KOTLC Character Analysis: Dex Diznee

In this Character Analysis Series, I'll be analyzing the characters of my favorite book series: Keeper of the Lost Cities! We'll look at traits they possess, and how we can learn from them. All the characters mentioned below are created by and belong to Shannon Messenger, the author. This post is about Dex Diznee.

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Dex Diznee is Sophie's best friend. He manifested as a Technopath, but is also amazing at alchemy. He is sometimes discriminated amongst elves because his parents were a 'bad match'.

Dex is one of the nicest characters in the book. He has a likable personality, and a good sense of humor. Dex is often claimed to be underestimated, but I personally don't believe this. Dex plays a subtle yet important role; half the things the Black Swan does would not have been possible without him. He tends to degrade himself too, often implying that he is incompetent. At first, he didn't even want to accept his ability as a Technopath! Only later in the series did he slowly start to realize how appreciated he was. This shows that it is always better to embrace who you are rather than deny it.

Dex always wants the betterment of his friends and family. His parents, Kesler and Juline, were a 'match' because Kesler was talentless. Instead of complaining dramatically about this, he held is head strong, and protested against this unfair discrimination against them all. Even though they are annoying, Dex will go lengths to protect his troublesome triplet siblings, even if it means additional teasing. Dex teaches us that we must always stand up for what we believe, despite the consequences.

Dex is a creative elf too, and not just because of his ability. Other than his infamous creation, the Twiggler, Dex is very good at putting together elixirs; most of which are reserved for Iggy the Imp.

Dex knows how to have the right amount of fun in the right times, but can get deadly serious when he needs too.

He also creates the Ability Restrictor, which is used on Sophie. He learns that sometimes our own creations can turn on us. And despite the prank potions he whips up with ease, Kesler allows Dex to help out with serious mixtures from time to time. He created a highly dangerous tracking device for Alvar when his memory was wiped, and a special pair of crush cuffs to restrain Sophie's ability as an Enhancer.

Overall, Dex is a sweet person, slightly awkward and pouty, but always there for others in a time of need. He's the character who was there since the very beginning, and we know he'll stick to the very end.

 

Image Credits: https://shannonmessenger.com/keeper-of-lost-cities.html

Characters by Shannon Messenger: https://shannonmessenger.com/
Illustrations by Laura Hollingsworth: https://www.laurahollingsworth.com/