Urban life
The journey of the rising action takes the kids from the nearby country into the urban epicenters of human life. They see people living in makeshift homes in skyscrapers, using the external ladders for entry, and using windows and such. The major issue in these communities is the gathering and disbursement of resources, and then when calamity strikes, their priorities shift toward survival. The urban flavor of this story underlines its communal, team-oriented themes.
The post-apocalypse
The post-apocalyptic flavor of the novel is noticed even by the characters. They discuss the differences between life before and after the downfall of the government and its structures. The death tolls continue to rise as natural powers spiral out of control with apocalyptic urgency. This can be seen as a story within the elaborate realm of chaos and darkness. Instead of order and authority, the communities are nearly anarchist, except that they must band together to survive against the Epics.
Titanic enemies
The enemies in this post-apocalyptic state are highly symbolic. They are like the natural Titans of Greek folklore. One will be associated with one element and another with a different element, each with unique approaches, but all tied together by a tendency to cause chaos and harm. The enemies are Titanic in their imagery as well; they are monumental and gargantuan. They are similar in flavor to Japanese Kaiju because they are epic monsters that destroy cities.
Magic abilities and teamwork
Whereas the Epics have enough power that they tend not to cooperate, the kids are severely limited in terms of their power. Yet, each one has a special gifting that, when combined with the gifts of others, combine to be worth more than the sum of their parts. This means that by collaborating, their magical abilities rise in power to be able to thwart the evil of each enemy when fought one at a time. This can be seen as a supernatural elaborate on the theory of teamwork.
