The Irony of Timepiece Ranch
At first glance, Timepiece Ranch seems to be a normal, everyday ranch, with cowboys, storehouses, garages, and chicken coops. Beneath the surface, however, it is much more than a ranch: it is a secret base for a resistance organization. The cowboys are highly trained and highly equipped operatives, the storehouses are filled with weapons and ammunition, the garage contains fully armored transport vehicles, and the chicken coops are just chicken coops.
The Irony of Hatch's Philosophy
As Gervaso points out, Hatch's relationship to his philosophy is ironic. He believes that right lies in strength, and therefore the electric humans have the right to rule the world and use it however they please. He derogatorily calls non-electric humans "Nonels," but he himself is a Nonel; by virtue of his own philosophy, he is worthless.
The Irony of Gervaso's Medal
Gervaso gives Michael his Distinguished Service Cross, a high military award that he received while stationed in Iraq, as a symbol of his respect and the incredible burden on Michael's shoulders. Michael, however, feels like a hypocrite possessing the medal; he doesn't feel brave at all. This irony is amplified by the fact that, despite Michael's feelings, he does deserve it, as he proves by stopping Hatch yet again and saving Jade Dragon.
The Irony of Jade Dragon
Jade Dragon is an important component of this novel; she's Hatch's new "secret" weapon, as well as the Electroclan's primary objective. She's even in the title of the book. She's incredibly important, but despite all the buildup, she's actually just an innocent, scared nine-year-old girl. This fierce and capable persona contrasts with the actual person of Jade Dragon; the name is somewhat ironic.
The Irony of Nichelle
In the first book (Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25), Nichelle functions as a major villain, perhaps the enemy most representative of everything Michael takes a stand against. She is a bitter, loveless person, and her power is simply the negation of other peoples' powers. In this novel, though, she comes back, and her role is not what one might have expected; she joins Michael's Electroclan in fighting Hatch, and her character is even starting to grow. She's gradually transforming from a heartless monster to an emotional human being, and this irony is striking in light of the first book.
