Theme of Power and Control
The underlying theme of the novel is the fight for power. Caul is the leader of wights and he gained control over the entire peculiardom. Wights are feared and in control over all of the centres. They captured all of the ymbrynes and use peculiar children for their cruel experiments. What's interesting is how the wights gained control and corrupted a large number of peculiars in the Devil's Acre. They did it with Ambrose-a drug made out of crushed peculiar souls. It enhances the peculiar power for a certain amount of time but also deteriorates ones flesh and power making the person rely on the drug for survival. With this substance wights gained control over peculiars without even having to imprison them or threaten them. The addicted peculiars are under their control because they depend on the drug the wights make.
Good vs. Evil
At the base of the novel there is a fight of good against evil. The good side, ymbrynes and peculiar children are fighting against the evil wights and their leader Caul. The evil side brought misery and fear into the peculiardom and it needs to be eradicated. The heroes go a long and horror filled path to finally in a cliché type of an ending win. Despite it being cliché it doesn't take away from the satisfaction of a happy ending.
Theme of Love
Theme of love is here as well, it is present through the development of Jacob and Emma's love story. They are obviously in love and it is a matter of time for them being together. Time is the most important factor in their relationship. The lack of time is the thing that stands in their way. At the end of the novel they are finally together and happy and the main reason for this because they finally have the most precious thing they can have: time.
