Point of View

The point of view of the novel is third-person subjective, told from the point of view of three main characters. The three narrators are Maya, Madrone, and Bird. All are members of the Black Dragon House.

The move between narrators allows the novel to explain a variety of important perspectives. As one of the community's elders, Maya's narrative provides the history of the City and of the Black Dragon House. For example, Maya relates some of the events that occurred in San Francisco in the late 1960s. Madrone's narrative begins as an explanation of some of the medical crises that the City faces, such as a potential biological attack from the Stewards. When Madrone is tasked with leaving the City and venturing south as its representative, Madrone's narrative also acts as a method to contrast the utopian culture of the north with the dystopian society of...