How does Stark use descriptions of food, clothing, and other material luxuries to contrast the lives of the court with the suffering of the prisoners and common people? How do such details enhance the novel’s thematic focus on The Struggle against Oppression?

How do the conflicting dynamics between Prisca and Lorian shift as the story progresses, and what does their growing attraction indicate about the nature of power, trust, and betrayal?

What advantages does Stark gain by alternating between Prisca’s and Lorian’s perspectives? How would the narrative change if it were told only from Prisca’s point of view?