The Deer and the Dragon

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child abuse and suicidal ideation.

Marlow is the novel’s dynamic protagonist. Over the course of the novel, she changes from someone who actively rejects the idea of a spiritual or religious world into one who wholeheartedly acknowledges her fae blood and the existence of many realms typically unseen by mortals.

Marlow’s rejection of the metaphysical begins as a result of her religious trauma and her zealous mother’s strict adherence to the principles and doctrines of Christianity. Believing that her mother, who can see the fae, has a mental illness, Marlow denies everything her mother accepts, including the existence of God, angels, and demons, because she hopes to avoid becoming like her mother. She has decided that the white fox, who later presents as Caliban, is merely an imaginary friend. Nevertheless, her connection to Caliban remains undeniable even as she ages: She can see, hear, smell, and touch him, and she eventually realizes that he is indeed real.

Marlow’s rejection of the supernatural is further complicated by her reliance on world mythologies and religions for the subject matter of the books she writes. Each of her novels focuses on a different world pantheon: Her first book centers around Norse gods, Valhalla, and Viking traditions, while her second takes Greek and Roman deities as its subject.