Situational irony - Nehanda caused the Raid and war
The unexpected plot twist that reveals that Nehanda was the one who cause the Raid that started the entire war takes Inan by surprise and causes him to finally see the truth behind their monarchy, which is the actual threat to the land and not the maji. This unexpected turn of events in the novel creates situational irony.
Dramatic irony - Amari makes a useless sacrifice
Amari goes behind everyone’s back and bids the Elder of the Cancer clan to help her devise a plan to sacrifice the village that stand before Lagos, to defeat Inan and her mother. She lets out a poisonous smoke over the village, knowing that Zélie is among the villagers, killing many innocent people. It turns out that her mother outwitted her yet again, and her sacrifice proves to be futile. The reader is aware of Amari’s plan to follow her father’s guiding voice and make this sacrifice while the rest of the characters are not, which makes this a dramatic irony.
Irony of Inan
Inan makes honest attempts to make peace with the Iyika, but circumstances always make him the villain. It is not only the circumstances, but also her mother’s pressure and involvement that puts the blame on him. He is a character conflicted between the duty to his people and what his heart tells him to be the right thing, which creates the chaotic and ironic developments in the plot.
Situational irony - the end
At the end, Zélie, Tzain and the rest who have linked their powers to defeat the monarchy and titans, finally make a move on the palace to kill the queen and Inan. Everything seems to be going according to the plan, until Zélie confronts Inan. A smoke suddenly fills the palace, and the novel ends with Zélie and Amari chained on a ship in the middle of nowhere. This ending is an unexpected turn of events that creates a cliffhanger at the end and makes the situational irony of the novel.
