Leavenworth Smedry: Grandpa Smedry’s Role in Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians

Overview

Leavenworth Smedry — known to his grandchildren as Grandpa Smedry — is the patriarch of the Smedry family and a central figure in the Alcatraz series. In Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, Leavenworth is believed dead after Biblioden shoots him in the Highbrary, yet his Broken Talent (arriving late to events) allows him to survive. His return at the base of the Worldspire provides both emotional relief and a painful reckoning for Alcatraz, who must confess that his father Attica was sacrificed to create a bloodforged Lens.

This analysis covers Leavenworth’s plot role, his motivations and traits, his chronological arc across the book, his relationships with key characters, the consequences of his decisions, and how he embodies the novel’s themes of heroism, guilt, family, and sacrifice.

Plot Role in Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians

Leavenworth’s role in this final volume unfolds in three acts:

Presumed Dead

Before the story begins, Leavenworth is shot by Biblioden — an event glimpsed in the preceding book The Dark Talent. When Bastille awakens from her coma, her mother Draulin delivers the news: “Leavenworth is dead, child … I saw him get shot by Biblioden himself” (Chapter 2). This revelation helps drive the early tension, as the group believes they have lost both the family’s patriarch and its Oculator.

Unexpected Return

Leavenworth reappears in Chapter 13 after Alcatraz restores the Smedry Talents by apologizing to his own angry Talent. Kaz arrives first, then “Grandpa Smedry himself running toward us from behind Kaz, grinning from ear to ear” (evidence chapter-0014-chunk-0003). He has an “oversized hunk of gauze duct-taped to the bridge of his nose” but is very much alive. His first words to Alcatraz are joyful: “You did it!”

Confronting Grief

The joyful reunion turns painful when Leavenworth, unaware of Attica’s fate, asks, “Now where’s your father, Alcatraz? Were you able to stop Biblioden?” Alcatraz must then tell him that Biblioden killed Attica using a bloodforged Lens. Leavenworth tries to comfort his grandson, but Alcatraz’s guilt is too raw.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Optimism and Cheerfulness

Even after being shot, Leavenworth remains cheerful. When he arrives at the Worldspire, he is “grinning from ear to ear” and immediately praises Alcatraz. This optimism is a core trait; he rarely dwells on danger and instead focuses on the positive outcome.

Unshakable Faith in Family

Leavenworth never wavers in his belief in Alcatraz. When Alcatraz confesses, “I chose Dad. It’s my fault he’s dead,” Leavenworth responds: “No, boy … You didn’t fail. There’s nothing you could have done to stop him from killing your father” (evidence chapter-0015-chunk-0001). He refuses to let Alcatraz bear the blame alone.

Practical Wisdom

Despite his eccentricity, Leavenworth offers grounded wisdom. He explains how his Talent worked to save him: “Talents are slippery things … I arrived late to the bullet and came to on the floor of the Highbrary just in time to arrive late to a flood of magma.” He then praises Alcatraz’s solution: “Nothing fixes broken things like a good apology.”

The Burden of Leadership

As the family elder, Leavenworth naturally assumes the role of comforter and guide. Yet he is also visibly shaken by Attica’s death — his pause to “blink, taking that in” shows the weight he carries.

Chronological Arc

Relationships

With Alcatraz

Leavenworth is Alcatraz’s grandfather and one of his most steadfast supporters. After Attica’s death, Leavenworth tries to shield Alcatraz from guilt, saying, “There’s nothing you could have done.” However, Alcatraz rejects this comfort, shouting, “Don’t tell me it’s not my fault! You weren’t there, Grandpa.” This moment reveals the limits of even the most loving family bond — grief cannot be erased by reassurance.

With Attica

Leavenworth’s relationship with his son Attica was complicated, as shown by his earlier worry that Attica might have perished. When he takes the bloodforged Lens, he closes his eyes and says, “Oh, Attica … None of us could have known what was going to happen. Not even you.” This demonstrates both his grief and his acceptance of Attica’s choices.

With Kaz

Leavenworth’s son Kaz is the one who finds him trapped in the Highbrary after the magma recedes. Kaz “got lost and found him,” a fitting rescue given both their Talents. They share a lighthearted dynamic; Kaz greets him with news of Alcatraz’s victory.

With Bastille

Bastille respects Leavenworth but also finds him exasperating. When he begins to comfort Alcatraz during a crisis, she interrupts: “Smedrys! … This sentimentality will have to be postponed.” Leavenworth tries to protest — “I think Alcatraz needs—” — but Bastille overrules him, showing that she now functions as a practical leader even over the patriarch.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Decision to Trigger the Highbrary Self‑Destruct

Leavenworth sets the library’s self-destruct to panic the Librarians. This forces the group to escape through the ventilation shaft, leading to Bastille’s improvisation with the fans. The consequence is that they escape alive, but the destruction also scatters valuable resources and allies.

Decision to Comfort Rather Than Confront

When Alcatraz confesses his guilt, Leavenworth chooses comfort — telling him he couldn’t have stopped Attica’s death. This is an understandable choice, but it clashes with Alcatraz’s need to own his decision. The scene ends with Alcatraz storming off, revealing that sometimes gentleness is not what the grieving person needs.

Decision to Take the Bloodforged Lens

Leavenworth accepts the Lens from Alcatraz, saying “I’ll take it, my boy.” This act of taking custody of his son’s trapped soul shows him stepping into the role of keeper of the family’s burden. It also sets up the unresolved failure that Bastille notes in her afterword: Attica remains trapped in a Lens.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Heroism and Imperfection (Theme Link)

Leavenworth embodies the novel’s redefinition of heroism. He is not perfect — he arrives late, he cannot save Attica, and his bullet wound will eventually kill him. Yet he persists. Bastille’s afterword says heroism is “persistence in the face of odds and imperfection,” and Leavenworth exemplifies this by showing up cheerful even after being shot.

Related page: Heroism and Imperfection

Guilt and Responsibility (Theme Link)

Leavenworth’s refusal to let Alcatraz accept blame mirrors Bastille’s own journey with guilt. He tells Alcatraz, “You didn’t fail,” which echoes Bastille’s later realization that “it’s no one’s fault.” The theme of shared responsibility — that no single person carries the full weight of tragedy — is illustrated through Leavenworth’s gentle correction.

Related page: Guilt and Responsibility

Family and Sacrifice (Theme Link)

Leavenworth sacrifices his own safety (by staying in the Highbrary) and his peace of mind (by bearing the loss of Attica). His love for his family is the engine of his actions. He takes the Lens not because he must, but because he is the father who must carry his son forward.

Related page: Family and Sacrifice

Power and Its Consequences (Theme Link)

Leavenworth’s Talent — arriving late — is a seemingly useless power that becomes a lifesaving one. This ties to the book’s exploration of power as double‑edged. His Talent saved him from the bullet but could not save him from the wound’s eventual consequences.

Related page: Power and Its Consequences

Metafiction and Storytelling (Theme Link)

Leavenworth’s survival (revealed after a chapter break) mirrors the metafictional playfulness of the series. The narrative hides his escape until the right dramatic moment, reminding readers that Leavenworth’s story is shaped by the needs of the tale.

Related page: Metafiction and Storytelling

Five Book‑Specific Questions

1. How does Leavenworth survive being shot by Biblioden?
   His Broken Talent — arriving late to events — initially arrives late to the bullet, so it does not reach his brain. He then arrives late to a flood of magma, remaining trapped until his son Kazan gets lost and finds him.

2. What is Leavenworth’s immediate reaction to learning Attica is dead?
   He “blinked, taking that in” and then tried to comfort Alcatraz by saying, “There’s nothing you could have done to stop him from killing your father.” He does not lash out or blame anyone.

3. What object does Leavenworth accept custody of at the end of the story?
   He takes the bloodforged Lens that contains Attica’s soul, saying, “I’ll take it, my boy.” This places him as the keeper of his son’s lingering consciousness.

4. Why does Alcatraz reject Leavenworth’s attempt at comfort after confessing his choice?
   Alcatraz feels that Leavenworth was not present at the moment of Attica’s death and therefore cannot understand the weight of the decision. He shouts, “Don’t tell me it’s not my fault! You weren’t there, Grandpa.”

5. What is the ultimate fate of Leavenworth’s bullet wound, according to Bastille’s Afterword?
   Bastille states in her afterword that “Leavenworth’s bullet wound will eventually kill him,” marking it as one of the unresolved failures that the heroes must live with.

Conclusion

Leavenworth Smedry is the heart of the Smedry family in Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians. His survival through his own peculiar Talent, his gentle attempt to absolve Alcatraz of guilt, and his quiet acceptance of the bloodforged Lens all demonstrate a man who embodies imperfect heroism. He cannot fix everything — Attica remains trapped, the wound will prove fatal — but he persists with cheerfulness and love. In a book that asks what it means to be a hero, Leavenworth answers by simply showing up, being kind, and carrying the burdens no one else can.

For further reading on the book’s themes, explore the ending explained or the questions and answers page. Return to the main book page for a full overview.