Point of View

The novel is written in third person, but the perspective is generally limited to the view of Owen Kiskaddon, a 17-year-old Duke who is a major landowner in Ceredigion and an important ally to King Severn. Owen is a strong character who has been Fountain-blessed, meaning he has supernatural powers. These powers provide Owen with additional information that would not typically be available to a character. For example, Owen can use his power to test another character for weakness. He can tell when his sparring teacher has a hurt knee, for example, which allows Owen to exploit that weakness even though the teacher does not let it show outwardly.

Owen seems to be honest and forthcoming, making him reliable as the perspective character. However, he does not know every detail about every character and situation, which limits the reader's view. While Owen is able to...