The Soul
References to the soul will always be metaphorical until it becomes a proven part of the construction of human anatomy. “The words hit me, even as they soothed some jagged piece in my soul.” This particular use of the metaphor comes within the context of the narrator being told by another character that she was held captive by a third party because she was considered a treasure worth more than jewels. The “jagged piece” thus becomes a subtle symbol of a particular form of misogyny based on seeing women as possessions.
Darkness
Darkness is a metaphor that is omnipresent in the fiction of the modern age. The narrator admits that “But I wasn’t entirely sure that even with the hardships he’d encountered Under the Mountain, Tarquin could understand the darkness that might always be in me.” The symbolic explication of darkness in this instance is not specific to anything. This is not unusual. As with many uses of the word as metaphor, darkness is referring obliquely to the consequences of living with hard life spent in desperation.
Psychic Power
The novel is a work of fantasy fiction and as such some scenes use metaphor in ways that would not be as appropriate for a more realistic novel. “My thoughts settled in him like a stone dropped into a pool.” While this particular imagery could appear in a mainstream story, it might feel a little over the top. This flight of poetic fancy feels much more at home within the context of the unrealistically powerful narrator describing her ability to focus her powers of attention upon another character’s own unspoken thoughts spreading out in a wavelike fashion.
Breasts
Fantasy fiction has never been a genre afraid of appealing to the male gaze. In one reference to the narrator’s breasts, an admirer notes that they are spectacular and “Delicious as ripe apples.” This example is just one of many direct references to this part of the narrator’s anatomy. Surprisingly or not, it may actually be the only instance in which a simile is engaged to compare them to something else.
Escape
The narrator reaches a point of action and empowerment and turns directly to a complete metaphor for self-description. “I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal.” These are the assertive words of a person proactively seeking to escape from a situation of submission. The narrator has spent time in confinement and the use of this language negating what she has been viewed as is a major turning point in the narrative.
