Cast

Rowan Monaghan is a young half-faerie living in the human city of Seeta with their inventor mother near the outer walls. Rowan has shown a strong gift for faerie magic, and has been studying with a human magician at Seeta Magic University, which hasn't been easy for someone who has to keep their fae heritage a secret in an environment that's deeply hostile to faeries, blaming them for the Darkening that threw the world into disarray within living memory.

Daithi is a faerie cat attached to Rowan's family, a perceptive and clever creature who is devoted to his chosen person. He does not particularly approve of Rowan's choice to study at the university, considering it an unnecessary risk, but that's all the more reason to keep a careful eye on his person and make sure no harm comes to them. Daithi knows a good deal more about many things than Rowan does, a fact which he not infrequently alludes to, but he keeps mum for their sake. Or perhaps the sake of a different family member.

Kiana Aalto is Rowan’s friend, a cheerful young human woman whose specialty is warding magic. She wants above all to make the world a better, safer place, and plans to join the Lightkeepers when she graduates from Seeta Magic University. She has shown enough promise that she is studying the Beacons with Maureen in preparation for an apprenticeship to Master Sasha Benedict. She met Rowan in one of Professor Monaghan's classes, and if she's questioned why they wear a hat at all times and tend to avoid metal, she's kept it to herself so far.

Maureen Monaghan, famed as the inventor of the Beacons which protect Seeta and keep the Darkening at bay, is Rowan's mother and currently teaches about faerie magic and the Darkening at Seeta Magic University. She chooses to live near the outer wall of Seeta ostensibly to keep a better eye on the Darkling Wood and to assist the Lightkeepers in their journeys into that wood, but Maureen enjoys her solitude and has her own secrets to keep -- not limited to her half-fae child.

Ceer Falayn is a mysterious faerie knight. [MORE LATER]

Ayd Mahra is a mysterious faerie. [MORE LATER]