The Girl Who Drank the Moon

One of the novel’s protagonists and the titular “girl who drank the moon.” As an infant, Luna lives in the Protectorate, a corrupt city where the youngest baby is offered as an annual sacrifice to… read analysis of Luna

A kindly witch who lives in a swamp in the middle of the forest. Xan is about 500 years old and was experimentally enmagicked as a preteen. A wizard named Zosimos mentored her. Zosimos was… read analysis of Xan

The novel’s antagonist. 500 years ago, this character was known as the Sorrow Eater; Sister Ignatia is a name that she gave herself after there was a volcanic eruption. The Sorrow Eater became an evil… read analysis of Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater

A young, idealistic man from the Protectorate. The novel follows him from about age 13 into his mid-20s. As a teenager, Antain is an Elder-in-Training. His uncle Gherland, the leader of the Council of… read analysis of Antain

Glerk is, for much of the novel, the friendly swamp monster who lives with Xan and Fyrian (and later, Luna) in the center of the forest. However, the novel also makes it clear that… read analysis of Glerk

The leader of the Council of Elders in the Protectorate and one of the novel’s antagonists. He’s an old man, is very grand, and loves the prestige that comes along with his position. While there… read analysis of Grand Elder Gherland

A dragonling who was placed in Xan’s care right before the volcano erupted 500 years ago. Xan is his aunt figure of sorts, while Glerk acts as his mentor. Despite being even older than… read analysis of Fyrian

A kind, bright, and clever young woman in the Protectorate. She had a crush on Antain when the two were in school but, when Ethyne’s parents died and orphaned her, Ethyne agreed to join the… read analysis of Ethyne

Zosimos was Xan’s mentor; he’s been dead for 500 years. He was an old wizard even when Xan met him, but he began to decline quickly after taking Xan under his wing. Zosimos was… read analysis of Zosimos

The person who tells their child the stories of the Witch and of the Protectorate throughout the novel. While the parent is unnamed and ungendered, it’s possible that this person is Adara’s mother or… read analysis of The Parent

The mother of Antain, Rook, and Wyn. A callous and greedy widow. She’s well-connected, but nobody to whom she’s connected—namely, Elder Gherland—likes her very much. Antain’s mother desperately wants her sons… read analysis of Antain’s Mother

A crow that Luna conjures accidentally as her magic starts to erupt in the lead-up to her 13th birthday. It caws, but Luna understands that these noises mean things in human speech. The crow acts… read analysis of The Crow