Point of View

The Mirror and the Light is told predominantly in the limited third person, through Cromwell’s eyes. This choice creates a feeling of intimacy with Cromwell; the reader follows his thoughts as they dart back and forth, from the present to the past, and see the world around him through his eyes. Cromwell’s perspective is sharp, full of wry humor and quick calculation. Much of the narrative is told not just through his eyes, but through his ears; many important scenes are written almost entirely in dialogue. The things that Cromwell chooses to pay attention to—people’s exact choice of words, flickers of expression, posturing and pauses—evoke a world where tiny movements of personality are matters of life and death.

The limited third person also fits both Cromwell’s personality and his ultimate dilemma. While the limited third suggests the ways in...