“Isla Crown often fell through puddles of stars and into faraway places. Always without permission—and seemingly on the worst of occasions.”

These opening sentences foreshadow some core traits of the main character, Isla. She is magical, rebellious, and troubled—common character traits for protagonists of young adult fantasy novels. However, unlike many fantasy protagonists, Isla is not inherently magical, at least initially. While other rulers in Lightlark do have magical powers, Isla relies on the starstick to transport her great distances “through puddles of stars.” Since she’s kept the starstick a secret from her guardians, she uses it “without permission,” rebelling against their wishes to keep her at home away from anyone else. The final phrase “the worst of occasions” is perhaps ironic since the starstick saves Isla’s life and allows her victory on at least two occasions in the novel.

“Beauty was a Wildling’s gift—and curse.”

While this phrase initially seems like a metaphor, Isla’s beauty—an inheritance from her Wildling mother—is part of the actual curse that haunts the Wildling race. They are cursed to be seductive and ruthless, making people fall in love with them and then eating the hearts of their victims. Isla has escaped the part of the curse that mandates heart eating, but she often resents the unwanted attention her beauty attracts, even as she knows how to deploy her good looks to maximum effect.