#More Wylan and Kaz cause their dynamic is one of my favourites

[mynxk]

Wylan -> never be so kind you forget to be clever

Kaz -> never be so clever you forget to be kind

[dirtytransmasc]

Hi! SoC fan here, I think you nailed the Kaz/Wylan dynamic beautifully. I haven't read the book in a while and I need to read it again but their dynamic is one of my favourites, and it totally has that father/son or older sibling/younger sibling vibes to it. I always liked how Kaz is the person that Wylan confides in, and how Kaz reassures him because he sees so much of himself in Wylan. He's not infantilized at all. He's the youngest in the group and he comes from a very, very different background to the crows, so he's naturally just very awkward and naive but the more time he spends with the Crows, he becomes a lot more badass and assertive, especially in the King of Scars duology.

I think the reason I love them so much is because they're a mess. like the blend between father figure, big brother, and mentor is just so satisfying, cause they just make it work which makes it 10x sweeter in my opinion. I'll be honest in saying I just started listening to the audio books very recently, and I typically have to listen to it a few times over to fully comprehend it (cause my attention span is hot grabage), so I know I have so much more waiting for me in terms of watching their dynamic grow, but I thought their general vibe was quite obvious, but I tend to look way to closely at characters I like right from the get-go, so that's not saying much.

(I'm gonna repeat myself a bit from my last post, cause I wrote that while tired and I feel much more confident in my explanation now)

like, kaz is just a nuturing character (in his own *special* way lol), he naturally takes a stereotypical "man of the house" role within the crows, and we see that this effects each of his relationships differently; with wylan it puts him in a caretaker position. wylan is the youngest of the group, has likely never been truly supported or loved, he never had a big brother to shield him from the world, or a father to aspire to be like, to learn from, to be loved by. kaz, wanting to 'protect his investments' aka, wants to take care of the people he loves, fills those voids, while also finally getting to be the big brother he needed after losing jordie, and helping wylan be what he never got the chance to be. he actively plays both roles, plus the role of mentor, and you can see the distinct edges; the 'dad' makes sure he eats, is safe on the streets, going out of his way to give wylan every opportunity he can. the mentor pushes wylan to be better, stronger, more independent, even if he comes off as brash at times. the brother not only protects, but stands like a shield, like a guide, a light in the dark that is the barrels. its everything wylan needs and more (cause its that relationship that allows wylan to find a home within the other crows and to find his confidence in himself that his piece of shit father attempted to squash) and its healing for kaz himself.

its nice seeing kaz have a bond with someone that outright forces him to loosen up, it looks nice on him, he serves those pockets of vulnerability and happiness. I nearly choked when he went to see wylan in the first episode and asked the last time he had eaten cause it just felt so... odd, and then to watch kaz really step out of his typical cold persona to make sure other's respected wylan. I was floored, it was everything to me. he really takes care of wylan like he needed someone to do for him and it hurts in such a sweet way. he makes sure wylan never has to break himself, to fight and bit and scratch to make a name for himself, because he just wants him to succeed.

then there's wylan himself. he takes after kaz so much (he's basically just kaz with a weaponized baby face/innocence and speck of mercy, fight with the wall), growing more and more confident with his guidance, finding his footing in the barrels, surpassing every demeaning expectation his father set for him, having this soft bond with one of the scariest men of the barrel wylan proves himself to himself, stops seeing himself as weak or broken or shameful and embraces his skills. there's also no bigger ego boost then being the unofficial 'kid' of the big and scary kaz brekker, especially when he's got that baby face to use to his advantage. kaz is someone he can trust, to confide in, to be protected by, to be able to fall back on, to understand when no one else does. kaz stepped up for his shitty dad and lack of big brother, stepped up when wylan was alone, stepped up and was the closest thing to family wylan would have until he got accepted into the crows, and even then, their bond runs so much deeper beneath the surface that it outweighs the other crows (besides maybe jesper). kaz made sure he was safe when he was unprepared for the barrel, allowing him to be come our bomb loving, baby face having, downright terrifying when he wants to be, baby girl, that we know and love.

[sentienthusiast]

this is the only post i've seen talk about the parallels between them. i saw the same parallels on my first ever read and was confused why no one in the fandom ever brought it up.. and it's enhanced by the fact that you'd expect wylan to disrespect kaz (as he rightfully should), but he has such a level of respect for kaz that certain other characters don't really have.. and i think it's interesting especially since kaz was kind of the one who dragged him down this 'terrible' path.

and the fact that in ck kaz seems to have a 'soft spot' for kaz by which i mean in the van eck mansion heist scene he teaches wylan what his life views and values are, and wylan understanding and accepting those values later on, and it really drove the point that they're so similar yet so different.

like i think whenever kaz imparts his life's wisdom to others it's usually in kind of a condescending(?) or throwaway kind of way for example with matthias.. but with wylan it's more of an encouraging way. because kaz Does know what wylan's went through (even though it's not everything), and it's as if he's sympathising with wylan, and the reveal that kaz wanted to give wylan his father's fortune from the start. like he could've simply Not done that. but he knows what it feels like to want revenge. he knows what it feels like to be knocked so far down it feels impossible to climb back up. he knows the feeling of the world not owing you anything but you wanting to take from it anyway. he knows what it is to feel like you're carrying a life debt with you. where to channel the anger to. how to channel it. so he helps wylan acquire his revenge. but he doesn't do it by handing it out for free to wylan. he leaves him with choices, with words to rhink about, with actions to mull over.

he knew marya hendriks was alive. he let wylan think he go to saint hilde of his own accord, thinking it was his own decision that he was making, allowed wylan to nurture his grudge against his father. saying he doesn't care about wylan's disability, showing his father was in fact just a massive prick and that wylan wasn't anything less for being illiterate. the mini clash of ideals in the van eck mansion heist, with wylan not wanting to do more than is necessary and kaz telling wylan about how he views life. kaz saying "you do know we're stealing your momey, right?" at the beginning of the book and wylan only realising it at the auction.

yes, kaz planned a lot and he allowed for a lot of the things to happen, but these things happened in the first place because of wylan. it was wylan's will that allowed him to survive the harbour. it was wylan's will that he decided to seemingly go against kaz's orders and lie to him and discover his mother's fate. it was wylan that decided to go with the heist and break into the safe. it was wylan that put the final nail in the coffin for van eck when he revealed himself to the public during the auction. it was wylan, his actions and his acting that caused the ultimate downfall of his own father at the auction. because without him, the public couldn't ever be truly convinced. the safe couldn't be broken into. his mother would spend the rest of her days in saint hilde. kaz was a lever that allowed wylan to finally enact his revenge.

gosh i really love their dynamic in ck and it wasn't something i expected after soc. in fact in soc i wasn't really interested in wylan, but ck really turned the world upside down for me. i didn't expect so many parallels. i didn't expect wylan as a character to be so close to my heart. ck's set up for his character development was so beautiful and so natural that it made me realise just how far he's truly come. for the other crows, we are told their backstory and how they've come to be like this. but for wylan we actively see his life as a crow coming to fruition.

wylan isn't even one of my top favourite characters but his character (for me) was so masterfully handled it really absorbed into my heart. i can't believe he's the first character that i'm writing for lol but this post just really made me realise just how great wylan's character is

(warning: literary analysis ahead) i know i'm not the first person by far to say this, but there are so many similarities between kaz and wylan in six of crows and ESPECIALLY crooked kingdom.

there's obviously the big one of both of them having a re-birth type experience in the harbor, but that's not where the similarity stops. during my ck reread, i noticed that the reason kaz and wylan are in the harbor in the first place is because a father-like figure.

pekka rollins was a father-like figure to both kaz and jordie, and the book says this. the rietveld boys had just lost their father, and one of the big reasons pekka was able to scam jordie and kaz so well is because he provided them with a comforting and parental like space. kaz ofc eventually ends up in the harbor, and it can all be traced back to pekka rollins.

wylan has his rebirth in the harbor due to his father. the connection is more direct with his, but even then there are middle men and other things involved. but again, it can all be traced back to his father.

going off this thought, they both lost a close family member due to a father figure.

another big similarity i found that i feel like i haven't seen anyone talk about his what kaz and wylan are both motivated by: revenge.

wylan does not start off the books being motivated by revenge. he ends up in the barrel and with the crows out of a desperation to both hide from his father and because he genuinely has no where else to go. later on in ck, after wylan finds his mother at saint hilde, the book very clearly states that his motivation changes. at the begining of chapter 31, there's a scene where wylan is staring at himself in the mirror. there are lines that say, "What am I doing here? But he knew the answer. Only he could see his father punished for what he'd done. Only he could see his mother freed." which drives me INSANE!! because it's a DIRECT PARELLEL to things kaz says/feels about jordie!! in the chapter right before that (30) there's a line that says, "He'd found his way to shore, devoted himself to the vengeance he and his brother were owed." (there are other and better lines that reference wylan's "only he could *take revenge*" line, but this is just the closest one that comes to mind)

there are differences between their motives—you could say that kaz's revenge motive is more direct and violent—but there's also the fact that we see both kaz and wylan get their revenge in the book.

both kaz and wylan want revenge for one of their family members, and themselves, from what a father figure in their life has done.

they've also both been kidnapped by jan/held in captivity by him. i know this happens to inej too, but i think it's important that one of the first scenes we see with kaz is him negotiating with jan after being captured by him, and then towards the very end of the series, we (very simplified and on the surface) see the same thing happening to wylan. i know the two jan captivity scenes with kaz and wylan are very different, but i think the basic similarity of these scenes really attest to how far wylan has come and how much he's been assimilated into the crows.

there's also of course the part where wylan's expression is said to be something that looks kaz-like, which i feel also shows how far he's come and how he's truely developed into a crow.

in conclusion, as others have said, they truely are two sides of the same coin. they're so different but so alike, and i absolutely love how leigh bardugo was able to directly juxstapose wylan and kaz when they're so different on the surface.

[tenrose]

Ok... some Shadow and Bone thoughts....

I really loved that the chore of the Dregs personality stayed true even with a different plotline than in the books. All 5 of them are just themselves, so it's cool. They get to have romantic storyline but also thank god, friendships. It's one of the reasons why I loved SOC. They are not all powerful, they are not good characters or villains, they are more than just one characters trope. But they are the most important of them all: found family. I'd kill for that trope. Jesper X Inej was so cute. I really can't wait to have Nina join them and to have Helnik angst (or maybe not ouch) and please let them have the wonderful 'how to steal a man wallet' exchange. It is the fucking best. And of course I absolutely cannot wait for Wylan. The lack of him... I know they can't have everything at the same time but I'm yearning for him. Also I can't wait for Kaz background story and the upcoming endless hours of tears. Bye. And Nina bonding with Inej... Yeah basically I'm just here for the Dregs, as you can see.

Now for the TGT part, considering I haven't read the books I can't say how it is faithful to characters or not. But I do have some thoughts... Honestly even though Alina and the Darkling are interesting characters... It just is basic YA storyline (in my opinion ofc) plus with a boring love triangle. Idk what level of controversial it is, but idc, to me both ships are not working. Like sure I love Alina x Darkling dynamic on many points, equal and opposite at the same time (I'm basic too and I love darkness and light) and the alchemy of both actors is great. But it's more for the aesthetic than anything else lmao. And personally I don't like the childhood friends to lovers because I tend to see people who grow up together as... Siblings??? Idk, everyone I knew for a long time seem like family and I couldn't imagine a romantic relationship that way??? I mean for now they technically haven't said or done anything directly romantic but I know it's gonna happen. Even though truth to be told I thought there was a third guy, Nikolai?, But I'm biased by the people I follow. And I'm not sure want one more drama like this lmao. Also, I really hope Mal is gonna have another plotline than just being centered around Alina for the whole time cause that's not giving him enough recognition, he could have more than just being the bff love interest. I mean, we all are annoyed when the girl is the love interest of the hero, but that's equally annoying the other way. Let characters having other stories to tell ffs. Also stop with the all the guys yearning for the chosen one girl. It's ultra annoying and boring. But of course as usual the side characters seems more interesting and less black or white than the main characters... I mean Genya and Zoya seems to have more to offer. But of course it's me always falling for the side characters that get no screen view lmao. Now even though in term of character Alina is not the most original one, I think it's the actress she added something I'm not sure it is in the book. Also I kinda hope she's too is gonna feel some magical corruption or anything that doesn't make her just the pure innocent heroine. Basically I just hope next season is gonna be more grey for the good characters, less full of stereotypes.

Now everything else was very great. All actors were spot on. Amita Suman and Kit Young are my favourites. They are so on character. The music is great, the set and costume and all very good. I'm just annoyed about the epic fight scene being shot in the dark, oh convenient (they never think about gif makers don't they lmao).

[astrarche-x]

Six of Crows (+ Crooked Kingdom)

If somebody gave a penny for my thoughts on books, I’d have zero pennies, but here are my thoughts anyway!

It’s not a very spoiler-heavy note.

I know I’m super late to the party, but it’s only a month left to read the book before the show is released and that was a motivation to finally read it. (That and the fact that I have 3 written assignments due the end of the week). 

- I haven’t read the Grisha trilogy, but Six of Crows was perfectly understandable without it, so that’s an asset. I wouldn’t mind knowing more about the war in Ravka, but generally it was ok.

- Found family in a juvenile delinquents gang is one of my favorite tropes in fiction and this book is all about that, so I was absolutely delighted. I liked how it wasn’t very obviously sugar-coated - obviously it wasn’t horribly realistic (I guess), but it avoided the Robin Hood or “criminal with a heart of gold” trope and that was nice, because it would reek of moralism.

- I liked the descriptions of the architecture etc. and could almost feel myself walking through the streets of Ketterdam. But the descriptions of Fjerda were very inconsistent to me in regard to the rest of the novel - I kinda felt like I was thrown from historical fiction to sci-fi (all that laboratory stuff) and that was weird.

- The action was very well-paced - without unneccessary delays and plot detours, but at the same time giving the characters and the reader time to breathe and bond. The only aspect I wasn’t satisfied with was the ending - it was too easy to predict the plot twist and it drained away the suspense and the sense of high stakes. And while some could say that it means that the writer set it up well, I think it would be better if it was unexpected, especially given that it’s not the kind of plot twist that changes the reader’s perception of the whole book, it just marked the turn in the action.

- post-CK addition: in Crooked Kingdom I felt that the action was moving a lot faster and left me quite exhausted at times. The moments to catch a breath were a bit too rare, but at least exuisite every time.

- While I’m rather glad that the “multiple POV” trend is dying, it was pulled off well in “Six of Crows”, because the narrative was in 3rd person. That allowed readers to switch rather effortlessly between the chapters while still directing their focus to a particular character.

- the characters, aka the best thing in this book: they are all lovable in their own ways and honestly I can’t decide who’s my favourite (jk jk it’s Matthias and Inej). I think that the number of characters is just right, not too big and confusing, but allowing for diversity in narratives. I only had an impression that characterization of Wylan was dropped halfway through the book and he’s been a plot device for solving technical problems most of the time, which is kinda sad. Also his change in personality was a bit unexpected. 

- post-CK addition: ok, Wylan got his POV & his development, but I still feel like 75% of his character are family problems. I hope that maybe a reread in a few months will make me appreciate him more. 

- Nina and Matthias: my absolutely favourite subplot (and ship in this book). It’s been a while since I’ve read so well executed enemies to lovers. The emotional and sexual tension between them! The desire to love vs the memory of past wrongdoings! The wish to trust and be vulnerable again vs the fear of betrayal! Them disagreeing on fundamental issues but finding points of mutual understanding nevertheless! Them caring for each other more than they care about their causes, even though the causes are everything! The banter! I just... can’t. Their story is such a good blend of cuteness and dark themes. I found it extremely interesting when the first chapter from Matthias’ POV showed how he was kinda deranged by his stay in prison and his desire for revenge and for love that were knit together so thight. Whereas he more or less regained his sanity as the book progressed (I wish it was more developed) he was still very much not in the best mental state and that made him a wild card, so the plot twists involving him were convincing. I also think that his disillusionment with his religious militia was quite well-written (as for an adventure novel, that is, where it was not the main plot). I liked how Matthias was trying to play 4D chess with the rest of the crew with his schemes and Nina joined him in part. Also the scene when the Crows try to get back to their ship in Fjerda and Nina gets shot, but heals herself so fast... Damn, that was some king shit. I love their dynamic, even though it’s the epitome of problematic(tm) by tumblr, but oh well, I’m all in for eros/thanatos motives and some good chemistry. One thing I feel their relationship lacked were the sex scenes - this is probably due to the book being technically YA (and that’s another reason why writing it for a bit older audiences would be ok), but both Nina and Matthias are so horny for each other that I find it impossible that they’ve never had sex. 

- post-CK addition: my heart is broken but Matthias’ character arc? Pure gold. I was so proud when he started questioning his religious beliefs and tried to reconcile them with his love for Nina. Love one redempted magic fascist. Also poor Nina... I still kinda don’t understand why their subplot had to end like this - and it’s really tempting me to read King of Scars.

- Inej’s moral/religious dilemmas were so good and I identified with them a lot (not that I’ve killed someone, but still). Also I found her characterization to be top notch, because she clearly isn’t an extrovert, but is not reduced to “i have no social skills” stereotype. I love her. 

- Kaz was a briliant character and his plans were so well written... But I have one issue with them: especially in Crooked Kingdom, when there’s a plot twist, it’s usually revealed to be just another layer of Kaz’s plan. When does he have the time to set it all up? I know he barely sleeps, but still, it feels like it kinda gets out of nowhere. But generally I’m all for scheming, ass-kicking gang boss. I also like the fact that he was still a very skilled fighter despite his disability, which allowed the author to escape the “disabled body means he can only use his mind” trope (which is justified sometimes, but still). And his trauma was so well-written... Honestly, the first full flashback with Kaz clutching to Jordie’s decaying body was one of the two most disturbing scenes in the novel (the other being Kaz ripping Oomen’s eye off) and I kinda wasn’t prepared for this. On the other hand, the bathroom scene in Crooked Kingdom with Inej? It was so beautiful, so well-crafted, so intimate; I felt the world stand still for a while. 

- me looking at Jesper: adhd

 I found him very relatable in terms of escaping his problems and felt sorry for his gambling addiction. But I wish his struggle over his powers was more expanded - he is shown being in two minds about this, but we as readers don’t really get full insight into the pros & cons of both option. But maybe it’s just the character’s specific way of going more by gut feeling and I’m being picky.

- a pet peeve of mine: if the author was really going so hard for the tzarist Russia vibe for Ravka, why did she name her character “Zoya Nazyalensky” and not “Zoya NazyalenskA” or, even better, “NazyalenskAYA” as it should be? C’mon, names ending in -sky have their female counterparts and it’s not hard to understand. 

- what was a bit of obstacle to immerse myself fully in the Six of Crows was the fact that the whole novel was so well-planned and logical that I sometimes felt like watching the author’s creative process unveil - and while it would be helpful if I was looking for writing tips, I was there to have good fun and forget about my assignments, so it kinda got in the way. It was like “ok, I want them to get inside the prison... but how they’re going to do it? Ha, I know: the jailers’ carriage. Next: what happens next in prisons? Oh right, they will be searched and... probably put in new clothes. So no clothing and no weapons means it’s time for Jesper’s big reveal. This is where I pepper in his crush on Kaz. I can cross this off the list of his character development now”. The Crooked Kingdom was better in this aspect - as the characters’ subplots were more separated and the chronology was going in loops (character A’s POV ends with all people parting ways --> character B’s chapter describes their mission --> character C’s chapter starts again at the end of character A’s POV), it was more natural and captivating read. 

- Kuwei was... very forgettable. I actually for most of the time totally forgot he was a character. I know he wasn’t a main character, but I feel like I know more about Specht and Rotty, some totally secondary gang members, than him.