Choice vs Fate in Bloodmarked: Bree Matthews Forges Her Own Path
Thematic Claim: Choosing Your Own Blade
In Bloodmarked, Tracy Deonn argues that inherited destiny—whether from ancestors, prophecy, or institutional power—can become a cage unless the individual claims the right to choose. Bree Matthews, the Crown Scion of Arthur, refuses to be the “pain-welded blade” or the “tip of our spear” that Vera and the Order demand. Instead, she burns away the ancestral streams that bind her and re-forges Excalibur into a weapon of her own volition. The novel insists that true power lies not in following a pre-written script but in making conscious choices, even when those choices carry immense cost. This theme of choice versus fate plays out across Bree’s journey from prisoner to agent, from inheritor to author of her own story.
Tracing the Theme Across the Plot
1. Imprisonment and the Illusion of Agency (Chapters 1–19)
After the prologue, where Vera declares Bree the “point of their arrow,” the novel opens with Bree confined in the Lodge. She sneaks out to train alone, only to fail at forging Excalibur from aether and burn herself. When Sel and William argue over her protection, Bree’s choices are constantly overridden by others who claim to know what’s best for her. Later, she is trapped in a Regent’s gilded cage, stripped of her power by serum, and forced to confront that “they could have taken me prisoner right away, but instead they laid the trap so carefully.” In these early chapters, fate appears absolute: the Order’s scheme, the ancestors’ legacy, and the Oaths all operate as deterministic forces. Bree’s rebellion—she refuses to be a docile prisoner and later chooses to go after Nick rather than hide—marks her first assertion of choice against the fate plotted for her.
2. The Burden of Generational Inheritance (Chapter 50 – Volition)
During the communion at Volition, Bree confronts her ancestors directly. Each foremother—Regina, Mary, Selah—offers only warnings or admissions of running. When Bree angrily challenges Vera, she exposes the bloody cost of Vera’s bargain: “You bargained for our survival, but you never had to bear the consequences… you just bound us to lose ours, over and over again.” Vera, insisting she “saved our bloodline,” refuses to teach Bree how to fight. The ancestors’ stories present a deterministic pattern: they ran so Bree wouldn’t have to, but that mandate itself becomes a new fate. Bree’s counter-argument—“You didn’t just save our bloodline, you cursed it”—shifts the theme from inheritance to corruption. She rejects the role of the spear and demands to become her own weapon. This confrontation crystallizes the central tension: to honor her ancestors, Bree must choose not to repeat their patterns.
3. Burning the Streams and Re-Forging Excalibur (Chapter 60 – The Climactic Choice)
In the penultimate chapter, Bree retreats to the ancestral plane and sets fire to the streams of Arthur and Vera. She declares, “I think they ran so I could choose one day. And today, I choose me.” By burning away the roots, she silences the voices that told her who to be. Then she re-forges Excalibur from its broken pieces using both aether and root, a fusion of the two magical traditions that the Order kept separate. This act is both literal and symbolic: she remakes the legendary sword into something new, with a purple stone and silver blade—a weapon of her own design. Finally, she summons the Hunter (Erebus) intentionally, exposing him as the Shadow King, and negotiates a deal to save Sel while offering herself as a captive. This sequence is the purest expression of choice over fate: Bree takes control of the narratives, the magic, and her own sacrifice.
Character and Symbol Connections
Bree Matthews and the Bloodmark
The bloodmark—the symbol that identifies a Scion of Arthur—represents the fate imposed by bloodline. Bree bears it from birth, marking her as heir to a legacy of violence, duty, and expectation. Throughout the book, she struggles against the roles the bloodmark carries: “Crown Scion,” “pain-welded blade,” “the tip of our spear.” Her choice to burn away the ancestral streams is a rejection of the bloodmark’s determinism. She does not erase her heritage—she still loves her mother, still honors her ancestors—but she refuses to let that heritage dictate her actions. The bloodmark becomes a symbol of choice only when Bree decides what it means to her.
Excalibur as a Symbol of Forged Agency
Excalibur is the ultimate Arthurian symbol of destiny: the sword in the stone that only the true king can pull. Bree does pull it, confirming her fate as the next Arthur. But by the end of Bloodmarked, she breaks Excalibur and then re-forges it. The act of re-forging—using both aether (Arthur’s legacy) and root (her ancestral magic)—symbolizes her refusal to accept the sword as a given. She makes it her own, just as she makes her path her own. The new purple stone replaces the old, visually marking her choice.
Selwyn Kane and the Oaths
Sel’s Oaths bind him to serve the Scion of Arthur. He is a Kingsmage whose fate is written into his DNA. But Bree offers him something else: not a command, but a choice. In Chapter 39, Sel confesses that he could kill her because of his demon blood, and Bree responds by walking away without absolving him. Later, she chooses to trust him, and he chooses to follow her even after the Oath is broken. Sel’s arc mirrors Bree’s: both must navigate between the fate written in their blood and the choices they make moment by moment.
Erebus and the Hunter as Fate Personified
Erebus, the Shadow King and the Hunter, represents a fate that has been stalking Bree’s bloodline for generations. He appears in Jessie’s memory as a predator, and Vera bargained with him for protection. When Bree summons him intentionally, she transforms the hunter into an equal. She does not run; she negotiates. She uses his own bargain against him to save Sel. This confrontation shows that even the most ancient fate can be re-framed by a conscious choice.
Complexity and Contradiction
The novel does not present choice as a simple victory. Bree’s act of burning away the streams silences her ancestors, but Vera warns, “consider that chaos favors imbalance.” Cutting herself off from ancestral guidance might remove oppressive voices, but it also removes support. Bree cannot entirely escape her heritage: she still uses root, she still bears the bloodmark, and her final bargain with Erebus may create new chains. The theme is complex because choice carries its own weight: choosing means accepting consequences, and those consequences can be just as binding as fate.
Additionally, the author’s note (Chapter 63) complicates the theme. Deonn writes that Bree “internalizes those words as an all-consuming responsibility, and applies it broadly to her own life… this process can be the source of damage.” The book acknowledges that the pressure to be the “first” or the “spear” can become its own kind of fate. Yet Bree’s final act is to choose herself—even if that choice means leaving her friends and walking into the unknown. The novel doesn’t offer a moral certainty: it offers a messy, human rejection of predetermination.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Bree’s first attempt to forge Excalibur in Chapter 1 contrast with her re-forging in Chapter 60?
Answer: In Chapter 1, Bree tries to forge Excalibur from aether under William’s supervision and fails, burning herself. That failure reflects her dependence on Arthur’s power and the Order’s training. In Chapter 60, she re-forges the broken sword alone, using both aether and root, and succeeds. The progression shows her shift from following inherited methods to creating her own hybrid magic.
2. What does Vera’s bargain with Erebus reveal about the limits of choice?
Answer: Vera’s bargain traded the freedom of her descendants for survival. It shows that even a choice made in desperation can create a deterministic trap for future generations. This paradox underscores the theme: choices have consequences that can become new fates.
3. How does the symbol of Excalibur evolve from representing fate to representing choice?
Answer: Initially, Excalibur is the legendary sword that only the true heir can wield, a symbol of destiny. By the end, Bree breaks it and re-forges it, physically altering its appearance (purple stone, new lines). The broken and remade sword represents Bree’s refusal to accept fate as fixed.
4. Why does Bree choose to go with Erebus at the end? How does this choice reflect the theme?
Answer: Bree volunteers to go with Erebus to save Sel from demon corruption. This is a conscious sacrifice, not a passive submission. By negotiating instead of fighting, she takes control even of her own captivity. The choice reflects the theme that agency exists even within impossible circumstances.
5. In what ways does Sel’s character arc mirror Bree’s struggle between fate and choice?
Answer: Sel is bound by Oaths and his demon bloodline, which dictate his role as Kingsmage. Over the novel, he breaks Oaths (by attacking the Order) and confesses his deepest fear to Bree. He chooses to follow her not because of Oaths but because of trust. His arc shows that even a character whose fate seems written can claim choice.