School and education
The primary imagery of the novel relates to education and schooling. The characters are students in their higher education, but because of instability in the government, their experience of education has become haunted by government conspiracies. In the last installment of the series, Cia discovered that the Testing is government sanctioned murder where undesirables are eliminated. This is not a school they want to belong to, but it's their only path forward in life. The school imagery is quite hellish, showing that school isn't automatically a good thing.
Government and power
The government is a complex idea in the book. Although the government is guilty for the evil of state Testing, they are also the hope for change. For instance, Cia's main avenue forward is to work with President Collindar who is a state employee in the education system. This use of imagery shows that Cia can't just resort to absolute anarchy and expect to win. Besides, when they do manage to change the Testing, they learn that any change brings chaos. To overthrow the government would be foolish.
Paranoia and suspicion
The novel is haunted by the abstract imagery of paranoia. They struggle to trust people, having been deceived in novels past. They are highly suspicious of the people who seem to agree with their point of view, because the state has sometimes used spies in their rebellions to stop them. They have to use wisdom in how they work and who they trust, and when they decide to trust President Collindar, their trust is rewarded with real change, although that was a difficult trust to award.
Chaos and change
When they change the law about the Testing, the community devolves into chaos. This imagery is designed to remind the reader that when change is accomplished—even good changes—that shifts the status quo. The community shows how they deal with change; by resorting to various modes of chaos. The main characters are excited for change, but they must endure this season of chaos to see the benefits of their work.
