Point of View

The novel is written in third person but is limited to the perspective of Scarlett Dragna. Scarlett is the daughter of a cruel man who is governor of Trisda, and her actions and attitudes are largely governed by her fear of him and her love for her sister, Tella. The limited perspective means the reader knows only what Scarlett knows, and only when she has the information. For example, she believes there is something wrong with Julian's version of the truth, but she does not know what that is. The reader knows that Scarlett feels suspicious but has to base predictions and ideas on Scarlett's impressions and Julian's actions. The reader only learns the truth about Julian when Scarlett learns it.

The limited perspective also leaves the reader guessing about Caraval and the real reason Scarlett and Tella are invited participants. Scarlett learns that her...