Forge

Curzon is the novel’s main protagonist, and our lens onto the world of the story. A runaway slave and former soldier, we meet Curzon after he’s been abandoned by Isabel, and on the run from his former employer Trumbull. It’s through his courage, kindness, and indomitable will that he is able to survive the many threats and dangers in this story.

Curzon is a fiercely individualistic young man, though he probably wouldn’t use that term to describe himself. He is not afraid to do what he believes is right when faced with injustice. He cleverly avoids (or at least attempts to avoid) the many agents of slavery. When bullied by the small-minded and hateful, like Burns or Trumbull, Curzon is utterly unafraid to stand up for himself; in the latter case, he even steals from Trumbull in order to take what was owed to him.

While Curzon is a strong, hardened young man, he also possesses a strain of great emotional vulnerability. He is often brought low when confronted by Isabel, the young woman who freed him in the previous novel, and Curzon is honor-bound to protect. He often slips into moments of remembrance or reverie when thinking of her and forces thoughts of romantic interest and love out of his mind, lest they cloud his judgement or betray his secrets.