Provides examples of:
- Alliterative Name: Luka Lupu.
- Arc Words: Who does the story serve?
- Arranged Marriage: Ana Maria had one arranged by her parents before she was sent to Dragomir.
- Big Brother Bully: Luka is this to Marya at the beginning though she always gets back at him.
- Boarding School: Dragomir Academy is essentially a reform school for girls.
- Character Filibuster: Iagar gives a long explanation about the academy's true purpose at the end.
- Dirty Coward: Count Arev flees when the Dread approaches though defending against it is supposedly his job.
- Eldritch Abomination: The Dread.
- Esoteric Motifs: The weavers use secret symbols Madame Bandu teaches to Marya.
- Everybody Lives: Despite being attacked by the Dread at the climax, no one dies in the book.
- Evil Is Petty: The sorcerers are more willing to deal with the Dread than to accept the existence of sorceresses.
- Evil Principal: Headmaster Iagar qualifies.
- Fantasy World Map: The book contains a map of the continent of Dovia.
- Farm Girl: Marya is this at the beginning.
- Feminist Fantasy: The story is essentially about the protagonists dealing with being girls in a patriarchal society.
- Never Learned to Read: Katya and most of the other lower class girls, except for Marya who was taught by Madame Bandu.
- Obfuscating Insanity: Marya pretends to be suffering from the onset of her powers to get more information out of Iagar.
- Parental Favoritism: The Lupus focus nearly all of their attention on Luka in the hopes that he will become a sorcerer.
- Plucky Girl: Elana.
- Promotion to Parent: Marya was responsible for raising her younger brother until his death.
- Proper Lady: A good portion of Dragomir's curriculum is molding the girls into this.
- The Reveal: The girls have the ability to use magic is the main one.
- With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: The onset of their powers causes the girls to hallucinate.
