Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

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You have been warned.

Now, let's dive into the mountain cave, the starstroke, and the shocking revelation that changes everything for Shiori.

This is a pivotal chapter in Elizabeth Lim's fantasy novel, and we'll break it down section by section.

We'll cover the summary, key events, character development, themes, and why this chapter matters so much to the overall story.

We'll also provide three study questions with detailed answers to help you analyze the text more deeply.

Let's get started.

Summary

The chapter opens with Shiori and her six brothers spending a week in a mountain cave, a rare period of peace and closeness.

They share ghost stories, cook together, and reminisce about their childhood, though Shiori feels a pang of shame because she was once the fondest of Raikama.

The brothers discuss how to discover Raikama's true name, theorizing that she must have a family and a home somewhere, and they decide to search for records of her arrival in Kiata.

Shiori, however, is more focused on the immediate need to break the curse.

She asks Benkai to teach her to use the dagger she took from the sentinel, but Andahai and Yotan initially discourage her, saying her hands should heal for the starstroke work.

Reiji unexpectedly defends her, offering to train her himself.

Over the next few days, Shiori practices dagger fighting with Reiji and Benkai, growing stronger thanks to her months of labor at Mrs. Dainan's inn.

When her brothers leave to gather supplies, Shiori finally tackles the starstroke nettles.

She discovers that no blade can cut them, but with Kiki's help, she learns to remove the leaves and pound off the thorns using rocks.

After a full day of agonizing work, she transforms a single stalk into a coarse, glimmering thread—the blood of stars.

She realizes she needs hundreds more to weave a net, a task that could take all winter.

Still, she celebrates this small victory with her brothers that evening.

As the days pass, Shiori deliberately distances herself from her brothers, fearing that her voice is loosening and she might accidentally speak.

She pretends to be asleep, declines their invitations, and works alone on the starstroke, training herself to endure pain without flinching.

She also practices touching the thorns and leaves, building up her tolerance.

When the moon nears full, she plans to meet Seryu, hoping he has learned something from his grandfather about Raikama's pearl.

But Andahai forbids her, insisting that dragons cannot be trusted.

The brothers announce they will leave for a week to search for Raikama's name in the South, assuming snakes are cold-blooded and unlikely to come from the North.

They tell Shiori to stay hidden in the cave and not to leave, but she only bows and smiles, making no actual promise.

The next morning, as soon as they depart, Shiori grabs her satchel and heads to the river to meet Seryu, ignoring Kiki's warnings about soldiers in the forest.

At the river, she waits for Seryu, but instead a snake attacks her, swallowing a lizard and then hissing that Raikama warns her not to interfere with the spell.

Shiori swings her dagger at the snake and flees.

She runs blindly through the forest, and when she finally stops to catch her breath, she stumbles over a dead body—a recent kill, with a neat slash to the abdomen.

Kiki screeches that hunters are coming, and Shiori hides, but her breath frosts in the air, giving her away.

Four sentinels, led by a man who looks exactly like Takkan, corner her.

The leader, who calls himself Hasege, accuses her of being an assassin and demands to know where his cousin Takkan is.

Shiori is confused, thinking he is Takkan himself.

She fights back, grabbing an arrow and slashing his face, but he overpowers her and seizes her dagger.

He recognizes the dagger as Takkan's and points out the emblem—a silver plate with Takkan's name and family crest.

The older sentinel notes that the emblem places her under Takkan's protection, but Hasege ignores this, believing she stole it.

He captures her, gags her, and knocks her unconscious with the pommel of his sword.

Key Events

• Shiori and her brothers bond in the mountain cave, sharing stories and meals.

• The brothers decide to search for Raikama's name, planning to travel South.

• Reiji teaches Shiori dagger fighting, and she improves with Benkai's help.

• Shiori processes starstroke nettles, discovering that removing leaves and thorns transforms them into starlit threads.

• She realizes she needs hundreds of threads and distances herself from her brothers to protect her silence.

• Andahai forbids Shiori from meeting Seryu, and the brothers leave for a week.

• Shiori disobeys and goes to the river, where a snake delivers a warning from Raikama.

• She flees, stumbles over a dead body, and is pursued by four sentinels led by Hasege.

• Hasege captures her, recognizes the dagger as Takkan's, and ignores the emblem's protection.

• Shiori learns that the sentinel from Sparrow Inn is actually Takkan, her betrothed.

• She is bound, gagged, and knocked unconscious by Hasege.

Character Development

Shiori continues to grow in resilience and determination.

Her decision to distance herself from her brothers shows her commitment to the curse-breaking mission, even at the cost of emotional closeness.

She trains her body to endure pain, both from the starstroke and from combat, and she learns to suppress her voice to avoid breaking the spell.

Her defiance of Andahai's orders reveals her stubborn independence, but also her recklessness—she ignores Kiki's warnings and walks straight into danger.

The revelation that the sentinel who gave her the dagger is Takkan, her betrothed, forces her to confront a new layer of her identity and the web of connections she didn't anticipate.

The brothers are portrayed as protective but also somewhat dismissive of Shiori's agency.

Andahai's authoritarian decision to forbid the Seryu meeting and his assumption that Shiori would slow them down highlight his underestimation of her.

Reiji, however, shows a surprising faith in her abilities, and Benkai's training helps her grow.

The brothers' departure underscores their trust in Shiori's obedience, which she immediately betrays.

Hasege emerges as a menacing antagonist, a man who looks like Takkan but is cruel and suspicious.

His refusal to honor the emblem's protection shows his disregard for the law and his willingness to harm an innocent.

He serves as a foil to Takkan, emphasizing the difference between the kind sentinel Shiori met and this harsh cousin.

Takkan himself is revealed to be the sentinel from Sparrow Inn, and his identity as Lord Bushian's son and Shiori's betrothed is a major revelation.

Though he doesn't appear in person, his emblem and dagger carry his protective power, which Hasege ignores.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Sibling bonds and sacrifice: The chapter opens with a warm depiction of the brothers' closeness, but Shiori's deliberate withdrawal shows the sacrifice required for the curse.

She chooses isolation to protect them, even as she longs for their company.

Deception and false identity: Shiori pretends to comply with her brothers' orders, and Hasege mistakes her for an assassin.

The theme of mistaken identity is central, as Shiori's true identity as a princess and betrothed is hidden, and Hasege's false assumption leads to her capture.

The starstroke as a symbol of hope and pain: The transformation of the nettles into starlit threads represents the possibility of breaking the curse, but the process is agonizing.

It mirrors Shiori's own journey—she must endure pain to achieve her goal.

The dagger and emblem as symbols of protection and identity: The dagger given by Takkan carries his emblem, which should protect Shiori.

Hasege's disregard for it shows the fragility of trust and the limits of symbolic protection.

The emblem also reveals Takkan's identity, linking Shiori to her betrothed in an unexpected way.

The snake as Raikama's agent: The snake's warning reinforces Raikama's omniscience and the danger of interfering with her spell.

It also foreshadows the larger conflict with Raikama's magic.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal for several reasons.

First, it reveals the identity of the sentinel from Sparrow Inn as Takkan, Shiori's betrothed, which reshapes her understanding of her own story and the political alliances at play.

Second, it introduces Hasege as a new antagonist who captures Shiori, setting up a major conflict and a potential rescue or escape arc.

Third, it shows Shiori's progress in processing the starstroke, establishing the practical steps needed to break the curse.

Fourth, it highlights Shiori's defiance and independence, which will have consequences as she is now in enemy hands.

The chapter also deepens the theme of trust versus mistrust, as Shiori's brothers distrust dragons, and Hasege distrusts Shiori, leading to her capture.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Shiori decide to disobey her brothers and meet Seryu, despite Andahai's explicit command?

Shiori believes that Seryu, as a dragon, can help her understand Raikama's dragon pearl and possibly learn her true name.

She feels that staying in the cave and weaving starstroke is not enough; she needs more information to break the curse.

Her defiance stems from her determination to take action rather than passively wait.

She also resents being treated as a burden, as evidenced by her frustration when Andahai says she would slow them down.

Her decision to go to the river, despite Kiki's warnings, shows her willingness to take risks for the sake of the mission.

2. How does the revelation of Takkan's identity change Shiori's perspective on her betrothal and the dagger?

Shiori had previously thought of the dagger as a useful tool and the sentinel as a kind stranger.

When Hasege reveals that the dagger bears Takkan's emblem and that the sentinel is actually Lord Bushian's son, Shiori realizes that her betrothed has already offered her protection.

This changes her view of the betrothal from an abstract political arrangement to a personal connection.

It also complicates her situation, because Hasege, Takkan's cousin, refuses to honor that protection, putting her in immediate danger.

The emblem becomes a symbol of a bond she didn't fully appreciate until now.

3. What does Shiori's method of processing the starstroke reveal about her character and the nature of the curse?

Shiori's method—removing leaves and pounding off thorns—demonstrates her patience, perseverance, and willingness to endure physical pain.

The process is slow and arduous, requiring her to work alone and suppress her voice.

This mirrors the larger curse-breaking quest, which demands sacrifice and resilience.

The transformation of the nettles into starlit threads also suggests that the curse's magic can be undone through careful, deliberate effort, but only with great cost.

Shiori's ability to handle the thorns without flinching by the end of the month shows her growing strength, both physical and mental, which is essential for the challenges ahead.

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