Characters / The Black Magician Trilogy

Expect spoilers.

Introduced in The Black Magician Trilogy

Sonea

The Hero who first discovers her magical powers during the purge when she starts throwing stones at the magicians. They pass through the magician's shield. Since all magicians are supposed to be part of the Guild, which she does not want to join, and since she is convinced that the Guild wants to kill her, she goes into hiding. Her friend Cery convinces the Thieves to help hide her. She is eventually captured by the Guild and gets trained as a magician.

• Action Girl: She fights and manages to kill a good few Ichani during the Ichani Invasion.
  • Action Mom: In the sequel trilogy.
• The Apprentice: To Akkarin, once she finds out his secret and later learns black magic.
  • Black Magician Girl: By the third book, she is one of the most powerful and skilled magical fighters in the Guild. She also fits this trope literally, after training from Akkarin.
• All of the Other Reindeer: She has a very hard time in The Novice, due to her poor background and the unusual circumstances of her recruitment. Her peers shun her until the end of the book.
• Badass Bookworm: Once she learns how to read, she takes a great interest in her studies and learning all she can.
• Battle Couple: With Akkarin
• Cry into Chest: Does this in Traitor Queen. She's reminiscing about Akkarin, but Regin believes she is grieving Lorkin and pulls her into this trope.
• Does Not Know Her Own Strength: It isn't until the duel that she realises just how powerful she is.
• The Dog Bites Back: After a book full of abuse from Regin, she finally challenges him to a duel.
• Dude Magnet: Hoo boy, where do we start...Cery and Dorrien both have their eyes on her at parts in the trilogy, and some male students in the third book try to convince her to come out on dates so she might fall for them. And of course, Akkarin.
• Healing Hands: Her chosen career path is to be a Healer. While this is still her favorite job, in the end she finds herself with a different duty.
• Heroic BSoD: When Akkarin dies, Sonea shuts herself away and closes in on herself. It takes a while before she can start functioning normally again.
• Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Akkarin, her guardian, is very tall. Sonea is tiny.
• Intergenerational Friendship: With Rothen, who also serves as her Parental Substitute.
• Mage Born of Muggles: Sonea is a natural (a born mage) who comes from the slums, while nearly all magicians come from the noble caste. This causes her problems fitting in at the Guild.
• Mama Bear: In the Traitor Spy trilogy. When she hears Lorkin is in trouble, she wants to cross country and rescue him, despite the sanctions on her movement. In the final book, she enters a war zone just so she can be there to protect him.
• May–December Romance: Sonea is over a decade younger than Akkarin.
• Nephewism: Raised by her aunt and uncle, due to her mother's death and a Disappeared Dad.
• Nice Girl: Yikmo says that the reason Sonea struggles with Warrior skills is basically because she's too nice and doesn't want to hurt anyone.
• Oblivious to Love: Has no idea of Cery's feelings towards her until he blurts it out. Has no idea of Akkarin's feelings until she touches him and sees herself through his eyes. Remains unsure of Regin's feelings until he spells it out for her.
• Official Couple: With Akkarin in the original trilogy. As of Traitor Queen, she is now this with Regin.
• One-Woman Army: Used specifically for this role in Traitor Queen. She is asked to take the strength of every willing magician in the Guild so she can Sachaka as powerful as possible.
• Person of Mass Destruction: All magicians have the potential to be this, but Sonea stands out for two reasons — sheer power (she had enough raw power to push Akkarin to his limits once she'd gotten some training, and that was with Akkarin's power supplemented by Black Magic) and, by the end of the first trilogy, being the only allowed Black Magician in the Guild, potentially allowing her to ramp up her power immensely in a time of sufficient crisis.
• Rags to Riches: From a child of the slums to a wealthy magician, living a comfortable and privileged life.
• Reluctant Warrior: She really doesn't like learning magical combat, and it takes a fair amount of teaching and prodding from Akkarin before her teachers figure out what her problem is and help her past it.
• Someone to Remember Him By: Realises she is pregnant with Akkarin's child at the end of High Lord.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: She's not interested in Akkarin and Regin when she believes they're just arseholes. It's only once she discovers Akkarin's heroic side and decides that Regin truly has improved that she falls for them.
• Workaholic: Her Hospice helpers in the second trilogy are often concerned that she spends too much time working. Sonea says it helps take her mind off things.
• Working-Class Hero: The perfect viewpoint for seeing the prejudices of the Guild at work in book one, and giving her an underdog status in book two.
• White Magician Girl: Although her official capacity is as a Black Magician Girl, Sonea's heart and life remain in the Healing profession. She runs a hospice in the second trilogy.
• You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Her reaction to 'Fergun's Rest'.

High Lord Akkarin

The Guild's High Lord, Sonea saw him performing black magic while sneaking into the Guild with Cery. She doesn't understand what she sees, but when Adminstrator Lorlen reads her mind he knows what Akkarin is doing. Revealed to be Good All Along in The High Lord, and forms a May–December Romance with Sonea.

• Anti-Hero: Black magic is considered morally wrong, and he has used it in an unsavoury manner on a few occasions. He does some pretty questionable things like Mind Rape of Sonea, Lorlen and Rothen. Lorlen's lasts the duration of Akkarin's tenure as High Lord, due to the blood ring. Sonea is held hostage and allowed to be subjected to brutal bulling. However, Akkarin is the only one stopping Kryalia from being invaded by Ichani and has protected the Guild for years.
• The Archmage: As the High Lord, the most powerful mage in the Guild.
• Battle Couple: With Sonea.
• Big Bad: In The Novice. In The High Lord he is revealed to be... Good All Along
• Character Death: Sacrifices himself at the end of High Lord by giving the last of his strength to Sonea so she can kill the last Ichani.
• Childhood Friends: With Lorlen, his best friend while they were Novices. Also served as The Rival to each other.
• Dark and Troubled Past: It's revealed in High Lord that Akkarin was enslaved in his youth, and the woman he loved regularly raped and eventually killed.
• Friendly Rivalry: With Lorlen, in their youth.
• Good All Along: Turns out he's just trying to defend the kingdom.
• Heroic Sacrifice: In High Lord.
• Kick the Dog: When he finds out that Sonea, Rothen and Lorlen know. His measures for keeping them in line are... harsh.
• Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Akkarin, her guardian is very tall. Sonea is tiny.
• May–December Romance: Sonea is over a decade younger than Akkarin.
• Mysterious Past: No one knows what happened to Akkarin while on his quest for knowledge.
• Official Couple: With Sonea
• Perpetual Frowner: Probably cracks about three smiles in the entire trilogy - mostly just to Sonea and Lorlen.
• Riches to Rags: Once his black magic is revealed, he goes from High Lord and powerful noble to an outcast with only the clothes on his back.
• Save This Person, Save the World: Sonea is of the opinion that the only thing standing between the Guild and total destruction at the hands of the Ichani, is Akkarin. She follows him into Sachaka to protect him.
• Sink or Swim Mentor: Allows Sonea to be tortured by other novices to enhance her magical abilities. He's waiting for her to realise her potential and fight back.
• The Stoic: Part of his mystery.
• Sympathetic Murderer: Turns out the reason he's been serial killing people in Imardin is so that he can protect the Allied Lands.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Tall and dark-haired, and his attractiveness is discussed by some female novices in the third book.
• Teacher/Student Romance: Sonea's guardian and teacher of black magic. Later, her lover too.
• The Unfettered: Will do whatever is necessary to accomplish his goal, including murder, hostage-taking, Mind Rape, and killing slaves to deprive their masters of a magic source.
• Walking Spoiler: If you really know anything about Akkarin, you can guarantee it's a spoiler.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: See Anti-Hero

Cery

Sonea's close friend, he finds himself infatuated with her during her time in the slums and in the University. He is quick-witted, and a skilled street fighter, attributes necessary to his line of work first as a pickpocket, but later as a Thief.

• Action Dad: In the second trilogy, though only to Anyi by the time the plot kicks off...
• Artful Dodger: Street rat, gang member, pick-pocket.
• Badass Normal: Sets up an Ichani's death with just some clever work and good timing. He's also proficient with blades and stealth.
• Character Death: in Traitor Queen, he succumbs to a heart attack.
• Demoted to Extra: Becomes this in The Novice. The High Lord has him become a main character again though.
• Disappeared Dad: Invoked. Cery needed to keep out of Anyi's life, because being the daughter of a Thief would make her a target.
• Embarrassing First Name: Sort of. His full name is 'Ceryni' which he hates being called by.
• Five-Finger Discount: Fond of pick-pocketing in the first book.
• Goal in Life: Has a dream to set foot within every building in Imardin. He actually accomplishes this in the last book, sneaking into the palace during the Ichani invasion.
• Loveable Rogue
• Papa Wolf: To Anyi. After losing his other family, he is constantly anxious that he'll lose her too.
• Son of a Whore: He was raised in a brothel, which has made him more open-minded about people's sexual proclivities.
• These Hands Have Killed: He sets up a trap to lure an Ichani into an alleyway during the invasion, where several thieves stab him. The problem? Magic users explode when they have energy left in their dead bodies. The resulting explosion killed not just the thieves, but also several hiding in the nearby houses. He accepts what he did but wishes he hadn't been so foolish.
• Unfazed Everyman: He never seems too surprised or alarmed by what magic has to throw at him. This is even Lampshaded by Savara at one point.
• Unlucky Childhood Friend: To Sonea
  • Thought he doesn't seem to mind, pushing this into: Better as Friends

Dannyl

Rothen's previous pupil and fellow Alchemist. He becomes the Guild Ambassador to Elyne and begins researching the ancient magical lore that Akkarin once searched for. He finds it somewhat difficult to socialise with other people at first, due to rumours started about him when he was young.

• Ambadassador: Acts as one to Elyne in the original trilogy and one to Sachaka in the sequel. Doesn't stop him from mopping up some rogues, fighting in the Ichani invasion and being present for the Traitor vs Ashaki conflict though.
• Cure Your Gays: Dannyl has been subconsciously healing away his attraction (to anyone) since the rumours in his youth. Once he realises, he stops and decides to just be himself.
• Friends with Benefits: With Achati, eventually, though some suspect Dannyl actually falls for him.
• Gentleman Adventurer: When not fulfilling his official capacity as Ambassador, Dannyl travels the libraries and ruins of the Allied Lands with Tayend.
• Intoxicated Superpower Snag: Dannyl references this when he refuses to drink, explaining that Thought-Controlled Power and mind-altering substances don't play well together.
• Mistaken for Gay: In his youth, Dannyl was ostracised by his peers and teachers because of a rumour spread by Fergun. He discovers later that he is actually gay, he's simply been supressing all attraction for years via magic.
• The Mole: He 'pretends' that he is in love with Tayend in order to trick some wannabe rogues into revealing themselves to the Guild.
• Muggle and Magical Love Triangle: In the sequel trilogy, he alternates between his old feelings for Tayend and his new attraction to Achati.
• Nice Guy: Easily one of the most well-meaning and kind characters in the series. His biggest vice is probably eavesdropping on gossip.
• Once Done, Never Forgotten: Fergun's rumours about his sexuality have dogged Dannyl well into adulthood.
• Redundant Researcher: His discoveries about Akkarin don't end up being useful, because Sonea already learns it all and more, and it's revealed to the Guild via other means.
• The Smart Guy: He's trying to invent things in the original trilogy, goes on to become a researcher and scholar, and is very interested in history and learning in the sequel.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Possibly the tallest guy in the books, with typical Kyralian dark hair. Tayend, Achati and an Ichani woman all mention his attractiveness.

Rothen

A teacher of Alchemy and parental figure to Sonea and Dannyl. Rothen took on Dannyl's guardianship when he saw the novice falling behind in his studies. He is one of the few people who has Sonea's best interests at heart when her magical potential is first discovered.

• Cool Old Guy: In the Traitor Spy books. Even as a Cool Middle-Aged Guy, most people loved him.
• Demoted to Extra: His role diminishes after The Magician's Guild and is nearly non-existent in the sequel trilogy.
• Intergenerational Friendship: With Sonea and Dannyl. In fact, he finds it quite amusing that Dannyl refers to him as 'old friend'.
• Mind Rape: Kariko makes a blood ring out of Rothen's blood, and uses it to project the dying thoughts/feelings of all of his victims to Rothen.
• Papa Wolf: Akkarin taking Sonea hostage really doesn’t go over well with Rothen, and all his thoughts from that point are spent stewing and fretting on it.
• Parental Substitute: To Sonea. It's mentioned on several occasions that he considers he a daughter, which just makes Regin's rumour of sexual favours even more unsavoury.
• Private Tutor: Takes on the guardianship of Dannyl and Sonea in order to help overcome their underdog situation.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Doesn't hold Sonea's background against her, and instead genuinely wants to help her find a place in the Guild. He refuses to take part in the ceremony to reject her for using black magic.
• Team Dad: He takes on this role for the younger heroes: Sonea, Dannyl, Lorkin and Lilia.

Lorlen

The Administrator to the Guild and old friend to Akkarin.

• Always Someone Better: As novices, Lorlen and Akkarin were friends. By his own admission, Lorlen was always in Akkarin's academic shadow.
• Character Death: At the end of High Lord. He manages to reconcile with Akkarin shortly before.
• Childhood Friends: With Akkarin.
• Friendly Rivalry: With Akkarin, in their youth.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Fair-minded and moderate, he tries to take the actions in the best interest of the Guild. He also shows concern for Sonea's welfare on various occasions.

Tayend

An Elyne scholar who starts assisting Dannyl with his investigation.

• Betty and Veronica: The Betty to Achati's Veronica for Dannyl.
• Closet Key: For Dannyl.
• Cure Your Gays: He's afraid of being healed, because he thinks Dannyl will be able to detect Tayend's homosexuality. Dannyl explains to him that while he could detect it, it's only because Tayend was broadcasting his thoughts, not because homosexuality is a sickness.
• Distressed Dude: He is held at knife-point by a mugger in the second book.
• Gentleman and a Scholar: Tayend works at the Great Library in his spare time and takes a great interest in Dannyl's search for lost magic and Akkarin's past travels. This lessens in the second trilogy, but a spark of curiosity remains.
• The Heart: He picks up on people's feelings quite easily, including Dannyl's sexuality.
• The Load: As the resident Non Action Guy, he has little to offer in combat situations. That doesn't stop him being present for the Ichani invasion and Traitor revolution however.
• Non-Action Guy: No magical or martial skills, he relies on Dannyl to protect him when in dire straits.
• Old Flame: To Dannyl in the Traitor Spy books. The relationship might be gone, but the feelings definitely aren't. It's left ambiguous whether they'll rekindle their relationship at the end of the story.
• Pretty Boy:
  • The first thing Dannyl is struck by is how beautiful Tayend is. Even in the second trilogy, he's apparently aged wonderfully.
  • He's also pretty that pirates want Dannyl to sell Tayend to them.
• Socialite: Dannyl is amazed at how easily the Sachakan elite take to Tayend. He's frequently invited to parties and held in high esteem.

Regin

A novice from a powerful house who bullies Sonea relentlessly until she defeats him in a duel. He Took a Level in Kindness in the sequel trilogy, and has begun working with Sonea to catch the Thief Hunter.

• The Atoner: On a personal level, towards Sonea. He is keen to make up for his past behaviour and gain her trust/respect/affection.
• Awful Wedded Life: Regin is absent for most of The Rogue because his Arranged Marriage is falling apart. His wife regularly cheats on him, and when he chases off her latest lover, she attempts suicide.
• The Bully: He bullied Sonea when they were novices, until she challenged him in a duel and won.
• Character Development: Arguably undergoes the most from The Novice to Traitor Queen. From a spiteful, bigoted and cruel novice who bullies Sonea relentlessly, to her trusted confidant and lover.
• Jerkass: Understatement of the century. While he was still a novice, he bullied Sones relentlessly and in very cruel ways. (Just look at his Teens Are Monsters entry.) He takes a level in kindness in the sequel series though.
• Once Done, Never Forgotten: He is known by novices in the second trilogy as 'that idiot who once challenged Black Magician Sonea to a duel.
• Pride: The reason revealed in Traitor Queen for his horrendous behaviour as a novice.
• Schemer: There's no end to his ploys for hurting Sonea, from convincing people she's sleeping with Rothen, to planting stolen goods on her.
• Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: Inverted, he seems to genuinely regret his past behaviour (and is disappointed that his daughters inherited his mean streak).
• Spoiled Brat: Son of a powerful house with the arrogance to go with it.
• Teens Are Monsters: You name it, he did it to Sonea. Emotional manipulation, sexual harassment, physically attacks (via magic), slanderous rumours, framing her for stealing.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Genuinely decent and friendly in the sequel trilogy, and a big supporter of Sonea.

Savara

A mysterious Sachakan black magician who comes to Cery offering help with the murders in the city. In the Traitor Spy trilogy we learn that she is a high-ranking member of the Traitors, a female-led resistance group who aim to topple the Sachakan government.

• Modest Royalty: She becomes Queen after Zarala's death, but retains the dress and behaviour of the other Traitors, and doesn't like people to stand on ceremony in private.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: One of the few people who treats Lorkin decently and has a more moderate approach.
• Rebel Leader: In the second trilogy, once Zarala dies, Savara leads the Traitors in battle against the Ashaki.
• The One That Got Away: She and Cery had a brief fling in the original trilogy, and he still thinks about it occasionally in the sequel.
• Tough Leader Façade: In public she is regal and formal, but in private she just wants people to treat her normally, and worries about things like Kalia's treachery.

Gol

Cery's bodyguard and right-hand man.

• Ascended Extra: His role is much more significant in the sequel trilogy, and his relationship with Cery is more developed.
• Badass Normal: Takes on opponents with strength and skill rather than magic.
• The Big Guy: Cery's bodyguard and muscle.
• Dumb Muscle: Subverted. He doesn't appear to be particularly smart in the first trilogy, but in the second he has several intelligent ideas, including the minefire.
• Mighty Glacier: He's much slower than Anyi (especially in his older years), but remains strong and tough.
• Undying Loyalty: To Cery. He even goes under the radar to hide from the Thief Hunter with him.

Dorrien

Rothen's son and a village healer. He has feelings for Sonea and helped her fight back against her bullies in The Novice.

• The Medic: Takes on this role in his home village, and pitches in at the hospice while he's in Imardin.
• Romantic False Lead: Twice it seems like he'll become the love interest to Sonea, but he loses out to Akkarin and later Regin.

Takan

Loyal Sachakan servant to Akkarin.

• Happiness in Slavery: Zig-zagged. He often takes on a slave role with Akkarin and reverts to old habits. Takan is certainly happy in servitude to Akkarin and doesn't seem to seek a life outside of it. However, he is strongly adverse to returning to slavery in Sachaka.
• My Master, Right or Wrong: He supports Akkarin no matter what, even lending him strength via black magic. Takan does believe in Akkarin's cause, however.
• Secret-Keeper: For years, he's the only one who knows about Akkarin's history, abilities and activities.
• Undying Loyalty: To Akkarin.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Sonea mentions in the Traitor Spy books that he disappeared after Akkarin's death and she has no idea what happened to him after that. He doesn't reappear at all.

Fergun

A magician who spread rumours about Dannyl when they were both novices. He conspires to get Sonea ejected from the Guild by taking Cery hostage and threatening his life.

• Asshole Victim: Sonea mentions in Traitor Queen that you can feel sympathy for someone's death, while not forgetting that they were a complete dick in life.
• Dirty Coward: When the Ichani attack the Fort, he spends the time hidden until he's dragged out and killed. While he's so weak, he couldn't have helped much anyway, it's implied that Fergun wasn't the heroically selfless type anyway.
• Faux Affably Evil: He puts on a charming front briefly while trying to manipulate Sonea. Cracks show, and when she is resistant to his plan, Fergun drops the 'affable' part completely.
• Smug Snake: Thinks he's a Magnificent Bastard, but he's really not.

Introduced in The Traitor Spy Trilogy

Lorkin

The son of Sonea and Akkarin. He becomes assistant to Dannyl during his ambassadorial duties in Sachaka and gets kidnapped by Traitors. He is eager to discover some kind of ancient magic that will allow the Guild to stop using black magic.

• Chick Magnet: Following in the footsteps of his mum, he receives a lot of attention from the opposite sex. Sonea and Dannyl ruefully note that whenever Lorkin gets in trouble, a girl is always involved.
• Cold-Blooded Torture: Is a victim of this when the Traitors release him and the Sachakan king takes him prisoner. Lorkin psychologically/emotionally tortured by being Forced to Watch as a slave woman is physically tortured.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Lorkin feels he has a lot to live up to, considering his parents' reputation. He's desperate to find something of importance and bring it back to the Guild.
• Distressed Dude: At one point, he is kidnapped by Kalia and has to be rescued by Tyvara. She also has to rescue him from Riva. It's her fulltime job.
• Going Native: After he goes to stay with the Traitors, he eventually comes to believe in their ideals and remains with their society after the events of the story.
• Fish out of Water: It takes him some time to adapt to Sachaka and later the Traitors, though there are some customs he doesn't want to give up: like thanking people.
• Mercy Kill: Performs one to the slave woman in the palace prisons.
• Official Couple: With Tyvara.
• Telepathy: Learns in Traitor Queen that the rumours about his father's mental abilities were true, and Lorkin too can read surface thoughts.
• These Hands Have Killed: He's consumed with guilt for mercy-killing the slave woman in prison. Part of it is because he isn't sure if she was a Traitor (and therefore knew she was drinking poison) or not.

Lilia

A novice from a servant family. She falls for Naki and is becomes a scapegoat so that Naki can get away with leaving the Guild and using black magic. Lilia also learns black magic, and becomes apprentice to Kallen, a new role in the guild.

• All of the Other Reindeer: Like Sonea before her, Lilia gets bullied for being different to the other novices and for her unique status within the Guild. Unlike Sonea, she doesn't tolerate this behaviour.
• The Apprentice: To Kallen, once she learns black magic and he assumes her guardianship.
• Bullying a Dragon: Bokkin repeatedly tries to bully her in Traitor Queen, despite the fact she's a Black Magician. He gets his when Kallen orders him into Lilia's lesson and they mind read him. Even before that though, Lilia takes satisfaction in reminding him in what she can do, and how unwise it would be to push her.
• The Champion: Acts as this to the women she falls in love with. Anyi deserves it. Naki does not.
• Horrible Judge of Character: Repeatedly! She trusts Naki to the point of picking up vices (like roet) and learning black magic. Even when Naki accuses Lilia of killing her father and behaves suspiciously, she is determined to protect her. Then she trusts Lorandra and breaks her out. While she knows Lorandra isn't helping out of kindess, it doesn't occur to Lilia that she might take Naki hostage to force Lilia into teaching her black magic. She also believes Kallen is Skellin's inside man, when it turns out he's a Knight Templar who'd rather die than betray the Guild.
• Immune to Drugs: One of the lucky people who doesn't have a lingering addition to roet.
• Naïve Everygirl: Her well-meaning and trusting nature is exactly what Naki needed to trick her into taking the fall for Naki's father's murder.
• Nice Girl: She is selfless and kind when it comes to helping others and often shows sympathy for people in rough circumstances (e.g. Kallen's roet addiction and Bokkin's domestic abuse. ).
  • Beware the Nice Ones: This doesn't make her a pushover, however. She threatens bullies with black magic when they corner her, speaks out when she thinks there's corruption in the Guild, and will kill to defend those she loves.
• Official Couple: With Anyi.
• The Scapegoat: Naki plays on Lilia's affections so that she can kill her own father and frame Lilia for his murder.
• Secret-Keeper: She and Kallen (and eventually Sonea's aunt) keep Cery and co's existence a secret while they're hiding in Traitor Queen. Lilia resorts to some creative thinking to keep them supplied while hiding their location.

Anyi

Cery's estranged daughter. She refines her combat skills so that she can act as his bodyguard and help him deal with the Thief Hunter.

• Action Girl: The only one in the series to rely on physical attacks rather than magic. As a result, she's noted as having a more athletic figure.
• Badass Normal: Takes on opponents with blades and speed rather than magic.
• Boisterous Bruiser: She loves to scrap and often tries to lure Cery or Gol into some practice combat.
• Book Dumb: It's mentioned that she isn't able to read, and Cery would like to have taught her.
• Butch Lesbian: She's described as being athletic and more impressive to look at than pretty. Anyi's also a scrapper and favours practicality.
• Damsel in Distress: Skellin takes her hostage to lure Lilia out to teach him Black Magic.
• Fragile Speedster: What she lacks in strength or skill, she makes up for in speed.
• Gayngster: Becomes Cery's bodyguard so that she can be involved in his fight against Skellin. She also shows an interest in continuing his Legacy as a Thief.
• Official Couple: With Lilia.
• Picky Eater: She detests fruit... unless it's brought by Lilia.

Tyvara

A Traitor who is acting as a slave in the Guild household to keep an eye on Lorkin. She is the protégée of Savara and her successor.

• Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Remains distant from Lorkin as much as possible for half of the trilogy. This is partly because she is trying to push him away and stop him getting himself imprisoned in Sanctuary for her.
• Beautiful Slave Girl: How she is first introduced to Lorkin. Though he finds her much more attractive when she is her usual confident self.
• Big Damn Heroes: Arrives just in time twice to save Lorkin's life. The first is when Riva is about to drain him dry, the second is when Kalia has him prisoner.
• The Mole: Traitors plant themselves among slaves so they have contacts and eyes everywhere. Tyvara was spying on Lorkin when the plot kicks in.
• Power Perversion Potential: Uses black magic to enhance sexual pleasure. Apparently this is common for Traitors.
• Tsundere: She always pushes people she loves away. Once she is in a relationship, however, she is far more dere-dere.

Achati

A Sachakan Ashaki, advisor to the king, and Dannyl's first point of contact in Sachaka.

• Betty and Veronica: The Veronica to Tayend's Betty for Dannyl.
• Bury Your Gays: He is the only gay character to die, however.
• Character Death: One of the few in the Traitor Spy trilogy, and a source of much pain for Dannyl.
• Cultured Badass: A black magician with his own library, fancy parties and general air of refinement.
• Friends with Benefits: With Dannyl, eventually.
• Noble Demon: The only real sympathetic Ashaki we get to know. He seems genuinely conflicted between his duty to Sachaka, his feelings for Dannyl, and what's right.
• Senseless Sacrifice: He sacrifices himself to help his king escape during the Sachakan Civil War at a point where it's obvious the Ashakis have lost and his sacrifice wouldn't change anything.

Kallen

The second official Guild black magician. His official capacity is to watch Sonea for signs of corruption (and be watched in turn), and to protect the Guild via black magic in times of need.

• Berserk Button: Rarely ever shows emotion (beyond disapproval), but immediately loses his temper when Lilia remarks on his weakness for roet.
• Functional Addict: His addiction to roet is strong and causes various people to mistrust him and his abilities. However, he seems to cope with the addiction far better than many other addicts mentioned in the trilogy.
• Knight Templar: Kallen is characterised by his obsession with his duty as a black magician. A few characters note that this could lead to a To Be Lawful or Good situation, in which they think he will pick the law every time.
• One-Man Army: Like Sonea, this is his role as an official black magician: to receive power from all the magicians in the Guild and defend it if the Allied Lands are ever under attack.
• Red Herring: Sonea and Lilia speculate on a few occasions that he might be corrupted due to his addition. It even starts to look like he is Skellin's spy. The actual spy turns out to be a more unexpected character, and when Kallen's mind is read, it turns out he is completely loyal to the Guild.
• Stern Teacher: To Lilia, particularly with Warrior studies. He becomes a little more affable when they start studying black magic and even gets a Cool Teacher moment regarding Bokkin.
• Weaksauce Weakness: Despite being one of two most powerful magicians in the Guild, the Higher Magicians are reluctant to give him certain duties because they worry he can be too easily manipulated due to his addiction to roet.

Naki

A beautiful novice who begins a relationship with Lilia in order to frame Lilia for killing Naki's stepfather with black magic.

• Ambiguously Gay: It's difficult to tell whether she was just pretending in order to seduce Lilia, or whether is she is gay. The latter seems likely, since she could've easily seduced a male novice for her scheme.
• Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: An unbelievably beautiful one, apparently.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She's not simply the hedonistic, easy-going girl she appears to be.
• Karmic Death: Kallen drains her of all power via black magic, then Balkan executes her. A fitting end, since she'd been draining and killing people with black magic to make herself stronger.
• Manipulative Bitch: She befriends the resident Naïve Everygirl, plays Schoolgirl Lesbians with her despite never once returning the feelings, gets her hooked on a Fantastic Drug and manipulates her into learning Black Magic (the mere knowledge of which is forbidden; and which, incidentally, she herself learned, quite deliberately years before). Why? So that she can frame said everygirl when she murders her step-father and runs away to go spend her life working with criminals. And why did she want to do that? Because she couldn't live with the rules imposed on her by her father and the Guild. Oh, and when her unwitting lover desperately breaks out of imprisonment to find her, thinking her to be in mortal danger, she casually and without remorse tries to kill her. Yeah.
• Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Not only is she not as nice as she first seems, she's downright awful. She murders her step-father, sets up Lilia and then uses black magic to serial kill.
• The Vamp: Lures Lilia in by seducing her.

Skellin

Lorandra