Dr Theodore Faron

Dr Theodore Faron, or Theo, is the main character of the novel. He is a flawed hero. The reader is given an insight through both his diary and an omniscient narrator to his inner thoughts and actions. He is not happy, nor has he ever been truly happy. He is cold and distanced from others, perhaps something brought about by his relationship with his father, who died from stomach cancer after a three year illness.

Theo is much like his cousin Xan, the Warden of England, but unlike Xan, Theo gets married and has a child. It backfires as he never really loved his wife and accidentally ran over and killed his daughter, who he admits he never really loved either.

Theo finds love and passion for life through Julian. She is part of a group of dissidents, railing against the Warden of England. When Julian...