Percy Newton

Percy Newton is Monty's best friend turned love interest and traveling companion in The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.

Appearance
Percy is described as having soft features, thin-nosed and fine-boned, traits which he inherited from his father. He has thick brown hair that grows in course curls and skin the color of sandalwood (tan, but not that dark-skinned, even though he is of black descent). He has light freckles underneath his eyes.

He is taller than Monty, and though his height hasn't been exactly given, he is said to be taller than most. (chapter 3)

Personality
Percy is more level-headed, calculating, and polite than his counterpart.

He tends to keep to himself and is showy about very few things. This trait is brought on by the fact he is not Caucasian, and has grown up knowing to avoid trouble by not speaking up, even when directly insulted (as it happens a few times throughout the story.) His hobbies include playing the violin, this also becomes his job in the sequel.

Health
Percy is a vegetarian for "health reasons". At the start of the novel, Monty doesn't understand this choice, and marks it off as absurd, saying he is finicky about food.

Later in the book it is revealed that Percy has epilepsy, which he has attempted to keep hidden most of his life.