< Chronicles of the Kencyrath

Chronicles of the Kencyrath/Analysis


This page discusses the themes of the novels, and is spoiler-laden; we advise that you read the books before delving into this too deeply.

(work in progress right now - excuse the dust!)

Order Versus Chaos

The cosmic conflict at the heart of the backstory is the fight against an invasive, infectious chaos, Perimal Darkling, to fight against which the Three Peoples of the Kencyrath were formed. Although the chaos is depicted as more inimical to life, the order-bound life ordained for the Kencyr is its own method of hell, one which grinds and breaks its members against the hard cutting teeth of its inflexible, inhuman rules. As the Arrin-ken Immilai tells Jame in the first chapter of Dark of the Moon:

For us, alas, good is no less terrible than evil. We can only trust our honor and try to keep our balance.

Siblings

Ever notice how many pairs of siblings there are in these books, and how their different sibling dynamics are such an important part of what drives the plot? Pairs of siblings that we have:

  • Jame and Tori (fraternal twins; and with a half-brother in Bane)
  • Gerridon and Jamethiel (fraternal twins)
  • Gerridon and Glendar (half-brothers)
  • Brant and Brenwyr (fraternal twins)
  • Tirandys and Terribend (and a half-brother in Keral)
  • Greshan and Ganth
  • Kallystine and Lyra
  • Essien and Essiar (identical twins)
  • Sheth and Bear
  • Ishtier and Anar
  • Penari and Theocandi
  • Men-dalis and Dally
  • Kibben and Kibbet

There is also a statistically unlikely proportion of twins, although the Kencyr Highborn, being non-human, may have more of a tendency to bear them.

Your parents and upbringing don't define you

Notice how all three of the will-be Tyr-ridan, the trinity of God avatars, are the children of the Fall, of Gerridon or Jamethiel Dream-weaver? And they were all created just to keep Gerridon immortal, to feed him with souls. And all their upbringings were evil in different ways; Jame in the Master's House, Torisen in the exiles' Keep with crazy, homicidal Ganth, and Kindrie with Rawneth and the Priests' College.

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