The Tower of Nero

Emotional abuse within families is an important motif in the novel and serves to highlight the novel’s themes of resilience, bravery, and transformation. While The Trials of Apollo series has always explored the troubled dynamics between Nero-Meg and Zeus-Apollo to show how parents can manipulate their children, The Tower of Nero focuses specifically on dealing with abusers. Now that both Apollo and Meg have gained some space from their respective fathers, they are able to see through the manipulation. Apollo notes that surviving the effects of emotional abuse is a complex process, and “change is a fragile thing. It requires time and distance” (115). He fears Meg may suffer if she meets her stepfather, Nero, too soon. However, Meg tells Apollo that she needs to face Nero in order to overcome his control of her. In her final meeting with Nero, Meg tells him calmly that she “killed” the Beast, the boogeyman through whom Nero terrorized her. By refusing to give in to Nero’s false narrative, Meg takes back control of her life.

One of the defining features of Meg’s response to Nero is that it is neither vindictive nor placatory. This shows Meg has learned to deal with Nero without using his tactics.