Character Files: Get to Know Dani, Robbie, Colin, and Linda
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“Character Files: Get to Know Dani, Robbie, Colin, and Linda”
For July, I wanted to do something especially fun for early-interest readers, ARC teams, and book clubs: a character file you can use as a quick reference, a discussion starter, or even a casting guide. Think of this as a friendly dossier on the four core figures of Dominion: Ascension.
Dani Matthews – Journalist. Daughter. Dissenter.
Dani is the lens through which we first experience Dominion. She’s the daughter of Linda, a key architect of the Illegis system, and she’s grown up inside the world her mother helped build. Outwardly, Dani is successful and composed; inwardly, she is wrestling with doubt about her father’s death, anger at the system’s treatment of men, and a growing refusal to accept official narratives at face value.
For ARC and book club readers, Dani is your “what would I do?” character—the one whose choices invite you to imagine how you might respond if you benefited from a system you no longer fully believe in.
Robbie Thompson – Athlete. Dreamer. Escape Artist.
Marked at twelve and sent to The Colony as a Breeder, Robbie’s life has been defined by utility and control. Yet he remembers who he was before the labels: a kid who played cops and robbers with Dani, who knew freedom as more than a rumor. Robbie is resourceful, steady, and driven less by rage than by an unshakable desire to reclaim a full life.
Readers often see Robbie as the quiet heart of the story—a reminder that resilience isn’t always loud, and that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is keep believing that escape and love are still possible.
Colin Cordova – Servant. Scholar. Loyal Citizen (…Or Is He?)
Colin exists within Dominion’s structure and understands it from the inside. He plays by the rules not because he believes in them, but because he knows how to navigate them and survive with dignity. His intelligence, emotional nuance, and ability to read between the lines make him an unexpected ally for Dani, and a fascinating figure for readers who enjoy morally complex characters.
ARC team members have described Colin as “the character you’re never quite sure about, in the best way”—someone whose loyalty you keep reassessing as the story unfolds.
Linda Matthews – Psychologist. Mother. Strategist.
Linda helped build Dominion’s world and bears both the glory and the guilt. As the mind behind Illegis and the mother of Dani, she sits at the intersection of power and intimacy. Cold on the surface, layered with unresolved pain beneath, Linda is a character readers love to debate: Is she villain, victim, visionary, or some mix of all three?
For book clubs, Linda is often the spark for discussions about compromise, legacy, and what happens when your attempt to protect a nation damages your own family.
If you’re on the ARC team or leading a reading group, feel free to use these character files as a starting point for questions like: “Whose choices made you angriest?” “Who surprised you most?” and “Who do you want to see more of in future installments?”