Identity is a malleable idea

The novel shows through it's many characters searching for, or defining, their identity that identity is a malleable idea that not only changes between each person's perception of another, but that one's perception of oneself (personal identity) can also change throughout life.

Sam’s name is given to spite his father and honoring the witch side of the family and the crow, his totem animal. His father, rejecting Sam and his mother because of their connection to the supernatural, calls him Sam in an effort to normalize the child.

Sam’s mother protects Sam from knowing his true identity. She doesn’t tell him she’s a witch or that his uncle is a necromancer like Sam. Instead, the two of them join forces and put a binding spell on Sam in an effort to protect him. They know that Sam’s...