A Dawn of Onyx Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of the Sacred Stones Series

Think you know every twist of Arwen’s journey from healer to last full-blooded Fae? This 20-question quiz covers the entire first book in the Sacred Stones series. Questions mix multiple-choice and short-answer formats and span plot sequence, character motivations, themes and symbols, and synthesis. The complete answer key with brief explanations follows the quiz.

Quiz Questions

Plot & Sequence (8 questions)

Q1. What event directly leads to Arwen’s capture by Onyx soldiers?
a) She tries to steal Onyx coin from a fallen soldier.
b) She uses her healing power on a dying Onyx soldier.
c) She attacks Lieutenant Bert with a knife.
d) She escapes with Ryder through the back door.

Q2. In which location does Arwen first meet the mysterious prisoner who later reveals himself as King Kane Ravenwood?
a) The apothecary at Shadowhold
b) The dungeon adjacent to her cell
c) The Shadow Woods during a hunt
d) The banquet for King Eryx

Q3. What object does Mari steal from Kane’s study in Chapter 12?
a) A map of the Pearl Mountains
b) Briar Creighton’s amulet
c) Kane’s ceremonial sword
d) A vial of burrowroot extract

Q4. How does Arwen survive the chimera attack in the Shadow Woods during the eclipse?
a) She kills both chimeras with Dagan’s sword.
b) She lures the chimeras into a pond, then drowns one.
c) Kane arrives and burns the creatures with dragon fire.
d) Mari’s cloaking spell makes her invisible to the beasts.

Q5. Who reveals the full prophecy that Arwen is the last full-blooded Fae fated to kill the Fae king?
a) King Eryx during the Peridot feast
b) King Lazarus on the beach at Siren’s Cove
c) Commander Griffin in the war tent
d) Princess Amelia while warning Arwen about Kane

Q6. What happens to Arwen’s mother during the final battle on the beach?
a) She escapes on a ship with Leigh and Ryder.
b) She is struck by a flaming arrow and dies.
c) She transforms into a Fae and fights alongside Kane.
d) She reveals she is the true Fae queen.

Q7. According to King Lazarus, what was Kane’s original mission?
a) To conquer the Amber Kingdom
b) To find and bring Arwen to Lazarus
c) To steal the Blade of the Sun from the Fae realm
d) To assassinate King Eryx of Peridot

Q8. After her mother’s death, Arwen unleashes a wave of power that destroys enemy soldiers. What causes this eruption?
a) Kane channels his shadow magic through her.
b) She taps into the burrowroot’s energy during the eclipse.
c) Her grief triggers an uncontrolled release of her Fae power.
d) Mari’s cloaking spell backfires.

Character Motivation (5 questions)

Q9. Why does Arwen finally agree to stay at Shadowhold as a healer after Kane’s offer?
a) She wants to learn blacksmithing from Dagan.
b) Kane threatens to torture her if she refuses.
c) She decides she loves Kane and wants to stay.
d) She hopes to find a cure for her mother’s illness.

Q10 (short answer). Why does Kane secretly arrange for Dagan to train Arwen in sword fighting? (Answer in one to two sentences.)

Q11. What motivates Mari to steal the amulet from Kane’s study?
a) She plans to sell it to buy her father’s freedom.
b) She wants to prove she is a real witch by using its power.
c) She believes it holds the key to defeating Lazarus.
d) She intends to frame Arwen and escape alone.

Q12. In Chapter 15, why does Halden claim that Arwen was to be his wife?
a) He genuinely loves her and wants to marry her.
b) He is manipulating Kane to protect himself.
c) He thinks the claim will help him steal the Blade of the Sun.
d) He is under a magical compulsion from Amber soldiers.

Q13 (short answer). Why does Kane keep Arwen’s identity as the last full-blooded Fae a secret for most of the book? (Answer in one to two sentences.)

Theme & Symbol (4 questions)

Q14. What does the burrowroot plant primarily symbolize in the story?
a) The Onyx kingdom’s greed for rare resources
b) Arwen’s hope and determination to heal her family
c) Kane’s hidden connection to the Fae realm
d) The destructive power of the lunar eclipse

Q15. The prophecy states that “each shall fall.” Between whom does this tragedy apply?
a) Kane and Griffin
b) Arwen and Lazarus
c) Halden and Arwen’s mother
d) Mari and Briar Creighton

Q16 (short answer). What does Kane’s shadow magic represent thematically? (Answer in one to two sentences.)

Q17. The strix, Kane’s demonic owl-like pet, is kept in his study. What does this creature most symbolize?
a) Loyalty and protective guardianship
b) Hidden knowledge and secrets
c) The danger and death of Shadowhold
d) Kane’s lost mother and childhood

Synthesis (3 questions)

Q18 (short answer). Compare Arwen’s healing power with Kane’s shadow magic. How are they fundamentally different?

Q19 (short answer). Describe how the relationship between Arwen and Kane evolves from captor-captive to something more complex by the end of the book. What key obstacle remains between them?

Q20 (short answer). What is the significance of Arwen being “the final Fae of full-blood born at last”? How does this shape her role in the story?

Answer Key

Plot & Sequence Answers

A1. b) She uses her healing power on a dying Onyx soldier.
Explanation: In Chapter 3, Arwen offers to heal a dying soldier to avoid execution. Lieutenant Bert sees her power and decides to take her captive.

A2. b) The dungeon adjacent to her cell
Explanation: In Chapter 4, Arwen is thrown into the dungeon at Shadowhold. The mysterious prisoner is in the cell next to hers, and he lends her his fur cloak.

A3. b) Briar Creighton’s amulet
Explanation: In Chapter 12, Mari confesses she is a witch and wants to steal the amulet from Kane’s study to help her magic. Arwen reluctantly helps her.

A4. b) She lures the chimeras into a pond, then drowns one.
Explanation: In Chapters 20-21, Arwen remembers that chimeras cannot swim. She leads them to a pond, drowns one, and later revives the other with her power.

A5. b) King Lazarus on the beach at Siren’s Cove
Explanation: In Chapter 30, Lazarus ambushes the group and recites the prophecy, revealing Arwen is the last full-blooded Fae destined to kill him.

A6. b) She is struck by a flaming arrow and dies.
Explanation: In Chapter 30, while escaping to the ship, a flaming arrow kills Arwen’s mother. Her mother knows Arwen’s secret before dying.

A7. b) To find and bring Arwen to Lazarus
Explanation: In Chapter 30, Lazarus reveals that Kane was sent as an assassin to find the last full-blooded Fae, which is Arwen.

A8. c) Her grief triggers an uncontrolled release of her Fae power.
Explanation: In Chapter 30, after her mother’s death, Arwen unleashes a destructive wave of light that kills enemy soldiers. She collapses from the effort.

Character Motivation Answers

A9. b) Kane threatens to torture her if she refuses.
Explanation: In Chapter 8, after Bert’s assault, Kane offers a deal but also threatens torture. Arwen agrees to stay as a healer only under duress.

A10. Kane secretly arranges sword training because he knows Arwen is the last full-blooded Fae destined to fight Lazarus. He wants her to be able to defend herself and prepare for the war. (Based on Chapter 31, where Kane admits he had Dagan train her.)

A11. b) She wants to prove she is a real witch by using its power.
Explanation: In Chapter 12, Mari reveals she is a witch and believes the amulet will help her magic. She steals it to feel worthy.

A12. b) He is manipulating Kane to protect himself.
Explanation: In Chapter 15, Halden admits to Arwen that he lied about their engagement to manipulate Kane and save his own skin.

A13. Kane keeps the secret because he knows the prophecy says Arwen must kill his father, Lazarus, and that she is fated to die. He wants to protect her from that fate, though he also originally planned to use her as a weapon. (From Chapters 30-31.)

Theme & Symbol Answers

A14. b) Arwen’s hope and determination to heal her family
Explanation: Burrowroot can cure her mother’s Plait’s Disorder. Arwen risks her life to gather it during the eclipse, symbolizing her love and perseverance.

A15. b) Arwen and Lazarus
Explanation: The prophecy states that both full-blooded Fae (Arwen and Lazarus) will fall. Lazarus recites, “A tragedy for both full Fae, as each shall fall.”

A16. Kane’s shadow magic represents his Fae heritage, the burden of his father’s cruelty, and the destructive power he must control. It also symbolizes his vulnerability—he hides this part of himself out of fear and guilt. (Based on Chapters 22 and 29.)

A17. b) Hidden knowledge and secrets
Explanation: The strix guards Kane’s study and appears when secrets are uncovered. Its presence emphasizes the theme of hidden truths, such as the amulet’s true nature.

Synthesis Answers

A18. Arwen’s healing power draws energy from within or from the atmosphere to mend wounds and cure ailments; it is life-giving and restorative. Kane’s shadow magic is lethal—it kills soldiers, destroys flesh, and turns enemies to ash. Both stem from Fae ancestry, but one preserves life while the other extinguishes it. (Supported by multiple chapters: Arwen heals in Chapters 1, 6, 16, 21; Kane uses shadow magic in Chapters 22 and 29.)

A19. Arwen and Kane begin as captor and captive, but forced proximity, shared vulnerabilities, and mutual attraction create a fragile bond. Kane secretly trains Arwen and reveals some truths, but he hides her identity as the last Fae. This deception, along with the prophecy’s demand that she kill Lazarus, creates a deep betrayal that strains their trust even as they fight together. The obstacle is Kane’s manipulation and the looming sacrificial fate. (Based on the overall arc from dungeon encounter to beach battle.)

A20. Being the final full-blooded Fae means Arwen is the only person who can wield the Blade of the Sun and kill King Lazarus, fulfilling an ancient prophecy. It gives her immense, uncontrolled power but also sentences her to death—the prophecy says “each shall fall.” This shapes her role as both the hope of Evendell and a tragic sacrifice, forcing her to choose between fighting for others and her own survival. (Chapters 30-31 detail the prophecy and Arwen’s acceptance of her fate.)

Want to review the book again? Check out the A Dawn of Onyx summary and analysis or browse the frequently asked questions and the ending explained.