Overview

So here is just a brief overview of the characters and such in Dust roughly through chapter 20.
--The characters whose names are bolded are very important in the story, and the characters whose names are italicized out are dead.

ALASDAIR CONN, FATHER OF:

Caitlin, Tristen, Aefre, Benedick, Ariane, Caithness, Cynric, Oliver, Ardath, Dylan, Edmund, Geoffrey, Allan, Chelsea, Seth, Finn, Niall, Gunther, Barnhard, Avia
· Alasdair killed by Ariane
· Caitlin and Benedick were the parents of Perceval
· Tristen and Aefre were lovers
· Tristen was thought to be dead, but Ariane had actually claimed him dead and secretly held him hostage in the forgotten passageway, waiting to consume him until after she consumed their father

ANGELS:

Jacob Dust, Samael, Asrafil, Metatron (?), Camael, Uriel, Shakziel, Zakkiel
· Asrafil killed Metatron
· Jacob Dust and Samael are fighting to marry Perceval
· Jacob Dust lives on the world Jacob’s Ladder

MISC INFO:

Unblades: a sword which causes wounds unable to be healed, even by Exhalts
· Charity- owned by Tristen Conn (snapped by Innocence, wielded by Ariane Conn)
· Innocence- owned by Ariane Conn (removed Perceval’s wings)

Races:
· Exhalt: contain symbionts (colonies in their bodies, rather like nanobots, that control, regulate, and heal their body in every way, shape, and form)
· Mean: regular people of Rule
· Engineers: regular people of Engine

Extra People:
· Head: ungendered person in charge of the kitchen at The House of Rule; assigned by Benedick to guide Rien after, against his wishes, Alasdair made Benedick send Rien to Rule and live in ignorance of herself and her family
· Mallory: Necromancer who healed Perceval and Rien, who were guided to him/her by Samael; his heaven VERY similar to the Garden of Eden
· Gavin: Basilisk who befriends Rien and travels with her and Perceval on from Mallory’s heaven; creature of Samael

What drew me in...

First off, in honor of the background that I've chosen, I would like to comment on my fascination with the idea of an angel getting her wings cut off. I will admit that it wasn't the art on the cover of the book or the cheapness of the book that caused me to choose it, it was reading about how Perceval get's her wings cut off in the back cover. I'm not quite sure what part of that draws me in but maybe as I continue to read I can figure it out.

I'm excited to read further and see if the cut-off wings play a significant roll in the novel other than the obvious trials of losing an appendage.

-Lauren