The Rook and The Head of Security

By Regina C.

Third person narrations are the most common point of view used in fiction writing. These narrations allow us to see the thoughts and actions not only of just the main character but as all the other characters within the novel as well. To do this the author uses pronouns such as "he" and "she" to describe events and actions instead of "I" and "we" like used in first person narratives.

There can be two kinds of narrations when writing in third person. The writing can stick closely to one or two of the characters, and be third person limited. In these narrations you only see the thoughts and actions of this certain number of characters. Or it can give you an overview of everything that is happening in the world of the novel, and be third person omniscient. As the web of the novel spins we are entitled to see every portion of it unfolding.

The Red Rook is written as third person limited. The novel bounces between the viewpoints of a couple main characters in the novel. We see the viewpoint of Sophia Bellamy first, a girl to be married off to Parisian royalty in order to pay off her father's debt. We find out that she is also mysterious vigilante known as the Red Rook who is breaking prisoners out of the sunken city prisons. Then our viewpoint switches to a completely new character, a LeBlanc       , the head of security of the sunken city prisons. He also happens to be the cousin of Sophia's bride to be.

Throughout the course of the novel we learn of this plot of LeBlanc's to capture the Red Rook and have him executed. The plot involves blackmailing his cousin into marrying Sophia to sneak around her house and learn any information he can about the mysterious vigilante. The novel flips between the view of Sophia and LeBlanc. Sophia has this elaborate plan to let all the prisoners out the prisons and blow them up for good. Meanwhile the head of security knows of this plan and has set one of his own in motion to capture her in the act and execute her in front of the sunken city.

The novel follows both sides, good and evil, Red Rook and head of security, as they learn of each other's plans and try to take each other down.