Well yeah, Lantsov was a pig, but the Darkling could have just killed the monarch and his line if that was the only reason. Or care to find out who the other brother was and put him on the throne. But the Darkling doesn’t forgive does he or share his power now that he has it. He’d rather slay all the Grisha to get to Alina. Because that is what he wanted power through Alina. And what did Genya get for her years of loyalty or Sergei who betrayed where the spinning wheel was, got ripped to shreds as a thanks. The Darkling wasn’t a righteous revolutionary he was just going to be another kind of tyrant.
This is from that reddit comment about why everyone sided with the darkling.
Well yeah, Lantsov was a pig,
When you start a rant like this, and continue to something completely else, you're already dismissing the above.
Why bother with systematic issues, when you can find a single scapegoat, right?!
but the Darkling could have just killed the monarch and his line if that was the only reason.
I mean... that's what he tried to do, when he got tired of being nice, since it lead to nothing?
He allowed Genya to poison the King. HE was the one to kill Vasily (since his nice brother didn't have the guts to do so). He had his babies eat all the Lantsovs gathered to celebrate Nikolai's birthday. He incapacitated the secondborn bastard.
By the end of Ruin and Rising he had a clear path to the throne. Nobody to seriously challenge him. (Unlike the incompetent Golden Prince in later duology.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Or care to find out who the other brother was and put him on the throne.
Why? If you'd read any of his dialogues, you'd know he did that over and over, only to see anything he achieved crumbling as soon as "the nice" monarch dies.
“The people would love you for a time. But what would they think when their good king aged and died, while his witch of a wife remained young? When all those who remember your sacrifices are dust in the ground, how long do you think it will take for their children or their grandchildren to turn on you?”
Ruin and Rising- Chapter 9
What had changed? The answer was everything. Kings lived and died. Their sons were honest or corrupt. Wars ended and began again—and again and again. Grisha were not accepted; they were resented in Ravka and hunted abroad.
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 33
But the Darkling doesn’t forgive does he or share his power now that he has it.
No, he doesn't forgive, because his experience says they'll stab you in the back AGAIN.
As for him sharing his power... How do you know? Do you have access to some previously unpublished pieces?! We never got to see Second Army structure- and army HAS TO have it by definition-, and the only glimpse of his rule includes listening to "supplicants", accompanied by “I will take it under advisement.”, which is hardly an action of someone disinterested in others' opinions.
Ruin and Rising- Chapter 3
He literally offers Alina a throne in the same chapter, when we're at it:
“There are two thrones on that dais. You could see me anytime you liked.”
...
“I sought Morozova’s amplifiers for you, Alina, that we might rule as equals.”
He’d rather slay all the Grisha to get to Alina.
Which Grisha? Alina's "maybe fifty" traitors from "hundreds stationed throughout Ravka"? Because the later were either murdered by First Army, in hiding or "had sought out the Darkling".
Siege and Storm- Chapter 15, Shadow and Bone- Chapter 10 and Siege and Storm- Chapter 12, respectively
Because that is what he wanted power through Alina.
Well, then he'd picked the perfect person for it, wouldn't he?
The one, who just wants to crawl back under the rock...
And what did Genya get for her years of loyalty
I could ask what he got for years of close co-operation on the most dangerous kind of plans, and a blessing to off her otherwise untouchable abuser. Especially since the guy, who send the abuser to comfy "exile" with no restrictions regarding access to more victims to rape, "earned [Genya's] loyalty forever".
King of Scars- Chapter 23
She let a crucial asset go, when ordered the direct opposite. A bit of scarring is simply era-appropriate, although usually it would be delivered by a thick whip with much less precision. And a smaller chance to survive.
or Sergei who betrayed where the spinning wheel was, got ripped to shreds as a thanks.
Sergei was twice a traitor. First he chose not to heed the Darkling's call and join the side that planned to slaughter him (, his and a whole shitload of bystanders). Second he betrayed the side he thus picked.
While I understand why he did the later- Alina treated him like a burden, and he had very little support after a horrifying trauma- he's still less than reliable, and the Darkling's action was that of a general in middle of a conflict. Sure, quartering is "officially" a bit less modern than 19th century, but it's not such a stretch.
The Darkling wasn’t a righteous revolutionary he was just going to be another kind of tyrant.
Because tyrants usually have trust of their closest advisors, sit on the ground and share meals with their subordinates.
“Did you know I had two brothers?” Ivan asked abruptly. The familiar smirk was gone from his handsome face. “Of course not. They weren’t born Grisha. They were soldiers, and they both died fighting the King’s wars. So did my father. So did my uncle.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yes, everyone is sorry. The King is sorry. The Queen is sorry. I’m sorry. But only the Darkling will do something about it.”
Shadow and Bone- Chapter 20
In the light from the fire, I watched the oprichniki sitting side by side with the Grisha. Some of them had already drifted away from the fire to bed down for the night. Others had been posted to the first watch. The rest sat talking as the flames ebbed, passing a flask back and forth. The Darkling sat with them. I’d noticed that he had taken no more than his share of the grouse. And now he sat beside his soldiers on the cold ground, a man second in power only to the King.
Shadow and Bone- Chapter 5
Once again you can see reddit side of the fandom has nothing of value to offer. No fresh view, a waste of time.
I just noticed that the new Sun Summoners being called a Sun Soldiers and… have been denied in their new nature? They're kinda aren't Grisha in-universe? Just Sun Saint Cult 2.0 but with some real upgrade?
What's worse- they're being denied existence outside of the great King Nikolai's army. They're not people, they're not even Grisha, they're just living weapons.
It's the exact opposite of what was the Darkling trying to achieve- he wanted Grisha to be seen as Ravkans. Perhaps with a different set of skills, but just as human as the majority of population, equal.
“... [The Darkling] vowed that we would someday have a safe place, that Grisha power would be something to be valued and coveted, something our country would treasure. We would be Ravkans, not just Grisha. That dream was the seed of the Second Army. …”
Ruin and Rising- Chapter 10
Kings lived and died. Their sons were honest or corrupt. Wars ended and began again—and again and again. Grisha were not accepted; they were resented in Ravka and hunted abroad.
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 33
Now there's a group that doesn't even have a name outside of the war effort (They're called Sun Summoners TWICE in the Shit duology.). They're just tools. Vessels of a useful power. Breathing shiny tech. They might not be officially serfs (maybe), but they're more dehumanized than ever.
Alina's legacy is destruction of every scrap of dignity afforded to Grisha.
I still can't figure out how the Darkling wasn't elevated to some very local divine saint status long before the Fold was even created. It would be logical if the existence of such ancient "roots" had been distorted over time, just like everything else in these books.
Worse- it's outright offensive how we're introduced his alleged worshippers, who know nothing about him, and completely ignore his work and goals, aside from "good of Ravka" or whatever.
Okay, let's go, and suffer first...
WARNING: I'M TURNING THIS ASK INTO ANTI BOOK!STARLESS CULT RANT
Nikolai extended his hand. “Come to breakfast. My cook makes a marvelous pork loin.”
[the Starless' leader:] “I don’t eat meat.”
“Of course you don’t,” Zoya said. “It’s animals you object to killing, not people.”
“The Darkling—”
King of Scars- Chapter 7
The Darkling what?!
The Darkling would've wanted his followers to go vegetarian?!
“No, you may not. I wish to speak on the matter of the Starless One and—” Abruptly Yuri straightened. His eyes widened and his jaw went slack as he looked around the room and seemed to finally register where he was. He clasped his hands like a soprano about to sing. “Oh,” the monk gasped. “Oh. It’s you. It’s all of you. I …” He turned to the members of the Triumvirate and bowed deeply. “Moi soverenye, it’s an honor.” He bowed a second time. “An absolute honor.” Down he went again. “A dream, really.”
... Zoya ignored Yuri’s protests and said, “You do realize every member of this Triumvirate fought against your beloved Starless Saint in the civil war?”
“Yes, yes, of course.” The monk pushed his wire-rimmed spectacles up the bridge of his long nose. “I do. But, well, David Kostyk, the great Fabrikator who forged the first amplifier worn by Sankta Alina herself.” David looked at him blankly and returned to his reading. “Zoya Nazyalensky, who was one of the Darkling’s most favored soldiers.” Zoya’s lip curled. “And then, of course, Genya Safin, the First Tailor, who bears the marks of the Darkling’s blessing.”
King of Scars- Chapter 9
So the guy sees anti-Darkling murder club as people worth veneration during their lifetimes?! The very same people, who betrayed him? Who stabbed him in the back? He calls rather obvious punishment (again- very era-appropriate) "a blessing"?! The tiny little detail he uses the Darkling's title to address these clowns is just a cherry on the top.
The writing immediately gets worse than Ra-Ra-Apparat.
... if the monster emerged, if Nikolai revealed this dark presence, he might be the very thing that set his country back down the path to violence.
“Perhaps you don’t give the people enough credit,” said Yuri.
“No?” said Zoya from her perch. “The people who still call Grisha witches despite the years they’ve kept this country safe? Who bar them from owning property in their towns—”
...
“People are always looking for someone to blame for their suffering,” Yuri said earnestly. “Ravka has seen so much strife. It’s only natural that—”
King of Scars- Chapter 12
So our little Darkles-worshipping monk is now excusing pogroms?! Poor people needed a scapegoat... oops, it happened to be Grisha?! What a shock!
Nikolai ignored her. He would say what he had to, do what he must to be rid of this sickness. “It was not coincidence that brought you to the palace gates. You were meant to bear witness to the last remnant of the Darkling’s power. You were meant to bring us to the thorn wood. You were meant to free us both.”
“Me?” said Yuri, his voice a bare breath, but Nikolai could see that he wanted to believe. Don’t we all? Who didn’t want to think fate had a plan for him, that his hurts and failures had just been the prologue to a grander tale? To a monk becoming a holy warrior. To a bastard becoming a king. “Me,” repeated Yuri.
...
“Only you can complete the Darkling’s martyrdom,” said Nikolai. “Will you help me? Will you help him?”
“I will,” said Yuri. “Of course I will. I will take you to the thorn wood. I will build a holy pyre.”
-||-
It's just an easily manipulated fool for the dashing heroes to use...
“The followers of the Starless Saint will be waiting,” said the monk, practically dancing. “They know where he fell. They remember.”
“Do they?” Zoya retorted. “I don’t recall any of them being there. If they had been, they would remember all of the names of the dead, not just your precious Darkling.”
King of Scars- Chapter 14
As it had been pointed out, the Cult would've been much more interesting (and believable) as a product of efforts of the Darkling's actual supporters. The remains of his forces. Not a bunch of random zealots spewing shit about blessing by merzost.
“Centuries before,” Yuri continued, “the Starless One stood on this very spot and challenged the rules that bound the universe. Only he dared to try to re-create the experiments of the Bonesmith, Ilya Morozova. Only he looked to the stars and demanded more.”
-||-
Okay, now how come some random normie monk knows all this?!
Let's say he found some lost annals written about Ilya. Who would be recording those, and why? A guy with a quill just dropped by, already certain Ilya's life is gonna be worth recording?! The writings survived?! Why would they be in the Church's possession? Are those some more diluted copies of Morozova's journals? How does he know the Darkling's intentions, when we only learn it from Grisha nerd, so it seems more like the kind of information otkazat'sya aren't overly interested in passing on?
Why reading a real history book always contains whole shitload of "We don't know/The records are patchy at best/Writing wasn't widely spread and writing materials deteriorated during ages/The descriptions come only from the enemy, so aren't very reliable...", yet here some rando knows EVERYTHING?!
How convenient the guy, who will be "saved" by the Darkling's action in the Fold read them all, and made such a clear-cut story of it. Again, this would make more sense as something told by a person familiar with Second Army and its leader during his lifetime. Old highly ranking Alkemi, surviving captain of the oprichniki, otkazat'sya librarian from Little Palace... someone, who has a reason to know and spread the glory of the unwavering, immortal General.
Honestly, the choice of Yuri itself makes the Cult much less serious. He isn't someone, whose conviction comes from experience and reason, he's just another fanatic, who read (religious half-lies) and dreamt his way into his faith. It might be enough for an ordinary religion, but it's rather insulting, since the Darkling's life and goals had always been about hard facts and tangible results.
“Great men are often the victims of the lies told by their enemies. What Saint has walked among us who did not face hardships in this life? We have been taught to fear darkness—”
“A lesson you failed to learn.”
“But we are all alike in the dark,” said the pilgrim. “Rich man, poor man.”
-||-
Why I don't think this is the worst idea ever, I'd rather highlight the safety of being invisible. Then I'd connected it with the traditionally unseen classes of people- servants, people doing inferior yet vital jobs, outcasts etc.- then I'd elaborate into the above in a sense that even the King needs to shit and it won't smell of roses.
Instead of praying, a revolution would suit this MUCH more. Both the idea, and the man. The Darkling being the fallen leader painted on posters, an eclipse akin to sickle and a hammer- a symbol of WHEN are all people the same.
The Cult containing some of those familiar with the Darkling as a living human would offer more personal layer- don't spread grand myths of the Fold and how is it a blessing in disguise, but tales of his modesty, pride in being who he is no matter who spits at him, his effective ways of managing Second Army. Some war stories- a commoner, who isn't related to Grisha, yet learnt to respect the man would be a jackpot. Sure, build a monument, but make it a monument to togetherness. Use him as an iconic outcast ordinary struggling and destitute can relate to.
THEN maybe add that "Great men are often the victims of the lies told by their enemies.". Otherwise it looks just like arrogance defending a ten times convicted criminal walking free. And again- when speaking to possible new worshippers, point out whatever injustice they experienced to make them relate.
Then there was the strange blight that had struck north of Djerholm. Nina didn’t know where that had come from, a natural phenomenon or the work of some rogue Hringsa operative. But she did know there’d been murmurs it was the work of the Starless Saint, retribution for the religious raids and arrests by Brum’s men.
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 2
Priorities.
Brum, of all people, shouldn't be seen merely as a man responsible for suppression of a new-ish religion. He represents an antithesis of everything the Darkling stands for. Strongly nationalistic Fjerdan in charge of Grisha annihilation?
How I hate the complete erasure of Grisha plight from Aleksander's Sainthood.
.... “A blot of shadow rolling over the countryside, like night coming on too quickly. Everything the shadow touches succumbs to blight—livestock, property, even people dissolve into smoke, leaving behind nothing but barren earth.”
“Pilgrims came through only a day ago,” said Zoya. “Followers of the Starless One. They claim this is punishment for the reign of a faithless king.”
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 3
... They claim this is a sign of the reign of a worthless king.
Faith is one thing, but the Darkling's so closely tied to material concerns, I'd rather highlight current monarchy's other failures. Both neighbours hostile, enormous debt, no clear line of succession, Crown-supported religious crisis, continuing draft for only some parts of population... (and realistically a whole shitload of suspicious innovation and a lack of social security.)
“Besides, there’s a new Saint every week now,” Rasmus continued, clearly enjoying baiting the priest. “Sankta Zoya, Sankta Alina, the Starless One.”
“Heresy,” the Apparat snarled. “The followers of the so-called Starless Saint are nothing but a cult of fools dedicated to destabilizing Ravka.”
“I hear their membership grows daily.”
Demidov laid a comforting hand on the priest’s sleeve. “My first act when we return to Ravka will be to root out the members of this Starless cult and stop their heresy from infecting our country.”
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 13
It's already hard to believe Alina's cult is unanimously accepted pretty much immediately- no opposition, no academic disputes, no old believers unwilling to agree a Saint can live after their martyrdom-, but how come there's a voice raised only against the Starless?! The one, who happens to follow the traditional pattern of great deed-> death -> glorification? How come there's no voice raised against Sankta Zoya, whose miracles are what exactly?!
Not only she's still alive, nobody pretends she ever died AND she's a fervent supporter of current King, therefore she should be higher on possible Throne claimant's hit list, than a cold, dead and gone bogeyman.
Sure, the Apparat doesn't have a beef with her, yet...
“This isn’t a weapon,” said Nikolai. “Not one any of us know how to wield. The blight has struck in the Wandering Isle, Fjerda, and Novyi Zem.”
She paused, taking that in. “The shadows, the dead soil that follows in the wake of this blight. All of it is reminiscent of the Fold.”
“It is.”
“There is talk of the return of the Darkling, the Starless One.”
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 18
Not one any of us know how to wield. Well, whose fault is that? Perhaps killing the only person with some decent experience, then letting a herd of normies "destroy" the Fold five seconds after miraculously turning into Grisha might've been a giant fuck up instead of freeing the country from whatever.
There is talk of the return...
Do I have to type out HOW well could this be used to overthrow the monarchy?!
If the brilliant little straw man of a monk figured out there's only been one Darkling, why not point out and use any correlations between his "deaths" and stability of the country? If the Darkling's about to return, why not welcome him by levelling the playing field?
Chernov smiled. “And then we continue the good work of spreading the Darkling’s name and championing his Sainthood. Once King Nikolai is deposed, Vadik Demidov will be crowned and we will petition—”
“Demidov will be a Fjerdan puppet.”
“What do we care for politics of that kind?”
“You’ll care when they stack Grisha on the pyre.”
“Grisha?”
Aleksander had to work to hide his anger. “Was not the Darkling a Grisha?”
“He was a Saint. There is a difference. What has come over you, Yuri?”
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 26
This is my greatest issue with the whole Cult bullshit.
The Darkling- the proudest of all Grisha to ever Grisha- isn't considered one, AND his lives-long no. 1 goal (since he were thirteen) is dismissed, because who cares about Grisha, right?!
He wasn't only physically robbed of his own being due to his resurrection, his alleged worshippers did it even in less literal sense, and kept spreading that shit.
Chernov took a step forward. “Yuri, you cannot mean that. We have never troubled ourselves with politicians and their games.”
“This is no game. The Apparat betrayed the Darkling. He fought against naming him a Saint. He allies himself with Ravka’s enemies. But you would go to ground, trembling like animals without teeth or claws.”
“So that we may survive!”
“So that we can run back to a corrupt priest when he joins Demidov’s court? So that we can return to begging for his notice by chanting outside the city gates? We were meant for more.” He met the eyes of those watching him, exchanging angry whispers. “No doubt some of you joined this group for the very purpose of avoiding battle. You didn’t want to pick up a gun, so you put on a robe and carried the Starless banner. I will tell you right now, we do not want you here.”
“Yuri!” cried Chernov. “This is not our way.”
-||-
Spineless apolitical pacifists.
They can't be further from what the Darkling stands for.
“We don’t dictate the arrival of the Starless Saint. We have to be ready to defend ourselves.”
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 33
Sounds reasonable, doesn't it?
That's because it's Aleksander talking...
And I would totally make this one of the corner believes of his Cult.
Anyway...
Back to your original ask:
Yes for a shadow monster under little Fjerdans' bed, send to devour all those, who don't want to go to sleep.
Yes for a mysterious forest spirit, who hid in a swathe of darkness a group of unjustly hunted, when they tried to escape their pursuers.
Yes for a cruel noble, with a habit to bed all the most beautiful maidens in his domain, having his eyes see only black nothing after he strikes another pure girl for resisting him.
I'll end with my personal headcanon of what Aleksander as a Saint should represent:
Starless Saint, patron of outsiders, oppressed and nameless, shadowy friend of all lonely and friendless, propagator of fighting back and getting shit done.
Best worshipped by leaving sweets on his altars, since he himself is said to leave candy by children’s beds at night.
Sorry to intrude, but since it seems you’re analyzing DitW and it’s about the Darkling’s past, I thought it might be semi-relevant to ask. There’s that theory (not sure if it’s canon, heavily implied, or just a headcanon in the fandom) that Baghra had multiple kids before and possibly after Sasha. If that’s true, why do we not see them? Did she get rid of them/abandon them if they were otkazat’skay or disobedient? I remember having heard that theory, then reading DitW for the first time, and whenever it mentions near the end Baghra being disapproving of Sasha trying to make friends (especially because of how it ended) I thought for sure he was about to get disowned or something. Or worse. But I haven’t heard anyone talking about the theory, so for all I know it’s a figment of my imagination.
Don't be afraid to ask. I sometimes take long to answer, but eventually I will.
Aleksander had indeed many half-siblings. He remembers trying to find some of them once he got too lonely, and likely once it was obvious he and his mother have different wants and emotional needs.
... He’d met his half sister, who had herself passed into legend and Sainthood. He’d searched the world for his mother’s other children, hungry for kinship, for a sense of himself in others. ...
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 33
As for the fate of those children- that's clarified in one of the short stories:
“I remember you,” he repeated. “You were born with a tail. Every summer I’ve come here to study and watch the sea folk, wondering if you might return.”
“No,” said Ulla. “No. The sildroher cannot breed with humans. I cannot have a mortal mother.”
He gave a slight shrug. “Not entirely mortal. The people of this country would call her drüsje, witch. They would call me one, too. They play at magic, read the stars, throw bones. But it’s best not to show them real power. Your people know this well.”
...
Ulla felt the hurt inside her winnow to a hard point. “And did your witch mother care at all for the child she abandoned to the sea?”
But the apprentice did not look troubled by her harsh words. “She isn’t one for sentiment.”
The Language of Thorns- When Water Sang Fire
In short any imperfection led to immediate abandonment, and judging from the qualities of the only child she kept, she was trying to make herself a copy. Immortal, Shadow Summoner, maybe even human amplifier to ensure they'll be in the same danger as her, therefore less likely to leave her.
Aside from DitW, we only meet very old Baghra, so perhaps she kept some of the "earlier" experiments until they grew up, and developed codependency only with Aleksander due to his similarity, but as he says- she isn't one for sentiment, to put it mildly. My money's on cold genetic experimentation with clear purpose- creating obedient Baggy 2.0 to share her miserable worldview.
the darkling doesn't really do anything about the nobility having all the luxury. but in terms of the small bit of wealth the darkling has, he doesn't use it to help ravka. he builds a palace. like yeah its smaller then the grand palace but its still a literal palace
......ummm what?
throwing grisha under the bus- is definitely not the best way to fix the problem of the precarious position of the minority. like letting your people get hurt, not great. the darkling kinda uses the 'one girl for all of ravka' argument (which is basically utilitarianism but thats a philosophy student tangent which if you want hit me up and i can gladly go on) except its not one girl its genya and alina and zoya and every single other girl.
WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN LMAO
Hey nonny, I'm as baffled as you are and I've just woken up.
Almost a year later:
Now I suspect, what you're quoting, but I don't want to poke that pile of shit at the moment, so I'll only react to those parts you're pointing out.
the darkling doesn't really do anything about the nobility having all the luxury.
Strange, a fancy-clothed serf doesn't force the ruling class to relinquish their riches, even though he has no support of wider population...
but in terms of the small bit of wealth the darkling has, he doesn't use it to help ravka. he builds a palace. like yeah its smaller then the grand palace but its still a literal palace
There's no indication the Darkling HAS anything- quite contrary. He is a serf- therefore even his body doesn't belong to himself.
But when Yevgeni had offered Aleksander his reward, he had refused the king’s gold. “There are others like me, Grisha, living in hiding. Give me leave to offer them sanctuary here and I will build you an army the likes of which the world has never seen.”
...
Only King Yevgeni’s Apparat continued to campaign against the Grisha. He railed that the Saints would forsake Ravka if the king continued to harbor witches beneath his roof. Each day he would stand before the throne and rant until he was short of breath and red in the face. One day, he simply keeled over. If he’d been helped to his death by a Corporalnik posted by a shaded window, no one was the wiser.
But the next Apparat was more circumspect in his objections. He preached the tale of Yaromir and Sankt Feliks at the First Altar, a story of extraordinary soldiers who had helped a king unify a country, and two years later, Aleksander began work on the Little Palace.
Rule of Wolves- Chapter 33
Now where did the Darkling get the funds for building a Palace two years after refusing payment? I'm sure Grisha, who had to beg for "sanctuary" has coffers and coffers of gold stashed somewhere...
As for Little Palace being called "Palace"... it's a huge building, what else should people call it in this setting? "Big house"? "Barn for two-legged livestock"?! Sure, it's beautiful, but from its descriptions it's all Grisha work. Carvings and craftsmanship, not precious stones or metal.
throwing grisha under the bus- is definitely not the best way to fix the problem of the precarious position of the minority. like letting your people get hurt, not great.
You're right- after the most of Grisha fled, or were killed during the Civil war for siding with the Darkling (or being born Grisha to begin with), Grisha keep on being exploited and worse- kidnapped from Ravka itself. It would seem the Heroes failed once again.
the darkling kinda uses the 'one girl for all of ravka' argument (which is basically utilitarianism but thats a philosophy student tangent which if you want hit me up and i can gladly go on) except its not one girl its genya and alina and zoya and every single other girl.
It's fascinating that picking three "girls" with a thing in common- being somehow "wronged" by the Darkling, although their circumstances were significantly different- as the only representatives of all of Ravka doesn't rise any eyebrows. Or that they miraculously tranformed into "every single other girl".
Hell, Darkles' schedule must be pretty busy, if he finds a way to ruin everyone's life in so many ways- getting them to desert, join his opponent or straight up disobey his order?
Or are we supposed to ignore how common rules don't apply to them? How we're to overlook chain of order, social status and heroes' attitudes of 21st century pampered, entitled brats?
After some deliberation I've decided to put almost everything from the first part of this chapter under a single post, because all of it is thematically intertwined. It paints a picture of the state in which Ravka finds itself, its treatment of Grisha, all the reasons Aleksander attempted the Coup, and how he's about to get repaid.
Wow, I wonder why would anyone mind being perceived as no more than (annoyingly) living, breathing furniture...
... at best.
Why is Ravka so behind in military development?
There wasn't an involved Tsarevich to sweet-talk the Royal Couple into letting the Fabricators work on ~that~, because let's be honest- it certainly wasn't Alina, who persuaded them.
And the best mind they have doesn't want to create tools of destruction (and apparently the big, bad Darkling didn't MAKE him, if David's so shocked by use of Alina's powers to spread the Fold).
*mumbles*
As if he'd never done that before... as if the Darkling were a stranger to battle...
Shadow and Bone- Chapter 10 & Rule of Wolves- Chapter 33
Yeah, he sounds exactly like the kind of general, who stays in the rear...
Look, I know Sikurzoi are supposed to be uninhabitable or whatever, but let's be honest- which mountains (in mild climate) are completely uninhabited? Why wouldn't Aleksander- a lives-long student of survival- use otherwise hostile place to hide?
I know ~I~ would.
Do you mean "Are there any living Grisha left, stationed there?".
Geeez...
Zoya truly doesn't acknowledge the First Army massacres, does she? And the word ~would~ have reached them at this point, even if we ignore the dead from Grand Palace. Fedyor's group's in Little Palace!
Remember, children: It doesn't count as war, if they only regularly attack your villages, draw back, and their government claims it knows nothing!
He’s never faced the might of the First and Second Armies working in tandem... I wonder why... Could it be because your precious First Army hates his people so much they went to slaughter them the moment the Darkling's out of the picture?
I know this is Naïve Nikolai, but the way he puts it... as if otkazat'sya working alongside Grisha weren't exactly, what's Aleksander trying to achieve for centuries. As if he didn't manage it on smaller scale with his oprichniki. As if he should be surprised by mere possibility of it!
The weapons will be only a cherry on the top, the reason he keeps using nichevo'ya even though it costs him dearly. It's the kind of weapons he fears, because he knows, what it can do to his people (aside from rendering them strategically useless). He's seen massacres, he caused massacres, he cannot prevent them. And let's not forget he might be in the front line, but it will be those remaining 80 % of Grisha right behind him. And Nikolai's fancy new machine guns won't miss them more than his Army's weapons did.
This is horrifying.
They intend to slaughter the man for the crime of standing up to their regime and finding a way to substitute his people with canon fodder of magical variety, completely disregarding whys, or bothering to check if they're not living in a glasshouse first.
Why is no one asking about the pogroms? Why is no one questioning Grisha safety FROM FIRST ARMY?! Why do they act as if another massacre of Grisha should solve all their painfully obvious issues?!
Why am I supposed to wish THEM success?!
In a way...
How is your victory gonna ensure Grisha a place in Ravkan society, Alina?!
You murder the Darkling together, good... then what? Ya'll get a nice house in the country and your neighbours won't burn it to the ground? Stone you to death next time something bad happens? Never again- Grisha being dragged out of their beds in middle of the night?!
THAT'S what Aleksander feared- once Grisha are no more necessary for the wars, there's no place for them in THIS Ravkan society! Unlike otkazat'sya, those weapons don't make them vulnerable only physically!
This makes my head hurt.
Are they truly this blind?!
There's not a single voice raised against cooperation with the very same people that have been murdering theirs mere weeks ago, but the Darkling is some sort of ultimate evil on word of one (1) girl and the remains of her semi-official ménage-a-trois?!
There's a lot to unpack in the whole Manly Manfight scene, so I've decided to thematically sort it, keeping the crumbs of pure Malina issues here. I'll leave their post-Zoya kiss confrontation for another post, because that's quite a pile of trash. The stuff below is mostly indirect tells they might not be as perfect for each other as the narrative wants us to believe.
I wonder if Alina were so concerned with fairness, should anyone else stand in Malyen's place.
Also: He doesn't want your help is about 50 % of what's wrong with Malina relationship. HE is the strong one, she's here to cater to his emotional needs. Gods forbid Alina would end a fight he got himself into!
Assuming Malyen is truly THE third amplifier, wouldn't it be funny, if he were claimed by some random Grisha due to his own carelessness?!
And of course Alina's going to blame her own ~careless~ words. As if her man child weren't able to see the difference between his (at least) basic training (and layers and layers of plot armour) and underfed "army" of ragged peasants, armed with sticks and faith.
If this were about ability to fight Grisha, he could've asked Botkin for special lessons- I doubt ~that~ guy lacks skills to share. Or the twins, if he hates everything Little Palace-related so much... but no, it's only about his ego, and the way others see him.
That said, here's another wasted parallel- Alina's helpless worshipers are seen only from afar. There's no fighting we'd see them in. Now, who has similarly untrained believers to work with?! And DOES attempt some basic training at least... wouldn't that be our late Starless Saint?
They held services every sundown, and during the days, they alternated praying and training. They were going into a battle, after all, and though Aleksander did not intend for them to do much fighting, they needed to look like they knew what they were doing.
More arguing, more denying for the sake of disagreement, more of degrading the “villain”...
“He can’t wait to get away from you.”
I’d beg to differ. Pretty sure he’s trying really hard not to kill you, Alina.
...the bright edge of the blade pressed to Mal’s throat. The man holding him wore a familiar sneer. Ivan.
***
“Drink.”
I open my eyes. Ivan’s scowling face comes into focus. “You do it,” he grumbles to someone.
***
It was hard climbing with my hands in irons, and Ivan quickly lost patience. He hooked my wrists to haul me up the last few feet.
***
Before I could begin to sort through them, Ivan appeared and began yanking me back across the main deck. “Slow down,” I protested, but he just gave another jerk on my sleeve.
***
“Move,” Ivan ordered. I struggled to my knees. He nudged me with the toe of his boot...
***
“She’s the Darkling’s prisoner,” said Ivan, “and a traitor.”
***
“Bring her,” he called to Ivan.
“Mal—” I began as Ivan grasped my arm.
Mal lifted his bound hands, reaching for me. His fingers grazed mine briefly, then Ivan was hauling me back toward the hatch.
Ivan’s never been fond of Alina, he’s clearly far from excited about their quest to find her. He’s more likely to be afraid for the Darkling, than of him.
The Darkling doesn’t miss a chance for a little dig at one of Alina’s less desirable qualities. He’s also avoiding direct answer once again. Alina doesn’t mind, she’s happy to supply it herself.
Free from illusions? Free from dependency? Free from small mindedness? Free from what?
The Darkling plays tutor. Alina’s interested in possible harm, not education. Knowing future events, I can say it could’ve help her call his bluff at the end of Ruin and Rising.
The Darkling’s a beacon to volcra, but they don’t try to eat him? I’d be sceptical. We could explain their “attraction” with magic, but if we view them as carnivorous creatures, why would they scratch his face, but not take a chunk off?
They [volcra] were his creations, just like the thing that had buried its teeth in my shoulder.
Nichevo’ya are different “animals”. Volcra are mutated once-humans, nichevo’ya creatures torn from the Darkling’s own being.
Calling on merzost was painful, like a breath torn from his lungs, a moment of terror as his life was ripped away to form another. Creation. Abomination. But he was used to it by now.
...
“It’s not an experience I’d care to repeat. I’ve had my fill of the volcra’s mercy. And yours.”
Good thing Alina doesn’t consider the Darkling capable of human emotions, so she doesn’t have to think about how he had to feel, losing everything just a step before achieving his lives-long goal. How desperate he had to be to resort to merzost, standing in the result of his last failed attempt to control it.
Gods, how I wish he were done with Alina.
I love the contradiction between practicality about use of Alina’s powers and sort of belief Morozova’s amplifiers are akin to family heirloom, therefore she- his counterpart- should have them. Aleksander already is an amplifier himself, so who else should claim his grandfather’s creations? As (m)any beliefs it muddles his judgement when it comes to Alina’s future.
When one accusation doesn’t stick, try scholar pose... and then emotional manipulation.
We should read this as guilt over him blinding Baghra, but I’d suggest different interpretation:
The Darkling is centuries-old immortal, but the only person he’s had through all those years is his abusive mother. He understands she’s not supportive, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t long for her approval or affection. It’s irrational, but she’s the only person he belives won’t die on him and she’s still his MOTHER. He wants to be loved by her no matter how much she acts like anything but capable of that.
Perhaps he’d seen her betrayal sooner.
Alina reading willingly?! I don’t remember her doing anything for her own enjoyment. It’s either assignments or what her clique drags her to do.
Peasant propaganda? I’d love to read more about the Darkling’s experience in this particular field.
This isn’t even Alina trying to persuade herself, she just says the opposite of what the Darkling does. Like a child trying to trump another in an argument.
Equality should never be about lowering yourself to whichever level’s necessary.
Naturally, Alina isn’t willing to admit the Big Bad Darkling could feel anything, fortunately, the reader doesn’t have to be so biased. Is it only me, or does this sound like Aleksander’s speaking from experience? Like he has specific people on mind? We never learn much about his life, but even in books there are crumbs, painting life full of loss and tragedy.
His first soldiers were dead now. Lovers, allies, countless kings and queens. Only he continued on. Eternity took practice, and he’d had plenty of it.
Alina never likes to hear unpleasant facts, especially criticism of her. What she loves is blaming others. Two chapters earlier, she hoped to never see Ravka again. Chapter later, she painted herself the saviour. Now, the Darkling’s the real villain once again.
Alina kept complaining about the exact same thing even before she was discovered to be Grisha.
I glanced at Mal. There had been a time when I could have told him anything.
...
“You know she’ll [Zoya] be staying at camp,” he said with a leer.
“I hear the Grisha tent’s as big as a cathedral,” added Dubrov.
“Lots of nice shadowy nooks,” said Mikhael, and actually waggled his brows.
Mal whooped. Without sparing me another glance, the three of them strode off, shouting and shoving one another.
...
Mal laughed. I hesitated by the door. This was the hardest part of being around him—other than the way he made my heart do clumsy acrobatics. I hated hiding how much the stupid things he did hurt me, but I hated the idea of him finding out even more. I thought about just turning around and going back inside. Instead, I swallowed my jealousy and sat down beside him.
...
When we’d first started our military service a year ago, Mal had visited me almost every night. But he hadn’t come by in months.
...
We’d spent more than ten years of our lives in Keramzin, but usually I got the impression that Mal wanted to forget everything about the place, maybe even me.
...
I wanted to believe that Mal and I would always be friends, but I had to face the fact that we were on different paths. Lying in the dark, waiting for sleep, I wondered if those paths would just keep taking us further and further apart, and if a day might come when we would be strangers to each other once again.
... that’s just the first chapter of the first book, but that’s okay, because Alina’s willing to ignore it as long as Malyen’s happy. See: Their time in Cofton.
Such a beautiful quote.
(So easily destroyed with few retcons...)
Yeah, it's probably how scared he is of the Darkling. Doesn't wanna come in unless he's ordered to...
I know Alina doesn’t think, but why would Ivan come when she calls? I’m sure he was overjoyed to hear her yell his name.
... aaaand back to dehumanizing the Darkling in attempt to make him less right.
I’d guess not clinging to someone, who hates your otherness might help to deal with that feeling, but that’s just me.
