The Devil’s Opera discussion

- How is Valithia’s power a metaphor for the suppression and commodification of women’s voices?

- Valithia’s power “awakens” during a moment of grief. In what ways is grief a “curse” and a “gift”? How has grief served as a catalyst for transformation in your life?

- The novel blurs the line between love and control. Do you believe Damian loves Valithia, or only loves what she represents?

- What is the cost of performing femininity? What scene best encapsulates a woman’s need to perform in order to survive?

- Who is the true “devil” in The Devil’s Opera? The one who murders (Ragazzi), the one who controls (Damian), or the divine/demonic entities who orchestrate (Saelton).

- Did you interpret the ending as tragic, redemptive, or inevitable?

- The wedding night in chapter 28 depicts, at the very least, coercive consent, if not marital rape. Yet it’s only through our modern lens we have the laws and language to articulate what’s happening. In a historical context, Damian is doing everything “correct”. He believes himself "benevolent" and a “good husband”. What does this suggest about violation, societal and cultural norms, the evolution of morality, and how gentleness can be one of the most powerful forms of manipulation? What are we normalizing today that future generations might look back on and call unethical?

- In chapter 37, Damian says, “Freedom does not exist. We merely trade one cage for another.” Is Valithia’s final choice to go with Saelton proof of this theory? Does she actually gain freedom? Or is it an act of desperation? Perhaps defiance?

- Saelton’s plan relies on Valithia figuring out that he set certain pieces in motion to expose Ragazzi. Why did Saelton need Valithia to consciously participate in the final move, rather than simply doing the job himself? What does this say about death, fate, and free will? Does free will actually exist?

- Damian claims that Valithia is a “Cantarello, through and through,” inheriting her father’s “ruthless cunning.” Do her actions (hiding contraceptives, saving money, forcing the confession) prove Damian right?

- Valithia drew a line, stating that stealing a memory was acceptable, but erasing one was a violation of autonomy. Do you agree with this distinction? Or was she rationalizing stealing memories for her own purposes?

- The book’s thematic spine is duality: Light and dark, angel and demon, love and obsession, escape and freedom, autonomy and control. Even the opera house is a facade to the rot beneath. What happens to the self (or to society) when we only embrace the “morally correct” half of our dual nature? What are we left with when we amputate our shadow in pursuit of purity?