Sarah Monette's "Melusine" Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Mirador

The citadel was indeed called the Mirador (as was the convent of wizards living there). The Virtu was a man-created magical artifact hidden within it, the source of the Mirador's power; Corambis was a far-away land; St. Crellifer's was a dreadful asylum in Melusine.

Answer: Malkar Gennadion

The Virtu, the source of the Mirador's strength, was destroyed by evil wizard Malkar Gennadion, who used the magic of his once-apprentice and lover, Felix Harrowgate, to break it. Stephen Treverius, the Lord Protector of Melusine, had nothing to do with it; the same is true about Thaddeus de Lalage, a somewhat paranoid yet fiercely loyal wizard-refugee from the Bastion, and Kolkhis of Britomart, one of the leaders of the Melusinian Lower City underworld.

Answer: They believed it evil and punishes those dabbling in it by burning them alive.

Unfortunately, if you are a necromancer, better not let the Mirador wizards know it; you'll be burned at stake for practicing this art, even if your aims are noble! Felix Harrowgate, the novel's protagonist, has gotten himself in serious trouble only because he had given peace and freedom to the enslaved ghosts of the citadel.

Answer: You will be burned alive for gross heresy

In the Mirador, using magic - ANY magic - on another human is believed to be gross heresy, which is punishable by death; the perpetrator is burned alive. Therefore, any healing magic is forbidden as is any harmful one.

Answer: All the answers are true

Ginevra, an attractive shop assistant with aspirations, hired Mildmay to steal for her; she talked him into participating (as bodyguard) in her deal with Vey Coruscant; soon after this disastrous meeting they became lovers, but later Ginevra decided to leave Mildmay; she was murdered at Vey Coruscant's instigation soon after that.

Answer: He was a close friend of Lord Robert of Hermione

Robert of Hermione and Felix Harrowgate hated each other passionately; in fact, it was Robert who revealed to the court some shameful details from Felix's history, namely the fact that Felix used to be a child prostitute. Both him and his half-brother Mildmay were sold into a kind of slavery: Mildmay was brought up to be an assassin and thief, Felix was forced into prostitution. Felix grew up to be the most powerful of the Mirador wizards: everyone admitted that he was the only one able to break the Virtu.

Answer: His natural hair colour was red

Although Mildmay had his hair dyed black for as long as he remembered, its natural colour was red, just like Felix's. He was never an accomplice of Vey: in fact, she murdered his ex-girlfriend, thus becoming his mortal enemy. Unlike Felix, Mildmay was an annemer - a non-magical person, unable to feel or perform magic. For some time he worked for Mavortian, a foreign wizard, who was trying to contact Felix.

Answer: No

Felix (older) and Mildmay (younger) were brothers, sons of the same mother, a Troian prostitute named Methony. Felix was sold into slavery as a little boy while his mother still lived; the same happened to Mildmay after Methony's death. They never met as children; they've seen each other for the first time in the town of Hermione, after the destruction of the Virtu, when Felix was 27 and Mildmay c. 21.

Answer: A labyrinth

Since the goddess of the dead was venerated as the lady of labyrinths, passing through it was believed by the citizens of Nera to be necessary in order to pass to the underworld. Thus, Felix (with Mildmay's help) created a maze to let the spirits rest.

Answer: None of these

Lord Shannon Teverius was not a wizard, but a high-born annemer (non-magical person), who did not have friends among lower class members such as Mildmay... and he certainly was not a girl. He was, in fact, a young man and Felix's lover for several years, before he found out about his shameful past.