A Light in the Flame

Nyktos is the other protagonist of the novel, as well as Sera’s chief romantic interest. The Primal God of Death, Nyktos is tall and muscular in his human form, with wavy, auburn hair. His eyes are silver, representing the eather swirling underneath, like that of all Primals. In his Primal form, Nyktos has wings and can grow as tall as 20 feet. He has large, dark marks all over his shoulders and back, which swirl and expand. The marks represent all the lives that he has taken and the blood that has been spilled because of him; thus, they serve as a reminder for his conscience. Nyktos is the son of Ethyos, the former King of the Gods and a Primal of Life, and Mycella from the Court of Lotho in Iliseeum. Sera believes that it was Nyktos’s birthright to become the Primal of Life after Ethyos. However, Kolis stole the embers of life from his twin, Ethyos, and robbed Nyktos of his inheritance.

Nyktos rules the Shadowlands, a region in which the nights are longer and the days are darker than usual. He also receives souls at the Pillars of Asphodel, where he either rewards them with the Vale (a paradise-like region) or punishes them with the hellish Abyss. Nyktos writes the names of those who are to die each day in the Book of the Dead. Mortals grow quiet when Nyktos is near, as they sense the death that he represents. Though his association with death and judgment makes him seem cold and formidable, he is a compassionate and just Primal who does not look down upon humans. Princess Kayleigh remarks on this when she notes that Nyktos, unlike the other Primals, treats her respectfully. Nyktos’s court and his palace are an apt mirror of his personality: The palace is sparely decorated to signify his non-fussy nature, while the people at his court adore him since he is kind and devoted to them. Associated with wolves, moonlight, darkness, and truth, Nyktos is the antithesis of his uncle Kolis, who is associated with luxury, opulence, and falsehood.

Nyktos’s formal title is “the Asher, the one who is Blessed. The Guardian of Souls. The Primal God of Common Men and Endings. The Ruler of the Shadowlands. The Primal God of Death” (507). “Asher” refers to his ability to grant death, or turn people into ash, though in the real world, “Asher” is related to the Hebrew word osher, or “happiness.” Ethyos and Nektas call Nyktos “Ash” lovingly, which is also the name by which Nyktos introduces himself to Sera in the first book of the series. Nyktos has had his kardia removed so that he cannot love, but his actions toward Sera show his deep care and concern for her. Not only does he pamper her physically, but he also affirms her powers and individuality in public so that she is given the respect she is due. Nyktos recognizes that Sera has led a cloistered, suffocating life and creates space for her to assert her identity. Initially a little too protective of Sera, he changes throughout the book, honoring Sera’s decisions, such as her desire to resurrect Thad. Thus, he is a well-rounded, dynamic character capable of change.

A key character in the book, Nektas is a draken—a dragon that can shapeshift into a human form—in the court of Nyktos. In his mortal form, Nektas is tall and muscled, with coppery skin, red eyes, and black hair with red streaks in it. As a draken, Nektas is winged and enormous, his body covered with dark scales. The transformation from draken to human form is spectacular, as Sera notes, with silver stars erupting all over Nektas’s body as his wings fold and his form changes. Nektas has the ability to manifest clothes, so he can immediately dress his naked mortal form after his transformation. The draken is ancient, the first who gave its fire to Ethyos to create mortals. When Sera learns this about Nektas, she is awestruck to be in the presence of a bit of living history. Nektas is frank, wise, paternal, and fiercely protective of those he loves, such as his little daughter, Jadis; her friend Reaver; and Nyktos and Sera.

Nektas is also perceptive since he is one of the first people who guesses that Sera loves Nyktos. Sensing that Sera and Nyktos are meant to be together, Nektas often encourages them to be honest about their feelings for each other. Nektas forms a unique bond with Sera in the book, watching over her and making her feel at home in the Shadowlands. When Sera emits uncontrolled eather in the Dead Woods, Nektas appears by her in his draken form and wraps his wings around her to protect her. His eyes sometimes turn blue in her presence, signifying that he knows that she is the true Primal of Life. Since Nektas is connected with the very essence of life, he responds to Sera in a positive way. These reactions show that Nektas represents nature, energy, and life. Though Nektas can be rough in his speech, he is very tender with Jadis, which shows his nurturing side. He also acts as a wise parental figure for Sera at the Pools of Divanash when he tells her that she can confide in him whenever she feels like it. Nektas is a recurring character not just in the Flesh and Fire series but also in the Blood and Ash books.

The Primal of Life in the book, Kolis is its chief antagonist. Cruel, power-hungry, and sadistic, Kolis is described as physically beautiful. Since he is the twin of Ethyos, the father of Nyktos, Kolis closely resembles his nephew. However, while the same features appear wilder and more rough-hewn on Nyktos, they are fine and perfect on Kolis. Kolis has long, golden hair and golden motes dancing all over his skin. His physical appearance positions him as the antithesis of Nyktos. Although Kolis was born as the Primal of Death, he stole the embers of life from Ethyos to become the Primal of Life and the King of the Gods. However, since he is the false Primal of Life, the realms have reacted badly to his coronation, with nature sickening and growing corrupted, particularly in the form of the Rot. At the end of A Light in the Flame, it is revealed that Kolis killed Ethyos to see if he had any remaining embers of life.

Just like Nyktos’s court and his relationships reflect his personality, so do those of Kolis. Kolis’s crystal and gold palace is grand but corrupt, a physical manifestation of The Corrupting Influence of Power. The people in his court respect him out of fear rather than love. Kolis is also extraordinarily cruel, punishing those who have displeased him by torturing them and letting them bleed to death while hanging from trees. The goddess Aios tells Sera that Kolis often appoints certain individuals, especially women, as his favorites, keeping them in gilded cages in the middle of his court so that he can toy with them. When he is bored with the favorite, he turns her over to his cruel court for sport. While Kolis is depicted as extremely sadistic, he is also cunning and manipulative. Sera gets to know that Kolis knew about the embers of life in her from the very beginning, as after her birth, her father, King Lamont, went to the Primal to demand that she be freed from the pact. Kolis bided his time to harvest the embers from Sera, waiting until her power was proven. One of the lingering questions about Kolis is regarding his ability to love. When he learns that Sera has the soul of Sotoria, he refrains from killing her since Sotoria is his graeca, or love. However, Aios has told Sera that even though Kolis may have his kardia intact, his cruelty and selfishness make him incapable of love. Kolis is a static character since he does not change throughout the plot and is shown to have no redeeming qualities.

Aios is a god at Nyktos’s court who escaped to the Shadowlands from Dalos. Aios was one of Kolis’s favorites and experienced abuse and trauma while in his capture. Aios is described as beautiful, with deep red hair and pale skin. Though she is not a Primal in the book, she later Ascends to be the Primal Goddess of Love, Fertility, and Beauty. Sera observes that Aios is one of the few at Nyktos’s court who initially welcomed her, which showcases Aios’s warm, generous nature. Sera initially assumes that Aios will not be her friend since Sera defied Nyktos at the beginning of the book. However, throughout the novel, Aios and Sera grow closer, with Aios often providing advice and comfort to Sera. Aios is in love with Bele, another God at Nyktos’s court. Aios is wise and perceptive since she senses that Kolis is incapable of love despite his obsession with Sotoria. Sera can tell that Aios’s wisdom and empathy come from a place of knowledge: Having experienced the worst aspect of Primals, Aios is skeptical of them and protective of humans. At the novel’s end, Aios is killed in the attack by the forces of Attes. However, Sera resurrects her, with the resurrection probably leading to an Ascension, foreshadowing that Aios will become a Primal.

Bele plays an important role in the plot since she has been Ascended to near-Primal status by Sera. This status makes Bele a threat to Hanan, the Primal of the Hunt and Divine Justice, in whose court she formerly served. Throughout the novel, Hanan repeatedly sends armies to the Shadowlands to seek out Bele, with Sera and Nyktos refusing to turn her over. Bele is described as having long, black hair; light brown skin; and brown eyes. Her eyes turn silver after Sera brings her back to life. Bele is an expert fighter and a “pacer” like Sera, unable to sit still when she is impatient. She has a flippant, irreverent exterior but is capable of great love and protectiveness. Reaver notes that Bele always smiles when someone says Aios’s name, indicating her romantic feelings for the goddess.