Foil

Character Role Analysis

Deryn Sharp and Prince Aleksander

We'll be honest: there aren't really any strong foils in this book, unless we're talking Tazza versus a message lizard. Physically, Deryn and Alek are foils for each other—Deryn is tall and fair, while Alek is short and dark. Their social status also couldn't be more different, since Deryn is a commoner and Alek is a prince. But when it comes down to it, they really aren't that different—which just may be the point of making them semi-foils.