These Hollow Vows

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

Brie is the narrator and protagonist of These Hollow Vows. Brie is a human who has spent much of her life living in poverty, trapped with her sister, Jas, in an exploitative contract that leaves her in perpetually mounting debt to their aunt. Brie supplements their income by stealing, something she only does from people who can afford to lose their excess wealth. Her ethos is similar to that of the mythic figure of Robin Hood, and she maintains this commitment to serving those who are economically disadvantaged when she finds herself in a position of privilege in faerie. Over the course of the novel, Brie struggles to reconcile her affection for Sebastian (whom she first meets as an apprentice glamoured to be human but later learns to be a faerie prince), as well as her enjoyment of having ample food and housing, with these ethical positions.

After traveling to Faerie, Brie learns that her talents as a thief come from her ability to wield shadow powers, something that is aligned with the Unseelie Court and a rarity for a human. Over the course of the novel, she trains to develop these powers, which aid her in her bargain with King Mordeus.