We Who Will Die: Book Quiz – 20 Questions

Test your recall of We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark with this comprehensive 20-question quiz. Questions span the entire book, from arena battles and court intrigue to character choices and the lurking god of ruin. For a deeper dive, check out the full book overview, our questions and answers page, or the ending explained. Answers with brief explanations follow the questions.

Questions

1. (Plot/Sequence) What does the vampire Bran first offer Arvelle in exchange for her entering the Sundering?

A. A large sum of money
B. Lung tonic and a cure for her brother Evren
C. Revenge against Emperor Vallius Corvus
D. Safe passage for her family out of the Thorn

2. (Plot/Sequence) During the third challenge, how does Arvelle escape the flooded arena and save the fallen woman?

A. She uses her sigil to create an air bubble.
B. She cuts the silver bridle of a kelpie, which then helps them to the surface.
C. Prince Rorrik dives in and rescues them both.
D. The emperor calls off the games.

3. (Plot/Sequence) Who does Arvelle kill in her failed assassination attempt in Chapter Twenty?

A. Emperor Vallius Corvus
B. Bran
C. Tiberius Cotta
D. Prince Rorrik

4. (Plot/Sequence) What piece of evidence reveals that Albion is the traitor working with Mortuus?

A. A letter found in Leon’s room
B. A lavender feather left at the scene
C. Jorah’s testimony
D. A memory shared by the imprisoned gorgon

5. (Plot/Sequence) What happens to Leon at the end of Chapter Thirty?

A. He is arrested by the Praesidium Guard.
B. He is attacked and left barely alive.
C. He escapes the ludus.
D. He is promoted to imperius.

6. (Plot/Sequence) Who is the Primus, the armored leader of the imperius, revealed to be?

A. Prince Rorrik
B. Tiernon, Arvelle’s former lover
C. Bran in disguise
D. Carrick, Arvelle’s friend from the Thorn

7. (Plot/Sequence) What does Arvelle discover about her sigil power after killing the griffon Antigrus and the reformer Tiberius Cotta?

A. It only works in the arena.
B. She can absorb the abilities of those she kills.
C. It is a curse from the god Mortuus.
D. It is slowly killing her.

8. (Plot/Sequence) How is Arvelle’s blood bond with Bran finally broken?

A. Bran dies of sun madness.
B. Arvelle kills Bran with a silver blade.
C. Rorrik kills Bran during the rebel attack.
D. Tiernon uses a truthstone to dissolve the bond.

9. (Character Motivation) Why does Arvelle agree to Bran’s deal in Chapter Three? Answer in one or two sentences.

10. (Character Motivation) Why did Tiernon leave Arvelle years before the events of the book?

A. He fell in love with another woman.
B. The emperor tortured him for weeks to learn her identity, and he sacrificed their relationship to protect her.
C. He was exiled from the empire.
D. He was forced into an arranged marriage.

11. (Character Motivation) What is Albion’s true reason for serving the god Mortuus?

A. He wants the emperor’s throne.
B. He hopes to resurrect his dead son.
C. He seeks immortality for himself.
D. He wants to wipe out all sigilmarked.

12. (Character Motivation) Why does Prince Rorrik help Arvelle plan the emperor’s assassination during the Sundering Ball?

A. He wants to seize power for himself.
B. He is secretly in love with her.
C. He is compelled by a blood vow.
D. He wants to protect Tiernon.

13. (Character Motivation) What drives Maeva to help Arvelle free the maginari imprisoned beneath the arena?

A. She wants to escape her father’s control.
B. The emperor murdered her pixie friends when she was a child.
C. She is paid a large sum of gold.
D. She hopes to become an imperius.

14. (Theme/Symbol) What does the appearance of green, glowing eyes in the hidden morgue (Chapter Twenty-Seven) signify?

A. Aether magic residue
B. The presence of the god Mortuus, trapping souls in their corpses
C. A vampire’s hunger
D. A new sigil awakening

15. (Theme/Symbol) Arvelle’s decision to spare Maximus in the arena (Chapter Eleven) best illustrates which theme?

A. Cowardice and self-preservation
B. Mercy, even in a kill-or-be-killed world
C. Strategic weakness
D. Foolish sentimentality

16. (Theme/Symbol) Kassia’s letter, which Arvelle reads in Chapter Twenty-Six, emphasizes what central theme?

A. The necessity of revenge
B. Living fully, loving deeply, and moving on from grief
C. Duty to family above all else
D. Sacrifice for the greater good

17. (Theme/Symbol) The condition known as “sun madness” in vampires symbolizes what?

A. Physical weakness to sunlight
B. Emotional fragility and loss of control stemming from psychological trauma
C. A blessing from the sun god
D. The corruption of the vampire council

18. (Synthesis) Compare Arvelle’s relationships with Tiernon and Rorrik. How does each prince represent a different path for her?

19. (Synthesis) How does Arvelle’s ability to absorb the powers of those she kills (the “death-power”) complicate her sense of morality? Give one example from the book.

20. (Synthesis) In Chapter Thirty-Seven, Albion’s attempted sacrifice of Arvelle to Mortuus fails, and Mortuus speaks in her mind. What does this confrontation teach Arvelle about the cost of sacrificing others for loved ones?

Answer Key

1. B. In Chapter Three, Bran offers lung tonic and a full cure for Evren in exchange for Arvelle’s service as a spy and eventual assassination of the emperor.

2. B. Chapter Eighteen: Arvelle dives down, cuts the kelpie’s silver bridle, and the freed creature helps them reach the surface.

3. C. Chapter Twenty: Arvelle kills Tiberius Cotta, a reformer, because Rorrik used his power to make him appear as the emperor.

4. D. Chapter Thirty-Five: The imprisoned gorgon shares a memory showing Albion’s face, revealing he is the traitor working with Mortuus.

5. B. Chapter Thirty ends with the news that Leon has been attacked and left barely alive; Arvelle later discovers Albion was responsible.

6. B. Chapter Nine: Arvelle forces the Primus to remove his helmet and recognizes Tiernon, her former lover.

7. B. Chapter Twenty-Six: Arvelle realizes that when she killed Antigrus and Tiberius Cotta, she absorbed their abilities (griffon shield and water power).

8. C. Chapter Thirty-Eight: Rorrik kills Bran during the rebel attack on the arena, breaking the blood bond and freeing Arvelle.

9. Arvelle agrees because her brother Evren is dying from a severe lung condition. Bran offers the only cure—vampire blood and tonic—and she cannot bear to lose another family member.

10. B. Chapter Twenty-Five: The emperor tortured Tiernon for weeks to learn Arvelle’s name; Tiernon sacrificed their relationship to keep her alive.

11. B. Chapter Thirty-Seven: Albion admits he wants to resurrect his dead son and believes Mortuus can bring him back if the sacrifice is complete.

12. A. Rorrik wants the throne; he uses Arvelle as a tool to assassinate the emperor, then kills Bran and takes a red book of power to secure his position.

13. B. Chapter Thirty-Four: Maeva reveals that the emperor murdered her pixie friends when she was young, fueling her desire to help the imprisoned maginari.

14. B. Chapter Twenty-Seven describes a malevolent presence claiming the bodies as “Mine.” The green eyes indicate Mortuus has trapped the souls in their corpses.

15. B. Arvelle holds a blade to Maximus’s throat but chooses to let him live, showing mercy even in an arena designed for bloodshed. Leon is furious because it risked her life, but it also earned the emperor’s approval.

16. B. Kassia’s letter asks, “Are you living, Arvelle? Are you loving?” It urges Arvelle to find happiness and connection instead of letting grief consume her.

17. B. Chapter Twelve explains that sun madness is a fatal vampire condition triggered by emotional weakness, such as trauma or loss, causing them to lose control.

18. Tiernon is Arvelle’s first love, who abandoned her to protect her; he represents redemption, trust, and the hope of a peaceful life. Rorrik is a manipulative, power-hungry prince who offers a dangerous alliance; he represents the temptation of using ruthlessness to achieve goals and the moral compromises that come with it. Both are the emperor’s sons, but Tiernon tries to shield Arvelle while Rorrik uses her as a pawn.

19. Arvelle’s death-power means that every kill, even a merciful one (like Antigrus the griffon), gives her new abilities. This blurs the line between self-defense and greed for power. When she later absorbs Tiberius Cotta’s water power after killing him by mistake, she is devastated because he was a good man. She must decide whether to embrace this power or fear it.

20. Albion believed sacrificing others (including the murdered gladians and eventually Arvelle) would resurrect his son, but the god Mortuus only trapped the souls. Arvelle sees that such sacrifices bring nothing but more death and suffering. Her own near-sacrifice and Mortuus’s voice in her head convince her that she must find another way to protect her family—one that doesn’t destroy innocent lives.