Theme: Powerlessness

V.E. Schwab associates powerlessness with a dearth of magic first through Rhy's experience. Rhy is the crown prince of Red London, yet he is the only member of his family not to possess great magical powers. Throughout the first third of the novel, Rhy's life is dependent on Kell. The two brothers are bound by their magical link, but the link only really works in one direction: it allows Kell to save Rhy, but not vice versa. The novel also presents the magical link between Kell and Rhy as a problem - at least from Rhy's perspective. Rhy, feeling Kell's injuries after a fight, realizes how unfair the weight of their magical link is. Rhy wants to help and "... only then does he realize how helpless he truly was. How useless to Kell. He could summon his brother, but Kell ... couldn't ever summon him...