Skyshade

Hearts serve as a motif symbolizing The Tension Between Love and Duty. Throughout the novel, the narrator articulates the protagonist’s inner conflict over being in a love triangle by describing her heart as “split in half” (310). Love is a dangerous force in the world of Lightlark, and Grim’s nicknames for Isla reflect this. He calls her “Hearteater” in reference to the curse that compelled Wildlings to consume human hearts and murder anyone they fell in love with. Grim relishes Isla’s dark and dangerous side because it makes them similar: “Eyes never leaving hers, he reached up and slowly dragged her dagger down his chest, cutting through fabric and skin, until it reached his heart. Then, he patted her hand and said, ‘Go ahead. It’s yours anyway’” (173). Through moments like this, Alex Aster uses the motif of hearts to heighten the story’s romantic tension.

The motif carries added significance and complexity because the prophecy specifies that Isla will “plunge a blade into either Grim’s or Oro’s heart” (165). This means that the love between Isla and the two men is precisely what makes her dangerous to them. In Aster’s world, hearts are inextricably bound to love, loss, and fate, making them a fitting motif for the complexities of love and loyalty.