Ethnic Conflict

Race relations between the raka and luarin play a crucial role in the political backdrop of the story. The luarin are the "pale-skinned easterners" that have ravaged the dark-skinned rakas' land for centuries. The raka nobility was removed from power; the raka people were then tricked out of their land and riches, brutally killed, or enslaved as a means of perpetuating luarin power.

Aly gets an opportunity to view race relations between the luarin and the raka firsthand during her enslavement, and the wager in which she engages with Kyprioth is intended to return a raka queen to the throne. Aly is an intelligent observer of the racial dynamics in the Copper Isles, but being a luarin, she is not passive in her considerations on the matter. She has complex beliefs about race relations, and this adds depth to her character.

Pierce's strategy of using the relationship...