The novel’s protagonist and its only point-of-view character, Jude Duarte is a human born in the mortal world, but now High Queen of Elfhame. Jude has survived a traumatic childhood and adolescence to grow into a resourceful, ambitious, and brave young woman. When she and her twin sister, Taryn, were seven, Jude witnessed the murder of her mother, Eva, by Eva’s ex-husband, Madoc. Madoc killed Jude’s father as well and whisked the children away to Faerie. In the world of Faerie, Jude was often bullied and mocked for her mortality, as when one of Madoc’s guards bit off Jude’s finger. The missing finger is the one distinguishing mark between Jude and Taryn. Jude is described as brown-haired and brown-eyed and with a fuller figure than most Faerie folk, who tend to be tall and willowy. Jude doesn’t consider herself beautiful because of her curvy physique and mortal frailty, but others, like Cardan, view her differently.

Jude’s ambiguous attitude toward her appearance and abilities is formed by a complex mix of feelings of inferiority and ambition. This is understandable, given that at the time the series opens, Jude is only 17. Thus, she represents young women in the real world finding their individual selves through the maze of tough societal expectations.