Homecoming and Unraveling

Simon, Baz, Penelope, and Agatha return to England after their American odyssey, each carrying scars—physical, magical, and emotional. Simon, stripped of his magic and burdened with dragon wings and a tail, is adrift, questioning his place in the World of Mages. Baz faces family turmoil and the legacy of the Mage's war. Penelope, ever the fixer, brings home Shepard, a cursed American Normal, hoping her family can help. Agatha, traumatized by recent events, seeks solace in the mundane. The group's homecoming is anything but restful, as unresolved traumas and new complications threaten to pull them apart.

Broken Magic, Broken Hearts

Simon's inability to perform magic and his monstrous appendages leave him feeling alienated from both the magical world and his boyfriend, Baz. Their relationship, once a lifeline, is now fraught with miscommunication, insecurity, and the weight of Simon's self-loathing. Baz, desperate to help but unable to reach Simon, is also dealing with his own family's fractures. Penelope's attempts to help Shepard with his demon curse only add to the chaos, while Agatha withdraws, determined never to be a victim again. The group's bonds are tested as they each struggle with their own sense of brokenness.

Curses, Contracts, and Companions

Shepard's demon curse becomes a focal point, as Penelope enlists her formidable mother's help—only to be rebuffed due to magical secrecy and prejudice against Normals. Penelope's determination to help Shepard, despite the risks and her mother's disapproval, reveals her deep sense of responsibility and her own doubts about always being right. Shepard, meanwhile, is both charmed and endangered by his proximity to magicians, and his easygoing nature masks a deep loneliness and longing for connection.

Family Ties and Old Wounds

Baz's family is in disarray: his aunt Fiona is in trouble with the law, his stepmother Daphne is missing, and his father is struggling to hold the family together. The legacy of the Mage's war lingers, with old laws overturned but old wounds unhealed. Baz's relationship with his family is complicated by his vampirism, queerness, and the expectations of the Old Families. Meanwhile, Lady Ruth Salisbury, haunted by the loss of her daughter Lucy and the disappearance of her son Jamie, becomes a key figure as the search for belonging and family intensifies.

The Weight of the Past

The characters are haunted by their past actions and the consequences of the Mage's regime. Simon is tormented by guilt over killing the Mage and doubts about his own worth. Baz is burdened by a secret: years ago, he stole a classmate's voice with a magical tape recorder, a crime that comes back to haunt him. Penelope questions her own judgment and the cost of her relentless problem-solving. Agatha, determined to reclaim agency, is nonetheless shaped by her history as Simon's girlfriend and the trauma of repeated victimization.

Searching for Belonging

Each character grapples with the question of where they belong. Simon, no longer the Chosen One, feels unmoored. Baz, always an outsider, seeks acceptance and love. Penelope, doubting her own wisdom, finds unexpected kinship with Shepard. Agatha, rejecting the magical world, finds purpose in caring for Watford's magical goats. The search for family—by blood or by choice—drives the narrative, as the characters try to build a future not defined by prophecy or war.

The Cult of Power

A charismatic new figure, Smith Smith-Richards, emerges, promising to "heal" weak magicians and restore their power. His movement, part self-help cult and part magical revival, draws in those who feel left behind by the magical hierarchy—including Baz's stepmother and Lady Ruth's son Jamie. Smith's spell appears to grant magical prowess, but its true nature is suspect. The allure of easy power and the danger of false prophets become central themes as the group investigates Smith's claims.

Unmasking the Miracle Worker

Simon and Baz attend Smith's meetings, witnessing apparent miracles as weak magicians cast powerful spells. However, cracks appear: those "healed" by Smith soon lose all magic, left worse off than before. Philippa, a former classmate whose voice was stolen by Baz's spell years ago, becomes a key witness, revealing Smith's deception. The group races to stop Smith before he can "heal" more magicians—including Penelope's father and Baz's stepmother—at a mass event at Watford.

The Truth About Magic

In a climactic confrontation at Watford's White Chapel, Simon—now immune to magic after Smith's failed spell—exposes Smith's fraud. The spell, rather than healing, drains magicians of their remaining power. The crowd turns on Smith, and he is arrested. The event marks a turning point: the end of the Chosen One myth, the exposure of magical hierarchies' flaws, and the beginning of a new era where magic is not a birthright or a prophecy, but something to be lived with humility and care.

Forgiveness and Fallout

Baz confesses his crime to Philippa and returns her voice, seeking forgiveness but not expecting it. Penelope, after a daring legalistic confrontation with a demon, breaks Shepard's curse and begins a new, uncertain romance. Agatha, having helped save Watford's magical goats and delivered new life, finds peace and purpose outside the drama of prophecy. The group, battered but wiser, begins to heal old wounds and forgive themselves and each other.

The Goats of Watford

Agatha's storyline, once peripheral, becomes central as she takes on the role of Watford's goatherd, a position of quiet but vital importance. The magical goats, long neglected, are revealed to be essential to the school's protection. Agatha's care for them, and her budding relationship with Niamh, symbolize a new kind of magic: one rooted in stewardship, community, and the everyday.

Healing, Loss, and New Love

The characters begin to move forward: Simon and Baz, after much pain and miscommunication, recommit to each other, learning to love without magic or prophecy. Penelope and Shepard, against all odds, find connection and hope. Agatha, at peace with her past, chooses a life of quiet magic. The losses—of magic, of certainty, of old identities—are real, but so is the healing that follows.

The Sword and the Secret

In a final twist, Simon discovers his true parentage: he is the son of Lucy Salisbury (Lady Ruth's daughter) and the Mage. The revelation is both a burden and a balm, offering Simon the family he never had but also forcing him to reckon with the Mage's crimes. The symbolic passing of the family sword, Excalibur, marks Simon's acceptance into the Salisbury family and the end of his search for belonging.

The Mage's Legacy Revealed

The truth about Simon's origins reframes the entire trilogy: he was both the Mage's weapon and his victim, both the Chosen One and the orphan. The Mage's legacy is one of manipulation and violence, but also of love lost and found. Simon's acceptance by Lady Ruth and Jamie offers a new beginning, while Baz, Penelope, and Agatha find their own ways to move beyond the Mage's shadow.

Choosing Each Other

Simon and Baz, after cycles of hurt and reconciliation, finally learn to communicate, to trust, and to choose each other—again and again. Their love, once defined by crisis and prophecy, becomes something ordinary and extraordinary: a daily act of care, forgiveness, and mutual striving. The novel ends not with a grand magical battle, but with the quiet, hard-won intimacy of two people learning to stay.

Letting Go, Moving Forward

The epilogue finds the characters a year later, living new lives: Agatha as Watford's goatherd, Penelope and Shepard together, Baz and Simon building a home. The world is not perfect—magic is still fraught, the past still lingers—but the future is open, and the wind, at last, blows any way it will.

Characters

Simon Snow

Simon is the former Chosen One, once the most powerful magician, now stripped of magic and left with dragon wings and a tail. His journey is one of profound identity crisis: without magic or prophecy, who is he? Simon's trauma, guilt, and self-doubt threaten his relationship with Baz and his place in the magical world. His arc is about learning to accept love, to forgive himself, and to find meaning beyond destiny. The revelation of his true parentage—son of Lucy Salisbury and the Mage—forces him to confront the full complexity of his legacy.

Baz (Basilton Grimm-Pitch)

Baz is a vampire, a scion of the Old Families, and Simon's boyfriend. He is fiercely intelligent, sarcastic, and deeply loyal, but haunted by guilt (for his past actions and for being a vampire) and by the fear of not being enough for Simon. Baz's family is fractured, and he struggles with the expectations of legacy and the pain of loss. His relationship with Simon is the emotional core of the novel: a study in miscommunication, vulnerability, and the courage to keep choosing each other. Baz's journey is also about seeking forgiveness—for himself and from others.

Penelope Bunce

Penelope is Simon's best friend, a brilliant and stubborn magician who has always believed she could fix anything. In this novel, her confidence is shaken: she realizes she's not always right, and that her interventions can have unintended consequences. Her relationship with Shepard, a cursed Normal, challenges her prejudices and her sense of responsibility. Penelope's arc is about learning to let go, to trust others, and to accept that not every problem has a magical solution.

Shepard

Shepard is an American Normal who becomes entangled with Penelope and the magical world after being cursed by a demon. His easy charm and curiosity mask a deep loneliness and a longing for connection. Shepard's curse—and Penelope's determination to help him—become a crucible for both characters. His arc is about finding belonging, accepting help, and, ultimately, love.

Agatha Wellbelove

Agatha, once Simon's girlfriend and the archetypal "chosen one's chosen one," rejects the drama of prophecy and magic. Traumatized by past events, she seeks a quieter life, finding purpose in caring for Watford's magical goats. Her arc is about reclaiming agency, finding value in the ordinary, and building a life on her own terms. Her relationship with Niamh, a practical and gruff veterinarian, offers her a new kind of partnership.

Lady Ruth Salisbury

Lady Ruth is haunted by the loss of her daughter Lucy and the disappearance of her son Jamie. Her unwavering hope and maternal love become a beacon for Simon, who ultimately discovers he is her grandson. Lady Ruth's arc is about the endurance of love, the pain of loss, and the possibility of reunion.

Smith Smith-Richards

Smith is a self-proclaimed Chosen One who promises to "heal" weak magicians. His spell, however, is a con: it grants a brief surge of power before draining magic entirely. Smith's cult of personality and the allure of easy power expose the vulnerabilities of the magical community. He is both a symptom and a cause of the world's longing for saviors and simple solutions.

Philippa (Pippa) Stainton

Once a classmate of Baz and Simon, Philippa lost her voice (and her magic) to a spell Baz cast years ago. Her journey is one of survival, resilience, and, ultimately, speaking truth to power. Her testimony is crucial in exposing Smith's fraud, and her forgiveness (or lack thereof) is a reckoning for Baz.

Jamie Salisbury

Jamie, Lady Ruth's son, is drawn into Smith's cult by the promise of magical power. His arc is one of hope, disappointment, and, finally, reunion with his family. Jamie's vulnerability and longing for acceptance mirror Simon's own struggles.

Niamh Brody

Niamh is a veterinarian and former classmate of Agatha's, gruff and no-nonsense but deeply caring. Her partnership with Agatha, both in caring for the goats and in romance, represents a new kind of magic: one rooted in care, competence, and quiet devotion.

Plot Devices

Multiple Perspectives and Interwoven Narratives

The novel is told through the alternating perspectives of Simon, Baz, Penelope, Agatha, and others, allowing for a rich exploration of each character's inner life. This structure creates a tapestry of overlapping stories, where misunderstandings, secrets, and revelations are experienced from multiple angles. The interwoven narratives heighten the emotional stakes and allow the reader to see the same events through different psychological lenses.

Magical Realism and Subversion of Fantasy Tropes

The World of Mages is both a literal and metaphorical landscape: magic is powerful but unreliable, and its loss is both a personal and communal wound. The novel subverts classic fantasy tropes—Chosen Ones, prophecies, magical cures—by exposing their costs and limitations. The "miracle" spell is revealed as a con, and the true magic is found in care, forgiveness, and the work of relationship.

Foreshadowing and Revelation

The narrative is laced with secrets: Simon's parentage, Baz's crime, Shepard's curse, Smith's true intentions. Foreshadowing is used to build tension—Lady Ruth's candles, Baz's guilt, the goats' disappearance—culminating in revelations that force the characters to confront the past and choose how to move forward.

Symbolism and Motif

The magical goats symbolize the health of Watford and the magical world; their care (or neglect) mirrors the characters' own journeys toward healing. The sword Excalibur, the tape recorder, and the candles are recurring motifs, representing legacy, guilt, and hope. The act of "coming home"—to a place, a person, or oneself—is a central motif, echoed in the novel's structure and resolution.

Analysis

Any Way the Wind Blows is a story about what happens after the prophecy ends—about the messy, painful, and ultimately hopeful work of living beyond destiny. Rainbow Rowell uses the trappings of fantasy not to tell a story of grand battles, but to explore trauma, healing, and the search for belonging. The novel interrogates the allure of saviors and simple solutions, exposing the dangers of false prophets and the cost of magical hierarchies. At its heart, it is a love story—not just between Simon and Baz, but among friends, families, and found communities. The characters' journeys are marked by loss, guilt, and the struggle to forgive themselves and each other. The resolution is not a return to magical glory, but an embrace of the ordinary: care, honesty, and the daily choice to stay. In a world obsessed with Chosen Ones, Any Way the Wind Blows insists that the real magic is in letting go of prophecy and learning, imperfectly, to love.

Last updated: June 12, 2025