Scarred

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, physical abuse, pregnancy termination, and death by suicide.

As the female protagonist in Scarred, Sara is a dynamic character who changes dramatically throughout the novel. She is 21 years old and has lived in Silva all her life before she goes to Saxum to become betrothed to King Michael. Her father was a duke, but he was put to death when he visited Saxum and pleaded for the crown to help Silva. Sara’s father was her best friend and the only one in her life who supported her, and she was overwhelmed by grief after his death. She is now determined to kill Michael and the others in the Faasa line—including Tristan—to gain revenge for the crown’s murder of her father.

Almost immediately, Sara experiences The Struggle Between Duty and Personal Desire when she finds herself becoming attracted to Tristan. Because he is Michael’s brother, and the next in line to the throne, Sara’s mission requires her to kill him just as she plans to kill Michael. It is also clear that if she acts on her desire for Tristan and is caught, she will be put to death for disloyalty to Michael, her betrothed.