Arvin Russell

Arvin is the book's central character and protagonist. In the prologue, which takes place when he is a child, the narrative portrays key formative experiences that define his actions, choices, and journey of transformation over the course of several years, during which time he has a number of encounters with corruption and the destructive impulses of humanity. He is a complex character, at heart an essentially good and compassionate human being, loyal, loving, sensitive, and generous. He is also, as the result of those aforementioned formative experiences, not at all afraid to use physical violence to take revenge on those who have performed, or are about to perform violence (emotional and/or physical) on him or on someone he cares about (i.e. Lenora). Ultimately, at the core of both those sides of his personality is a profound spiritual and emotional trauma, associated with and defined by...