Genre
High Fantasy
Setting and Context
The narrative is set in Alera an empire in the world of Carna.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is third person and focuses on Tavi and multiple characters and their quests.
Tone and Mood
The tone is neutral. The mood is suspenseful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: Tavi. Antagonist: Fidelias and the Marta clan.
Major Conflict
The main protagonist Tavi is caught in the middle of the conflict between the Alera and the Marta clan yet he has no elemental abilities. He lacks the fury crafting ability of which every other inhabitant on the Alera possesses.
Climax
During the Battle of Wits in the Valley of Trees, Tavi and Kitai are under trial before “The One”. Tavi saves her life and they are bonded for life as her eye changes color matching his.
Foreshadowing
“If there is any lesson to be learned from history, it is that all too often the fate of armies, of cities, of entire realms rests upon the actions of one person.”
This foreshadows the action of the protagonist in the narrative that changes the outcome and fates of the entire realm.
Understatement
“Oh, he's clever enough, I suppose-just as Fade is handy enough with a smith's hammer. But he's never going to be much more than Fade is.”
Allusions
The entire novel is an allusion to the Roman Empire and the Lost Roman Legion (Legio IX Hispana). Moreover, it also has Pokémon allusions in how the characters engage with their furies from an early stage.
Imagery
“The morning sun shone down on her, taking the chill out of the misty air and warming the dark wool of her skirts. Behind her, the axles of the cart squeaked and groaned beneath their loads.”
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
“Stop it. Sto-p it. You're too loud. I hate for it to be too loud!”
Metonymy and Synecdoche
“Blessing of the Night” as the name for the healing mushroom is a metonymy since mushrooms can grow overnight.
Personification
“Darkness swallowed the land as the silent waters of the flooding river swallowed errant flame”
