Quiz Butcher & Blackbird Brynne Weaver

Butcher & Blackbird Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of the Ruinous Love Trilogy

Butcher & Blackbird Quiz

How well do you remember Sloane and Rowan’s bloody, beautiful story? This 20-question quiz spans the entire first book of the Ruinous Love Trilogy, covering plot sequences, character choices, themes, and the novel’s symbolic layers. Complete all questions, then check your answers against the key below.

Quiz Questions

Plot and Sequence (8 questions)

  1. Where does Rowan first find Sloane at the beginning of the novel?
    • A) In a diner in West Virginia
    • B) In a cage with a rotting corpse in the Bayou
    • C) At a Boston gala
    • D) In a storage container in Raleigh
  2. What method do Sloane and Rowan use to break their annual tie in the prologue?
    • A) A coin flip
    • B) A best-of-five rock-paper-scissors game
    • C) A duel to first blood
    • D) A quiz about serial killers
  3. What is the name of the serial killer who owns the Cunningham Inn and spies on Sloane?
    • A) Francis Ross
    • B) Thorsten Harris
    • C) Harvey Mead
    • D) David Miller
  4. After the diner meeting (Chapter 2), Rowan and Sloane agree to a competition. Where is their first official target located?
    • A) The Pacific Northwest
    • B) Ivydale, West Virginia
    • C) Calabasas, California
    • D) A farm in Texas
  5. What does Sloane do to silence her first target, Michael Northman?
    • A) She gags him with cloth
    • B) She surgically removes his vocal cords
    • C) She cuts out his tongue
    • D) She uses duct tape
  6. Who ambushes Rowan at 3 In Coach and threatens to kill Sloane?
    • A) Leander Mayes
    • B) Dr. Stephan Rostis
    • C) David Miller
    • D) El Fantasma
  7. What object does Rowan use to smash the windshield of Francis’s car during the chase?
    • A) A crowbar
    • B) A rock
    • C) A fire extinguisher
    • D) A chair
  8. What unexpected ingredient does Sloane suggest for the crème brûlée at the Butcher & Blackbird restaurant?
    • A) Lavender
    • B) Persimmon
    • C) Cardamom
    • D) Blood orange

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. Why does Rowan break up with Sloane in Chapter 21?
    • A) He no longer loves her
    • B) He is trying to protect her from David Miller
    • C) He wants to focus on his restaurant
    • D) He is jealous of her friendship with Lark
  2. Why does Sloane begin hunting serial killers?
    • A) Revenge for a crime against her family
    • B) To protect an innocent person named Lark
    • C) She was trained by her father
    • D) She enjoys the thrill
  3. What drives Rowan to keep pursuing Sloane after she flees his restaurant (Chapter 8)?
    • A) Lust
    • B) A need to win the competition
    • C) A growing emotional attachment and fear of losing her
    • D) Pressure from his brothers
  4. Why does Sloane stay with Rowan after he kills Francis, instead of leaving?
    • A) She has nowhere else to go
    • B) She needs his help with another hunt
    • C) She senses that he needs her
    • D) She wants to continue the competition
  5. Why does Lachlan Kane arrange a surprise prey for both Rowan and Sloane (Chapter 4)?
    • A) To test their skills
    • B) To force them to work together as a team
    • C) To get revenge on Rowan
    • D) To settle a bet

Theme and Symbol (4 questions)

  1. What does the “Orb Weaver” alias and Sloane’s web of eyes symbolize?
    • A) Her desire for control and the interconnectedness of her kills
    • B) Her artistic talent
    • C) Her fear of being watched
    • D) Her love of puzzles
  2. The novel includes a content warning for “accidental cannibalism.” How does this theme primarily function in the story?
    • A) As a simple shock factor
    • B) As a darkly humorous bonding moment between Rowan and Sloane
    • C) As a punishment for Rowan
    • D) As a symbol of societal decay
  3. The crow that Sloane repeatedly draws represents what aspect of her character?
    • A) Her predatory nature
    • B) Her fear of intimacy and desire to flee
    • C) Her loyalty to Rowan
    • D) Her love of nature
  4. What does the tattoo that covers Rowan’s scar (a raven with color) come to represent?
    • A) His transformation from trauma to art and the acceptance of emotional vulnerability
    • B) A mark of his kills
    • C) A brand of the Kane family
    • D) A reminder of his father

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. If you had to choose one word that defines the relationship between Sloane and Rowan, what would it be? Explain briefly.
    • Answer format: Short answer (one word + one sentence explanation)
  2. The epilogue introduces “El Fantasma” who swears revenge on Rowan. Based on the themes of the book (chosen family, monsters protecting each other), how might this antagonist challenge Rowan and Sloane’s future?
    • Answer format: Short answer (2–3 sentences)
  3. While the novel is a dark romance, it also questions the line between monster and human. Name one character (besides Rowan or Sloane) who blurs that line, and explain how.
    • Answer format: Short answer (2–3 sentences)

Answer Key

  1. B – Rowan finds Sloane in a cage with the corpse of Albert Briscoe (Chapter 1/outline chapter 8).
  2. B – The prologue states they play rock-paper-scissors, best of five, for the Forest Phantom (outline chapter 7).
  3. A – Francis Ross, the innkeeper, is revealed as the voyeur and serial killer (outline chapter 13).
  4. B – Lachlan sends the location “Ivydale, West Virginia” (outline chapter 10). The Pacific Northwest was the initial region mentioned, but the first target is in West Virginia.
  5. B – Sloane surgically removes Michael Northman’s vocal cords (outline chapter 10).
  6. C – David Miller ambushes Rowan at 3 In Coach (outline chapters 20 and 21).
  7. B – Rowan smashes the windshield with a rock (outline chapter 14).
  8. B – Sloane suggests persimmon for the crème brûlée (outline chapter 26).
  9. B – Rowan breaks up with Sloane to keep her safe from David Miller, who is torturing him (outline chapters 21 and 22).
  10. B – She began hunting after someone hurt her friend Lark, as revealed in Chapter 11 (outline chapter 18).
  11. C – His fear of losing her and his growing emotional attachment drive him to keep contacting her after she flees (outline chapter 16).
  12. C – Sloane admits via rock-paper-scissors that she stayed because Rowan needed her (outline chapter 25).
  13. A – Lachlan arranges a surprise prey to test their skills (outline chapter 11). The text says he “reveals he arranged a surprise prey for both Rowan and Sloane”.
  14. A – The web map of eyes symbolizes Sloane’s need for control and charts her victims (outline chapters 11 and 18).
  15. B – The accidental cannibalism (Rowan eating human meat) serves as dark humor and a bonding experience, as noted in the content warning and story (outline chapters 3 and 18).
  16. B – The crow drawing appears in scenes where Sloane is conflicted about intimacy, representing her instinct to flee (outline chapters 8 and 16).
  17. A – The colorful tattoo marks Rowan’s transformation of trauma into art and his acceptance of emotional vulnerability (outline chapter 30).
  18. Sample answer: Partnership. Their bond is built on being fellow killers who trust and protect each other, making their connection one of equals in darkness.
  19. Sample answer: El Fantasma represents the external consequence of their lifestyle—a vengeful fanatic who sees Rowan as a monster. He may force Rowan and Sloane to defend not just each other but their new family, testing whether their love can withstand a more personal, religiously-motivated threat.
  20. Sample answer: David Miller. David appears as a harmless employee but secretly tortures Rowan and plans to kill Sloane, showing that the line between servitude and monstrosity is thin. His actions prove that anyone can become a monster when driven by obsession.

Further reading: Overview of Butcher & Blackbird, Questions and Answers, and Ending Explained.