Why does Tisaanah call herself a “daughter of no worlds”? Why does the name of the weapon that Via makes for her translate as both “of all worlds” and “of no worlds”? What is the thematic significance of this contradiction?

Examine the animals used as symbols in the novel—particularly, butterflies and serpents. How does the novel reinforce and contradict the associations that readers typically have about these creatures?

Most of the book’s central characters are obsessed with acquiring power, but power exists in multiple forms. Pick at least three different characters or groups and contrast their versions of power.