Daughter of No Worlds

Max is a handsome former soldier in his late twenties. He also possesses magical powers and is affiliated with the Solarie, the Order of Daybreak. He was once the Host for Reshaye but rejected this entity’s possession after committing war crimes under its influence. At the beginning of the novel, haunted by the destruction he has wrought, Max lives in isolation and wants nothing more to do with the Orders. However, after he unwillingly becomes Tisaanah’s mentor, he finds his cynical world weariness melting in the face of her conviction that a better world is possible. Eventually, her optimism and drive also make him fall in love with her.

After Tisaanah becomes the new Host for Reshaye, Max is determined to help her keep the being under control and use it to free the enslaved captives of Threll. When she is taken over by Reshaye and cannot regain control of her body, Max transforms into the serpent form that he has kept hidden for years, accessing and accepting its power as part of himself. As the novel ends, Max and Tisaanah have become lovers and partners in the struggle for a better world.

Reshaye is an ancient supernatural entity that has inhabited many Hosts during its long lifetime. Currently, Zeryth and his lieutenant, Nura, believe that Reshaye is a sentient magical force, though future novels in the series explore Reshaye’s real identity. Reshaye is enraged at being contained by the Orders and often feels betrayed by the Hosts that it inhabits, from whom it demands complete surrender and love. Reshaye feels a jealous affection for both Max and Tisaanah. When they choose one another over the entity, it threatens to destroy them, fearing betrayal.

While Tisaanah often enjoys the overwhelming power that Reshaye bestows, revels in the ability to act on her anger with brutal force, and feels sympathy for the captive entity, whose pain, rage, and insecurity she can empathize with, Tisaanah refuses to let Reshaye control her. At the end of the novel, as Tisaanah directs the entity’s power against her foes, Reshaye seems willing to help Tisaanah in her future battles.

Zeryth is the charismatic Arch Commander of the kingdom of Ara. He is also a Valtain magician who is adept at manipulating the people around him. Zeryth befriends Tisaanah when she is still enslaved in Threll and encourages her interest in reaching Ara one day so that she can develop her magical abilities. In reality, Zeryth has been cultivating Tisaanah as the new Host for Reshaye, a powerful magical weapon he hopes to use as part of his ambition to seize the throne of Ara. Zeryth’s congeniality hides a cold and calculating mind—while he has paid lip service to Tisaanah’s demands to free her fellow enslaved Threllians, Zeryth has actually been plotting to use her campaign of destruction to gain a foothold in Threll for himself. At the end of the novel, Zeryth has orchestrated the assassination of the queen, becoming a key antagonist in the series going forward.

Nura, Zeryth’s loyal second-in-command, is a high-ranking Valtain member of the Order of Midnight. Nura’s magical abilities are described as terrifying: She can make people relive their most horrible memories. Years earlier, she was Max’s battle commander and also his lover. The relationship ended when Nura used her telepathic powers to allow the entity Reshaye to take complete control over Max’s body and destroy a town of civilians to achieve victory.

Nura is an ambiguous figure. While she still regards Max with affection and hopes that he and Tisaanah can find happiness, she is often ruthless in the interest of the Orders and the crown. While she hates Zeryth, she still follows his orders because they advance her own ambition for power.

Sammerin is Max’s best friend and comrade in arms. The two served together during the Great Ryvenai War. Sammerin is a gifted Healer and can cripple or kill using magic. When Max was Reshaye’s Host, Sammerin used his abilities to heal the damage that Reshaye inflicted on Max’s body and to physically incapacitate Max whenever Reshaye took full control. Sammerin is also the patient mentor for a clumsy apprentice named Moth.

Serel is a handsome enslaved soldier for the Mikov family and is Tisaanah’s best friend. Esmaris bought him at Tisaanah’s urging because she was drawn to his kindness and sensitivity even in captivity. Serel is instrumental in helping Tisaanah escape after she kills Esmaris, refusing to leave with her and instead selflessly remaining behind to stage the murder scene to deflect suspicion from her. After Tisaanah returns to Threll and frees Serel, he returns to Ara with her.

Esmaris, Tisaanah’s enslaver, is a powerful Threllian Lord who owns a vast estate. Tisaanah is his favorite of the many people he has enslaved. Early in their relationship, he joked that she could buy her freedom for 1,000 pieces of gold—an exorbitant amount. When she produces the sum, he becomes enraged. Eager to destroy what he can’t control, Esmaris attempts to beat Tisaanah to death with a whip. Instead, she uses her magic to enter his mind and kill him. Esmaris’s death leaves a power vacuum in Threll that Zeryth exploits.

Ahzeen is Esmaris’s impulsive estranged son. Years earlier, Esmaris gouged out one of Ahzeen’s eyes, intending to disinherit him. After Esmaris’s death, Ahzeen takes control of the Mikov estate and starts wars with other Threllian Lords to expand his power and influence. When Tisaanah returns, he tries to kill her with a whip just as his father did, but Reshaye emerges and kills Ahzeen instead. His death clears the way for Zeryth to gain a foothold in Threll.

Via is an artist and skilled weapons maker who creates a pikestaff for Max that allows him to use the weapon as a magical flame-thrower. Via also creates a sword for Tisaanah, naming it Il’Sahaj. The name has a dual meaning: It can translate as “blade of no worlds” or “blade of all worlds.” The phrases echo the novel’s title and correspond to Tisaanah’s description of herself as a daughter of no worlds.