A Soul to Keep

The impact of loneliness and isolation is a key theme in A Soul to Keep. Reia and Orpheus, the two main characters, both experience acute loneliness as a result of their different isolations. Reia is isolated by the people of her village as a harbinger of bad omens. The priestess who prepares her to be offered to Orpheus even tells her, “The Demons left you alone, that in itself is a bad omen. You are cursed, and you are probably the reason your family is dead” (9). The Priestess’s beliefs are echoed by the rest of the village. They force Reia to stay in her house, only allowing her outside to get food and water, during which time no one speaks to her. She lives entirely alone until Orpheus takes her. Orpheus, as a Mavka who does not understand where he came from, struggles to keep his human companions alive and happy. Though he does not mean to, he terrifies humans due to his appearance and difficulty controlling his hunger urges when he smells fear. The Mavka do not live together, though he does attempt to help the other nameless Mavka who wants to obtain a human companion.