Her Soul to Take

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual content, rape, substance use, and cursing.

“Kent kept me in that circle so often he’d had it carved into the floor. Like his father, and his grandfather before him, Kent feared that if he released me from his service when he had no immediate need of me, I would somehow escape from him forever. A lovely thought, but an unlikely outcome. Kent had the grimoire, the only remaining record of my name on earth. He alone could summon me because of it.”

This quote highlights the power dynamics between Kent and Leon, illustrating a relationship built on control rather than trust. This contrasts with the novel’s emphasis on Consensual Power Dynamics in Leon and Rea’s eventual relationship because Leon is tortured if he does not comply with Kent’s orders. The carved circle symbolizes permanent entrapment, emphasizing Kent’s fear of losing control of Leon, which foreshadows Kent eventually losing the grimoire.

“Kent spoke in a bizarrely theatrical voice when he was in front of his band of zealots. Somewhere between a fire-and-brimstone Southern preacher and a Kindergarten teacher who had bodies buried in the garden.”

This quote highlights the duality in Kent’s persona, contrasting exaggerated charisma and sinister undertones. The juxtaposition of a preacher’s fervor and a kindergarten teacher’s (superficial) wholesomeness suggests that Kent manipulates his followers through both charm and menace; the latter comparison also suggests that he infantilizes his followers by speaking to them like children. The description reveals Leon’s disdain and portrays Kent as both performative and inherently dangerous.

“The cabin seemed inconsequential in the night, as if its bare wooden walls and large windows could do nothing to hold back the dark. Instead of me observing from the inside, I felt like something out there was looking in. Observing me.”

This quote captures Rae’s sense of vulnerability and unease in a space that should be safe. The inversion of roles—Rae feels observed rather than an observer at the window—heightens the tension, suggesting a threat or presence. This imagery foreshadows the dangers that will come later in the novel and introduces the theme of