Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Children of Virtue and Vengeance, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Power and Systems of Oppression
Cycles of Violence
Tradition and History
Love vs. Duty
Summary
Analysis
Amari braces herself as Nâo and Mâzeli lead them through the growing crowd. People look at Zélie like she’s a goddess, but look at Amari like she’s a bug. They approach the table of elders at the back of the cafeteria. Nâo introduces Zélie but ignores Amari. Amari recognizes the snarling girl from the dome; she introduces herself as Ramaya, elder of the Connector clan. She’s the clear leader of the elders. Ramaya greets Zélie, and when Zélie insists she’s just here to win the war, Ramaya says this isn’t enough: Zélie is their future queen. Zélie looks wildly at Amari but before Amari can say anything, the elder of the Tamer clan, Na’imah, races in with a note from Lagos. Ramaya reads that Inan is alive and offering food to maji who leave the Iyika.
The way the Iyika elders treat Amari makes it very clear that despite the prejudice and discrimination they’ve experienced—and perhaps, because of it—they’re unwilling to look at Amari as a full human being or ally. Though hurtful for Amari, this does give her the opportunity to temporarily put herself in her companions’ shoes and understand a little of what it was like to grow up as a maji in a kingdom that didn’t want them.
Themes
Na’imah quips that killing royals is like killing roaches, as Amari snatches the note and reads Inan’s bold promises. She shoves it at Zélie, thinking that Inan is going to be a great king and bring peace. Zélie, however, roughly says that they can’t believe Inan. She suggests they burn Inan’s offered food and starve Lagos. Amari bursts that that will just escalate the war and then attempts to backtrack and introduce herself. Coldly, Ramaya says she knows who Amari is: her parents have caused more than enough trouble, and Amari’s magic is an abomination. Ramaya gives the order to burn Inan’s food. Quietly, Zélie tells Amari that they can still put Amari on the throne. Amari asks Zélie to help her with her magic.
Given the various first-person perspectives of the novel, the reader understands that Inan’s offer of peace was genuine. Because of this, it’s easy to see that Amari is in the right here—there is the possibility for peace if both sides are willing to trust each other enough to sit down and have a conversation. Because of what Zélie has experienced, however, she’s learned that trusting Inan—and monarchs in general—is silly, and so the clear answer for her is to treat Inan’s peace offering as a trap.
Themes
