The first thing I noticed was the importance of a childhood/backstory in developing and introducing a character, especially to a new audience. Within the first, Moyer’s protagonist Orion states, “My mother once told me I have magic.” While this characterizes Orion as unique and special, it also lends to the deep connection she has with her mother. As the novel continues, the concept of “having magic” and magic in general is repeated, tying together Orion’s childhood with her current experiences as well as instilling a common theme. As Orion begins to grow as a character, her understanding of magic also changes as she processes this information from her mother differently with every new experience.
The next thing that stood out to me was Moyer’s emphasis on how the plot has affected Orion as a character. While the plot generally drives the character change, Moyer focuses on the negative situations Orion has been through and makes it clear to the reader that Orion has been traumatized by what she’s going through. This contradicts her previously confident and cocky persona, thus demonstrating that strong characters can be negatively affected by their experiences. Moyer highlights this on page 244 where Orion says, “I press a hand over my mouth and turn away. I can’t stand for him to see me break apart...I’m just a girl who was reckless and naive, and now people I loved are dead.” By stressing the negative consequences of Orion’s experiences, Moyer proves that a flawed character strengthens relatability between the character and the reader while also building audience support for that character.
Finally, the third thing I observed was the presence of a well developed world around the characters and storyline. One comment Mrs. Downing made about my first major piece was an absence of the world my characters were placed in, something that Moyer is far from lacking. The world she introduces is complex and yet she explains each aspect of it as the story progresses, making the story a learning experience for the reader as well as entertainment. Each aspect of the world she’s created is also unique and yet all of the pieces fit together to benefit her story and her character development. One interesting piece of her world were the creatures that inhabit it, warped as a result of the radiation from the flash curtain. Orion describes the flash bat on page 86 and says, “The snout and teeth of flash bats are overly large, jutting out beneath their extra set of eyes. Their jaws are like spring loaded traps that snap over their prey with enough force to break skin and bone.” Because of the aura of casualness in which Moyer presents each facet of Orion’s world, she cements the idea that Orion and the people in her life have grown up only knowing things like flash bats and cirium, the element they must mine for the Congress. It allows the reader to understand Orion’s story a bit more as they’re provided the scenery, context and aspects of Orion’s life that add to the story.
The next thing that stood out to me was Moyer’s emphasis on how the plot has affected Orion as a character. While the plot generally drives the character change, Moyer focuses on the negative situations Orion has been through and makes it clear to the reader that Orion has been traumatized by what she’s going through. This contradicts her previously confident and cocky persona, thus demonstrating that strong characters can be negatively affected by their experiences. Moyer highlights this on page 244 where Orion says, “I press a hand over my mouth and turn away. I can’t stand for him to see me break apart...I’m just a girl who was reckless and naive, and now people I loved are dead.” By stressing the negative consequences of Orion’s experiences, Moyer proves that a flawed character strengthens relatability between the character and the reader while also building audience support for that character.
Finally, the third thing I observed was the presence of a well developed world around the characters and storyline. One comment Mrs. Downing made about my first major piece was an absence of the world my characters were placed in, something that Moyer is far from lacking. The world she introduces is complex and yet she explains each aspect of it as the story progresses, making the story a learning experience for the reader as well as entertainment. Each aspect of the world she’s created is also unique and yet all of the pieces fit together to benefit her story and her character development. One interesting piece of her world were the creatures that inhabit it, warped as a result of the radiation from the flash curtain. Orion describes the flash bat on page 86 and says, “The snout and teeth of flash bats are overly large, jutting out beneath their extra set of eyes. Their jaws are like spring loaded traps that snap over their prey with enough force to break skin and bone.” Because of the aura of casualness in which Moyer presents each facet of Orion’s world, she cements the idea that Orion and the people in her life have grown up only knowing things like flash bats and cirium, the element they must mine for the Congress. It allows the reader to understand Orion’s story a bit more as they’re provided the scenery, context and aspects of Orion’s life that add to the story.