Violence is an aspect of this novel that may be of concern to some readers or parents. The battles for the besieged city are full of swordplay, killing, and even the Miw respond to the news of the duke's assassination with the cry of "kill, kill." But the violent action is a natural and necessary part of the story and is not overly graphic or described for its own sake. In fact, Cam, the hero, is strongly opposed to all killing, and he has difficulty doing so even in defense of his own life. His struggle against becoming the Seroster has much to do with his horror of inflicting injury and death. The cats are hunters who simply and without remorse dispatch their prey, but the truly human characters try to overcome the animal instincts of violence and cruelty.