The Blade of the Sun Symbol in A Promise of Peridot

Overview

In Kate Golden’s A Promise of Peridot, the Blade of the Sun is far more than a legendary weapon. Forged with nine stones and capable of killing the immortal king Lazarus, the blade becomes a central symbol of destiny, identity, and the costs of love and war. Its journey from a hidden myth to a sentient artifact that calls to Arwen Valondale mirrors her own transformation from a numb survivor into a woman willing to sacrifice everything.

What Is the Blade of the Sun?

The Blade of the Sun is a sentient sword mentioned in a 113‑year‑old prophecy by the seer Ligeia. The prophecy declares that the “final Fae of full blood born at last / Will find the Blade of the Sun inside her heart.” The weapon is forged with nine stones and is the only object that can kill Lazarus, the king who threatens both human and Fae realms.

The blade does not appear until late in the novel. It had been stolen from Kane’s vault in Onyx five years before the story begins and was hidden by a thief named Drake Alcott on Hemlock Isle. When Arwen and Kane finally locate it, the blade is in the possession of the warlord Killoran, who unwittingly wields it as an ordinary sword. In Chapter 44, Arwen experiences visions of the blade while bound in a spider web; she senses it calling to her “as its master.” The weapon is revealed when Arwen pulls it from Kane’s side after he kills Killoran—and the blade glows with all nine stones.

Where Does the Blade Recur?

The blade is referenced early only through prophecy and rumor. It is first mentioned in the book’s epigraph and becomes the explicit object of Kane’s quest from Chapter 11 onward. Key recurrence points include:

Chapter 11–13: Arwen wins a blade from Crawford in a gambling game, only to learn it is not the real Blade of the Sun. The search then shifts to Reaper’s Cavern.
Chapter 34: The young seer Beth reveals the blade never left Onyx and “yearns to be paired with its mate”—Arwen.
Chapter 44: Arwen, captured by Killoran, has a vision of the blade and recognizes its call.
Chapter 45: Kane, in dragon-shift, kills Killoran; Arwen pulls the glowing blade from Kane’s wound and uses it to annihilate attackers.
Chapter 46: Arwen wields the blade against Lazarus, but it fails to kill him; she is impaled and presumed dead.
Chapter 47: Kane vows to complete the prophecy: find the White Crow, hunt down Amelia, and “drive the Blade of the Sun into [Lazarus’s] heart.”
Epilogue: Lazarus states the blade is destroyed, and he forces Arwen into captivity.

How the Blade’s Meaning Changes

Initially, the Blade of the Sun is an abstract symbol of hope and vengeance. To Kane, it is the tool to end his father’s reign; to Arwen, it is a distant prophecy she does not want to fulfill. When Arwen first learns of her prophesied role, she feels resigned and numb, viewing the blade as a death sentence.

As the quest progresses, the blade becomes a symbol of agency. In Chapter 44, when it calls to her, Arwen moves from passive acceptance to active pursuit. The weapon’s sentience—it “beckons” to her—mirrors her own awakening from emotional numbness after her mother’s death. Kane tells her that she found the blade “inside [him]” literally and figuratively, linking it to their love.

After Arwen survives Lazarus’s attack (albeit captured), the blade’s meaning shifts again. Lazarus claims it is destroyed, crushing the prophecy’s promise. Yet Kane’s vow to wield it himself shows the blade has also come to represent his refusal to let Arwen die in vain. It transforms from a mystical object of fate into a symbol of personal resolve and the continuation of their fight.

Character and Theme Connections

Arwen Valondale

The blade is inextricably tied to Arwen’s identity. The prophecy says she will find it “inside her heart,” and in Chapter 45, she tells Kane, “You are my heart. I found the blade inside you.” This paradox—the weapon being both within her and within her love—illustrates the themes of vulnerability and healing. Arwen, once emotionally shut down (Chapters 1–2), learns to open herself to Kane, and only then does she fully claim the blade. Her final leap from the platform wielding the blade is an act of sacrifice, choosing to face Lazarus alone.

Kane Ravenwood

For Kane, the blade is at first the only way to achieve revenge against Lazarus. In Chapter 47, after watching Arwen fall, his grief turns the blade into an object of blind vengeance: he will “complete the prophecy in Arwen’s place.” This underscores the theme of love versus revenge. Kane’s arc moves from using the weapon for retribution to using it as a way to honor Arwen’s memory—and possibly to join her in death.

Lazarus

Lazarus treats the blade as a threat to be neutralized. He manipulates Kane and Arwen into finding it, then defeats them and claims it is gone. His plan to force Arwen to bear Fae heirs makes the blade a symbol of stolen hope and patriarchal control.

Themes

Prophecy and Fate: The blade literalises the prophecy’s claim that Arwen will find it. Yet the story questions fate when Arwen chooses love and Kane refuses to let her be sacrificed.
Grief and Emotional Numbness: Arwen’s inability to cry or feel after her mother’s death is reversed only after she accepts the blade—and the love that comes with it.
Trust and Betrayal: Ryder’s betrayal (revealed in Chapter 45) leads directly to the blade’s discovery under horrible circumstances, linking trust to the weapon’s emergence.
Vulnerability and Healing: Arwen’s confession of love in Chapter 36 opens the door to wielding the blade; her vulnerability is strength.

Study Questions with Answers

How does the Blade of the Sun reflect Arwen’s internal journey from numbness to agency?

Answer: At first, Arwen is emotionally numb after her mother’s death and resigned to the prophecy. The blade is merely a distant myth. But when she hears its call in Killoran’s lair (Chapter 44) and consciously reaches for it, she moves from passive victim to active warrior. The act of pulling the glowing blade free and using it to kill attackers shows her reclaiming power. Kane’s words “you are my heart” and her response tie the weapon to emotional openness; she can only wield the blade after she has allowed herself to love.
Why does the blade fail to kill Lazarus when Arwen strikes him in Chapter 46?

Answer: The text suggests that the blade’s power requires a true master, or that Lazarus’s defenses are too strong at that moment. Arwen is still learning to control the weapon, and Lazarus is a full-blooded Fae who has been preparing for the prophecy. More importantly, the story subverts the expectation of an easy victory: Arwen is impaled instead, showing that fate is not a simple path. The near‑victory underscores the tragic stakes and forces Kane to carry on alone.
In what ways does the blade function as a symbol of both hope and sacrifice?

Answer: The blade is the only known way to kill Lazarus, making it the hope of both Evendell and Citrine. Yet the prophecy also states that the two full Fae (Arwen and presumably Kane) will fall. The blade thus embodies the hope of salvation and the personal cost of achieving it. When Arwen leaps off the platform with the blade, she accepts her sacrifice. Later, Kane’s vow to use the blade to join Arwen in death turns the weapon into a symbol of self‑destruction born from love.
How does the revelation that the blade is sentient affect the characters’ relationship with it?

Answer: Sentience means the blade chooses its master. It calls to Arwen as “its master” even before she touches it (Chapter 44), suggesting destiny is not random but relational. This deepens Arwen’s sense of responsibility: the blade belongs to her, and she must answer its call. For Kane, the sentience complicates his revenge because the weapon refuses to be used by just anyone; its bond with Arwen makes her loss even more painful when he must take up the quest alone.