Get Nerdy With Me No. 16
Intent matters in Bloodmarked. It's worth annotating.
Intention vs. impact is a nuanced, sometimes slippery theme to explore in Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn. The characters in The Legendborn Cycle universe are powerful. Many are young and deeply empathetic. Watching these young people grapple with what they (and others) meant to do with their power versus what happens is a great part of The Legendborn Cycle reading experience. I also think it’s essential to review this theme before starting Oathbound, which releases in 6 days!
Suggested Recap & Review of Intentions Before Reading Oathbound
Here are five examples of intent and impact to revisit in the plot:
Bree unintentionally breaks Lark’s hand1 and unintentionally gravely injures Alice.2 As a reader, the aftermath is compelling and awful to witness. Bree’s guilt and grief twists my insides, honestly.
When subduing Bree in the transport van, Guard Ramirez “knowingly took action with the intent to harm” her. He suffered the wrath of breaking his oath and complained about it.3
William is distraught about saving Alice’s life with aether because it looks like his magic will have a permanent and unknown affect on her body.4
In perverse logic, Lord Davis and Isaac Sorrenson intended to do harm for the greater good of The Order. Tor is in her own category of bad intentions, but she sort of falls under this umbrella too.
Near the end of the book, Sel absorbs Bree’s root to save her life and spirit. He succumbs to demonia in the process. I have not stopped wondering if Sel’s good intentions will be the key to his salvation in Oathbound or if intent will matter at all. William’s words below keep my hope alive though:
“Oaths are belief and intention combined. Protecting others from harm is one of the most human things someone can do, the very antitheses to demonia.”
Bloodmarked, Chapter 32, page 313
Note: Please use footnotes for page numbers!
Three significant intentions baked into Bloodmarked’s worldbuilding:
Intention Magic: Oaths5, Bargains, Blood Walks6, and Casting all require intention.7
Murderous Intent: This is a specific feeling transmitted through the Kingsmage bond by design. Nick and Sel weaponize murderous intent, “one of the worst feelings in the world,” to hurt each other.8
At Volition, Intention is Paramount: Stating intentions is required before anyone works with ancestors at Volition. Lu beautifully defines intention as the alignment of one’s desire and will.9
Bree breaks his hand in Bloodmarked Chapter 8 on page 88 and talks about her impact/intent in Chapter 9 on page 99 with William.
Bloodmarked, Chapter 53, page 493
Bloodmarked, Chapter 14, page 146.
Bloodmarked, Chapter 59, page 540
Examples
Sel fulfills his oaths (even though he is separated from Nick) because, “Intention to serve counts for something and should slow his descent.” (Chapter 1, page 47.
Erebus can give Bree serum in captivity without breaking his oaths because he genuinely believes it’s good for her safety. (Chapter 14, page 146)
Jonas “intentionally broke his Oaths” and died because of it. (Chapter 26, page 249)
“Oaths are belief and intention combined.” (Chapter 32, page 313)
“Oaths are sealed through personal belief and intention. Belief is why Lord Davis could do all the evil he did and not be burned by his own Oaths; he believed what he did was right.” (Chapter 37, page 365)
“You used intention and the king’s blood in order to access their vision on the plane here […] If you walk with intention and purpose on this plane, you can open the pathway to any of your ancestors.”
Bloodmarked, Chapter 11, page 143
“Folks who come here for work have to state their intention to their ancestors directly. […] Intention is the bare bones of desire, but it requires fuel. The fuel is your will. […] ‘Volition,’ the word, is your choice to attach and align yourself with your desire. The strongest of our workings come from this place of alignment.”
Bloodmarked, Chapter 47, page 438
Chapter 37, page 367 / Chapter 40, page 392 / Chapter 59, page 542
“Casting is both faith and intention,” Williams tells Bree during a lesson in forming aether armor. (Chapter 52, page 468)