#anti zoyalai

[stromuprisahat]

Imagine people's reaction to a gender bent Zoyalai.

The girl has no self-respect. She can't throw away all her goals for some guy! Look how stupid she becomes only to praise his beauty! She can't let him walk all over her like this! He only treats her like shit, yet we're supposed to root for them?!

He's arrogant and heartless. He always wanted power, so he's only using her to get it. Dead family doesn't excuse emotional constipation. Of course he hates and mocks religion- strong men don't need to believe in anything but themselves! Y'all excusing him only because he's hot and you wanna fuck him.

Wow! Half of it reads like Malina!

[aleksanderscult]

I don't care for Zoya, and duology did little to redeem her in my eyes. She isn't a "hero" material - which in itself wouldn't be bad, but she also isn't interesting enough to be a villain (theoretically). Nothing about her makes me want to go - oh, I want to know more about this character and her motivations! On the other hand, I guess she and Nikolai do deserve each other.

Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear anonymous glasses.

You, my friend, spoke only truth.

I also want to say about this new trend that is very popular the last 5-6 years. The trend of "we make women tough to the point of having no empathy, no kindness. Just being bitches. That's it". And I hate it SO MUCH you have no idea. And Zoya has become this type of character. I didn't care for her in the trilogy. But in the duology I just straight hated her. And this whole "we give a very sad background to characters that we want you to like" needs to stop honestly. You don't have to give a melodramatic background to every single one morally good character so you can make the reader like him. And that's another thing that Bardugo gave to Zoya so that we can sympathize with her.

Her whole character is shit and has been this way from the beginning. She started as a bully and she continues to be a bully.

So why we, the readers, should like her? Because she had a sad past? Well okay in that case why shouldn't we like the Darkling too? Didn't he have a shit life as well?

Anyway, you're right. And duology!Nikolai and Zoya truly deserve each other. I don't even like that ship. And I don't think the majority of this fandom cares what will happen to them from now on. Personally, I don't even have any faith that the future books of the Grishaverse are going to bring improvement to these characters. On the contrary, they will become worse.

Send me your unpopular opinion

[ludarklina-fan-spot]

Thanks for the idea @vixenofcourse gif by @ladylrbloom

[theweeklydiscourse]

What are your thoughts on Zoya from grishaverse?

Zoya is an interesting case for me. On one hand, I feel like I should like her, because she seems like the kind of of character I would usually find myself connecting with. Also, she’s kinda has the Grishaverse equivalent of Indian heritage which is a detail I could see myself relating to her because of. However, Zoya fails to compel me and tends to annoy me more than drawing my attention. I especially detest her show counterpart, a character that accomplishes the seemingly impossible task of irritating me even more than before

It’s just…Zoya in KOS and ROW becomes such a mouthpiece for the author’s gripes about the audience not interpreting her story the way she’d like them to. Her attitude is so pompous and arrogant, especially when the narrative is interested in exploring her relationship with the Darkling and what she (+Leigh Bardugo) thinks of him. It’s wild, the story treats anything the Darkling touched as inherently corrupted by his supposed “greed” and evil nature. So, despite Leigh Bardugo reiterating that the Darkling’s actions were based on genuinely noble ideas multiple times, we are subjected to a stream of hand wringing about how he’s EVIIIILLLLL to the core.

Rapid fire: I’m not compelled much by Zoyalai either, I want to like it, but I can’t because I’m just so bored by it. I don’t like hotheaded characters whose tendencies are never confronted by the text and are instead glorified. Like Alina, her selfishness is framed as nobility. The fanart is beautiful though, even though her Suli heritage was retconned in.

[magicalblueninja]

On one hand I'll never have to see Malina and Zoyalai happen on screen. On the other you literally couldn't have find a more perfect cast and now it's all going to waste.

[lufifer-morningstar]

me: reads rule of wolves

me: tries to get behind the zoyalai-hype

book text: the darkling...

me: SASHA. my sweet, what are they doing to you! OH SASHA ❤

or:

i dont understand zoyalai

[stromuprisahat]

This aged well.

Not entirely sure who's the pragmatic mentioned, but nvm.

Suli-shifting dirt-poor Zoya to save the day!

Also- Darkolai nation- do you see the prediction? *wink wink*

i think the main thing that puts me off of zoyalai is that it wouldn’t take advantage of the creative freedom allowed by writing a new series with a new story and characters

- it’s just two existing characters pairing up because they’re there and it’s het

- they’re two characters that barely platonically interacted over THREE BOOKS suddenly written with “romantic tension” (if you can call what happens in the sampler that)

- KOS is bringing a number of new characters to the table, so why not give all the characters a new love interest? why pair up old established characters in a brand new series?

- Nikolai falling in love w/ someone who’s not an ideal match would be FAR more interesting than someone who is because it would force a challenge and personal growth on a character who we know is pragmatic to a fault when it comes to his kingdom and his rule

- the three POV characters are all white Ravkans from similar backgrounds and positions of power (upper class/associated with royalty). Personally I think it’s a bit boring to pair two of them together when you only have these 3 POVs to begin with

I stand by my theory that the monk is Nikolai’s love interest (based on him being noted in the summary, leigh’s purposeful evasion of answering almost anything related to nikolai’s sexuality or romance, and the kirkus review of KOS) but in all honesty if zoyalai happens, no matter how well leigh writes them, I’ll find it disappointing just bc she could have done so much more with both characters and the story.

[daughter-of-lethe]

Aesthetic: Zoya Nazyalensky

Αrt Credit: @kolarpem

[rosesfox]

(shadow and bone season two spoilers!!!!!!!!!!)

i, as a stan of zoya and zoyalai, couldn't have hated this ridiculous ending more. i don't know how they're going to separate nikolina, make zoya stand out as a general and nikolai's main and truest love interest. the way it looks, even if they were to adapt kos and row, it would look like zoya is a replacement for alina. they took the crumbs they could have from zoyalai and still didn't add, even knowing that the endgame is zoyalai and that zoya is the one who will become queen. it's just awful, and i really hated it.

nikolai never loved alina, alina never wanted to be with nikolai and always saw him as a friend, mal would never leave alina lol and most important of all zoya was the first person nikolai loved and chose for himself beyond of his duty as monarch.

they changed crucial things for the continuity of the story, there is no opening for even more of the crows (since crooked kingdom was poorly adapted) and kos and row are beyond my imagination. that was so bad. i think overall they managed to spoil all the characters, but i as stan da zoya am particularly enraged.

and also, my god, the changes with nikolai! they really didn't understand the importance of the sturmhond to him.

[stromuprisahat]

Sure, Nikolai's weak and needy in a way that makes one want to break him, but I wouldn't call it love or great romance and I sure as hell wouldn't present it as such. At least be honest about it!

[aleksanderscult]

Here's the text. I couldn't send it in a reply to your message. After re-reading this scene, Zoya's attitude is even worse than I remembered

Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

So this passage is from chapter 6 of "King of Scars" and Nikolai just showed Zoya a small picture of his true biological father, Magnus Opjer.

Right you are, Nikolai.

Alina is not the best to expect comfort from, that's true. But Zoya is the last on the list of "people that would show empathy towards you"

And then how Zoya reacted? She immediately grabbed the picture from his hands and threw it into the flames.

Is empathy in the room with us, guys??

What happened to the old fashioned words of comfort and a hug?

You hear that, Nikolai?? You must become as heartless as her! Why do you still have feelings like a normal person?? Jeez...

(friendly reminder: they are considered an amazing ship too!)

Yeah.... And if the Darkling had also said: "What is a mortal king to another king who can summon shadows?" while he was under the service of so many countless Kings his head would be sent flying.

Apparently we have forgotten the fact that Nikolai is the absolute power and sovereign in this country and Zoya just a subordinate.

Under normal circumstances, no one would dare to throw into the fire a prized and important possession of the King but in this universe Zoya can do as she pleases with no repercussions. Her words are treated as wisdom from the narrative and her actions an attempt to "protect" him.

In this case, the reader feels no sense of power from Nikolai since Zoya is treated almost the same way from everyone in that palace.

I'm pretty sure you did not according to the law but okay, beautiful, whatever helps you, characters, sleep better at night. 🤷

You are also sworn to obey him, to remember your place and to do nothing without his command but what do I know? I'm not Zoya.

And people call the Darkling cruel lmao

Thank you for making him feel increasingly better, Zoya.

My brother in Christ, you have been perpetually forgiving towards at least 6-7 characters ever since you were introduced to us. Stop threating through words and be active for once in your stupid character arc!

Thank you again, friend, for bringing this instance to my asks. It's just confirmation that whatever Zoya does has no consequences, she's insensitive and spoiled and once again Nikolai remains inactive.

Hope I never hear any of you guys from now on say that it was only the Darkling that "lost his humanity".

[ludarklina-fan-spot]

Adopt a Darkling .... you might be sorry.

Ok! Thank you for disinheriting your spawn and replacing them with me! I am the upgrade you never knew would kill you-I mean you needed!

So we're totes going to redesign this shit hole after I kill you-I meant, when my adoption and my Princeship is made official Papa! Daddy! Pete?

Ivan! He's looking doubtful again!

Now for the renovations! Black and grey and gold and black everywhere except Alina's room. She wants pastels and a Bambi theme! and a bright pink S & M chamber for her Genya , and Zoya!

What do you mean too much information, Tatiana? Alina says S & M means "Smarties and M & M's" So it's a lolly room.

Right?

Right? ....

"IVAN!"

So I told Sasha that S & M meant "Smarties and M & M's" and he believed me!

[flippityflaps]

[aleksanderscult]

It's evident that Leigh Bardugo only focuses on her favourite characters (Zoya, Nikolai, the Crows), giving them beautiful lines, beautiful partners, emotional moments and lovely endings without giving attention to what happens in her fictional world and to the victims of the political and social situation.

The wars continue, the persecution keeps going, the Grisha do not feel safe even in Ravka anymore. They get kidnapped from the streets and getting drugged.

But sure let's read about Nikolai's sexual thoughts about Zoya. Much more..... educational and mature.

How Shadow and Bone trilogy should've ended

The most popular solution in fantasy genre to an evil monarch seems to be replacing them with a less evil monarch and having trust that they will make things right. We accept this easily since the story is usually set in medieval times and the idea of forming a government seems unrealistic given the setting. But Leigh Bardugo lost the right to use that excuse when she decided to set Grishaverse in late nineteenth century/early twentieth century.

The setting

Leigh Bardugo was inspired by imperial Russia and decided to make it more edgy, giving it the nickname "tsarpunk" (God give me strength). The time period or the year is never mentioned in Grishaverse, but since it's closely based on the real world, I'll draw conclusions from the text. She might've specified in interviews, but most people never read all the declarations an author makes, so she should've made things more clear in the books. The world-building is frankly, rather flimsy, even for YA.

Most fans seem to think the story takes place in 17th/18th century. It does not. Even though the technological advancements can't be measured the same as in the real world since the Grisha are primary reason for it, cars and tanks already exist in Grishaverse. Even this doesn't make any sense because according to the text, Fjerdans invented tanks first, cars second and submarines third. In reality, the order of the events is the opposite: submarines (1620), cars (1886), tanks (1915).

The events in Shadow and Bone trilogy seem to be very loosely based on the death of Czar Alexander the third (1894), reign of Czar Nicholas the second (1896-1917), Rasputin's murder (1916) and the February revolution (1917) which ended monarchy in Russia.

2. The fictional world setting

Besides barely mentioned Wandering Isle and saints-know-whose Southern Colonies, we have Fjerda and Shu-Han with absolute monarchies, and then we have Kerch and Novyi Zem, which are framed as more "progressive" countries by the narrative. We don't know much about Novyi Zem, except that it's a newly established country with growing economy and doesn't have monarchy. Kerch is ruled by the merchant council (*cough* oligarchs *cough*) - also doesn't have monarchy. So why is it such an outlandish idea for Ravka to abolish absolute monarchy? It isn't.

3. The monarchy is only as good as the monarch

Monarchy had been causing more damage to Ravka then the Fold. Incompetent Kings waged and lost countless wars, emptied royal coffers and made a significant amount of soldiers desert the first army. Regular people lived in poverty, lack of education made them prejudiced and easily controlled, and no effort whatsoever had been made to integrate Grisha in regular people's lives. The Kings preferred them bunched up in one place in the Little Palace to better keep an eye on them (it's canon, the little palace was patrolled) or on the front lines.

"I’ve always cared about good work. Polnya’s had a line of good kings. They’ve served their people, built libraries and roads, raised up the University, and been good enough at war to keep their enemies from overrunning them and smashing everything. They’ve been worthy tools. I might leave, if they grew wicked and bad."

-Uprooted, Naomi Novik.

Ravkan Kings haven't been doing any of those things. But it's okay to keep the outdated tradition that does more harm than good because Nikolai is charming and better than his rapist father(who he gave a nice retirement and more servants to rape, btw)? What about his descendants?

Since it's always been that way, it should continue to be that way? Why is the change in status quo perceived as something bad?

"- Who invented this vehicle? The Frenchman asked between laughs, pointing to the postcart on which the sleepy "yamshtchik" was stupidly nodding. - The Russians, I answered. - I imagine nobody is likely to dispute the honour with them. I pity you to be forced to addle your brain and shake up your stomach on a thing like that.

- What's to be done? If the whole of Russia travels in this manner, why should I complain?

-That's why Russia doesn't advance more rapidly. God give you a safe journey. As for me, I tell you frankly I would not risk my life by getting into it."

-Ilia Chavchavadze, Notes of a Journey from Vladikavkaz to Tiflis.

4. Abolishing the monarchy would actually solve problems

If Nikolai really wanted what's best for Ravka, instead of putting an impulsive living nuke with anger issues on the throne, he would create a parliament, a council of sorts, where he would still be the head figure as the King, since the nation wouldn't immediately take the change well , and the members would be the Triumvirate and the nobles he trusted, like Count Karigan. Over the years, the flow of power would pass more to the council, and eventually the monarchy would be abolished and Nikolai's children wouldn't take the throne. Regular people would be given an opportunity to have an education and later, the otkazatsya part of council wouldn't consist of just nobleborns. A part of the council would always have to consist of Grisha, which would mend the bridge between them and otkazatsya.

But no, who wants progress and democracy when we can have a cool slay queen dragon.

[mikasaerens]

OK we need to talk about Darklina and Malina.

Malina first.

I liked that the show went out of its way to emphasize how Mal’s entire existence was about Alina which is totally unfair to him as a character, he never had any purpose of his own and the books seemed to think that was fine but the show acknowledged it. This is why Malina’s relationship doesn’t work, there’s such an imbalance there. It honestly makes sense why Mal feels so uncomfortable with Alina’s power in the books because when one person is that powerful, there’s bound to be bitterness- not that Alina deserved it because Mal was incredibly poor at expressing his conflict. But it still shows how incredibly unbalanced their relationship is, and how it just is so poorly constructed. The truth is, there’s no world in which this relationship could work which is why it’s so unpopular. I truly think Nikolai should have become her primary love interest and she should have had only a platonic bond with Mal. However, I do ship Zoyalai so.. it’s all very tangled up and messy. I guess I’m trying to say that before King of Scars and all existed, when LB was just writing TGT, she should have had known how inconceivable Malina’s relationship is. I liked that in the show they went their separate ways (at least for now).

Now Darklina. Darklina was COMPLETELY shafted in s2. Idk how other Darklina fans feel, but I was not satisfied. Alina’s feelings towards the Darkling are way more complex and there are so many great scenes between them in the books that didn’t even come close to being represented on the show. I’m really disappointed in this. In the books, Alina has lingering emotions towards him- ROMANTIC emotions- that was never even the case in s2. Highly disappointing. We got the emotion and pining and angst from his side but not from hers. They got rid of the complexity of her still having feelings for him, and that was the strongest part of the incredibly weak TGT series. If they were worried how to fit Nikolina, Malina and Darklina, they should have erased Nikolina and focused on Zoyalai, Malina and Darklina. It’s what I honestly expected them to do and am surprised they didn’t.

Also… Show!Alina is beyond annoying sorry I said what I said, book!Alina felt more complex and interesting to read about even though she too wasn’t a great character. I don’t buy Show!Alina’s whole badass act, it just seems forced. She absolutely should be a badass but idk it doesn’t work in the show. Nina, Inej, Zoya, Tamar, Genya are badass strong powerful women but Alina’s whole badass act seems unnatural unlike the other characters- and I thought Book!Alina definitely had some great badass moments.

[lufifer-morningstar]

season 3 shadow and bone like the writers would write it:

1. alina is too powerful so she is stripped off her power 2. mal is the only one being able to safe alina from the darkness 3. darkling flashback/possible resurrection only to kill him off again because he is evil and cant ever be allowed to stay alife 4. nikolai decides that alina is waaaay too dangerous to be queen of ravka so zoya will take care of it, because...sure...zoya is anything better 5. now we have all the most popular ships canon, because thats the actual selling point of this whole bullshit 6. enter the amazing, breathtaking, innovative and witty storyline of kos/row 🤡 7. add some more fem poc and lgbtqi plus people so the critiques are pleased8. end is: nothing has changed for the ravka situation, grisha still suffer, but at least the fandom is happy because they get another kanej kiss and some steamy zoyalai stuff

oh wait...that really mostly sounds like the actual books ((hate will be deleted/dont agree: ignore and scroll on))