Relationships

One of the primary themes of the novel is the relationships that form between the characters. Due to the way that Sydney, an Alchemist, was raised, she has complicated relationships with other Alchemists, humans, vampires, and dhampirs. Sydney especially struggles with social relationships because she takes everything so literally and seriously. As the novel unfolds though, Sydney learns how to be a little more social, learns to see people that are different from her in a more positive way, and to be more sociable in general.

The primary relationships Sydney experiences throughout the novel are with humans, Moroi, a dhampir, and eventually Strigoi. Sydney studies and observes the differences in the interaction between each of these races. She learns how one race interacts with others of the same race, and she also observes and learns more about the interaction of the races with other races. Eventually, Sydney learns...