Shadowshaper

Robbie is Sierra’s crush from school, a quiet, artistic boy who mostly keeps to himself. When Sierra learns that she’s a shadowshaper, Robbie reveals that he is also a shadowshaper, and he teaches her how to use her newfound powers. Robbie begins the book as a mysterious figure, someone who withholds information and seems to disappear at all the wrong moments (like when Sierra is being attacked by a corpuscule). However, the closer Sierra gets, the more she learns about Robbie’s quiet sense of humor, his strong connection to his ancestors, and his incredible artistic talent. By the end of the novel, Robbie is one of Sierra’s closest friends and a full-fledged love interest, someone she trusts to protect her family, and someone who wholeheartedly supports her as the new Lucera.

Grandpa Lázaro is Sierra’s grandfather. Before the events of the novel begin, Lázaro has had a stroke that prevents him from communicating properly. As the novel progresses, Lázaro overcomes this physical barrier on rare occasions to tell Sierra about her powers and warn her about an upcoming threat. Other than these brief moments, Lázaro remains mostly separate from the current events happening in the story; however, as Sierra uncovers the truth about her past, she realizes that Lázaro has made some very questionable choices that have led to his current position, such as keeping the shadowshapers a boys’ club and trusting Wick with powers. Lázaro seems to regret his actions, but many of his mistakes have had lasting consequences and will require time to truly heal.

María is Sierra’s mother and a schoolteacher. Like Sierra, María has inherited her family’s shadowshaping powers; unlike her daughter, María chooses to reject this life and dismiss her parents’ belief as crazy superstitions. María desires to blend in with the world around her, and her anger about shadowshaping comes from her fear of people finding her heritage and cultural beliefs strange or ludicrous. By the end of the novel, Sierra has encouraged María to overcome this fear and embrace her shadowshaping heritage.

Juan is Sierra’s older brother and a fellow shadowshaper. Unlike Sierra, Juan uses his skill as a musician, rather than an artist, to help give the spirits second life. Juan is protective of Sierra and loyal to her, but he also has contributed to keeping shadowshaping a secret from her for most of her life. To make up for this, Juan fights at Sierra’s side against Wick and helps her however he can, like uncovering the clues to finding Lucera.

Dr. Wick is an anthropologist from Columbia University who began studying shadowshaping with Lázaro. Though Wick may have started with good intentions, he soon becomes power hungry as and takes on more and more power for himself, eventually causing Lázaro’s stroke and systematically going after all the shadowshapers, including Sierra. A greedy, self-interested man, Wick represents cultural appropriation and the history of anthropology being used to capitalize on minority cultures.

Mama Carmen was Sierra’s grandmother who died before the story begins. Unlike Lázaro, who kept Sierra at a distance once she was no longer a child, Carmen was always close to Sierra and treated her with unconditional love and affection. Carmen and Sierra share a special bond, further explained once Sierra realizes that she will inherit the mantle of Lucera that Carmen previously occupied, which unites them to a long series of ancestors.

Well-known around the neighborhood for his humor, his newspaper, and his domino-playing skills, Manny is a long-time family friend to Sierra, having been close friends with Lázaro. Unbeknownst to Sierra, Manny is also a shadowshaper, and though he can’t tell Sierra directly about her powers, he encourages her with her artwork and tries to guide her along the right path toward stopping Wick. Manny’s death impacts Sierra deeply, and she places his spirit into the mural of the dragon she has been working on throughout the book, allowing Manny to continue to watch over and protect the neighborhood.

Bennie is Sierra’s best friend, and the two of them grew up together. Funny, smart, and fashionable, Bennie suffered personal losses, like the death of her brother, Vincent. Bennie is fiercely loyal to Sierra and supports her through her shadowshaping journey, even risking her own life to make sure Sierra can fulfill her destiny.