A Crown This Cold and Heavy: Full-Book Quiz

Plot and Sequence Questions (8)

1. Multiple choice: What artifact does Prisca retrieve in the opening chapters, and who wears it after the cave escape?

   • A. The Hourglass of Bretis; Demos
   • B. The Amulet of Aranthon; Lorian
   • C. The Mirror of Regner; Cavis
   • D. The Drakoryx stone; Asinia

2. Short answer: In Chapter 3, what does Prisca refuse to reveal to Eadric and Soltor during torture?

3. Multiple choice: How does Cavis die?

   • A. He is killed by Regner’s guards during an escape attempt
   • B. Eadric tortures him to death in the dungeon
   • C. He sacrifices himself to save Prisca from a monster
   • D. He succumbs to the spider‑web compulsion and is executed by Lorian

4. Short answer: What object do Regner, Zathrian, and Eadric use to reflect Conreth’s power during the barrier assault?

5. Multiple choice: Who rescues Jamic from the fae‑iron gatehouse in Lesdryn?

   • A. Lorian, Galon, and Marth
   • B. Prisca and Madinia alone
   • C. Demos and Asinia
   • D. Daharak and her pirates

6. Short answer: In Chapter 18, what prophecy does Daharak’s mother deliver to Prisca?

7. Multiple choice: What happens to Lorian at the climax of Chapter 28?

   • A. He is turned to ice by reflected power and explodes
   • B. He kills Regner and takes the third amulet
   • C. He is captured and imprisoned in the mirror
   • D. He uses his lightning to destroy Regner’s ship

8. Short answer: Which fae warden demands Prisca’s firstborn daughter in exchange for his army, and how does Lorian respond?

Character Motivation Questions (5)

1. Multiple choice: Why does Prisca initially refuse to tell Lorian about the prophecy?

   • A. She believes prophecies are always false
   • B. She fears he will leave her to protect her
   • C. She wants to surprise him with the news later
   • D. She is ashamed of her own weakness

2. Short answer: What drives Queen Kaliera to secretly help Prisca despite being married to Regner?

3. Multiple choice: Why does Lorian formally give up his fae title in Chapter 24?

   • A. Conreth orders him to abdicate
   • B. He chooses to be with Prisca and avoid the Boundary of Blood
   • C. He believes the title is useless in war
   • D. He plans to become the hybrid king

4. Short answer: Why does Demos decide to stay in the rebel camp after finding Tibris (Chapter 16)?

5. Multiple choice: What motivates Madinia to use the life‑debt from Calysian to recruit Caddaril the Cleaver?

   • A. She wants to start a propaganda campaign against Regner
   • B. She needs a distraction to rescue Jamic from the dungeon
   • C. She hopes to assassinate King Eryndan
   • D. She intends to steal the mirror from the castle

Theme and Symbol Questions (4)

1. Multiple choice: The epigraph from Rudyard Kipling’s “If—” primarily introduces which theme?

   • A. The futility of war
   • B. Perseverance and inner strength through suffering
   • C. The corrupting nature of power
   • D. The importance of romantic love

2. Short answer: What does the hourglass symbolize for Prisca beyond its magical function?

3. Multiple choice: The “spider web mark” on Cavis represents:

   • A. His loyalty to the hybrid cause
   • B. Regner’s compulsion and loss of free will
   • C. A blessing from the gods
   • D. His position as a spy for the fae

4. Short answer: How does the recurring image of the “grief box” (locking away pain) reflect Prisca’s emotional arc?

Synthesis Questions (3)

1. Multiple choice: Which character arc most directly contrasts Prisca’s growth from vengeance‑driven to strategic leader?

   • A. Lorian’s transition from obedient brother to independent mate
   • B. Demos’s shift from warrior to diplomat
   • C. Madinia’s evolution from spy to queenmaker
   • D. Conreth’s refusal to share power

2. Short answer: How do the three storylines in Chapter 20 (Prisca in Aranthon, Jamic’s mother in Eprotha, Asinia in the rebel camp) converge on the idea of trust?

3. Multiple choice: Prisca’s decision to defy the gods and try to resurrect Lorian reflects which synthesis of the book’s major themes?

   • A. Fate is immutable and must be accepted
   • B. Love and free will can challenge even divine prophecy
   • C. Power corrupts even the most noble intentions
   • D. Sacrifice is necessary for political victory

Answer Key

1. A. Demos wears the hourglass after the cave escape (Chapter 1 outline). It resists fae iron and is later returned to Prisca in Chapter 11.

2. She refuses to betray Demos’s location. (Evidence from Chapter 3 outline: “She refuses to betray Demos’s location.”)

3. B. Eadric tortures Cavis to death in the dungeon. (Chapter 5 outline: “Eadric tortures Prisca and Cavis. Cavis sacrifices himself and is killed.”)

4. A mirror. (Chapter 28 evidence: “a mirror that reflects Conreth’s attack” and “Regner ducked… lifted an object … A mirror.”)

5. A. Lorian, Galon, and Marth attack the gatehouse and reach Jamic’s cell. (Chapter 18 outline: “Lorian, Galon, and Marth attack the gatehouse, killing iron guards to reach Jamic’s cell.”)

6. The Bloodthirsty Prince will die. (Chapter 18 evidence: the seer says, “The Bloodthirsty Prince will die.”)

7. A. Lorian is hit by reflected power, turns to ice, and explodes. (Chapter 28 evidence: “turning to ice… The ice exploded into thousands of pieces.”)

8. Romydan demands the firstborn; Lorian’s lethal response ends the demand. (Chapter 24 outline: “Romydan demands Prisca’s firstborn daughter … Lorian’s lethal response ends the demand.”)

9. B. She fears he will leave her to protect her. (Implied by Chapter 18 outline: “Madinia insists Prisca tell Lorian … Prisca vomits from grief but vows to fight the gods.” Also evidence of her hiding the secret.)

10. She loves her son Jamic and wants to save him from Regner’s sacrifice. (Chapter 13 outline: “a desperate queen observes Sabium … fearing for her son Jamic’s life.”)

11. B. He gives up his title to be with Prisca and avoid the Boundary of Blood. (Chapter 24 outline: “Lorian reveals he has formally given up his fae title to be with her.” Also Chapter 23 evidence: Galon warns about the Boundary of Blood.)

12. To attempt an alliance with the rebels. (Chapter 16 outline: “Demos decides to stay to attempt an alliance.”)

13. A. She wants to start a propaganda campaign against Regner. (Chapter 13 outline: “Madinia convinces him to create chaos as a distraction” and “plan to fight Regner by winning hearts and minds.”)

14. B. The epigraph emphasizes perseverance, willpower, and endurance. (Chapter 2 digest: “introduces themes of perseverance, resilience, and sacrifice.”)

15. It symbolizes her birthright, her growing control over time magic, and the burden of leadership. (Chapter 11 evidence: “the hourglass feels… right” and Chapter 15: “Prisca’s growing control over her birthright.”)

16. B. The mark indicates Regner’s compulsion and loss of free will. (Chapter 1 recap: “Cavis … marked as one of Regner’s spiders.” Chapter 4: “compelled by Regner as a child to gather intelligence.”)

17. She starts by suppressing grief after Cavis’s death, but later learns that locking pain away hinders her ability to lead and love. (Chapter 8: “grieves Cavis’s death, locking her pain away.” Chapter 14: Lorian insists she cannot suppress grief forever.)

18. A. Lorian’s arc from obedient brother to independent mate mirrors Prisca’s shift from vengeance to strategy. (Chapters 5, 23: he defies Conreth, chooses Prisca, and becomes a strategic leader.)

19. All three storylines involve characters deciding whom to trust: Prisca trusts Conreth reluctantly, Jamic’s mother feigns loyalty, and Asinia clashes with Herne over Tibris. (Chapter 20 outline: “converge on themes of trust, homecoming, and the cost of war.”)

20. B. Prisca’s defiance shows that love and free will can challenge divine prophecy, echoing the book’s emphasis on choice over fate. (Chapter 28: “defying the gods … I would bring him back.”)