Eighteen-year-old Princess Alosa is the female protagonist of the novel, and the tone of Levenseller’s narrative is heavily influenced by the character’s sly and quick-witted humor. As the daughter of the notorious pirate king Byrronic Kalligan, Alosa is highly valued and often becomes a target for those interested in leveraging a hefty ransom from the pirate king; additionally, her long, vibrant red hair makes her easily identifiable to her enemies.

Raised by her ruthless father, Alosa is seen as “a heartless creature” who can “kill without hesitating,” “best two men at a time in a fight,” and “watch [her] own men [die] without blinking” (21). In reality, only a fraction of these attributes are true, for Alosa’s reputation is dictated by that of her father’s. Although there are rumors that her father once seduced a siren, Alosa keeps the truth of her half-siren heritage a close secret. Alosa often uses her Appearance as a Weapon to survive life among the male-dominated world of pirates, and within this misogynistic framework, men often tend to underestimate her, giving her certain advantages that she doesn’t hesitate to use against them.