#also part of my reasoning is specifically because the kotlcrew doesn't like stina very much

[bookwyrminspiration]

Honestly I love the idea of a main character being talentless but (you can have your own opinion ofc I don’t want to come off as rude) I think Stina wouldn’t be a good choice, only because Timkin is talentless. Because that would just make the elves go ha we were right if you marry a talentless person your kid(s) will automatically be talentless too and this is why the matchmaking system and discrimination against talentless is justified!

However, if being talentless is genetic (I got the impression it wasn’t but I very well could be wrong), talentless Stina is a fantastic idea and I am 100% for it. Because Stina is badass and a queen and capable of just about everything she wants to do and an important strong powerful figure and it proves that being talentless does not in anyway make you inferior! And that’s entirely the message we want to send out.

Also, this is kind of off topic, but wouldn’t it be so cool if Sophie was talentless. And becauseof that status she focuses on other skills and used those skills and her very own brain to defeat the neverseen! It would be a giant message saying this girl, this literal child had this characteristic that you think makes people so inferior, and because of that she saved the literal world, something that the entire population couldn’t do! And it would be so powerful and I love that sm <3

Don't worry, you're not coming off as rude! Stina is simply my choice, but other suggestions are just as valid and viable. Part of my reasoning was because she has a repeat ability within the group and it doesn't add anything more unlike say, hydrokinesis or vanishing or telepathy providing a cognate bond.

Another part of my reasoning was that abilities are genetic! On page 521 of Lodestar Mr. Forkle explains "Our abilities stem from our genetics. Whatever you will or won't be has already been decided." That's why Marella couldn't specifically trigger empathy, why Sophie has surprise abilities from her genetics, why Dex thought his best chance was cryokinesis because his mom is a froster, why all the Vacker siblings have their parents' abilities. It's why pyrokinetics are automatically a bad match, to try and keep them from having families and kids and passing on the genes.

I can't find where it's said, but I have a memory of someone saying that Stina only had a 50% chance of getting an ability because her dad is talentless. Whether or not that quote actually exists, Biana does say "assuming she even gets an ability" on page 61 of Everblaze, which isn't as concrete but it does insinuate that it's more probable for someone like her.

You may be getting it confused with when it's explained that although abilities tend to follow genetics, different ones can pop up in various places! I believe that's the explanation we got for Marella, as there's no history of the ability in her family yet she got it. So it's not a definite thing, but genetics definitely play a huge role in it. Which is why I thought Stina would be a good fit, as it's already a higher probability for her!

The issue with marrying talentless isn't "you're kid might be talentless!!" because that's a factual possibility, it's that having a talentless kid is seen as bad. Does that distinction make sense? What needs to be addressed is the perception of talentless people, because we already know talentless genetics can be passed on--it needs to be seen as a neutral thing instead of a tragedy. The uncertain theory to do with births in the elven world is the thing with multiple births/multiple kids. They think, but have not fully confirmed, that the more kids you have the weaker your genetics get and the greater the risk of being talentless. It's mentioned a little on page 216 of Lodestar if you wanna look!

hopefully that clears up a little bit of where I was coming from!! Because me picking Stina is a personal evaluation of all the characters and who would have the kind of impact and message I think would be good, but you are entirely welcome to disagree and think another character would be better. I think a strong argument could be made for Biana as well, for example.

also, you're so right talentless Sophie would be a fascinating concept to explore!! it would certainly be a new perspective for the elvin world, having someone who thinks so differently and can somehow accomplish so much despite everything they've learned to believe about people like her. The creative application of things all the other elves overlook to consistently come out on top where someone else would've faltered, what they think of as a weakness actually being her strength....that's the stuff right there. I love that so much!!

it'd be interesting to see how that affected her friendships and her school life. Because she'd still go to foxfire for the earlier levels until she's confirmed talentless I'm assuming, but maybe her being Sophie Foster would change that and she could be the first talentless to take elite levels. Just throwing out ideas, the point is I love talentless Sophie!!