Laini Taylor balances lore and exposition with action and mostly relies on the reader to use context clues to construct their own understanding of the fantastical world. Few key terms are explicitly explained, and the reader must rely on inference to put the pieces together. The indirect worldbuilding creates a deeper sense of immersion for the reader; the reader is expected to understand most things in the world as though they were part of it themselves, instead of being external to it and thus requiring many asides to explain its elements.

Taylor draws on both fairy tale and mythological motifs to construct the worlds of Zosma, Weep, and the gods in the novel. The two framings are often used in conjunction with each other to reflect differing perspectives of events. For example, Lazlo primarily understands Weep through the context of fairy tales; his initial image of Weep is therefore whimsical, lyrical, and magical in the traditional sense. Meanwhile, perspectives from other characters like Eril-Fane, Azareen, and even Sarai reflect a more mythological understanding of Weep. In Eril-Fane and Azareen’s memories, the gods behave like the Greek gods of myth; they are arrogant, self-centered deities who take from the humans as they please.