Content Warning: This section of the guide contains includes of graphic violence, death, emotional abuse, and cursing.

“Without breaking stride, I donned the face of the Bloodthirsty Queen. It was who they were expecting, who they feared—and rightly so. She had earned her reputation over the centuries […] Eyes bore into every inch of me, but the ones that made me hesitate were the ones that burned crimson: Kaden. My maker, my lover, and the only reason my sister lived. She was why I did every single thing he asked.”

Dianna adopts the persona of the Bloodthirsty Queen, a fearsome facade designed to meet the expectations of Kaden and the Otherworlders. The Bloodthirsty Queen symbolizes The Deceptive Nature of Appearances, masking Dianna’s true self beneath a persona crafted for survival and manipulation. Dianna’s hesitation when meeting Kaden’s gaze reveals her internal conflict, as her actions are not driven by personal malice but by coercion. Kaden dictates her bloodthirsty deeds, emphasizing the loss of agency that came with the powers that her transformation gave her.

“The fabled World Ender. The legend. The Son of Unir. Wielder of the Blade of Oblivion. And where is he? […] Exactly. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since their home world, Rashearim, blew up. Destruction that was caused by him, correct? Isn’t that how the story goes? He is the boogeyman of the Otherworld. Tales to keep you all in line.”

The first mention of Samkiel, or Liam, comes from Kaden, who mocks him as a legend fabricated to frighten the Otherworlders into submission. Kaden weaponizes the myth of the “World Ender” to reinforce his authority, portraying Liam as a destructive figure whose actions led to the annihilation of Rashearim. This manipulation of Liam’s reputation reflects Kaden’s use of fear as a control tool while revealing his reliance on propaganda to maintain control—one side of The Duality of Power that the novel explores.