The Coven

As the novel’s protagonist, Willow is a young witch with ties to both the Madizza and Hecate families. Her dual lineage is uncommon in her world because male witches are forced to choose between keeping their magic and retaining the ability to sire children. However, Willow’s father, Samuel Hecate, avoided this decision entirely because his sister, Loralei, hid his existence from the Coven. Now, Willow’s Madizza heritage gives her access to Green magic, which she uses to communicate with and channel the energy of the earth and its flora. By contrast, her Hecate family heritage offers her the powers of necromancy, which she can channel via her ancestors’ bones.

When the novel begins, Willow is committed to her father’s revenge plot and to her own desire to protect her half-brother, Ash. Willow describes herself as “ready for anything, for a hunter to attack at any time” (5). Due to her father’s peremptory plans for her, she also feels like a “sacrificial lamb,” in whose life romantic love has no place. However, as her relationship with Gray develops, her attraction to him grows, and she ultimately tries to reject the bones that would unlock her powers of necromancy.