Smalden Joveson.

There's a lot that comes to mind with this character-a varying jumble of scenes and thoughts that leave a lot to be desired. Despite being one of the most important characters (and plot devices) to the Green Ember series, We know relatively little about this young prince, something I have discussed previously in the froward to Ember’s Blood, so my primary focus today is not on that. Regardless, what we do know isn't entirely pleasant.

 In my retelling, Ember's Blood, we see the first book of the series, The Green Ember, from Smalls' perspective. In the book I explore Smalls’ thoughts and opinions on various goings-on. From the original source, we are seeing the story with little context as to why and how the events are happening and through the lens of characters who are primarily in the dark about most valuable information. Smalls, on the other hand, is excruciatingly aware of what is happening and, in fact, knows far more than most people about the true nature of Morbin’s empire (Although it is never called that, on technicality Morbin is an Emperor). So in reading Ember’s Blood, you get an entirely new perspective on the world of Nick Hollow, Natalia, Terralain, The High Bleaks, and the Northern Territories, because Smalls simply knows so much more about the wider world than Heather and Picket do. It also provides an opportunity to meet new characters-primarily Smalls’ older brother of thirteen months, Evander Joveson.

In this character analysis, I will provide an in-depth description of Smalls’ childhood and his major relationships and why I chose to portray them the way I did in my book. So be warned-massive spoilers ahead.

*The following history is not canon.

History and Overview

Smalls was born in the twentieth year of his father’s reign and was named Smalden after his mother’s father (so in reality, he was Smalden II). As the tenth-born child of his parents, he was largely overlooked and ignored (though not by intention) for the first two years of his life due to the 12th Ravaging that left his father preoccupied. However, this indifference ended after Harlen Seer and several other known Dreamers (Most importantly Wilfred Longtreader) began to have ominous visions of what they called ‘The Burning’, several of which featured an older version of Smalls. This was concerning, as a mass seeing hadn’t happened since the death of Garlacks nearly a decade and a half before.

After consulting with the Seers and several trusted Lords and Lord-Captains, Jupiter quietly named his youngest son his heir. At this time Wilfred Longtreader was also named the prince’s Chief Protector, a type of Godfather position that ensured that Smalls would always have someone looking out for him. It also meant that, once Smalls was old enough, Wilfred would take him on as an apprentice. (The primary reason for why Perkin One-eye wasn’t chosen was the fact that he was still reeling from the death of his wife and disappearance of his son in the recent Ravaging. Wilfred, one of the few others able to claim Jupiter as a blood-brother, was chosen instead) The Green Ember was not given to Smalls at the time, instead placed in the care of Wilfred to be given to the heir once he was old enough to understand the burden of it.

It was, of course, shortly after this that Garten Longtreader betrayed the crown, Morbin Attacked, The First Warren fell, the bloody Afterterrors began, and Smalls’ life takes a drastically different path.

By the age of five years old, Smalls had gone almost completely mute. In the two years that passed between the death of his father and the rise of his eldest brother, Winslow, the world as Smalls knew it had undergone some severe and negative changes. Falcowit, one of Morbin’s most trusted subordinates, had taken control of The First Warren and held it in an iron fist. Daggler, a rabbit who used to serve in the Natalian Army, had become the leader of the ‘Black Band’ a secret police designed to squash out any and all rebellion against the new regime and contemporary to the Longtreader Officers that kept Morbin’s other territories in line.

The Royal family was dashed to pieces. In the aftermath of the shock of the attack, Ian Joveson, Jupiter’s older brother, was murdered for insurrection, Winslow Joveson, the thirteen-year-old eldest Prince, was installed as a puppet king, and Garten Longtreader arrived to transition the city into Morbin’s Empire.

Garten was only in the city for five years, until Smalls reached the age of eight, but those five years were enough to instill a deep-seated fear and hatred of the buck in the young prince. This was largely in part because of the treatment of Smalls’ older sister, Briony, who froze to death after being forced out of the palace due to her out-of-wedlock pregnancy. This event was formative for him, and was the first of many tragedies in his early life.

At the age of five, Smalls began training for the military under Daggler. Daggler was cruel and primitive in his training methods, given to beating and isolating his students as punishments-often for very mild insurrections. He was known to explicitly dislike Smalls, stating in one report that he was, quote, a ‘Worthless wretch with zero potential and little usefulness beyond a punching bag.’ The harsh training did, however, have the effect of strengthening Smalls’ relationship with Evan. But by this point, Smalls still rarely spoke, and most viewed him as mute.

This changed the night Smalls’ older brother, Whitbie Joveson, ran for it in the first of two escape attempts.

Smalls had been the last person Whit spoke to before leaving. Whit assuming incorrectly that Smalls would remain silent under Daggler’s inevitable tortures. At age seven, Smalls was faced with imprisonment, beatings, and starvation. He eventually broke, something he grew to regret for the rest of his life. Whit was found and captured, and subjected to a horrible disfigurement. Smalls came out of the ordeal with few long-term effects, save for a scar in the shape of Morbin’s crest on the heel of his foot-a forever reminder that he belonged to the state, and the state could do as they saw fit with him.

            After this, Smalls’ silence was broken, and as he grew older the last few traces of his childhood muteness wore off.

            For the next four years, Smalls trained under Daggler, and as he grew he became increasingly impulsive and prone to angry muttering. This would wear off as he matured; but it did give Wilfred a run for his money several times. When he was eleven, a massive protest shook the city as thousands of rabbits turned up in an attempt to start a coup. It failed, resulting in a bloody massacre that solidly destroyed any and all innocence that Smalls had left. In the wake of this massacre, an epidemic of yellow fever killed many more lives, including Smalls’ other sister, Marianne, and his cousin Eliza. Whitbie disappeared for the second time, and was not found.

            It was also during this time that Wilfred managed to secure a route out of the capital for him, Smalls, Evan, and another brother, Asher. Successful in their attempt, Asher was sent to Vandalia while Wilfred took Smalls and Evan to Kingston for a summer. It was here that they met Heyna and Coleden Blackstar, though they never became close, and Cole spent most of the summer wondering how the pair were still alive. (There were also quite a few pranks played on Heyna-mostly spearheaded by Evan but thoroughly blamed on Smalls). It was during this time at Kingston that Smalls was given the Green Ember. But after a wolf raid on the place, incidentally the same one in which Lady Blackstar was killed, Wilfred made the call to leave. Evan was sent to Blackstone, and Smalls and Wilfred became wanderers, never staying long in any one place.

            The next major event in Smalls’ life would take place when he and Wilfred came to Nick Hollow and found Whittel Longtreader’s home burned, and for the first time in three years Smalls would have to learn how to deal with two extra travelling companions.

            Evander Joveson*

            Evan is Smalls’ older brother of thirteen months, a skilled swordsman, and the self-proclaimed family clown because ‘someone here needs to be normal, might as well be me’. He’s almost the opposite to Smalls, loud, chaotic, and mischievous where Smalls is quiet, collected, and serious. Having both gone through training together under Daggler, they have an impenetrable bond and work extremely well together. Evan manages to keep Smalls from spiraling into a storm of self-blaming and guilt and keeps the mood light while Smalls grounds Evan in reality and keeps him on track.

*Non-canon character

            Wilfred Longtreader

            Smalls’ relationship with his mentor is complicated at best. Wilfred, left reeling from the betrayal of his brother and the death of his best friend closed himself off from most social and emotional interactions, leaving Smalls to fend for himself in that regard as a young child. This left Smalls closed off and guarded as he got older and Wilfred’s grief slowly began to heal. Wilfred’s loyalty to Jupiter was the primary factor in his care for Smalls, and Smalls knew this from a young age. This left a complicated rift, in which Wilfred didn’t wish to replace Jupiter and Smalls, who couldn’t remember his father regardless, wished that Wilfred was more present.

            These two relationships were the most important during Smalls’ early years, and continued to be important well into the book series. In Ember’s Blood, more emphasis is placed on Smalls’ internal struggle with his history and the fears he battles, stating it best in a quote from a conversation between himself and Heather-

 “It…….it lives in my memories, the bad ones, the ones that I can’t forget whether I want them or not. The ones that keep me up at night and remind me how pitifully weak we really are. Paranoia is awful, Heather, you’re right, but sometimes we take the awful instead of the evil simply to survive.”

It is in this bit of dialogue that sums up the main conflict of Smalls’ character; When one has seen terrible things, how can one even picture a good future?

            Throughout the series, we see again and again that Smalls struggles to envision the Mended Wood-and even doubts his place in it, mentioning to Heather in Ember’s End that perhaps the Cause would be better off with someone with less ambition than him. This stems from being forced to choose the awful when there is no good choice. He believes that he is a failure as a leader because of the insurmountable odds he is faced with, when in reality sometimes the only choice one can make is the next best one. Sometimes there is no good choice, and there is only awful and evil.

            So Smalls’ character arc, is, essentially, him learning how to hope again, even with all of the horrible things he has been through. The lesson that lies in Smalls’ character is that of to bend, not to break, and how, at the end of the day, there is never not hope.