A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

A protagonist of the novel and its romantic male lead, the near-immortal and fairly young at 200 years old Cas is tall, imposing, and extraordinarily handsome. Known as “the Dark One” in the enemy kingdom of Solis, Cas has characteristically golden eyes, a sign that he belongs to the elemental bloodline descended from deities, or the children of the gods. At the start of the novel, Cas plans to marry Poppy to provide her protection, and use her to persuade the rulers of Solis to free his brother Prince Malik. Cas was held captive by the Blood Crown, the rulers of Solis, for half a century. During this period, he was tormented and abused, which has caused him significant trauma. He often has horrifying nightmares. Cas’s past is complex and involves considerable bloodshed: He killed his girlfriend Shea for betraying him, Malik, and their kingdom; and has slayed many innocent mortals in his larger pursuit of attacking Solis. However, he is redeemed by his great love for Poppy, his loyalty to Kieran, and his empathy for his people.

Poppy notes that Cas is loved by his people. Thus, he rules with justice and wisdom, earning his authority. With Kieran, Cas recreates Spessa’s End as an idyllic community, which reflects his cherished ideals of equality and the fair distribution of resources. His special gift is compulsion, the ability to get others to do his bidding. However, because of the dubious ethics of this power, Cas uses it sparingly and thoughtfully. Although he wants to usher in a new era, Cas is respectful of the old traditions of Atlantia, his parents King Valyn and Queen Eloana, and elders like Alastir.

Cas’s main flaw is his tendency to control Poppy. He kidnaps her at the beginning of the book, and keeps her under lock and key to safeguard her. As the text progresses, he matures, realizing that he needs to respect Poppy’s agency. When he needs to feed from her, he restrains himself and seeks her active consent, showing character growth. At the end of the novel, he bows before Poppy, suggesting that he is more than happy to accept her primacy, which makes him a more contemporary and self-aware romantic hero. 

The third protagonist of the novel, Kieran Contou is a wolven, or a werewolf-like creature with heightened senses and great physical power. Kieran is tall and lean, with closely cropped dark hair, pale blue eyes, and warm beige skin. In his wolf form, he has fawn-colored fur. The son of Jasper Contou, a respected wolven elder, and the older brother of Vonetta, Kieran shares a critical bond with Cas. Kieran exchanged blood with Cas in a sanctified ceremony to become his “bonded” wolven, his protector and guardian. Cas and Kieran are as close as brothers and can sense each other’s feelings and thoughts. Kieran has a dry sense of humor and a cool temperament, which makes him a welcome foil to the more hot-headed Cas and Poppy. At the beginning of the novel, Kieran occupies the role of the hero’s best friend. However, Kieran is also an exposition device, who tells the reader about the world through his answers to Poppy’s endless questions. The novel implies that eventually, Kieran will join Poppy and Cas in a special rite that creates a polyamorous union.

Though Kieran affects a cool front, he is very loyal to those whom he loves, such as Cas, and his sister Vonetta. Kieran can be extremely perceptive, far more than Poppy and Cas at times. For instance, he senses that Cas and Poppy are “heartmates” before they do. When Poppy runs away at New Haven and explains to Kieran that she feels trapped by Cas, he advises her to use her powers of empathy to intuit the intentions of those around her. He often comes to the aid of Cas and Poppy, such as when he arrives by their side at the battle at Spessa’s End, or protects Poppy during her outburst at the temple in Saion’s Cove. Thus, he embodies protection, loyalty, and strength.