Daughter of the Pirate King

Riden is the male love interest and the first mate to his ruthless brother, Draxen, who captains the Night Farer—a ship previously captained by their now-deceased father, Jeskor the Headbreaker. Riden is a tall man with dark brown hair, deep brown eyes, and a pleasant face. He is 18 years old, and Alosa believes his relatively high position in the ship’s hierarchy to be unusual, as “[y]oung men are not usually the ones giving orders” within such a rough crew (4). Riden has a sturdy stance and an air of confidence, and Alosa judges him to be a “cocky bastard” when he winks at Mandsy upon realizing she is a woman (4). Riden’s primary job on the Night Farer is to interrogate Alosa for answers regarding her father and his hideouts. Alosa mistakenly underestimates his cleverness and is shocked when he reveals that her strategic non-answers are much more revealing than she believes them to be. His perceptive nature foreshadows his ability to eventually identify the difference between Alosa’s human half and siren half.

Riden’s past history holds particular significance as the story progresses. His father, Jeskor, was cruel and abusive to him, always favoring Draxen, whose temperament mirrors Jeskor’s own ruthlessness. By contrast, Jeskor always thought of Riden as a disappointment. In childhood, Draxen was Riden’s protector, and when they grew, Riden began “looking out for him in return” (144). Riden’s love and loyalty for Draxen constitute the strongest bond in his life. Thus, Loyalty as Familial Duty is a central aspect of Riden’s character, especially given that Draxen prevented Jeskor from killing Riden in retribution for the crew’s failed mutiny. Because Draxen chose Riden over their father, Riden has decided that he owes Draxen “[his] life and [his] allegiance” because “[Draxen] is the best thing [he has], and [he] would never do anything to hurt or betray him” (144). Riden’s entire being is dedicated to saving Draxen from himself, as Draxen’s darker nature often threatens to overtake him. This loyalty makes Riden a coward in Alosa’s eyes, for he defers to his brother and avoids making decisions that would contradict Draxen’s wishes. However, Riden proves himself to be a dynamic character; as his feelings for Alosa grow, he begins acting on his own desires in order to ensure her safety. At the end of the novel, Riden still struggles with intense and undeserved loyalty to his older brother, but the narrative makes it clear that he is also open to exploring his feelings for Alosa.

Draxen is the primary antagonist of the novel, the elder brother to Riden, and the captain of the Night Farer. Just like his father, Jeskor, Draxen is infamously ruthless, and he hopes that his own reputation will one day surpass that of his father, who came to be known as Jeskor the Headbreaker. Draxen sports an evil smile complete with a gold tooth and has curly black hair that peeks out from under his large black hat. His cruelty is held in check only by Riden, who sacrifices everything to keep Draxen from straying down a dark path from which there is no redemption. Draxen’s relationship with Riden exemplifies the complexities of Loyalty as Familial Duty.

Alosa initially encounters “Theris”/Vordan while he is posing as a crewmember of the Night Farer. He initially claims to be a spy for Byrronic Kalligan, the pirate king. He is around 30 years of age and of medium height and build, with brown hair and a beard. His role is initially understood to involve “provid[ing] [Alosa’s] father with information about [the] ship and its captain” (30). In actuality, “Theris” is merely an alias that the third pirate lord, Vordan Serad, has used to disguise his identity. Alosa realizes who “Theris” really is when Byrronic describes Vordan’s habit of flipping a coin across his fingers: an attribute that Alosa has noticed in “Theris” during her time aboard the Night Farer. Vordan’s continued possession of one third of the map makes his reappearance inevitable in the sequel.

The Night Farer crew is “younger than most men at sea,” but all of them have seen “the cruelest side of life there is” (21), making them ruthless and ready-made killers. Most of the crew is comprised of the sons of Lord Jeskor’s original crewmen. Jeskor and his original crew starved them, put them in constant danger on missions, and physically abused them when bored, so they decided to mutiny. After a failed mutiny in which the sons attempted to overthrow the original crew, they were chained and locked in the brig before Jeskor began killing them one by one.

Within the crew, there are a few notables, such as Kearan and Enwen, who are pirates tasked with guarding Alosa’s cell. Kearan is an ugly, large man with a belly that “hangs over his belt” (22), a large nose, widely spaced eyes, and a long, unkempt beard. He is barely civil with Alosa but never causes her physical harm or subjects her to verbal abuse. He prefers drinking and does not appreciate the company of women. In dire situations, he does not readily portray emotions but instead exudes a fatalistic attitude. He has explored the world but does not talk much about his experiences. At the end of the novel, Alosa offers him a job on her ship as a navigator. Enwen, Alosa’s other guard, is superstitious yet intelligent; for example, he cuts a lock of red hair from Alosa’s head for good luck and believes in the tales of sirens. His crewmates easily dismiss him as a fool, but he is cunning enough to steal money from them undetected. Alosa respects Enwen’s brilliance, but not his lack of loyalty toward his fellow pirates. She offers Enwen a spot on her crew as a thief at the end of the novel.

Alosa’s crew on the Ava-lee is made up of nearly all women and only two trusted men, a decision matching Alosa’s criticism of The Treatment of Women in Male-Dominated Spaces. Alosa cares immensely for her crew, all of whom she trusts with the secret of her siren heritage. Although the crew is absent for the majority of the novel, they are vital to the sequel, which is primarily set aboard the Ava-lee.

Within Alosa’s crew, several individuals stand out from the rest. Niridia is Alosa’s “first mate and trusted confidant” (89), whom she’s known for five years. Niridia follows orders closely and is almost as skilled as Alosa in combat, which is why she acts as the temporary captain of the Ava-lee during Alosa’s absence. With golden hair and vivid blue eyes, “she’s one of the most beautiful women [Alosa has] ever seen” (279). Niridia is fiercely loyal to Alosa and is willing to lie and even die for her.

Mandsy is Alosa’s temporary first mate on the throwaway ship at the beginning of the novel. Alosa admires her bright and optimistic nature, which serves as a “good voice of reason” (3). Mandsy is one of the three women from Alosa’s real crew to volunteer to join Alosa on her mission. She makes most of the clothes that Alosa wears, and Alosa swears that Mandsy “can wield a needle just as well as she can wield a sword” (31). Sorinda, the second of three women to join Alosa for the beginning of her mission, is the best swordswoman on Alosa’s crew and serves as Alosa’s assassin. She slinks around in shadows like a cat, without making a sound. Kearan takes an interest in her after joining Alosa’s crew in the final chapter, calling her a “dark beauty” for her long black hair and thin, pointed features (301). In the sequel, Sorinda will be responsible for keeping an eye on Kearan until the crew can trust him. Zimah is the third woman who joined Alosa’s mission. She has a perfect memory and “can recite back to [Alosa] minutes of overheard conversation at a time” (90). Zimah is a talented tracker who serves as Alosa’s navigator, but upon her tragic death in the final battle between Draxen’s crew and the pirate king, Kearan is enlisted to fill her position.

Roslyn is the youngest of Alosa’s crew, at only six years old, and has the climbing skills of a monkey. She mostly stays in the rigging for this reason. She represents Alosa’s fondness for children, which is exemplified again when she spares all of Draxen’s younger crew members from death and plans to release them at the nearest port. Wallov and Deros are the only two men in Alosa’s crew prior to her recruitment of Kearan and Enwen at the end of the novel. Because women cannot hear a siren’s call, Alosa prefers having at least one man who can hear her sing when she is separated from her crew.