to Maevyth in looks and temperament, but they share a desire for independence and freedom. Physically, Maevyth notes how Aleysia has much lighter features than Maevyth, such as blonde hair and blue eyes. In terms of character, Aleysia is outgoing, bold, and confident, and she pushes Maevyth to test the boundaries of the world in which they live. For example, Aleysia plots to escape Foxglove, urging Maevyth to do the same despite Maevyth’s resistance to challenging the status quo. Aleysia’s relationship with Riftyn, too, indicates a social and sexual freedom that Maevyth lacks. As they pass through the Eating Woods, however, Maevyth’s superior ability to perform under pressure allows her to escape unharmed, while Aleysia’s fate remains unknown. The novel ends with Zevander and Maevyth finding Aleysia in Elowen’s basement, but it is unclear if she is alive and well.

Like Aleysia, Rykaia, Zevander’s sister, serves as a foil to Maevyth. Again, her role as a foil is indicated by her physical differences from Maevyth, including silver hair and blue eyes. Like Aleysia, Rykaia is bold and adventurous, but she has issues of her own as well. Where Aleysia’s major conflict centers on her pregnancy with Riftyn’s child, Rykaia’s conflict is her magical empathy, which has led her to use substances to numb her feelings. Like Aleysia, Rykaia pushes Maevyth to explore both the world of Aethyria and her attraction to Zevander. In the end, Rykaia is the one who decides to attend the Becoming Ceremony with Maevyth, which hastens the climax of the novel. Both Rykaia and Aleysia act as catalysts for the major plot developments in Maevyth’s life, both by pushing Maevyth into the Eating Woods and by cleaving Maevyth into Costelwick. However, Aleysia and Rykaia are also volatile characters, and though Maevyth escapes their antics, neither Rykaia nor Aleysia manages to complete their adventures unharmed.

Moros is a wealthy inhabitant of Foxglove Parish, but his wealth is derived from his exploitative activities along the Lyverian border. He is the initial antagonist of Maevyth’s portion of the novel, as he gradually shifts from a generic, masculine oppressor into a man bent on warping people into monsters he can own. Though Maevyth appreciates Moros’s atheist-adjacent stance at the lunch, he quickly reveals his true colors by calling the Lyverians “savages,” showing Maevyth his “mermaids,” and poisoning an officer with vivicantem. Moros even tries to shoot Maevyth, Aleysia, and Riftyn when they escape into the Eating Woods, where he pursues them before being consumed by Cadavros. Moros is a representation of mortal evil, which is exploitative and cruel, often acting immorally under the guise of amorality.

Cadavros, on the other hand, is the representation of magic evil. In many ways, Cadavros’s crimes mirror Moros’s, such as corrupting Branimir and Zevander with the unknown effects of sablefyre. Cadavros is the primary antagonist of the novel, as he is the source of both the curse that plagues Zevander and the threat of pestilence across the entire world. Cadavros was expelled from Aethyria for practicing demutomancy, but his origin story is not sympathetic. Before expulsion, Cadavros experimented on people like Moros, and following his entrance to the Eating Woods, he has been consuming people from Foxglove who get banished. Cadavros’s power is both physical and psychological, as he traps Zevander in Caligorya to tempt him to join Cadavros. After consuming Moros, Cadavros takes on Moros’s appearance, linking the two antagonists. However, the novel ends without a concrete resolution to Cadavros’s plot, and the addition of the Magestroli and Solassions as secondary antagonists complicates the longer narrative of the series.