King of Battle and Blood

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence and death.

Mirrors and reflections symbolize the impact of the past on the present, and this recurring imagery is first introduced when Isolde arrives in Sadovea and sees a strange woman in the reflection of a window. At this point, she does not understand the image, just as she does not understand the true impact of Yesenia’s past on her current experiences. When she sees the image again later in the Red Palace, the reflection follows Isolde just as the past also dogs her steps. When she comes closer to understanding her past as Yesenia, Isolde finally recognizes the image as Ravena. Likewise, when she destroys the mirrors after Ravena’s escape with The Book of Dis, she symbolically destroys her own misunderstanding of the past. This scene proves that she is now certain of her identity and her role in the world.

Isolde’s dagger is a symbol of her independence. It first makes an appearance when Isolde references her own autonomy and states that her suitors often find themselves “facing the point of [her] dagger” (22). These suitors often seek to control Isolde, a presumption that enrages her and fuels her aversion to marriage.