Fate

Every character struggles with fate and the feeling of powerlessness it brings. And in a world where prophecies are impossible to avoid, taking charge of one’s destiny requires embracing that future, but doing so in unexpected ways.

First, it is important to establish how fate and prophecies work within the novel’s world. Frank sums it up best when he tells Apollo, “You know how it is with prophecies. The harder to try to avoid them, the harder you fail” (141). This idea is supported by the problems the characters face. Apollo is told he will face death in Tarquin’s tomb which would imply that he will die in the tomb. Instead, he is inflicted by an undead curse, and knows that “by facing him, I had apparently accelerated the process” (167). Frank is bound to a piece of firewood, destined to burn alongside it. Yet...