Power and Ambition

Dabos demonstrates how the characters’ ambitions and perception of their own power drives their decisions. The nobles of the Pole have power both in their clan’s gifts, but also influence from their social standing. Therefore, they can have the ambition to plot against one another to achieve even loftier goals. Thorn, for instance, is in a position of power as the Treasurer of the Pole. Even though he has a poor reputation among his peers, he is comfortable enough in his own position to be able to strive for more. His ambition manifests in his desire to decipher Farouk’s Book, which would gain him the favor of the family spirit. Therefore, he takes action to seek an Animist wife that can help him achieve this objective, which is where Ophelia comes in.

The different power dynamics based on the characters’ social stations...