tenebris

[taragreenfield]

"I didn't think he was in love with me, and I had no idea what I felt for him, but he wanted me, and maybe that was enough."

That's what Alina thinks after her kiss with Aleksander at the fete. "he wanted me, and maybe that was enough." She doesn't mention whether or not she wants him, as if it wasn't crucial for this particular situation. She is not used to expressing her sexual agency and acknowledging her desires, which is understandable given her upbringing.

My arms glided up his back and twined around his neck. He kissed me again, and I sighed into the welcome press of his mouth. I felt his weight slide over me and ran my hands over the hard muscles of his arms. If Mal was still with me, if he could still love me, then there was hope. My heart was pounding in my chest as warmth spread through me. There was no sound but our breathing and the shift of our bodies together. He was kissing my throat, my collarbone, drinking my skin. I shivered and pressed closer to him. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? To find some way to heal the breach between us?

If Mal wants her, that's enough. Again, there is no acknowledgment of her own desire. The phrase about "healing the breach" is also interesting. She sees their potential intercourse as a way to fix their relationship, not as an expression of their mutual desire. It's not "I want him", it's "I want to heal our relationship, so if that what it takes, so be it" Her sexual agency is once again treated as something irrelevant.

Their sex scene with Mal is no better:

“You are all I’ve ever wanted,” he said. “You are the whole of my heart.” I saw myself then—sour, silly, difficult, lovely in his eyes. I drew him to me, felt him shudder as our bodies came together, skin against skin, felt the heat of his lips, his tongue, hands moving until the need between us drew taut and anxious as a bowstring waiting for release. He clasped his hand to my wrist and my mind filled with light. All I saw was Mal’s face, all I felt was his body—above me, around me, an awkward rhythm at first, then slow and steady as the beat of the rain. It was all we needed. It was all we would ever have.

Again, a bunch of insecurities, some sensory descriptions, awkward rhythm, and the resigned "it was all we needed. It was all we would ever have." Mal stated that he wanted her, and her desires don't get a mention. She reacts to his actions and settles for whatever she got, which, judging by an unenthusiastic description, wasn't much.

She never learns to acknowledge and express her desires, to be an active agent of her sexuality instead of a passive recipient. And that's treated as normal.

When evening fell, the boy would bring the girl a glass of tea, a slice of lemon cake, an apple blossom floating in a blue cup. He would kiss her neck and whisper new names in her ear: beauty, beloved, cherished, my heart.

Even in the epilogue, she never takes charge. Mal initiates all the contact. She is an object of his affection. Sex is what happens to her. Good girls may be wanted but can never want; that would be scandalous!

[taragreenfield]

Darklina cannot be a depiction of an abusive relationship because Alina and the Darkling have never been in a relationship. They talked five times and kissed twice, Alina had no emotional involvement (as you noted yourself) and literally referred to him as "near strangers". Their interactions after her escape were interactions of two enemies on opposite sides, not ex-lovers.

Meanwhile, a lot of people noted that Mal reminds them of their abusive/toxic ex and listed specific examples. He is jealous and aggressive and insecure about her power; he cheats on her and blames her for that. He leaves her alone when she needs emotional support to nurse his fragile ego. She feels guilty over his every mood swing and is ready to forgive him everything as long as he comes back. But I guess their experiences are invalid because Bardugo chose to depict that toxic swamp as a wholesome relationship?

And refrain from making assumptions about other people's personal lives just because their vision of a fictional ship differs from yours. If the existence of Darklina shippers baffles you so much, here is another mind-blowing idea for you: you don't know how and why other people interpret a piece of media, and their fictional preferences do not give you any insights into their personal lives.

[darklinaforever]

Or how to say that you have no imagination in a falsely intellectual way.

[taragreenfield]

1) There is a very odd assumption that the only way to "get the point" of the story is to agree with every writing decision the author makes. One might understand what the author was trying to do and still think this message was ill-conceived, incoherent, or disagreeable and that the story would have benefited from these characters being together.

2) Once again, you can understand what the author was trying to do and like it but simply want to explore other possibilities. Yes, these characters are canonically not in love, but what if they were? How would that affect the story? How would their relationship develop? The whole point of the fandom is creativity; it would be a pretty boring and redundant place if everyone were just regurgitating the same point over and over again.

3) Finally, a ship being canon doesn't necessarily mean the author put effort into their romance. Sometimes it feels unearned, which is one of the reasons why people might not like the canon ship.

[taragreenfield]

SaB: So, if the Darkling seized power, it would be sooo bad, cause he is immortal and has too much power, which totally corrupts him! And he is a tyrant because he, you know, gives orders to his soldiers and punishes them for treason! And his methods are bad, because expanding the Fold will only make people fear and hate Grisha more!

KoS: So Zoya gets all powers in the world and also becomes kinda immortal, so she is a perfect candidate to be Queen of Ravka like forever! Look how she is belittling and demeaning her soldiers! Look how she is choking a random civilian for telling her to cheer up! Such a just and reasonable leader! Look how she is turning into a dragon! Sure, people have always feared Grisha for being unnatural, but turning into a huge magical reptile is actually an exception! And Zoya plants a garden, which proves what a wonderful, empathetic, and beautiful soul she is! A person who loves petunias simply cannot be bad!

[taragreenfield]

Your posts and some of the people you reblog/interact with really made me see the Grishaverse differently. I wonder why even in fantasy that a lot of authors lack revolutionary spirit. Why are the feelings of the leads more important than material reality umm

Hi, anon!

Thank you! I'm glad to know it!

It's really depressing how reactionary and deeply conservative a lot of those stories are. "Here is a case of fantasy racism...but racists are actually right! Here is a fantasy version of colonization...but colonizers are actually good people and just want to teach those dirty barbarians their virtuous and progressive ways! These people were enslaved and kept in cages...so the solution is obviously to replace an old nasty slaver with a new, nicer one! And also give the slaves bigger cages!"

As to why the feelings of the leads are more important than anything - I suppose it has to do with the tendency to make the protagonist "relatable." A protagonist becomes a vessel for the readers to project their own feelings onto. The plot becomes a mechanism of wish fulfillment: an ordinary girl becomes a super special snowflake, reality obediently bends itself to her whims, everybody is infatuated with her, and those who are not are defeated, humbled, or turned into admirers. She gets power, authority, respect, love, and devotion from a hot and powerful guy with a huge...charisma. The wars, genocides, oppression, poverty, and other things are just set dressing to make the stakes high and the FMC's position important.

Grishaverse is a baffling case in this aspect, because Alina is initially designed as one of those protagonists—devoid of interests, hobbies, and purpose, with shallow insecurities the author thinks girls her age have to experience—she is not pretty enough, and her crush doesn't notice her. Except she ends up powerless, returns to the same shithole she spent her miserable childhood in, gets mocked by her own employees, and her grand "love" is a crusty, sexist alcoholic with small-dick energy. Doesn't even work like a power fantasy. I guess it's the famous "subversion" the fans praise Bardugo for: you keep waiting for this unsightly larva to finally turn into a beautiful butterfly only to find out she was a stinkbug all along.

[taragreenfield]

"Just because the Darkling had a difficult life, doesn't mean he was right!"

Correct.

He was right because he was the only one who assessed the situation realistically.

He was right because the world he inhabited was rotten to the core and needed a radical change, not a shallow refurbishment.

He was right because dismantling the Fold would not magically solve centuries of bigotry and oppression.

He was right because you can't appeal to the humanity of those who don't consider you human.

He was right because no matter how hard Grisha would try to accommodate otkazats'ya, it would never be enough because bigots didn't want Grisha nice, they wanted them dead.

He was right because another Lantsov monarch in the country that had been sucked dry by the Lantsovs in centuries is a catastrophe.

He was right because everything that happened after his death proved that there was no other way—everything only got worse.

He was right because he realized that genocide of his people is a more pressing issue than them having cliques in their community or them not wanting to share their tech with people who hate them.

He was right because he was the only one who made an effort to protect grisha and create a safe haven for them while numerous "saints" and other self-proclaimed "good people" were sitting on their ass.

He was right because only his actions helped Grisha in a meaningful, tangible way.

He was right because "the good guys" didn't manage to do a single useful thing while he was dead.

He was right because the story put Grisha in such a stalemate that the author didn't manage to come up with anything better than to solve racism with an absolutely idiotic dragon-shifting trick.

He was right because he was the only one who prioritized the collective survival of his people over his personal feelings and moral comfort.

He was right because he was the only character in the story in a morally defensible position and with a justifiable goal.

So yeah, even if he lived the happiest and most carefree life imaginable, he would still be fundamentally right.

[taragreenfield]

He always was. The Darkling prized power above every other trait. Zoya sometimes worried if she might be very much the same. “Count yourself lucky,” she said. “If he had known the extent of your gifts, he would have pursued you until he could use them for himself.” Elizaveta laughed. “You underestimate me, young Zoya.” “Or you underestimated him.” The Saint gave a skeptical bob of her head. “Perhaps.”

Zoya being an insufferable cunt, exhibit #1658393

Look at this smug arrogance: "Count yourself lucky." Mind you, she is talking to a much older and much more experienced person, and she acts like this all-enlightened bearer of the universal truth lecturing a silly child.

Also, if the Darkling "prized power above everything else", you'd think he wouldn't have discriminated by gender and would have "used" and "manipulated" every powerful Grisha equally. The fact that this kind of "warnings" is always leveled exclusively at women is pretty disturbing, if you ask me.

Here Elizaveta denies Zoya's assumptions and tells her she is not to be underestimated, and instead of shutting up like a normal person would, Zoya keeps insisting "But no, you don't understand! You are a woman, he would totally take advantage of your feeble feminine brain!"

She is a woman, so she specifically must be in danger of being used for her power because...what, exactly? Because women are easier to manipulate? Because they think with their lady parts and their hormones cloud their judgement? Because women are inherently more naive and trusting? Because women are gullible and lack reason?

The book is so progressive and feminist it repackages benevolent sexism and tries to sell it as empowerment.

[taragreenfield]

"You can't like the Darkling, I don't care how hot he is!"

Neither do I.

I could do without all the mentions of his eyes, hair, jawline, or body, especially when it's absolutely uncalled for. I would rather learn about his backstory, his convictions, or his political vision and maneuvering than about Alina getting turned on by his voice, scent, or bare chest and immediately crying about how mOnsTrOus he is. If that endless cycle of puritanical neurosis was supposed to be "relatable," it is certainly not to me. I find it exhausting. Either take off your cross or put on your underwear.

[taragreenfield]

Protagonist: "Ah, they are going too far! They are too destructive! Violence is never the answer! That's why I need…to kill them all!" Bitch, put that gun down and go negotiate. Show by your own example how violence is not the answer and there is always another way. I don't care how you do it, but I better not see you even considering killing anyone. Practice what you preach.

Jokes aside, it is, in fact, possible to portray a character who is forced to go against their principles. But if your staunchly pacifist character has to resort to violence, it should be a huge turning point that makes them question their beliefs and struggle with guilt and doubts, reconsidering everything they believed in. It is also possible to write a hypocritical character who thinks that rules apply to everyone but them, but the trick here is not to let your story confuse their delusions with moral clarity. They are not in any way superior to the people they condemn if they make a show wringing their hands about someone's violence and then kill anyone who stands in their way without a second thought. It's not pacifism, heroism, or compassion; it's just a tool of moral posturing.

[taragreenfield]

“Don’t pretend this is about Ravka’s welfare. You lied to me. You’ve been lying to me since the moment I met you.” His long fingers tightened around the glass. “Did you deserve my trust?” he asked, and for once, his voice was less than steady and cold. “Baghra whispers a few accusations in your ear, and off you go. Did you ever stop to think of what it would mean for me, for all of Ravka, if you just disappeared?” “You didn’t give me much choice.” “Of course you had a choice. And you chose to turn your back on your country, on everything that you are.” “That isn’t fair.” “Fairness!” he laughed. “Still she talks of fairness. What does fairness have to do with any of this? The people curse my name and pray for you, but you’re the one who was ready to abandon them. I’m the one who will give them power over their enemies. I’m the one who will free them from the tyranny of the King.” “And give them your tyranny in return.” “Someone has to lead, Alina. Someone has to end this. Believe me, I wish there were another way.”

What fascinates me about that conversation is that, despite being from Alina's POV, there is no inner dialogue. She supposedly has a tense, emotionally charged confrontation with the man who, according to her, "used her, seduced her and enslaved her" and she doesn't have a single thought during that argument? I'm not even talking about reflecting on anything he is saying; there is not even a single emotion. Just white noise. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Also, compare the length of the Darkling's remarks with hers. He speaks in full sentences with a clear message, and she just spits out random generic one-liners that don't even have much to do with his words.

"Don't pretend it's about Ravka, you lied to me!" - Does Alina think that Ravka is located up her ass and anyone who wrongs her cannot possibly care about Ravka?

"You didn't give me much choice!" A choice to do what? Consider the consequences of her actions? What choices has she been deprived of exactly?

"That's isn't fair!" What isn't exactly? That she turned back on her country? That she lied about not having a choice and was called out on it?

"And give them your tyranny in return" - since when did she become a political activist and an expert in the Darkling's ideology? She didn't have any problems with his tyranny when she believed he tortures his soldiers for doing their job poorly. How exactly did she draw this conclusion from Baghra's vague, demented ramblings? There should be some thought process, but there is none.

Remove her remarks from the dialogue entirely, and you won't miss anything. Put them into any other book when a "heroine" is talking to "a villain"—and you'll see no difference. That's not even a character; it's a placeholder.

It's especially funny that people try to find some proof of grand manipulation on the Darkling's part in this conversation. To trick someone's mind, they need to have a mind in the first place. Alina has a cymbal-banging monkey inside her skull.

Manipulation, gaslighting, brainwashing—none of that will be enough to make her think ANYTHING. You'd need a holy miracle to wring a single reasonable thought out of that vacuum.

[taragreenfield]

And while we are at it

After a moment, I realized I was just gawking at myself in the mirror and had to smile. For a girl who hated looking at herself, I was at risk of becoming vain

A girl who spent her life being insecure about her looks enjoys her appearance - vanity.

She’d made herself a black silk eye patch from the lining of an old coat, and her hair was looking distinctly redder. If Genya was using her power to alter her hair color, then maybe some of her vanity had returned, and that could only mean more progress.

A girl trying to return her normal appearance after being maimed - vanity.

He wore dark trousers and nothing else, his chest and feet bare. Vain as always.

A guy taking off his shirt in his room because it's hot—vanity.

[taragreenfield]

"The Darkling was manipulating and seducing poor naive guwls!!!"

Exhibit 1, Alina sees the Darkling shirtless because he is receiving medical aid for his wound. The context couldn't be any less sexual, yet she apparently tries not to gawk at his bare nipples:

HE WAS SITTING on the edge of a table, his shirt crumpled into a ball at his knee, his arms raised above his head as the vague shape of a Corporalnik Healer came in and out of focus, tending to a bloody gash in the Darkling’s side. I thought at first we might be in the infirmary at the Little Palace, but the space was too dark and blurry for me to tell. I tried not to notice the way he looked—his mussed hair, the shadowed ridges of his bare chest.

Exhibit 2, Genya "The Darkling was supposed to be our father" Safin, catches the Darkling putting on his shirt after bathing. Yup, "he's something to look at" is a totally normal description to give to your "father."

When we finally arrive at the banya, the Darkling is just emerging from the baths, pulling a clean shirt over his head. He really is something to look at, all lean muscle and pale skin beaded with moisture from the steam.

Exhibit 3, Zoya sees the Darkling shirtless because it's too hot in his cell. Somehow it is vain to take off your shirt when you are alone in an overheated room. I bet he also takes off his underpants when he showers, such a vain, manipulative seducer!

... He wore dark trousers and nothing else, his chest and feet bare. Vain as always.  “A royal visit.” The Darkling sketched a short bow. “I’m honored.”  “Put on a shirt,” said Zoya.  “My apologies. It gets quite warm in here with the relentless sunlight.”

In every scene, the Darkling is bare-chested for an absolutely non-sexual reason. He is literally minding his business, and the girlies keep gawking at him and objectifying him like some fucking creeps, even though the situation is hardly appropriate. Seduction exists only in their imagination, and Zoya specifically sounds like a damn incel who thinks that every attractive woman lives and breathes with the sole reason to give him a boner.

[booksmademeinsane]

praise and bless you, @lilithsaur bc this is some of the best Jurdan i have ever seen!

(the first pic is also my profile pic)

[sunderwight]

media: we have an anti-authoritarian story for you!

me: sweet hit me with the good stuff

media: so there's this marginalized underclass of people, right?

me: okay

media: and they're like, stigmatized for something that's mostly an aspect of how they are born, or where they're from, or they're badly misunderstood, right?

me: yup, got it, I'm with ya

media: so these people are rebelling against the current social order, because it's the instrument of their suffering

me: oh good great sure

media: but also they're violent and deranged and need to be stopped

me: ...what

media: yeah they're going too far, they're trying to overthrow the system and assassinate the nice cop trying to help them and also they burned down an orphanage

me: ...why? would they burn down an orphanage??

media: extremism is bad

me: still not seeing what this has to do with their fight though???

media: also now they've shot a dog. oops they shot another dog

me: what?! why? I though their motive was to overthrow oppression??

media: yes but their suffering has also made them evil

me: ...???

media: don't worry though, the good guys will defeat them and restore the status quo

me: the status quo that's been killing people?

media: well it turns out it was only killing the kinds of awful people who burn down orphanages and shoot dogs :)

me: oh. this is actually a pro-authoritarian story, isn't it?

media: nooo of course not don't be sillyyyyyy we're super progressive look one of the cops is a black lady don't be sillyyyyyy

[taragreenfield]

Have you ever noticed how fucking boring the premise of the Shadow and Bone books is? A girl who got automatically elevated to sainthood allies with a prince who has all the money and connections in the world to defeat the guy everyone hates. There is no struggle. No strife. No need for the heroine to prove herself—everyone is already worshipping her. No need to scrape for resources, allies, or control. Nikolai, being a filthy rich prince, basically works like a wish-fulfillment machine to save the poor helpless heroine, hand her the army when she stomps her foot, and provide her with absolutely unnecessary luxuries. What fun is there in the heroine's journey if she has all the advantages from the start? The story would be much better if Alina were an underdog and her antagonist were someone like Nikolai.

Someone who is picture-perfect at the first glance—an (officially) legitimate heir, charming, sociable, beloved by Ravkans, innovative, progressive, with flowery speeches about equality, justice, and liberation.

And then you find out he cares about Grisha only as long as he can exploit them; his riches are a result of his family bleeding the country dry for centuries, his innovations are all fraud and the stolen work of someone else, and his commitment to the law doesn't apply to his family, whose crimes he happily covers. Basically, the only thing you need to change about canon Nikolai is to make him actually politically savvy, not just a pretentious buffoon.

If the heroine had to expose the rot under this seemingly impeccable facade, that would be a good message about deceptive appearances. If instead of a cozy circlejerk of her supporters, she had to deal with people who don't believe her, dismiss her allegations against the prince, and accuse her of trying to ruin a good man's reputation—that would be an actual social commentary about powerful men who get away with crimes due to their popularity and personal charm.

If she had to work hard to gain allies and supporters, if she learned to lead them and take responsibility for people under her command - that would be actual character growth.

If she had to fight to take down someone who represents the whole system and has wide support of the population, then her victory would require courage, persistence, and intelligence instead of a pair of shiny hands.

And, of course, if instead of the leader of the oppressed minority she targeted the actual oppressor, the political implications of the books were far less rancid.

[taragreenfield]

"King of Scars proves the Darkling was evil!"

Honey, a bunch of assholes in power badmouthing the enemy they just defeated is nothing new or clever. It's classic propaganda aimed to find someone who can be blamed for their political impotence and pathological mental deficiency. Who can be a better candidate than a dead man?

He is Emmanuel Goldstein for their stinky feudal Oceania. They suck at ruling because the Darkling shat in their pants. They killed members from an oppressed minority, and now they need an excuse as to why it was a good thing to do. They are rewriting history and performing the wonders of mental gymnastics to explain why them being worthless monarchist scum is the Darkling's fault.

It's a long-running tradition for colonizers and oppressors to call whoever opposes them terrorists, extremists, and monsters. Their barbaric massacres vs. our holy crusade. We heard it before; we will hear it again.

And a nepo moron who covers for his rapist daddy and tries to grow cotton in a cold continental climate; a psychotic cunt who assaults random strangers for harmless comments; a brain-dead mouth-breather who spent the last years in her little rat hole ignoring wars and suffering; and a turncoat who sucks up to the same regime that abused her and keeps abusing people like her somehow do not seem to be reliable judges of moral character or knowledgeable political experts. Their judgment isn't worth a fart.

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

How do you feel about older teens like 16 or 17 year olds reading 18+ content?

????? you mean one of the most normal and tame things most teenagers do????? I was watching hardcore porn, borderline snuff films on some shady sites my friend found, when I was like 10. 13 at most. probably 10, I don’t know. but I definitely shouldn’t be watching it. I did anyway. with all of my classmates. in our classroom at our school. and I was not traumatized.

when my friends and I were 16-17 we were doing way, way more extreme shit than that. teenagers at that age typically have sex and do drugs. I’m not “encouraging them” to do it by making this response. but it’s simply a fact that a whole lot of teenagers age 16-17 are out there having sex and getting high.

believe me, reading silly smut at that age is the equivalent of a grown adult having a cup of coffee. I can’t imagine anything more normal for them to do than that.