Ianthe Tridentarius is the perfect vampire.
Spoilers for every The Locked Tomb volumes, but mainly Gideon the Ninth.
Or, at least an allusion to one. I noticed this while reading Jean Marigny's "Le vampire dans la littérature du XXᵉ siècle" (The vampire in 20th century's literature, only available in french). While Ianthe is not a vampire in the stricter sense of the term (undead, immortal, vulnerable to the sun and religious symbols, feeds on blood, sharp teeth), she ticks off quite a few boxes on a 'Am I a vampire?' list.
The more important one would be that she is a Lyctor. All Lyctors are vampiristic in nature of the ritual to become one. You must consume a person to obtain a greater power and immortality, feeding on their 'life force' (would it be more accurate to say 'death force' in this case?) forever. You can't only consume the person in an immaterial sense (as would a psychic vampire), you need to consume some of the flesh (or blood) too.
"[...]Step six: consume the flesh. Not the whole thing, a drop of blood will do to ground you." Gideon the Ninth chapter 34
An eye color change after a vampirisation is also something that happens quite often in vampire medias. When achieving lyctorhood, the eyes of the person absorded become the eyes of the Lyctor.
Necromancy could also be considered, in a way, short-term vampirism. It is basically using what was once a living thing's life force, and using it to be temporarily stronger. Its lack of absolute necessity to stay alive is what makes it short-term, though the repetition of the act would make it closer to the usual vampire. And the blood sweat.
What makes Ianthe more of a vampire than the other Lyctors?
Often, in vampire stories, the vampire is a mysterious figure. We do not truly get to see its perspective, and we are unsure of its nature. There are hints throughout the narration about whether or not the character is a vampire and it is usually revealed at the very end, with, if a human character survived, the realization they were utterly blind to a great danger. The twins's storyline is written in quite a similar way, we are told both twins are necromancers and are led to believe Coronabeth to be the greater one. She is overall more present in this volume, always favored over her sister. Which keeps Ianthe as this mysterious, and more easily forgettable, character. Until the last 20 or so percent of the book, where Ianthe is revealed to be the sole necromancer of the twins. It also happens while she is revealing that she became a lyctor and how she became one. Everyone then realize they should've been more aware of her and that they were blind to her talents/danger.
As for her appearance, the words 'wax', 'waxy' or 'waxen' are used nine times throughout all 3 books (excluding the side stories). Five of these are used to describe five already dead people (twice in Gideon the Ninth and three times in Nona the Ninth). The other four, are all used to describe Ianthe in Harrow the Ninth. She is described as a 'wax figure' twice, a 'wax cast' once, and then of having a 'waxen face'. She is oftentime described as a more washed out Coronabeth. And she looks anemic.
"Cannot actually be anaemic considering diet primarily red meat and apples." Harrow the Ninth, chapter 16
So, she basically looks like a corpse. And being dead is sort of a requirement to being a vampire. Even if she cannot be considered as undead, due to lack of canonical evidence, her looking like it only reinforces the image of a vampire. And we could argue that lyctorhood counts as being undead. By killing Naberius and absorbing him, she killed Ianthe Tridentarius, to become Ianthe Naberius. She will never again be solely Ianthe Tridentarius, always a more grotesque version of herself.
This theory, if correct, would reinforce the 'undeadness' of Ianthe. It would also make of Corona a vampire too, which is fun. (edit: I forgot to link the theory I meant here, I have now linked it and will kill myself in shame)
Ianthe being a noble also plays into vampirism. Oftentimes, vampires are counts/countess or a reigning lord. A princess or a prince is not so far from it. She is, also, an antagonistic figure. Tormenting Harrow in Harrow the Ninth, not unlike how a vampire would. The psychosexual nature of their relationship is so on brand for vampirism, specifically vampirism in gothic literature. She tries to convince her to give in to Lyctorhood, to accept it happened. To accept her nature as a Lyctor, rather than trying to find an alternative to it. It is similar to an older vampire coaxing a fledgling into accepting their new nature.
"'Turn around,' she breathed. 'Harry, all you have to do is turn around. I know what you've done, and I know how to reverse it, if only you'd ask me to. Just ask, it's that easy. Dying is for suckers.[...] The past is dead, and they're both dead, but you and I are alive.'" Harrow the Ninth, Prologue
"[...] You are a Lyctor. You have paid the price. The hardest part is over. Smile to the universe, thank it for its graciousness, and mount your throne. You answer to nobody now." Harrow the Ninth, Epiparodos
"[...]It will be worse for you in the end, Nonagesimus—" Harrow the ninth, Epiparodos
She is immortal, undead (in a way), drank blood, and powerful. Invulnerable to the sun or religious symbols, with no need to keep on consuming other humans, making it possible to read her as a non restricted vampire. Thus, a perfect one.
jbbartram-illu
yousharknotpass
areudirty
pixelskylines
vaporwave
