The Wicked King

Taryn is Jude’s twin who has shared all her experiences growing up in a land where they are both thinly tolerated and victims of discrimination. Their shared upbringing has instilled in them many of the same needs—acceptance and belonging in the land that has constantly rejected them—but they approach their goals in different ways. Taryn feels she can secure a place for herself by marrying into society with Locke, and by being a dutiful daughter to Madoc. She believes it is loyalty, rather than ambition, that carries the most weight in Faerie. This leads her to prioritize Locke over Jude, even when she disagrees with his actions, and to support Madoc in his role rebelling against Jude and Cardan. From Taryn’s perspective, Jude is the one who has broken her ties with their family.

Growing up, Taryn has always been quieter and more passive than her twin sister. This made her vulnerable to Locke’s attentions. She describes her relationship as a fairy tale: “When I’m with him, I feel like the hero of a story. Of my story” (87). Rather than climbing the ranks and challenging those around her, like Jude does, Taryn instills herself into the fabric of faerie society as if she has always been a part of it. By the end of the novel, her loyalty has ensured her a place in the world while Jude has been cast out.

Cardan is the young High King of Faerie, tricked into a position of power that he never expected to have. He goes through monumental change over the course of the story as he learns to balance his own youthful avarice and disdain for order with his new role. During their time at school together, Cardan and Jude had an intense mutual hatred fueled by their vast difference in social status and Jude’s inability to stay down when beaten. Although Cardan was tricked into his role of High King, during the early days of his reign, he and Jude come to a surprisingly well-balanced partnership. However, they are unable to trust each other completely because of the enchantment Cardan is under. This leads him to rebel against her and eventually trick her in return so that his enchantment can be lifted.

As a result of his neglected and privileged childhood, Cardan developed a streak of cruelty that became his armor. Throughout the story, this habit of cruelty is in constant war with his natural compassion for others. Learning to own these two sides of himself in harmony, rather than in conflict, is what finally elevates him to his full potential as High King of Faerie.

Madoc is a redcap and the Grand General of the High King’s army. He is a skilled fighter and strategist, though his natural inclination is to incite conflict and bloodshed. As the Grand General, he strategizes mercilessly and makes difficult decisions for the greater good. Despite their difference in blood, Madoc acts as a father to Jude and Taryn. However, Jude and Taryn often fear he will give into his innate primal instincts and harm them out of anger. As a result, there is always a divide where his mortal children cannot fully trust him. He believes that loyalty begets loyalty, a fact which Taryn uses to secure her future. Because of Jude’s betrayal, Madoc feels no hesitation in stripping her away from his family. However, he has a great respect for the way Jude has played the game and honors her by playing it against her as her equal.

Locke is Cardan’s closest friend, Taryn’s betrothed, and Jude’s one-time romantic fling. After Cardan’s coronation Locke becomes his self-appointed “Master of Revels,” a new position invented for the purpose of creating fun. He lives hedonically with little patience for the future but a desire to make the most out of every moment. Locke is naturally tricky and enjoys putting others in uncomfortable situations. Like Cardan, Locke is naturally inclined to cruelty; unlike him, the facets of his personality are fluid and interconnected rather than conflicting. He views the world as a lighthearted game with little consequence. These attributes put him at odds with Jude, a tactician who views the world as essentially a string of one consequence after another. They disagree over Locke’s relationship with Taryn, though they try to make peace with one another for her sake.