Blood on the Doorstep

Jude Duarte's life is forever changed when a faerie general named Madoc murders her parents and abducts her, her twin Taryn, and their half-sister Vivienne to the world of Faerie. The opening is a brutal, formative trauma: the girls are torn from their mundane, human world and thrust into a realm of beauty, danger, and immortal politics. Madoc, their mother's former husband and Vivienne's father, claims the twins as his responsibility, raising them in his household out of a twisted sense of honor. This act of violence and forced adoption sets the tone for the series, establishing the central themes of power, belonging, and the cost of survival in a world where mortals are always at a disadvantage.

Mortal Children in Faerie

Growing up in Madoc's household, Jude and Taryn are outsiders—mortal girls among the immortal, beautiful, and cruel Folk. Vivienne, half-fae, rebels against Madoc and the world he represents, while Jude and Taryn try to adapt, each in their own way. The twins are educated, trained in combat, and given a place at court, but never truly accepted. The sisters' relationships are strained by their different responses to trauma: Jude hungers for power and respect, while Taryn seeks safety through conformity and romance. The world of Faerie is enchanting but perilous, full of rules, riddles, and dangers that constantly remind the girls of their vulnerability.

The General's Daughters

Jude's desire to belong and to be powerful grows as she is subjected to the daily humiliations and dangers of Faerie. She is bullied by Prince Cardan and his circle—Nicasia, Valerian, and Locke—who delight in tormenting mortals. Madoc, both a father figure and a monster, trains Jude in strategy and swordplay, but refuses her the chance to become a knight, believing her too soft for true violence. Taryn, meanwhile, dreams of love and acceptance, setting her on a collision course with Jude's ambitions. The sisters' bond is tested by secrets, jealousy, and the ever-present threat of faerie politics.

Court of Cruelty

At the High Court, Jude and Taryn are constant targets for Cardan and his friends, who use glamour, violence, and social games to assert their dominance. Jude's defiance only makes her more of a target, but she refuses to be cowed. The court is a place of dazzling beauty and casual brutality, where power is currency and mortals are expendable. Jude's experiences here harden her, teaching her to hide her fear and to fight back, even when the odds are against her. The court's cruelty is both a crucible and a mirror, reflecting the darkness within Jude herself.

Powerless and Defiant

Jude's refusal to submit leads to escalating retaliation from Cardan's circle. She is glamoured, humiliated, and nearly killed, but her stubbornness only grows. Taryn, desperate to avoid conflict, distances herself from Jude, deepening the rift between them. Jude's sense of powerlessness becomes a driving force, fueling her desire to win at any cost. She begins to understand that in Faerie, survival requires more than courage—it requires cunning, ruthlessness, and the willingness to become what she fears.

Poisoned Games

Denied the chance to become a knight, Jude seeks power through other means. She is recruited by Prince Dain, the High King's ambitious son, to serve as a spy in his Court of Shadows. Dain offers her protection from glamour and a taste of real power, but at the price of secrecy and moral compromise. Jude learns the arts of deception, poison, and subterfuge, embracing the darkness within herself. Her new role brings her into contact with the true machinations of Faerie, where every alliance is fragile and every promise is a potential weapon.

The Tournament's Edge

Jude's rivalry with Cardan and his friends comes to a head during the Summer Tournament, where she is both physically and emotionally battered. Despite her skill and determination, she is denied recognition and forced to confront the limits of her power. The tournament is a crucible, burning away Jude's illusions and leaving her with a single, burning desire: to win, no matter the cost. Her relationship with Taryn fractures further, as secrets and betrayals come to light.

Shadows and Spies

As a member of the Court of Shadows, Jude navigates a world of espionage and intrigue. She uncovers plots, steals secrets, and learns the true nature of Faerie's power struggles. Her work brings her into contact with the darker side of the court, including the enigmatic Roach, Bomb, and Ghost. Jude's skills grow, but so does her capacity for violence and deception. She is forced to confront the reality that to survive—and to win—she must become as ruthless as those she despises.

The Price of Ambition

Jude's ambition leads her to make dangerous bargains and to betray those closest to her. She kills Valerian in self-defense, buries the body, and lies to protect herself. Her relationship with Taryn is shattered by Locke's manipulations and Taryn's own choices. Jude's sense of self is eroded by the things she must do to survive, and she begins to question whether the power she seeks is worth the cost. The lines between victim and perpetrator, love and hate, blur as Jude becomes ever more entangled in Faerie's deadly games.

Betrayals and Bargains

The approach of the High King's abdication and the coronation of his successor brings tensions to a breaking point. Madoc's true ambitions are revealed: he plans to use Jude's young brother, Oak, as a puppet king, with himself as regent. Jude is forced to choose between her loyalty to her family and her desire for power and justice. She makes a series of desperate bargains, manipulating Cardan, the Court of Shadows, and even her own sister to set her plan in motion. The cost of these choices is high, leaving Jude isolated and haunted by guilt.

Coronation of Blood

The coronation descends into chaos as Madoc and Balekin orchestrate a bloody coup, murdering the royal family and seizing power. Jude's plans are thrown into disarray, but she seizes the moment, rescuing Cardan and hiding him from his murderous brother. In a daring gambit, she manipulates the court, the spies, and Cardan himself to prevent Balekin from taking the throne. The cost is immense: trust is shattered, blood is spilled, and the future of Faerie hangs in the balance.

The Puppet King

Jude forces Cardan to swear fealty to her for a year and a day, making him the High King in name but her puppet in truth. She orchestrates Oak's crowning of Cardan, ensuring that the throne remains out of Madoc's reach and that her brother is safe—at least for now. Cardan is furious at the betrayal, but bound by his oath. Jude becomes the true power behind the throne, the queenmaker who must now hold what she has won.

The Queenmaker's Gambit

As seneschal to the High King, Jude navigates the treacherous politics of Faerie, holding Cardan's leash while contending with enemies on all sides. She must manage the Court of Shadows, outwit Madoc, and keep Oak hidden in the mortal world. The cost of power becomes ever more apparent, as Jude is forced to make hard choices, sacrifice relationships, and embrace her own capacity for ruthlessness. The line between protector and tyrant blurs, and Jude must reckon with the monster she has become.

Exile and Return

To protect Oak, Jude sends him into exile with Vivienne, trusting her sister to raise him away from Faerie's dangers. Jude is left alone, estranged from Taryn, haunted by her actions, and burdened by the knowledge that her power is both a shield and a prison. The cost of her choices is isolation, regret, and the constant threat of betrayal. Yet she clings to her purpose, determined to hold the throne for Oak's eventual return.

The Cost of Power

Jude's victory is hollow: she has won the game, but lost almost everything else. Her relationships are fractured, her conscience is heavy, and her hold on power is precarious. Cardan resents her, Madoc plots revenge, and the court is full of enemies. Jude must confront the reality that power is not only hard to win, but even harder to keep—and that the price may be her soul.

A Kingdom in Shadow

As Cardan's puppet king, Jude faces new challenges: rival monarchs, dangerous bargains, and the ever-present threat of exposure. The Court of Shadows remains her only true allies, but even they are wary of her growing ruthlessness. The game continues, with new players and higher stakes. Jude must decide how far she is willing to go to protect Oak, hold the throne, and survive in a world where trust is a luxury she cannot afford.

The Game Continues

The story ends with Jude in a position of power, but far from secure. Cardan is king, but his loyalty is uncertain. Madoc is defeated, but not destroyed. Oak is safe, but distant. Jude stands alone, the architect of her own fate, forced to reckon with the consequences of her ambition. The game of power in Faerie is never truly over—and Jude, for better or worse, has become one of its most dangerous players.

Characters

Jude Duarte

Jude is the protagonist—a mortal girl raised in Faerie after witnessing her parents' murder by Madoc. Her defining trait is her hunger for power and belonging in a world that despises her humanity. Jude is fiercely intelligent, stubborn, and willing to do whatever it takes to survive and win, even if it means sacrificing her morals or betraying those she loves. Her psychological complexity is rooted in trauma, insecurity, and a desperate need to prove herself. Over the course of the series, Jude transforms from a powerless outsider to the true power behind the throne, but at great personal cost. Her relationships—with her sisters, Madoc, Cardan, and the Court of Shadows—are fraught with tension, betrayal, and longing. Jude's journey is one of self-discovery, as she learns that power is both a weapon and a burden, and that victory often comes at the expense of her own soul.

Cardan Greenbriar

Cardan is the youngest son of the High King, notorious for his beauty, cruelty, and self-destructive tendencies. Raised in a family that despised him, Cardan's psychological armor is arrogance, wit, and calculated malice. He torments Jude and other mortals, but his cruelty masks deep wounds and insecurities. Cardan is both victim and perpetrator, shaped by abuse and neglect. His relationship with Jude is antagonistic, electric, and ultimately transformative for both. Forced onto the throne by Jude's machinations, Cardan becomes a puppet king, resentful but bound by his oath. His development is marked by moments of vulnerability, unexpected kindness, and a growing awareness of his own capacity for both good and evil. Cardan is a study in contradictions: he is both monster and victim, both ruler and pawn.

Madoc

Madoc is the redcap general of the High King's armies, Jude's adoptive father, and the murderer of her parents. He is a figure of immense power, cunning, and violence, driven by a code of honor that is both admirable and terrifying. Madoc loves his daughters in his own way, but his love is conditional, demanding, and often destructive. He is a master strategist, always playing the long game, and his ambitions ultimately lead him to betray the royal family and attempt to seize the throne for himself. Madoc's relationship with Jude is complex: he is both mentor and adversary, shaping her into a weapon even as he underestimates her. Psychologically, Madoc is a study in the dangers of unchecked ambition and the ways in which love can be twisted by power.

Taryn Duarte

Taryn is Jude's identical twin, but her approach to survival in Faerie is the opposite of Jude's. Where Jude fights, Taryn seeks to fit in, to be loved and accepted by the Folk. Her desire for safety and romance leads her into a relationship with Locke, and ultimately to betray Jude. Taryn's choices are shaped by fear, longing, and a willingness to sacrifice her own sister for a place in Faerie's hierarchy. Her psychological arc is one of self-deception, regret, and the painful realization that conformity does not guarantee safety or happiness. Taryn's relationship with Jude is central to the series, embodying the tension between love and rivalry, loyalty and self-preservation.

Vivienne (Vivi)

Vivienne is Jude and Taryn's older half-sister, the daughter of Madoc and a mortal woman. As a half-fae, Vivi is both insider and outsider, but she rejects Faerie and Madoc's authority, longing for the human world. She is fiercely protective of her sisters, especially Oak, and ultimately chooses to leave Faerie, taking Oak with her. Vivi's psychological complexity lies in her refusal to compromise, her anger at Madoc, and her struggle to reconcile her fae nature with her human heart. She represents the possibility of escape, but also the cost of leaving behind those you love.

Locke

Locke is a member of Cardan's circle, a master of stories and games. He seduces both Jude and Taryn, using them to amuse himself and to manipulate those around him. Locke's charm masks a deep selfishness and a love of chaos. He is a catalyst for much of the conflict between the sisters, and his actions reveal the dangers of seeking validation from those who see you as a plaything. Psychologically, Locke is a narcissist, driven by boredom and a desire for control.

Balekin

Balekin is Cardan's eldest brother, the architect of the coup that destroys the royal family. He is a classic tyrant: brutal, power-hungry, and willing to kill anyone who stands in his way. Balekin's relationship with Cardan is abusive, and his rule is marked by fear and violence. He represents the dangers of unchecked ambition and the corrupting influence of power.

Oak

Oak is Jude's young half-brother, the secret heir to the throne of Faerie. He is innocent, sweet, and largely unaware of the machinations swirling around him. Oak is a pawn in the games of adults, used by Madoc, protected by Jude and Vivi, and ultimately crowned by Cardan. His psychological arc is one of lost innocence and the burden of destiny.

The Court of Shadows (Roach, Bomb, Ghost)

The Court of Shadows is a trio of spies who serve Prince Dain and later Jude. Each member—Roach (cunning and pragmatic), Bomb (explosive and loyal), and Ghost (haunted and skilled)—represents a different aspect of survival in Faerie. They are Jude's only true allies, but their loyalty is always conditional, and their presence forces Jude to confront the moral cost of her actions.

Nicasia

Nicasia is a member of Cardan's circle, the daughter of the Queen of the Undersea. She is beautiful, cruel, and manipulative, using her allure and her mother's power to influence events at court. Nicasia's rivalry with Jude is both personal and political, and her actions reveal the dangers of desire and the ways in which women are used as pawns in the games of men.

Plot Devices

Mortal Versus Immortal Power

The central plot device is the tension between mortal vulnerability and the seductive, dangerous power of Faerie. Jude's journey is defined by her attempts to overcome her powerlessness, first through defiance, then through cunning, and finally through ruthless manipulation. The narrative structure mirrors this progression, moving from victimhood to agency, from survival to dominance. The use of glamour, poison, and oaths as literal and metaphorical tools of control underscores the theme that power in Faerie is always transactional and never freely given.

Betrayal and Shifting Alliances

The series is built on a foundation of betrayal: familial, romantic, and political. Characters constantly shift allegiances, make bargains, and break promises. Foreshadowing is used extensively—early betrayals hint at later, larger ones, and small acts of deception build to the ultimate coup at the coronation. The narrative is structured around a series of reversals, where the apparent victor is undone by a hidden move, and the powerless become powerful through unexpected alliances.

The Double-Edged Nature of Ambition

Jude's ambition is both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness. The plot is driven by her desire to win, to belong, and to be powerful, but each victory comes at a cost. The use of poison as both a literal and symbolic device—Jude's mithridatism, her willingness to poison Madoc, the blusher mushroom murder—reinforces the idea that power is always tainted, and that survival in Faerie requires a willingness to be corrupted.

The Puppet King and the Queenmaker

The series subverts the traditional fantasy trope of the chosen one by making Jude the architect of power, rather than its vessel. Cardan is crowned king, but Jude is the true ruler, pulling the strings from behind the scenes. The use of oaths, geases, and bargains as binding plot devices allows Jude to control those more powerful than herself, but also traps her in a web of her own making. The narrative structure is cyclical: each act of manipulation begets another, and the game of power is never truly over.

Analysis

Last updated: May 1, 2025