Magic
The book is filled with acts of magic. It also takes the unusual step of pointing out that magic is incantation and spells and that in order for those to work, steps must first be taken. “That was the truth of magic—blood and guts and semen and spit, organs kept in jars, maps for hunting humans, the skulls of unborn infants.” The imagery here is a recipe list for conducting actual magic on a mind-blowing scale. The suggestion here is that for things to happen—like love potions or curses—it must first be cooked up. And, like sausage, how magic is made is not necessarily what anyone wants to actually know.
Loaded Weapons
At one point two characters are discussing another. One asserts that “He’s a loaded weapon.” The other wryly counters that “He’s barely a squirt gun.” This is an example of imagery in conversation. The difference of opinion is more than just metaphorical characterization. Because these directly oppositional metaphors appear in dialogue rather than expository prose, they work as imagery which offers information about each speaker as well as the subject of disagreement. The exchange is an example of how imagery can more effectively reveal character than narrative description when it is presented within the context of conversation.
Anselm
An important character named Anselm is at one point described as reminding the protagonist of a person named Darlington. By the end of the chapter, however, she has changed her mind and thinks he no longer looks that way now. “He was a tan in a suit…a wealthy grifter looking for an edge…one more thief rummaging through artifacts in a country not his own.” Rather than simply asserting why her opinion has changed, imagery is allowed to do the job for her. This summing up of his character through reference rather that description conveys all the necessary information to determine the type of person Anselm seemed to her now.
Comfort
The life path of a woman named Alex is efficiently conveyed through the use of imagery. “Comfort was the drug she hadn’t understood until it was too late and she was hooked on cups of tea and book—lined shelves, nights uninterrupted by the wail of sirens and the ceaseless churning of helicopters overhead.” Within this one sentence is the information that Alex was at one time a drug user living in a crime-ridden part of town who has since risen much higher up the ladder of social status. Nevertheless, she remains an addictive personality for whom only the drug of choice has changed.
