Skyshade

Isla Crown is the novel’s main character. The 20-year-old has brown hair, green eyes, and enchanting beauty due to her Wildling heritage. The young woman is deeply conflicted about her love triangle, her destiny, and her vast powers. For much of the story, the guilt-stricken ruler feels unable to trust her magic or her emotions and fears the devastation that both may cause if left unchecked: She commissions the shademade bracelets because she would give “[a]nything to smother the power like fire in her veins, anything to ease the fear that any turn of emotion would lead to more death” (22). One of Isla’s key traits is her resolve. She’s determined to atone for the blood on her hands and protect the men she loves even though the prophecy warns that she will kill either Oro or Grim and potentially doom the world: “The oracle had made it seem like her future was etched in stone, but if there was a way around it, she would find it” (19). The self-sacrificing heroine places herself at great risk to defend her world and her lovers, undertaking perilous quests and using skyres despite the dangers of this ancient magic. Another of Isla’s strengths is her strategic thinking, which she uses to navigate challenges like the prophet-followers’ mountain and to hide her plans from Grim and Oro.