Iya (Gael Soto) Character Analysis in So Let Them Burn

Overview of Iya (Gael Soto) in So Let Them Burn — Who Is the Gray Saint Really?

Iya—known to the world as the Gray Saint, and to Faron Vincent as the charming young tutor Gael Soto—is the first Empyrean and the primary antagonist of So Let Them Burn. Originally a Knight of the Empire who prayed to the gods for power to stop a dragon terrorizing his home, he bonded with Lightbringer, the First Dragon, and was corrupted by that union. His Four Generals sealed him in the Empty, a timeless prison, where he remained for centuries until he found a way back into the mortal world.

Iya's plan unfolds through two connected schemes: a centuries-old bargain with the Warwick family that gave him a vessel in Reeve Warwick, and a more recent manipulation of Faron, the Childe Empyrean, whom he befriends as Gael Soto and guides toward freeing Lightbringer from the Empty. By the novel's end, he has conquered Port Sol, taken full possession of Reeve's body, and persuaded Faron to fly away with him on Lightbringer's back—leaving her sister Elara, the newly empowered Maiden Empyrean, behind.

For a broader look at how Iya's arc shapes the story's conclusion, see the ending explained page.

Plot Role: The Antagonist Who Wears a Friend's Face

Iya functions as the novel's central antagonist, but his role is more complex than a simple villain. He is the shadow that hangs over the entire story: the gods refuse to speak his name, the Langlish commander seeks to use him, and Faron's growing trust in Gael Soto becomes the novel's central dramatic irony. The reader watches Faron confide in a young man who is, in truth, an ancient god wearing a borrowed face.

His plot role unfolds in three phases. First, as Gael Soto, he is Faron's tutor and confidant, feeding her information the gods have withheld—including the existence of the Empty and the power to break Elara's bond with her dragon. Second, he is revealed as Iya, the Gray Saint, when he takes full possession of Reeve's body after Faron frees Lightbringer. Third, he becomes a conqueror, cowing Port Sol into submission with a single flight of Lightbringer and claiming the queen's throne as his own.

Motivations and Traits: What Drives the Gray Saint?

Iya's stated motivation is total dominion. He tells Faron he wants everything that was denied him when the gods and his own generals locked him in the Empty. His desire for power is inseparable from his desire for revenge against those who imprisoned him.

But the novel complicates this. Iya was not always a monster. He was a Knight of the Empire who prayed for the power to protect his home, and the gods answered—just as they answered Faron's prayer during the war. The parallel is deliberate: Iya is what Faron could become. The gods themselves draw this comparison when Irie tells Faron that the last time they saw this level of arrogance, it was the Gray Saint.

His defining traits are patience and manipulation. He spends centuries trapped in the Empty, yet he orchestrates a plan that requires the cooperation of multiple generations. He makes a deal with Reeve's parents when Reeve is a dying child, restoring his life in exchange for their power and a future vessel. He then spends months as Gael Soto, earning Faron's trust through genuine-seeming kindness, all while steering her toward the moment when she will free Lightbringer. When Faron realizes the truth, she reflects that he played her like a tambourine while she had convinced herself she was in control.

Yet Iya is not purely calculating. The novel repeatedly shows cracks in his facade—moments when Reeve's soul surfaces, when he sounds like the boy whose body he has stolen. When Elara threatens to trap him in the Empty again, he pleads not to be locked in there with Lightbringer. Whether this is genuine fear or another manipulation is deliberately ambiguous.

Chronological Arc: From Knight to God to Prisoner to Conqueror

Iya's arc spans centuries, but the novel presents it in fragments that Faron and Elara piece together. The gods tell Elara in Chapter Thirty-Nine that Iya bonded with Lightbringer and was corrupted, leading to his sealing in the Empty by his Four Generals. Iya himself fills in the earlier details in Chapter Forty: he was a Knight of the Empire who prayed for power, became the first Empyrean, and was shown the truth the gods had kept hidden by Lightbringer.

The novel's present-day arc begins with Gael Soto's arrival in Faron's life. He tells her his real name—a detail the gods refuse to acknowledge, still calling him only the Gray Saint—and positions himself as the one person who will give her the knowledge the gods withhold. He tells her about the Empty, about the power to break Elara's bond, and about the First Dragon. Each revelation draws her closer to the moment when she will open the Empty's door.

That moment comes when Faron frees Lightbringer. Iya immediately takes full possession of Reeve's body, revealing the truth of the Warwick bargain: Reeve was supposed to be his vessel but retained too much free will. Now, with his power restored, Iya can make Reeve a true vessel. He conquers Port Sol within hours, and the novel's final chapters show him consolidating power while Faron grapples with her role in his rise.

The arc ends on a deliberately ambiguous note. When Elara confronts Iya in the Victory Garden, threatening to trap him in the Empty, Iya offers Faron his hand. She takes it, choosing to fly away with him on Lightbringer—not out of loyalty, but with the stated hope of finding Lightbringer's weakness and saving both Reeve and Gael.

Relationships: The Bonds That Define Iya

Faron Vincent. Iya's relationship with Faron is the novel's most complex. As Gael Soto, he is her mentor and confidant, the one person who seems to take her seriously. He tells her things the gods won't, and she grows to trust him—even to care for him. When she learns the truth, she is devastated, but she also recognizes a kinship: she hears two teens whose lives were ruined by power they should never have wielded, and she feels sad for them. Their bond becomes literal when Faron becomes a co-Rider with Iya and Lightbringer, and Iya tells her their souls are the same.

Reeve Warwick. Reeve is Iya's vessel, the body he inhabits. The bargain was made when Reeve was a dying child: his parents promised Iya freedom in exchange for their son's life and their own power. But Reeve retained too much free will, and Iya could only linger within him like a droplet of rain in an ocean. After his release, Iya takes full possession, but Reeve's soul remains trapped inside—Faron senses it, and Iya himself dismisses Reeve as weak. The novel leaves open the question of whether Reeve can be saved.

The gods. Iya's relationship with the gods is one of mutual antagonism. They sealed him in the Empty and refuse to speak his name. He frames his corruption as the gods' fault: Lightbringer showed him the truth the gods had kept hidden. He believes the gods wanted to use him as a tool while denying him his true power.

Elara Vincent. As the Maiden Empyrean, Elara is Iya's direct opponent. She threatens to trap him in the Empty, and he pleads with her—sounding like Reeve—to spare him. Their confrontation in the Victory Garden is the novel's climax, and it ends with Faron choosing to go with Iya rather than let Elara imprison them both.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Bonding with Lightbringer. Iya's original decision to bond with the First Dragon gave him immense power but corrupted him. The consequence was his imprisonment in the Empty for centuries.

The Warwick bargain. Iya's deal with Reeve's parents gave him a foothold in the mortal world. The consequence was a vessel he could not fully control for years, but also a connection to Faron through Reeve.

Manipulating Faron. Iya's decision to befriend Faron as Gael Soto and feed her information the gods withheld was his most successful gambit. The consequence was Faron freeing Lightbringer, which restored his power and allowed him to take full possession of Reeve.

Offering Faron his hand. In the novel's final confrontation, Iya offers Faron a place beside him. She accepts, but her stated intention is to find Lightbringer's weakness and save Reeve and Gael. The consequence is unresolved—the novel ends with them flying away together, Elara heartbroken behind them.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Iya embodies the novel's central theme of the burden of divine sainthood and the cost of power. He is the cautionary tale that the gods hold up to Faron: a chosen one who was corrupted by the very power meant to save his people. His arc asks whether any Empyrean can wield divine power without losing themselves.

He is also the novel's most potent symbol of deception, espionage, and hidden agendas. His entire relationship with Faron is built on lies—he tells her his real name, but withholds his true nature. The novel's title, So Let Them Burn, could be read as his philosophy: a willingness to sacrifice anyone, including the boy whose body he wears, for his own freedom.

His history as a Knight of the Empire connects him to the novel's exploration of colonial legacy, imperialism, and post-war trauma. He wears a Langlish-style uniform with the words Knight of the Empire stitched on his back, and his desire to rule the world mirrors the imperial ambitions that San Irie fought against. The novel suggests that the line between liberator and conqueror is thinner than anyone wants to admit.

Finally, Iya's rebellion against the gods connects to the struggle for self-determination against divine and imperial control. He frames his corruption as liberation—Lightbringer showed him the truth the gods kept hidden. Whether this is self-justification or genuine insight is one of the novel's open questions.

Questions and Answers About Iya (Gael Soto)

1. Who was Iya before he became the Gray Saint?

Iya was a Knight of the Empire who prayed to the gods for power to stop a dragon terrorizing his home. The gods answered, making him the first Empyrean. He bonded with Lightbringer, the First Dragon, and was corrupted by that union. His Four Generals sealed him in the Empty.

2. How did Iya come to inhabit Reeve Warwick's body?

When Reeve was a dying child, his parents used a dragon relic to contact Iya, who was trapped in the Empty. They promised him freedom in exchange for their son's life restored and their own power returned. Reeve was meant to be Iya's vessel, but he retained too much free will, and Iya could only linger within him until he regained his full power.

3. Why does Faron choose to go with Iya at the end of the novel?

Faron's decision is layered. She believes she can find Lightbringer's weakness and save both Reeve and Gael. She also recognizes a kinship with Iya—both were chosen by the gods, both were corrupted by power, both have caused harm despite good intentions. She tells herself that locking him away is not the answer, and that she understands him in a way no one else can.

4. Is Iya genuinely corrupted, or is he acting out of justified grievance?

The novel deliberately leaves this ambiguous. Iya claims Lightbringer showed him the truth the gods had kept hidden and that the gods wanted to use him as a tool. The gods, for their part, refuse to discuss him beyond calling him a threat. His moments of vulnerability—pleading not to be returned to the Empty, sounding like Reeve—suggest genuine suffering, but whether that suffering justifies his actions is left to the reader.

5. What is the significance of Iya telling Faron his real name?

When Gael Soto tells Faron his name is Iya, it is the first time anyone has used that name in centuries. The gods refuse to acknowledge it, calling him only the Gray Saint. By sharing it, Gael positions himself as the one person who will give Faron the truth the gods withhold—a manipulation, but also a genuine gesture of trust that complicates Faron's later realization that she was being played.

For more discussion of the novel's characters and plot, see the questions and answers page or return to the book overview.