On the nature of evil [theory]
Just finished NtN, and I had a few thoughts about John/God. This will contain a lot of spoilers!
Given that he >!absorbed a significant amount of the earth’s soul!< and then made Alecto >!a Lyctor!<, is John himself basically a resurrection beast?
Throughout the series, the RB’s are presented as the dangerous enemy that the Lyctors must fight. But the beasts themselves >!don’t seem bothered by anyone that isn’t a necromancer!< (the blue circle left New Rho alone until the very end of NtN).
Then at the end of the series we are >!reintroduced to the devils!<, which are decidedly evil. For me, this put into perspective that maybe the beasts themselves aren’t all that bad, they just >!don’t like John or anyone with his powers (because of what John did)!<.
The Lyctors describe Alecto as being a monster that John had to destroy, but in the NtN flashbacks she doesn’t seem like that. She even >!hides her memories to protect Harrow’s body. John reveals that he locked her up to protect himself.!< So I don’t think Alecto is the villain the Lyctors make her out to be.
If John is an RB, that also explains why >!he can’t die. He’d need to be destroyed in the physical and in the River at the same time.!<
Basically, I think John is the final antagonist, and the series can only end by him being entombed the same way as Alecto, otherwise Dominicus will die.