Vow of Thieves

The Remnant Chronicles universe, created by Mary E. Pearson, is a richly imagined world that influences the events and characters in Vow of Thieves. Pearson divides this fantasy realm into several kingdoms, including Morrighan, Eislandia, Dalbreck, and Venda, each with its own culture, politics, and historical legacies. The Remnant Universe is a dystopian society. An unknown catastrophic event that characters refer to as “the Devastation” destroyed the previous world. The few people who survived, the “remnants,” established a new society over the ruins. The people who came before the catastrophic event are called “the ancients.” Throughout the series, there are references to modern places in the United States. For example, Venda has several structures that are similar to Washington D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia. Pearson based the vault below Tor’s Watch on the Cheyenne Mountain Nuclear Bunker, which is NORAD’s headquarters in Colorado (Pearson, Mary E. “Uncovering Real Facts for Fantasy Stories.” Reactor Magazine, 23 July 2019).

The first book in the Remnant Chronicles series is The Kiss of Deception, which introduces Lia, the strong-willed princess of Morrighan. She flees an arranged marriage only to be pursued by an assassin, Kaden, and the prince of Dalbreck, Rafe. This story continues through the next two books in the series, The Heart of Betrayal and The Beauty of Darkness. Lia becomes the Queen of Venda and marries Rafe, who is now the Kind of Dalbreck.

After Lia becomes queen, she provides crucial support and guidance to Kazi, who is the protagonist of the Dance of Thieves duology. Lia’s experiences and growth throughout the Remnant Chronicles impact her leadership and decisions, influencing the unfolding events in this duology. Additionally, characters like Pauline, Kaden, and Berdi from the earlier books play supportive roles, enriching the narrative with their established histories and relationships.

The influence of the Remnant Chronicles’ past events and characters is evident in Vow of Thieves. Kazi, a former street thief, and Jase, the leader of the Ballenger family, are central figures shaped by the broader conflicts and resolutions from the earlier books. Kazi is first introduced in Dance of Thieves, in which Lia, the Queen of Venda, tasks her with capturing a traitor, Beaufort Illarion, who leads a revolt in Morrighan. This mission leads her to Jase and the Ballengers, who are harboring the fugitive in hopes that Beaufort and his scholars will create weapons and illness cures for the Ballengers.

Although Kazi captures Beaufort in Dance of Thieves, his presence still reverberates through Vow of Thieves. Montegue is the antagonist in this novel, and his right-hand man, Banques, is Beaufort’s brother. Likewise, the narrative reveals that Phineas, one of Beaufort’s scholars, was covertly working with Montegue all along. The interconnected histories and relationships between these characters highlight the intricate world-building and deep narrative continuity in Pearson’s novels.