A Promise Broken Quiz: Test Your Understanding

Welcome to the comprehensive quiz for A Promise Broken by S.L. Dove Cooper. This 20-question set spans the entire book, covering plot sequence, character motivations, themes and symbols, and synthesis questions that connect the story's larger ideas. Whether you are a first-time reader or revisiting Eiryn's journey, these questions will test your recall and deepen your insight. After the quiz, you'll find a complete answer key with brief explanations.

Before you begin, you may want to revisit the main book page, check the questions and answers, or review the ending explained for extra context.

Quiz Questions

Plot & Sequence (Questions 1-8)

How old is Eiryn when her mother Amaru dies?
- A) Three
- B) Four
- C) Five
- D) Six
What extraordinary event happens at Amaru’s funeral? (Short answer)
Who proposes a controlled test to determine whether Eiryn can use fasaoi?
- A) Arèn-minnoi
- B) Keilan-minnai
- C) Myrtan-minnoi
- D) Anou-minnoi
What gift does Radèn present to Eiryn on her fifth birthday?
- A) A shell necklace
- B) A gem containing a star-flower
- C) A book of farakaoina
- D) A new doll
What ultimately happens to Eiryn’s doll Innas?
- A) It is lost in the gardens
- B) It is destroyed in a fight between Radèn and Janyn
- C) It is given away by Arèn
- D) It is magically unmade
Who is sentenced to exile at the council meeting in Chapter 18?
- A) Myrtan
- B) Janyn
- C) Both Myrtan and Janyn
- D) Radèn
After running away in Chapter 16, who finds Eiryn in the courtyard?
- A) Arèn-minnoi
- B) Keilan-minnai
- C) Lanneri and Dernyri
- D) Radèn-minnoi
What is the outcome of the second faslaeraoina meeting regarding Eiryn?
- A) She is declared sifanou
- B) She is exiled from Lir
- C) She is placed under observation for six more months
- D) She is sent to live with Dernyri

Character Motivation (Questions 9-13)

Why does Arèn break down emotionally when Anou-minnoi confronts him about taking Eiryn to the funeral? (Short answer)
What does Keilan suspect is Myrtan’s real reason for targeting Eiryn?
- A) Personal hatred of Arèn
- B) Genuine fear of imbalance
- C) A desire to distract from his son Janyn’s struggles
- D) Political ambition for the council seat
Why does Keilan volunteer to test Eiryn’s abilities? (Short answer)
What best explains Janyn’s bullying of Eiryn?
- A) Jealousy of her bond with Radèn
- B) Belief that she is sifanou
- C) Following his father Myrtan’s prejudice
- D) Anger over his own failures
Why does Anou-minnoi secretly restore the fasaoi around Eiryn after the test? (Short answer)

Theme & Symbol (Questions 14-17)

What does the doll Innas primarily symbolize?
- A) Eiryn’s childhood innocence and link to her mother
- B) The political power of the kerisaoina
- C) The fragility of the Balance
- D) A promise that can never be kept
What does the concept of the Balance represent in the story? (Short answer)
Why does Eiryn fear she is sifanou?
- A) She cannot control her farakaoina
- B) She hears whispers and feels she disrupts harmony
- C) Other children avoid her
- D) Arèn tells her she is dangerous
What role does farakaoina (song-magic) play in the world of Lir? (Short answer)

Synthesis (Questions 18-20)

How does Radèn’s friendship illustrate the theme of loyalty in the novel? (Short answer)
Compare the motivations of Arèn and Myrtan. How do their different approaches affect the council’s treatment of Eiryn? (Short answer)
Eiryn gradually heals from the loss of her mother. Identify two key moments or relationships that help her accept her grief. (Short answer)

Answer Key

Plot & Sequence

B) Four
Explanation: Eiryn is four years old at her mother’s funeral, as stated in the opening chapters.
Eiryn sings farakaoina and calls rain, dousing the funeral pyre.
Explanation: Her song brings rain and causes soul-spheres to rise from her mother’s body, as described in Chapter 1.
B) Keilan-minnai
Explanation: Keilan proposes a controlled test to the council in Chapter 3, gaining majority support.
B) A gem containing a star-flower
Explanation: Radèn gives this gift during the birthday ceremony in Chapter 12.
B) It is destroyed in a fight between Radèn and Janyn
Explanation: During the stick-fighting demonstration in Chapter 13, Janyn tricks Eiryn and the scuffle tears the doll.
B) Janyn
Explanation: In Chapter 18, Janyn is exiled from Lir, while Myrtan is stripped of his council seat.
C) Lanneri and Dernyri
Explanation: After running away in Chapter 16, Eiryn is found by Lanneri, who takes her to his mother Dernyri in Chapter 17.
C) She is placed under observation for six more months
Explanation: The council agrees to watch Eiryn for half a year, thanks to Anou’s secret intervention and supportive testimony.

Character Motivation

Arèn is overwhelmed by years of suppressed grief for his sister Amaru.
Explanation: In Chapter 9, Anou’s questioning forces Arèn to face the pain he has been avoiding.
C) A desire to distract from his son Janyn’s struggles
Explanation: Keilan tells Arèn in Chapter 11 that Myrtan may be using the accusation to deflect attention from Janyn’s problems.
Keilan believes in science and fairness, and wants to protect Eiryn from unfounded accusations.
Explanation: Her research and willingness to test reflect her commitment to truth over prejudice.
C) Following his father Myrtan’s prejudice
Explanation: Janyn echoes his father’s hostility toward Eiryn, calling her “sifanou” and acting out that bias.
To shield Eiryn from further political attacks and give her a fair chance.
Explanation: Anou’s secret restoration of fasaoi (revealed in Chapter 11) shows his belief in her innocence.

Theme & Symbol

A) Eiryn’s childhood innocence and link to her mother
Explanation: The doll is a comfort object tied to Amaru and the promise; its damage represents the loss of innocence.
The Balance is both a magical and political equilibrium that governs Lir, enforced by oaths and the council.
Explanation: Characters repeatedly invoke the Balance when discussing fasaoi, promises, and social harmony.
B) She hears whispers and feels she disrupts harmony
Explanation: Eiryn’s experience of fasaoi voices and her fear of causing imbalance lead her to believe she is sifanou, especially after singing along with gaodansaoina music.
Farakaoina is a song-magic used for healing, travel, and controlling fasaoi; it also carries risk of unmaking if misused.
Explanation: Several chapters show characters using farakaoina for practical and ceremonial purposes, with Anou warning against altering songs.

Synthesis

Radèn consistently supports Eiryn, giving her shells, defending her from Janyn, and comforting her. His loyalty comes at a personal cost (e.g., a black eye from fighting Janyn), showing that true friendship requires sacrifice.
Explanation: Radèn’s actions contrast with the prejudice of others and reinforce the value of steadfast care.
Arèn is protective, logical, and seeks truth; he argues from evidence and empathy. Myrtan is biased, manipulative, and uses the council to attack Eiryn. Arèn’s measured approach, combined with Anou’s wisdom, leads to fair rulings, whereas Myrtan’s aggression ultimately harms his own credibility and results in Janyn’s exile.
Explanation: The council responds more favourably to clear reasoning than to inflammatory accusations.
Two key moments: (1) Anou-minnoi’s comfort in the garden, telling Eiryn she is “only unlucky” and allowing her to cry; (2) Arèn’s honesty when he tells her her mother will not return, helping Eiryn face reality. Her growing bond with Radèn and Keilan also aids healing.
Explanation: These experiences allow Eiryn to process grief and accept that some promises cannot be kept.

Want to explore more? Visit our questions and answers page for deeper discussion, or read the ending explained for analysis of the novel’s conclusion.