The Prisoner's Throne

Jude and Oak both display leadership qualities, but their approaches to power and trust differ. How do they act as foils to one another, and how do their interactions show the tension between pragmatism and personal loyalty?

How do the different characters all experience imprisonment—whether by chains, expectations, or oaths—and how do they each seek freedom?

In what ways does Bogdana represent the archetypal “wicked witch” as exists in folklore, and in what ways does Black use her to subvert this trope?

How do the people and creatures with whom Black populates her version of Faerie align with the characteristics of those present in traditional folklore? In what ways are they different, and what is the wider significance of these differences?

How does love motivate different characters, such as Oak, Wren, Bogdana, and even Jude, to act in ways that either help or hinder their goals? How do their conceptions of love change (or fail to change) throughout the novel?

Unlike typical chosen heroes, Wren’s power is seen as a burden. How does this subvert the “Chosen One” trope, and how does this inversion affect her role and characterization in the story?

How does Oak and Wren’s dynamic and approach to power subvert the tropes of male heroism and female passivity typical to older works in the fantasy genre? How do they reflect the gender dynamics of the text more generally?

How do various characters struggle with ideas of agency versus conformity? What does the text suggest about duties to both oneself and to others?