Belladonna Quiz: Book 1 of the Belladonna Series
Plot & Sequence Questions (1–8)
1. How does Signa first summon Death in Chapter One?
A. By drinking belladonna tea
B. By stabbing herself with a rusty knife
C. By calling his name three times
D. By singing a lullaby
2. What happens when Signa touches the hatchling with belladonna in her system?
A. The bird dies
B. The bird revives
C. Nothing
D. The bird flies away
3. What does Lillian's ghost write in the dirt in Chapter Eight?
A. "Save her"
B. "Come to my garden and save her"
C. "Beware"
D. "Poison"
4. What antidote does Signa find for belladonna poisoning?
A. Calabar bean
B. Willow bark
C. Nightshade
D. Henbane
5. Who is revealed to be the poisoner in Chapter Thirty-Six?
A. Byron
B. Marjorie
C. Sylas
D. Elijah
6. What does Percy confess in Chapter Forty-Three?
A. He poisoned his mother Lillian
B. He set the garden fire
C. He is in love with Signa
D. He killed Byron
7. Who arrives at the end of the epilogue with a murder to solve?
A. Fate
B. Death
C. Everett
D. Charlotte
8. What is the name of Death's dog that is actually a hellhound?
A. Balwin
B. Gundry
C. Mitra
D. Warwick
Character Motivation Questions (9–13)
9. Why does Signa blame Death in Chapter One? (Short answer: give one or two sentences.)
10. Why does Marjorie poison the Hawthornes?
A. She wanted Elijah for herself
B. She wanted Grey's money
C. She hated Lillian
D. She was being blackmailed
11. Why does Sylas help Signa?
A. He is Death in disguise
B. He needs extra money for a friend
C. He is in love with Signa
D. He wants to inherit Grey's
12. Why does Signa decide to save Blythe? (Short answer: give one or two sentences.)
13. Why does Elijah host endless parties after Lillian's death?
A. He is in denial and grief
B. He wants to find a new wife
C. He is celebrating his freedom
D. He is trying to attract business
Theme & Symbol Questions (14–17)
14. What does the belladonna berry symbolize in the novel?
A. Danger and temptation that blurs life and death
B. Love and romance
C. Wealth and power
D. Deception and lies
15. What does Lillian's garden represent? (Short answer: one or two sentences.)
16. What theme does the masquerade ball emphasize?
A. Identity and performance
B. Love and marriage
C. Death and rebirth
D. Family loyalty
17. What is the significance of Signa's heterochromia?
A. It marks her as different and connects her to Lillian
B. It is a sign of witchcraft
C. It is a curse
D. It allows her to see Death
Synthesis Questions (18–20)
18. How does the novel challenge the traditional portrayal of Death? (Short answer: one to three sentences.)
19. Compare Signa's relationship with Death to her relationship with Sylas. (Short answer: one to three sentences.)
20. In what way does the epilogue set up the sequel? (Short answer: one to three sentences.)
Answer Key
1. A – Signa mashes and steeps belladonna berries into tea to summon Death (Chapter One).
2. A – With belladonna in her system, Signa's touch kills the hatchling; without it, the bird lives (Chapter Three).
3. B – Lillian's ghost writes "Come to my garden and save her," meaning Blythe (Chapter Eight).
4. A – The library book on belladonna lists the Calabar bean as the antidote (Chapter Twenty-Four).
5. B – Signa discovers belladonna stains on Marjorie's fingertips and a journal revealing her jealousy (Chapter Thirty-Six).
6. A – Percy confesses he poisoned Marjorie's tea, but Lillian drank it instead, intending to hasten her death (Chapter Forty-Three).
7. A – Fate appears after Julius Wakefield dies from cyanide and tells Signa she has another murder to solve (Epilogue).
8. B – Death's dog Gundry is revealed to be a hellhound (Chapter Forty-Three).
9. Accept: Because Death took everyone she loved—her grandmother, guardians, and friends—and she believes he ruined her life. (From Chapter One.)
10. A – Marjorie's journal reveals her long-standing love for Elijah and her hatred of Lillian, driving her to poison the family (Chapter Thirty-Six).
11. A – It is later revealed that Sylas is Death himself, helping Signa to protect her (Chapter Forty-Three).
12. Accept: Signa feels a bond with Blythe and wants to protect the Hawthorne family, proving she can use her powers for good. (From Chapters Eight and Nine.)
13. A – Elijah is consumed by grief and denial over Lillian's death, throwing parties to avoid facing it (Chapter Six).
14. A – Belladonna represents the liminal space between life and death, danger, and the power Signa wields.
15. Accept: The garden represents Lillian's hidden life, the secret of the poisoning, and the truth Signa must uncover to save Blythe. (From Chapters Ten, Eleven, and Thirteen.)
16. A – The masquerade ball highlights how characters hide behind masks and perform roles they are expected to play (Chapter Thirty-Three).
17. A – Both Signa and Lillian have heterochromia, marking them as unique and linking Signa to her aunt's fate (Chapters One and Seven).
18. Accept: Death is shown as lonely, protective, and capable of love, not as a villain. Signa's willingness to embrace him redefines Death as a complex, even romantic, figure. (From Chapter Twenty-Two, Thirty-Four, and Forty-Five.)
19. Accept: Both relationships are ultimately with the same being; Signa's initial fear of Death gives way to trust and love, mirrored in her growing closeness with Sylas. (From Chapters Twenty-Nine and Forty-Three.)
20. Accept: Fate appears with a new murder—Julius poisoned with cyanide—and challenges Signa to solve it, indicating that the conflict between Death and Fate will continue in the sequel. (From Epilogue.)
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