#Liliyana Garin

[stromuprisahat]

I'm gonna be mean a little and add Zoya warning her aunt is exactly the kind of action that could've ruined the whole attack. No matter how good or bad was the choice of the target, Liliyana was just as short-sighted, and maybe even stupider than her niece.

If seeing the Fold move didn't make her grab her kid and run away, but run into it with no means to defend herself let alone anyone else, what do you think would happen if she had a reason to believe she possesses sensitive information of military move that could "CoSt PeOpLe LiVeS"?!

edit: And Zoya wasn't present to destruction of (a bit of) Novokribirsk in books. She was just stationed near the Fold. The only surivivors from the skiff were Malina and like six of Aleksander's people.

If Zoya is so stupid and useless, why was she chosen as one of the Darkling's main people?

Where?

Because in books, she was strong, yet ordinary Squaller. Perhaps promissing, but hardly highly ranking, no matter what she likes to believe.

“You look amazing, Zoya! How are you?” gushed Marie. “We missed you so much!” squealed Nadia. “I missed you, too,” Zoya said. “It’s so good to be back at the Little Palace. You can’t imagine how busy the Darkling’s kept me. But I’m being rude. I don’t think I’ve met your friend.”

Shadow and Bone- Chapter 11

What stings, is that everyone knows it. It shows, when Zoya attacks Alina. If she were SOMEONE by herself, wouldn't at least one person note that?

to Ivan “... Please tell me you were there when he [the Darkling] told Zoya she’d be leaving Os Alta.” “I was.” “And?” I urge as we head down the hill to the birch grove. I’m a greedy thing, but how can I be expected to resist this gossip? Ivan shrugs, scowling. “He just made it clear that she’s replaceable and Starkov isn’t.”

The Tailor

Marie rolled her eyes. “She can’t bear the idea of anyone being the Darkling’s favorite.” I laughed and then winced at the stab of pain in my side. “I’m hardly his favorite.” “Of course you are. Zoya’s powerful, but she’s just another Squaller. You’re the Sun Summoner.”

Shadow and Bone- Chapter 11

She's rash, and to lead or bear considerable amount of responsibility, she'd need to unlearn that, start thinking about others and most importantly about impact of her (in)action. It might be why she was stationed near the Fold. I've theorised about it a few months back- it's the ideal position for her. She's (partly) answerable for the skiff and people on it, but danger comes in predictable form of volcra. It's the perfect place to learn what she's lacking.

She's barely out of school, she lacks experience- why would the Darkling give her important position, when he has hundreds of people to choose from? What's "main" about the person, who's driving a skiff?

Now where did the notion she's the Darkling's super special girl come from?

“Zoya Nazyalensky, who was one of the Darkling’s most favored soldiers.”

Yuri Vedenen; King of Scars- Chapter 9

That's an information coming from religious fanatic, several years after the Darkling's death AND merry application of current regime's propaganda.

Have you ever noticed how there's not a single mention of Ivan post-his death? We don't even know his surname. Aside from him, there's not one (1) named Grisha from his side.

It's easy to be remembered as the favourite, when you erase existence of anyone else.

Even in her memories, she's among the promissing ones, yet not favoured, not hand-picked.

“... I was the youngest of the group and so proud to be chosen to go. I was half in love with him already. I lived for the rare moments he appeared at the school.” She shook her head. “I was the best, and I wanted him to see that … The older Grisha were all in contention for the amplifier. It was up to them to track the tigers and see who would earn the right to the kill. ...”

King of Scars- Chapter 27

The interest is one-sided, Zoya draws the Darkling's attention by stealing three amplifiers from other Grisha, her recklessness and short-sightedness, not her capability.

The closest we get to some sort of recognition, is in Aleksander's chapter in RoW, when he points out her deficiencies and admits some of it made her work hard.

And if Zoya ever learned to harness the power she’d been given? She was still vulnerable, still malleable. Her anger made her easy to control. When this war was done and the casualties counted, she might once more be in need of a shepherd. She had been one of his best students and soldiers, her envy and her rage driving her to train and fight harder than any of her peers. And then she’d turned on him.

Rule of Wolves- Chapter 26

I have one (rather big) objection- Zoya has never been a good soldier. She failed twice on rather important occasions- the amplifier and Alina incidents-, proving her self-control is lacking. That rage he's for some reason praising here, makes her dangerous to those peers she's trying to outdo.

But hey- he barely crawled back from the dead, his mental skills won't be at their best- why would he plan to manipulate Zoya without a single mention of Juris? The Saint isn't gonna disappear any time soon (if ever), and he's hardly Aleksander's fan.

[lilisouless]

the reason Aditi and Colm are not listed together is because they had some diferences in parenting ideas , therefore i think is fair to consider them individually

[flippityflaps]

"Did the Darkling also love my aunt, who died along with countless civilians in Novokribirsk so that he could demonstrate his power to the world?" ... "Did he love the girl he forced to commit those murders? And the one he pushed into the old king's bed to further his own ends, the very one he later mutilated when she dared defy him? And the woman he blinded for not showing his unwavering devotion?" " Who would speak for Liliyana, for Genya, for Alina, and for Baghra if she didn't?" «And who will speak for me?»"

zoya, honey, you deserve the whole world🌎

[spideymichelle]

the implication that liliyana was never as beautiful as her sister sabina but her being the most beautiful person in zoya’s eyes … she bought her a mirror hoping her aunt could see the beauty she saw

[grishaversewomenpolls]

GRISHAVERSE WOMEN TOURNAMENT

[gruzeburya]

𓂃₊☁︎ A VICIOUS/EO VERSE. . . THE STORM WITCH OF THE EAST     𓆩 ' 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 

   ▍note:  it has admittedly been a while since i have read the villains books so there are bound to be inaccuracies here that i will probably go in and edit once i get around to a re-read. that being said i don't really plan on having zoya's verse interact with the overall plot of the books outside of her run-ins with EON which is still mostly classified information. this also means that zoya's main arc takes place in a post-vicious timeline after stell conceives of EON in response to eli and victor's appearances. 

   ⊹ CONCEPTION.  growing up in the rural russian countryside zoya is scouted as a figure skater by valentin grankin at the tender age of twelve.  coming from an impoverished home zoya's competition money is what kept her family afloat and she quickly becomes the main breadwinner within a few months of performing. grankin agrees to fund the young prodigy's education and training in what he sees as a sound acquisition. entering into a contract with the businessman zoya's unwittingly signs away her autonomy.  the partnership does not last long before grankin begins to expect unsavory favors from his investment. after he makes an advance towards zoya she kills him while squabbling to escape and has to flee her hometown as a result.

her aunt and adoptive sister come to her rescue at the rink. escaping in a car they are pursued by grankin's security detail and they run the family off the road during a raging thunder storm. veering off course the pursuit ends in a devastating crash seemingly killing everyone in the vehicle but that is not the case.  zoya dies with rain water in her lungs and rage in her heart and when she rises again she has the power of the sky at her behest.  lada garin, zoya's sister technically survives as well and is later rumored to be an eo on her own right.  the only victim that didn't rise again was zoya's aunt, liliyana 

   ⊹ GATHERING ALLIES.  as a teenager zoya survives off of secrets.  initially she couldn't find any subtlety to her newfound abilities.  she would bring rainy weather to notorious dry towns and violent winds to the most mild of villages. in time she learns that she can use her manipulation of atmosphere to bend sound waves and she begins to gather intel about other EOs via whispers. forced to move from place to place in order to avoid further suspicion this constant storming around earned her the title of burya vedma ( storm witch ).  this is when she meets david and genya two eos with an affinity for technology and disguises respectively. they had followed the gathering clouds towards her and the three from a tenuous alliance. 

   ⊹ MOVING TO THE U.S. zoya is nineteen when she finally catches wind of information in regards to lada's whereabouts.  rumors of a alleged pyromancer from her hometown fittingly dubbed, the firebird. at this point zoya has amassed a coalition of EOs… a small army of sorts. she has created a safe haven from them and swears to continue her mission to protect any EOs she comes across and keep their true identities masked from the public. she takes a fraction of her allies with her when she immigrates in pursuit of her sister.  she spends years on the hunt for information in her search she has amassed a network of EOs in the U.S. and internationally who become loyal to her cause.  the larger her legion grows the more attention she draws towards herself.  already EON agents are beginning to put out hits on her and others who are her close allies. 

𓂃₊ VERSE NOTES ( TLDR )

zoya's EO abilities encompass a broad spectrum of atmosphere manipulation. as i said above she is prone to using her powers in more subtle ways to help maintain her cover. such as employing acoustic anomalies to spy on her enemies and gather intel on EOs in the area. 

her more offensive skillset is reserved for emergency situations.  this is the customary calling of lightning, wind and rain. the more subtle way this skillset manifests is how the temperature drops whenever she enters a room and the heavy humidity that hangs around her sometimes in thick vapor. 

zoya's network of EO's can be considered somewhat of a rebel army. some of her contacts are more loyal to her than others. david and genya are her left and right hand when it comes to day to day operations.  david innovates so that their home base is kept up to date in terms of defense and genya assists in spy craft with her tailoring of the human face. base of operations is roughly on the vermont/new york border in the deep forest.

in her civilian life she is currently enrolled at state university in vermont as a graduate student studying meteorology and atmospheric physics. she still a skating instructor on the side at her local rink, which is more for her own fulfillment than monetary gain. she travels often so she is only a part-timer at her current college.

[mayhemwrites]

stormwitch

In which Zoya Nazyalensky is the legendary Stormwitch, and Alina Starkov is just another Sun Summoner.

Featuring Lada Garin as Zoya's adoptive sister, and Liliyana as her adoptive mother.

read it on ao3 here! written for the AU roulette challenge, with the prompt "roleswap AU"

full fic under the cut - zoyalina enemies to lovers, told via zoya's letters to lada and liliyana, mostly canon compliant except for the roleswap, 1280 words

I have arrived at the Little Palace. The journey was difficult, but I survived thanks to the Darkling’s protection, so you don’t need to worry about me. When I got there, they sent somebody known as a Tailor to alter my face - I was furious, but apparently it was necessary. Then they had me brought before the King. I will say no more on that. I have no idea who will read this letter before it is sent, and I have no wish to be accused of treason.

--------

Dear Lada,

I called a storm outside the throne room, and every noble who had come to watch was hugely impressed. I saw somebody faint in the crowd.

I wish you could be here with me.

Yours, Zoya.

--------

Dear Lada,

My training has begun, and it’s dreadful. My primary instructor is an old woman named Baghra, who likes to hit her students with her walking stick. My friend Nadia told me that when she first began training as a Tidemaker, Baghra released a swarm of bees on her to encourage her to use her powers.

I got in a fight with a stuck-up Sun Summoner girl. Her name is Alina and she has been at the Little Palace for ten years. Somehow, this makes her think that she is better than me or anybody else, and she resents the fact that I am getting all the attention. It’s hardly my fault.

During one of my training sessions, the teacher asked me to choose another student to fight against, so I chose her. Everybody told me that she was bitchy, and I saw it myself when I was first introduced to her. She threw me down first, so I punched her, and she blinded me. This was two days ago, and I am only just beginning to recover my vision.

The Darkling was furious with her. I saw her cry after he reprimanded her.

I hope you’re reading this. It’s been two weeks since I last wrote, and I’ve had no reply.

Yours, Zoya.

--------

Dear Lada,

Is everything alright at home? I hope Liliyana is okay.

I’ve settled into some sort of routine here at the Little Palace, but they want me to perform at the winter fête next month. The Fabrikators are building an entire stage for me outside in the grounds so that I can summon a storm.

It’s all very exciting, but the Little Palace is hardly what I imagined. The food is terrible, and there’s so much in-fighting. You would think that the Second Army would be united against its common enemies, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Corporalki hate Etherealki, who patronise Materialki, who resent Corporalki, and so on.

Wish me luck for my demonstration!

Yours, Zoya.

--------

Dear Lada,

I’m starting to worry about you. Surely somebody would have informed me if something truly bad had happened to you, so I’m trying to stay positive for once.

I’m writing this as I’m waiting to perform at the winter fête. The last week or two have been a blur, and there’s so much I have to tell you.

First of all, the Darkling wants to find me an amplifier. But not just any amplifier - Morozova’s stag. Baghra says it’s a myth and he’s stupid for believing in it, but he thinks it’s real and I should have it. He says that if he manages to find it, I might be powerful enough to save Ravka from the Shadow Fold. Sun Summoners have tried for decades to destroy it, but he says if I can learn to summon lightning, that might work better.

Also, he kissed me. I can hardly believe it. I have no idea what to think. On one hand, I should be repulsed. On the other hand, it’s nice that somebody is paying attention to me, you know? I’ve never felt wanted the way I do now.

Don’t tell me I’m making a mistake. I know I am. But I don’t care.

Yours, Zoya

--------

Dear Liliyana,

You might have heard some of the news from the last few months, but I want to tell you my version of the story.

Yes, Lada and I found Morozova’s stag. I would have taken it as my amplifier, but the Darkling got there first. He killed it and put its antlers around my neck to control my power. It’s okay. I found a way to sever the connection. Unfortunately, he used me to expand the Shadow Fold first.

That’s the bit I’m sure you already knew.

I’m back at the Little Palace, and this time I’m leading the Second Army. The Darkling has gone rogue, and he ran away, taking many of the older Grisha with him. But I’ve taken charge of everybody who remained, and officially been instated as General. I’m also engaged to Prince Nikolai, and that’s helped me gain the respect of everybody at court.

I miss you every day. Would you like to bring the children from Keramzin to live here in Os Alta? I’m sure the royal family wouldn’t object.

Yours, hoping to see you soon, Zoya.

--------

Dear Liliyana,

I am so sorry. I thought it was such a good idea to invite you to Os Alta.

I didn’t realise that both Palaces would be destroyed by the time you got here.

Lada is with me, and we are both safe. It took a while. I was briefly kidnapped by the Apparat - please do not worry about me! I’m perfectly alright. We’ve moved to a secret base, and I probably shouldn’t give away our location. Rest assured that we are safe. (As safe as we can possibly be, in the middle of a civil war.)

Next week we are planning on taking a tour around Ravka, to win support for our cause against the Darkling. The plan is to mostly visit West Ravkan nobility, but I can arrange for us to come to Os Alta. Assuming you are still there, and haven’t found somewhere else to stay. Assuming that you are still alive and safe.

Please still be alive and safe.

Yours, Zoya.

--------

Dear Liliyana,

I want to believe that what I saw was a hallucination, or some kind of vision, that the Darkling sent to me so that he could torture me.

But deep down I know you will never read this letter.

Everything has changed since the last time I wrote to you. I don’t even know if you read that one. I hope you did. I hope you know that I love you.

Maybe it’s for the best that you died not knowing that in order to save Ravka, I would have to kill Lada. She is the third amplifier - the firebird, a descendant of Ilya Morozova. I don’t know what I’m going to do. Of course I want to save Ravka, to destroy the Shadow Fold. But I can’t lose Lada. I just can’t. I wish you were here to give me some advice.

It seems almost trivial that I have fallen in love.

I don’t think I ever told you about Alina. You never met her. I would have liked you to.

She’s a Sun Summoner, and anything I could say about her, you would laugh and tease me for. You would tell me I’ve grown into a romantic, just like you always predicted I would.

I think you would have liked her, if you’d ever met her.

She’s the only thing that’s keeping me going, knowing that I have to lose Lada. We march against the Darkling tomorrow, under cover of a storm.

I love you. I always will. I wish you were still here.

Yours, Zoya.

[not-just-human]

I can totally see her desperation, she already knows that she is alone, that she has lost the only people who loved her but she wants to see it with her eyes.

I actually loved that they showed it so early on in the tv show

[meyyy00]

— Zoya to her mother:

She was always first in her lessons, always made sure to eat only half of her supper and give Sabina the rest. She was silent when her mother complained of headaches, and she stole peaches for Sabina from the duke’s orchards.

She loved her mother, she loved her mother so much until she became numb knowing what her mother did to her, until she felt that she doesn't deserve to be loved, until she sealed her heart from the world. She has been strong all alone. Even the one she believed could love her, the one who shows her that she deserves to be loved has been taken away from her.

Ps: I hate Sabina. I hate her so much. I hate Suhm Nabri. I hate BOTH of them so much! no one can change my mind and the d*rkling frrr🔪

—

Art: the-amazing-talented @kolarpem

[incipienthappiness-quotes]

Better to be a woman alone than a woman beholden to some old man who can’t manage a wife his own age.

King of Scars - Leigh Bardugo

[el-michoacano]

A historical vampire AU revolving around Nikolai, Aleksander, and Zoya. Ranges from 1799 to the present. Be aware of the tags, and all the horrors that come with such an AU.

Chapter two

"If I had been there, maybe I could have saved her."

"She was torn to pieces." There was a tremble in Liliyana's voice that Nikolai had never heard before. He wasn't surprised. Zoya had been more than Liliyana's niece, she had practically been her daughter. Nikolai knew for a fact that Liliyana was taking her death as hard as he was, if not harder. "There was nothing anyone could have done for her."

[[MORE]]

"I heard it was some sort of animal." Sabina Garin was only half as brazen as Zoya had been, but this, gossiping at her own daughter's funeral...

Nikolai couldn't bring himself to look at her, his hands fisting at his sides, his gloves squeaking in protest. He had been hearing the gossip ever since the night of the attack, of course, but it hadn't gotten any easier, and to hear it from Zoya's own family was a slap in the face he hadn't been prepared for. The alcohol burning in his veins didn't make it any easier, either. He wasn't sure he could handle being here, but he did his best to bear it. Zoya deserved that much.

"But what sort of animal could have climbed all the way up onto the portico?" The much younger lady Sabina was gossiping with had, at least, the tact to hide her mouth behind her fan. "It had to have been a person. Do you suppose the Countess...?"

"She's a lady, Dunyasha! She's not capable of such a thing!" When Liliyana shot her a warning look, Sabina cleared her throat. More softly, she said, hiding her mouth behind her gloved hand, "And I hear she's pregnant with the Duke's child!"

"So soon? They haven't even married yet!"

"It's a shame he decided to accept her offer," Sabina said, pointedly not looking at Nikolai, "or dear Zoya would still be here."

"And he didn't even have the decency to be here!" Dunyasha shook her head.

"That's enough." It Liliyana, Zoya's aunt, who shooed them away and came to stand at Nikolai's side before the fireplace, though she said nothing to him. Instead of speaking, she clapped a hand on Nikolai's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

Nikolai gave her a tight smile. "I'm sorry." It wasn't enough, he knew.

"It wasn't your fault." It sounded like Liliyana didn't quite believe it.

Nikolai shook his head. "I have medical training, Liliyana." He had learned in the Army, and though he hadn't practiced for quite some time, he had saved lives. "If I had been there, maybe I could have saved her."

"She was torn to pieces." There was a tremble in Liliyana's voice that Nikolai had never heard before. He wasn't surprised. Zoya had been more than Liliyana's niece, she had practically been her daughter. Nikolai knew for a fact that Liliyana was taking her death as hard as he was, if not harder. "There was nothing anyone could have done for her."

She, Nikolai thought. Her. Liliyana hadn't used her niece's name since the attack. Nikolai couldn't blame her. It was hard just to think about her. It was agony to think of the state in which Nikolai had last seen her. It was excutiating to think he would never see her again. He swallowed the pain down to accept a handshake and a forced smile from Liliyana before he stepped away.

It seemed the entirety of the Nazyalensky and Garin families had come to see their lost girl off, and Nikolai wove through them as best he could, finding his way into the parlor, where her corpse had been laid out in its pretty coffin, all hammered shut so no one could steal a peek at her mangled body.

No one would dare even without the nails, though, as her huge, terrifying uncle Juris sat on the nearby chaise, elbows on his knees, hands joined in silent prayer. He looked up when Nikolai approached. His eyes, cold and silvery, were puffy and rimmed in red and sunken into sleep shadows. He said, "Baron."

Nikolai said, "Juris." He knelt before the coffin, pressing his hand to the lid. To its occupant, he whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"You should be."

Nikolai tensed. It wasn't Zoya's voice, as he had expected, but Juris's. "You were her fiancé. You were supposed to protect her." Juris's eyes were sharper than Nikolai had ever seen them, yet he didn't flinch away. It was true. He deserved this. "You were supposed to protect her, and now she's dead."

"I'm sorry," was all Nikolai could bring himself to say. He meant it. He had never been sorrier for anything in all his life. "I'm sorry, Juris, I never wanted--"

"Leave."

Nikolai bit his lip. His eyes were wet. His head was swimming, and from more than just grief.

"Leave, Baron." It was a command, and Nikolai had no intention of going against it. "You're no longer welcome here. I don't want to see you at the funeral, and I don't want to see you here again."

Nikolai didn't argue. He nodded, stood, and saw himself out.

He had never been so grateful for the flask in his coat pocket. When he stopped for a drink around the side of the manor, though, he found it was already empty.

He'd have to stop at the pub instead.

[stromuprisahat]

Why Ivan's loss doesn't matter, when Zoya's does?

The duality of the narrative, expecting the reader to feel for one person over and over, when dismissing another.

“You know what he plans to do, Ivan.” “He plans to bring us peace.” “At what price?” I asked desperately. “You know this is madness.” “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

“Liliyana Garin? Have you seen her? Is she alive?” The old customer’s face paled. “I … She tried to help me when the darkness came. She pushed me out of the way so that I could run. If not for her—” Zoya had released a sob, not wanting to hear any more. Brave Liliyana. Of course she had run toward the docks when the screaming began, ready to help. Why couldn’t you be a coward this one time? Zoya could not help imagining the dark stain of the Fold bleeding over the town, the monsters descending from the air with their teeth and claws, shrieking as they tore her aunt apart. All her kindness had meant nothing, her generosity, her loving heart. She’d been nothing but meat to them. She’d meant even less to the Darkling, the man who had unleashed his horrors just to make a point, the man she had as good as worshipped.

King of Scars- Chapter 25

Ivan loses four loved ones in wars.

Zoya two in connection to unexpected military action.

Ivan's family was fulfilling their duty enacted by the Crown.

Zoya's aunt acted recklessly out of her own free will, entering a dangerous situation completely defenceless.

Ivan's wrong to support a man, who wants to prevent his experience repeating.

Zoya's entitled to seek revenge on the man responsible for the disaster her aunt used to commit suicide.

Are we truly expected to overlook the double standard of sympathy?

Are we truly expected to pretend (lack of) choice doesn't matter?

Why is personal vendetta against a single person, that will harm never mentioned acceptable, when supporting systematic change is deplorable due to its casualties?

Or is it to suggest soldiers aren't human beings, not the way civilians making a bad choice are?

[lilisouless]

Not necessarily the best mother , just your favorite

[flippityflaps]

None of this had been prophesied or sponsored. No prophecy spoke of a demon king, dragon queen, one-eyed Tailor, or hartrendes twins. They were just the people who had stood up and managed to survive.

But maybe that was the secret: survive, dare to stay alive, lose all hope and still forge their own. "To the survivors, then" Zoya said to herself as they all knelt before her and chanted her name. "And for the lost."

[lunaathorne]

Siege and Storm, Chapter 22

Siege and Storm, Chapter 23

Ruin and Rising, Chapter 11

Ruin and Rising, Chapter 15

King of Scars, Chapter 25, Zoya

What is this? It's my personal compilation of "uwu cinnamon roll Aleksander deserves a REDEMPTION ARC" moments, because apparently "every person deserves their moment of redemption" and he really truly LoVeD Alina..if anybody has any contributions to make, send me the extract and the book name.

#aleksforpresident

[rotzaprachim]

Much like we all only have three (3) brain cells, the Grishaverse has but three (3) Valid Adults: 

1. Aditi Hilli 

2. Colm Fahey

3. Liliyana Garin