Ethan Lawson Wate, 16 years of age, is the narrator of the novel, a high school boy from Gatlin, though he is not a Caster himself, somehow has the ability to protect Lena from powerful magic and evil magicians.
Lena Duchannes is a Caster girl who appears in Ethan's dreams before suddenly moving to Gatlin. She must be claimed for either Light or Dark on her sixteenth birthday. She is a caster girl who has moved to Gatlin after her grandmother had to go onto a trip. She had to stay with her uncle Macon Ravenwood, the town shut in. Then she meets Ethan Wate, a 16-year-old boy who wants nothing to do with Gatlin and wants to leave as soon as he graduates from High School. Lena has black, curly hair and had deep green eyes until one turned gold during the Claiming which never happened. Her mother is Sarafine, a dark Cataclyst. Her father was murdered by Sarafine.
Amarie "Amma" Treadeau is a seer who is like a grandmother to Ethan. She can communicate with her dead family, whom she calls the Greats.
Macon Melchizedek Ravenwood, Lena's uncle, is an incubus, who chooses to live off dreams rather than blood, and he is very close to Lena. While characters in the book compare him to Boo Radley, he is described by the writers, in an interview with Boys With Books, as an "Atticus Finch of badasses". (ich liebe ja to kill a mockingbird <3<3< 3 Ich bin ja förmlich ausgeflippt vor Freude, als ich das las^^
Marian Ashcroft is the librarian of the Mortal and Caster libraries. She was friends with Ethan's late mother, Lila Evers Wate, and has known Ethan since he was born.
Ridley Duchannes is Lena’s Dark Caster cousin; she is a Siren. She has the ability to manipulate anybody she desires with her Siren song. Ridley works for Sarafine and she goes out with Link until the end of the book.
Wesley "Link" Lincoln, Ethan’s best friend, continues to be nice to Ethan and Lena even when the rest of the school refuses to be nice.
Emily Asher, Ethan's ex-girlfriend, hates Ethan and Lena, and she helps turn people against Lena. She becomes the leader of the Guardian Angels.
Mrs. Lincoln, Link's mother, tries to get Lena expelled from school.
Sarafine Duchannes, Lena's mother and the strongest Dark Caster, tries to convince Lena to become Dark.
Mitchell Wate, Ethan's father, is a writer who stays in his room during the day and comes out at night, while he claims to be writing "the great American novel" but is actually merely drawing scribbles on paper, as a way of dealing with the loss of his wife.
Aunt "Del" Delphine Duchannes is Lena's Caster aunt. She is a "Palimpsest," a term used in the Caster Chronicles to refer to one who reads time.
Emmaline Duchannes, also called Gramma, is Lena's Caster grandmother. She is an "empath," a term used in the Caster Chronicles to describe one who can duplicate others's powers for a limited time.
Genevieve Duchannes was the Caster who caused the curse in Lena's family by trying to bring her dead fiance back to life using the Book of Moons.
Ethan Carter Wate is Genevieve's fiance who dies in the great burning of Gatlin (and is shot in the stomach, same place as modern day Ethan)
The Sisters, Mercy Lane, Prudence Jane, and Grace Ann, are Ethan's ancient great aunts who know all about Gatlin. Thelma is their caretaker.
Thelma is the caretaker of "The Sisters."
Reece Duchannes Also called Reece the Beast, Lena's Sybil cousin, who, in just one look in a person's eyes, can read every emotion that person is feeling and every thought that they are thinking.
Ryan Duchannes is the little unclaimed daughter of Aunt Del, who can heal people.