The absurdity of the students’ expectations
The five students are full of expectations because they think their adventure in the Kingdom of Fionavar will be rosy. Initially, Professor Lorenzo entices them that they are going to celebrate the King's 50th birthday, a notion that tells the five students that it is all about partying and having a good time in the foreign land. Ironically, when the students arrive, they are shocked to find the contrary. The kingdom is on the verge of collapse, and there are supremacy wars between the gods and evil spirits who want to control the kingdom. Therefore, the students find themselves in a compromising and unstable condition that contradicts their expectations.
The paradox of the King
The King in Fionavar has been in power for fifty years and has a party to celebrate his rule. Ironically, there is nothing to celebrate about the King's rule because the kingdom is about to collapse. There is instability, hunger, and infertility. Professor Lorenzo brought in the five university students to help fight the evil spirits crippling the kingdom. However, the King is trying to run away from his responsibility of protracting his kingdom against intruders and evil spirits to ensure stability and productivity. Unfortunately, the King is celebrating 50 years of subjecting his kingdom to misery and hopelessness.
The sardonic Prince
When Kevin Lane arrives in Fionavar, he gets interested in becoming a loyal follower of Prince Diarmuid because he is his role model. Sardonically, the Prince is a pretender in the face of people, but behind the scenes, he is a womanizer and tries to hook any beautiful woman he comes across. For instance, the reader sees the Prince attempting to seduce Sharra.
