#idk I just really love the Kaz and Matthias dynamic

[nackerr]

Kaz probably lies awake in bed overtaken by the guilt he feels for Matthias’ death. He planned every detail of the auction and it led to Matthias getting killed. He probably blames himself for that every single day.

[mournersandfunerals]

I didn't even like wesper or Nina really😭

That's understandable!

I will say for me, Nina was one of my favourite parts of the show, but I get why it's not the same for everyone. Her character was very centred around her relationship with Matthias and it did get annoying at times. BUT, she was honestly a joy to watch? I think Danielle did a great job with what she was given and I think she tried (and succeeded) to embody as much of Nina as she could. I loved her dramatics, I loved her humour. And one of my favourite dynamics from the books was Nina and Kaz's and I really REALLY loved what they did there, so I can't really be too mad.

And with Wesper, again, I completely understand. They jumped straight in with them just being Wesper and we didn't learn a lot about their actual characters. However, I thought their relationship was a lot of fun and, like Nina, a joy to watch. It was rushed and it was done very very differently, but can I say I didn't like it? No I cannot. I loved them despite it all, but I get why people are mad.

Honestly, the writers have pissed off everyone one way or another this season and idk how they managed to fuck up this badly

[lunaajade]

Everything You Need to Know about “Shadow and Bone” on Netflix (*UPDATED: POSSIBLE LANGUAGE OF THORNS ADAPTATION INFO)

 Since it’s recently been confirmed that we’d be getting S&B content in a few days (finally!), I thought I’d compile and summarize as much info as I could to refresh everyone’s memories! Please spread the word/share this post to those who aren’t up to date! (I’ve seen some people online who are worried about how it’s going to turn out, and I’d like to be able to hopefully reassure those people)

Now, there’s a LOT of stuff, so there’s always the chance I missed/forgot something. This post will be split up into categories based on type of info, so here we go! I went back and listened to/watched both of the big live streams (NYCC and the S&B Charity Competition), went on the Grishaverse Reddit, etc. to find as much (extra/bonus) stuff as I could. (If I missed anything/got something wrong, please feel free to leave a comment!)

Update: A lot of people have been asking where it was confirmed we were getting content soon. I found out from one of the update accounts I follow.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

General/Key Info About the Show

-This first season will be adapting both “Shadow and Bone” and what has been dubbed a “Book 0″ (most likely meaning prequel/backstory/set-up) for “Six of Crows” -In relation to the above point, the timelines are being brought together for the show. (Normally in the books, the two series are set two years apart)(We don’t know how exactly or what this means for the story, but I have a really interesting theory that I thought up in relation to this, message me if you’d like to hear it.) -Leigh acknowledges and understands that some of us have doubts and are worried about the show, but she has publicly assured us (numerous times) of how much she loves the show and cast, how well she thinks the crew/writers did in bringing the Grishaverse to life, etc. See a later point below in the Facts/Tidbits section -The first season will have 8, one-hour long episodes -Alina has been made half Shu (half Asian) for the show! Leigh stated that was decided on after she and Eric had a lengthy discussion on Alina’s character. -The main cast (as in confirmed to be in all episodes) is comprised of Jessie Mei Li (as Alina), Archie Renaux (as Mal), Ben Barnes (as the Darkling), Freddy Carter (as Kaz), Amita Suman (as Inej), and Kit Young (as Jesper) -Wylan and Nikolai are NOT in the first season. (Nikolai didn’t appear until the second book, and Leigh confirmed that at this point in the story, the Crows had not met Wylan yet.) -Other cast members include Danielle Galligan (as Nina), Calahan Skogman (as Matthias), Daisy Head (as Genya), Sujaya Dasgupta (as Zoya), Luke Pasqualino (as David), Julian Kostov (as Fedyor), Simon Sears (as Ivan), Zoe Wanamaker (as Baghra), and more! -The Darkling will also be called “General Kirigan” in the show. From what we know, The Darkling will be the “enemy” to Ravka (so in essence, General Kirigan is his alias/fake persona (what he’ll most likely be referred to for most of the show), and no one knows that he’s actually their enemy. (Meaning it’ll most likely a super big moment when they learn their general was actually the Darkling in disguise)). -The show was shot on location in Budapest, Hungary. (And additional filming took place this past fall in Vancouver) -In order, the 8 episodes are titled the following: “A Searing Burst of Light”, “We’re All Someone’s Monster”, “The Making at the Heart of the World”, “Otkazat’sya”, “Show Me Who You Are”, “The Heart is An Arrow”, “The Unsea”, & “No Mourners”.

Other (Fun) Facts/Tidbits About the Show

-Upon seeing Jessie’s audition, Leigh loved her audition/portrayal of Alina so much that she apparently stated that she wanted her to play Alina or she’d be out of the project. She was sent five auditions to watch, Jessie’s was the third, and she said she didn’t bother watching the rest of them. -Leigh stated that she and Eric Heisserer (the creator of the show) said they were on the same page from the first meeting. All other past meetings with producers and companies about possible adaptations had left her with a bad feeling, but she said they’d had the same ideas about inclusion, story, staff, etc. She said she’s loved the respect he’s shown towards the work (and, in a way, to us the fans) -Netflix apparently also has the rights to adapt “The Language of Thorns” , though we’ve gotten no info on that adaptation yet. (UPDATE: I just watched a Leigh Bardugo event from Feb 2019 (a few weeks after the show was first announced, I think): As of  that day, she said that she thought that they were going to use LoT more for "texture” (IMO that might mean worldbuilding?) in the show. And I don’t know if she was talking about LoT specifically because she was very vague, but she said that there were certain things in the show that she thinks readers will be really excited about. Again, this was over a year ago, back when they were still in pre-production and stuff, so don’t take my word for it. Besides this, I couldn’t find anything else relating to a possible LoT adaptation. Maybe they’ll have the stories from LoT appear as actual folk tales told in the show, and that’s the “adaptation”? IDK. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpHnw8Ygw5c&t=1906s)) -Leigh is an exec. producer on the show! I’m no expert, so I don’t know how much say/power she had in the process, but she definitely had some. -There is a RAVKAN edition of the “Shadow and Bone” book that Leigh says makes a cameo in the show! -Jesper’s guns had custom etchings done on them by a Hungarian antique gunsmith! (And they were so good that Leigh and Eric said that it looked like it belonged in a museum--they were also described to be quite heavy!) -Eric Heisserer is the creator of the show, he is an award-winning writer, well known for “Arrival”, “Bird Box”, and more. (If I remember correctly, Leigh said that he’d reached out to her about making the show!) -A DeKappel painting (maybe the one owned by Van Eck?) was confirmed to be in the pilot episode. -Pekka Rollins and Tante Heleen have been confirmed to be in the first season, but their casting has (up to this point) not yet been revealed. -Bo Yul-Bayur is confirmed to be in the show! (Though Kuwei has not) -Leigh will have  a cameo in (I think) Episode 5! She will be wearing a Materialki kefta and will be opening a door, if I remember correctly. -A lot of the crew was also extremely passionate about the project and fans of the books -The “Lives of Saints” book that was published in October is an actual book/prop that is appearing in the show! -I’m personally fine with Mal, but Leigh says that Archie is going to change everyone’s minds with his portrayal! -The costume designer for the show is Wendy Partridge, known for her work on “Thor: The Dark World”, “Pompeii”, and more!  -The composer for the show is Joe Trapanese, known for composing for “The Greatest Showman”, “Straight Outta Compton”, “Lady and the Tramp”, and more! At the NYCC Grishaverse panel, they revealed a little bit of the score (”Grisha Theme”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFxIEbsHKJA 

Fun Cast/On Set Stories/Facts

-The cast all loves each other, and are all extremely passionate about this show, which is great! (Leigh said that on her second visit to the set, she heard them singing together) -Leigh says that Ben Barnes once snuck up behind her on her first day on set and scared her by whispering “Fine, make me your villain” -Freddy’s favorite Grishaverse book is “Six of Crows”, but most specifically the first line of chapter 2 (”Kaz Brekker didn’t need a reason.”) -Jessie would apparently come to set on some of her days off to support the cast and crew! -Sujaya has stated that her favorite Grishaverse character is Nikolai! (#Zoyalai) -Freddy has become famous/popular with the fandom, one of the reasons being because he often comments on posts/live streams asking something along the lines of “What was it like working with Freddy Carter? xoxo” -Danielle loves Nina and her journey in “King of Scars” -According to a Tweet, Freddy and Leigh said that there had been a scene with “a very pesky gate”--Freddy said that it “wouldn’t be proper to tweet the expletives [he] used that day” and that he thinks he “scarred” Amita and Eric. -Amita’s favorite thing about Inej is her silence, and her favorite Grishaverse book is “Six of Crows” (as of May, where we learned this during a live-stream, she said she’s read it three times and listened to the audiobook twice.) -There was a waffle truck on set on the last day of shooting! -Calahan says that if he could play any other Grishaverse character, he’d want to play Nikolai! -While she did work with the trainer to get more physically fit, Amita learned most of her knife techniques by herself! -Leigh said she cried a lot while on set! (She said there was one scene they were shooting that she has a very clear, vivid memory of writing many years back--based on the context of which she was talking about it, if I had to guess, I’d guess she’s describing the Winter Fete.) -Leigh also said that on one of her first days on set, it was funny/weird to see all the extras in First Army uniforms chilling on their phones, drinking coffee, etc. -One of Calahan’s favorite character dynamics in the books is the dynamic between Kaz and Matthias -There was a moment where Amita was fully in costume and doing amazing, graceful knife work, only to trip and fall when she’d finished. -Amita and Jessie and Sujaya were best friends on set. -Sujaya loved everything about playing Zoya. (Especially her confidence) -Leigh says one of her favorite props was Kaz’s cane, especially because of what it meant to her and the story. -If he could be any Grisha order, Calahan says he’d want to be a Corporalki -Calahan loves Matthias’s journey/arc. -Kit’s favorite Grishaverse book is “Crooked Kingdom”!

Links

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X65iI1YXrbU (NYCC Grishaverse Panel) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHou5rVs6o0 (S&B Talent Show Charity Live Stream ft. the S&B Cast!--the IG video got taken down because Archie deleted his IG account and switched to a new one) -https://www.netflix.com/title/80236319 (”Shadow and Bone” on Netflix!) -https://twitter.com/shadowandbone_ (Official “Shadow and Bone” Twitter!) -https://www.instagram.com/shadowandbone/?hl=en (Official “Shadow and Bone” Instagram!) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRh-Pmbynww (Annoucement made by cast when filming wrapped! (can be found on the social media accounts, but here’s a link to YT)) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bpY8uLtyB4 (A S&B Cast Crack video by HeartPhantom--it highlights a lot of the inside jokes and memes that we’ve gotten to witness among the cast, and also just generally shows off how hilariously chaotic everyone is (this cast is the definition of chaotic good, lol))

[firelxdykatara]

kitty i can't wait for your thoughts of Shadow and Bone asdfasfaw

Ok well I just finished and I have so many fucking thoughts. Most good! Some, less so. Part of it may just be my bias because I’ve only read the Six of Crows duology and have little interest in actually reading the original trilogy, because I know how it ends and Leigh clearly hates me personally and doesn’t want me to be happy (/j), so I was already predisposed to be far more invested in the Crows and Darkling/Darklina segments (genuinely, the Mal/Malina scenes/storyline bored me to tears, and while I appreciate that the show went out of its way to change Mal’s character to make him much less of a toxic douchebag [I’ve read enough excerpts and explanations of his actions in the books to really loathe book!Malina], it isn’t enough to make me ship them when Darklina is right there), but I also don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the Crows absolutely stole the show.

It’s actually kind of funny, because I’d assumed they were only being so heavily marketed to hype the show up even more, since while there’s a lot of TGT/SoC fandom overlap they are also two fundamentally different genres and I’d wager there are a lot of people who are massive fans of one but not so enthused with the other, while remaining fairly insignificant to the overall plot. Turns out, they make up fully half of the show’s runtime (much to my delight). Which is part of what I think will help this series stand on its own, both as a book adaptation and simply as a fantasy TV series.

I’ll put more of my story-specific thoughts under a cut, so there’s lots of show spoilers to follow!

I know that a lot of early reviewers were saying that Alina’s motivations and storyline revolved too much around Mal, and that really held true for me. It made sense in the beginning--he was the only constant in her life, she was thrust into something new, terrifying, and completely unfamiliar, and they’d developed an unhealthy codependence as a coping mechanism for their childhoods and the traumas they faced, the lives they lead growing up in a war-torn country. But she started coming into her power, falling for the General--not just his power and charisma, but what she felt when she was with him. The way he helped her summon the sun, the way she felt free in a way she never had before.

Until it all went to shit--but the Darklina make-out scene in episode 5? Fucking iconic. Poetic fucking cinema. The way they were quite literally about to have sex on that wartable (and someone better write fic of that moment, what if they hadn’t gotten interrupted), and the General left, but then he ran back just to kiss her one more time... this is what OTPs are made of ok.

I think what really bothers me overall is that Alina ultimately lacked agency in her one storyline, pretty much the entire way through. She did make a few choices, but they were mostly incidental, and a lot of it was Alina desperately trying to get back to Mal rather than seizing her own power and destiny and running with it. The most prominent example is the end of episode 5--Alina is having happy make-outs and almost bones the General in his own war room, and then he leaves, and Baghra comes in and infodumps to her about how evil he is and how he’s only using her and she needs to escape.

I recognize that a lot of this is probably because that’s essentially what happened in the book and Leigh is an executive producer for the show so she has a lot of shot-calling power. However, I really think that even in the book this plotline would’ve been better-served by having Alina make these discoveries on her own.

For example, imagine that the letters which were used as framing devices for episodes 2 and 3 were vitally important to the plot, rather than being one-offs that are mentioned a few times but not really affecting much of anything. Alina begins to get suspicious when she doesn’t receive word from Mal, and she starts wondering if her letters are even reaching him--so she starts snooping. She finds ashes in the war room hearth, late at night,, and recognizes a fragment of Mal’s signature and larger piece of her own. She now knows that someone--possibly the General, but maybe that creepy priest guy, or someone else in the palace--is keeping her and Mal from contacting one another. So she starts snooping around even more. She asks the General leading questions, trying to figure out what the truth is of his intentions. She still feels this pull--this connection to him, and she hopes she’s wrong, but she’s not willing to just sit around and wait for the other shoe to drop.

The Winter Fete still happens, she still gets the hot make-out session with the General, and then when he’s called away, she snoops through his papers, looking for anything that can tell her the truth. She finds a hidden compartment filled with journals.

She reads about Aleksander’s past (and, incidentally, wasn’t that supposed to be a huge moment in the books, him revealing his true name to her in private? kinda wish it had been kept that way in the show but who knows where they’ll go with it in the future)--that leads to the flashbacks in episode 6. She feels for him, but she also reads further--she gets a firsthand look at his desire for power, something that began as a noble desire to save his people, but was twisted by a lust for vengeance (for his lost love and all the Grisha who were killed) and shot through with greed, the realization that if he found the Sun Summoner he could control the Fold, rather than just destroy it. He could create a new world where Grisha could live without fear--where Grisha could rule.

Alina is terrified. Whoever the General used to be--whatever humanity she saw flickering in his eyes, the way his heart fluttered when they kissed--she can’t trust that it’ll be enough to save her from plans centuries in the making. So she goes to Baghra, the woman who helped her discover her power, learn to channel it--the woman who always seemed to know much more than she ever let on. Baghra gives her side of the story--Alina got it from the General’s perspective first, now Baghra is telling her something framed much differently. She isn’t sure what or who to trust, but she knows that Baghra seems willing to help her escape--but rather than trusting her ‘loyal Grisha’, she makes the choice she made in the show, to choose the other path, and winds up with the Crows.

Idk how Mal and the Stag thing would fit into this (if it isn’t obvious by now, Mal just... doesn’t interest me), but Alina’s story and her character arc would be so much stronger for it. And she’s supposed to be the central character, so her story being weak and her agency so frequently being compromised ultimately hurts the show as a whole.

I know I’ve gone on and on about Alina and the Darkling (look, I’m a slut for enemies-to-lovers, and also lovers-to-enemies-and-back, so Darklina and Helnik are where so much of my investment is rooted--plus Kanej, but that almost goes without saying), but the true standouts of the series were the Crows. Inej, Kaz, and Jesper, and Nina and Matthias in their episodes, stole the show (along with the Darkling, Ben is far and away the best actor in the cast and I love that for him, but Freddy, Amita, and Kit are also amazing, and Danielle&Calahan were fucking phenomenal as Nina and Matthias--I do have to say, though, that the whole cast is really solid and has amazing chemistry).

They worked together so perfectly--Freddy and Amita communicated so much with their eyes alone, especially together, and a whole lot of their relationship dynamic is rooted in how they exist together, which really came through. The show altered the Crows timeline considerably (I’m pretty sure Kaz would’ve been 14 during the original trilogy lol), so Inej is still at the Menagerie, but things like Kaz putting up the Crow Club for Inej’s freedom, the way Kaz needed her but could never bring himself to say it (until the end of the season dklhfgdkjfgh i SCREAMED)--the way Jesper played off the both of them, and it’s so obvious they all love each other even though they’re criminals and thieves and murderers, and Kaz would never admit it (out loud--which actually feeds into my theory that his love language is acts of service; Kaz does things for the people he cares about, he never announces it and he will almost always try to downplay it, but the way you know he cares is if, for example, he puts his entire life, everything he built, up as collateral for your freedom), but they’re a family.

One thing that I was kind of iffy about was Inej’s refusal to kill--but I thought it might be something they were planning to work into her overall character arc, and they did. It was the one line she hadn’t crossed--in the books, I’d imagine that it took a while for Inej to wind up at that point, being willing to kill on top of everything else. So I actually like that they worked that into the Crows plotline, and Inej killing for the first time was to save Kaz’s life.

Just like Kaz’s first selfless act was to save her.

(He’d deny it, of course. He protects his investments. He needed her for the job. But the truth is, he did it for her. And he’d do it again. Even if he’d never admit it.)

Meanwhile, Nina and Matthias’ storyline was pretty much note-for-note according to their backstory as it was revealed in Six of Crows, and I loved every second of it. Their chemistry was perfect, their journey from enemies to begrudging allies to friends to maybe something more (Matthias’ stomach cockblocking them when they were about to kiss had me fucking SCREAMING AT THE TV, and then of course the whole ‘betraying him to save him’ thing happened and I sobbed), and then suddenly right back to enemies.

Because from Matthias’ perspective, he trusted a witch--believed in her, liked her, wanted her--and she turned on him. He has no idea that she wasn’t the one who knocked him out in the first place, and no reason to believe her, because as far as he knows, she just confirmed everything he’d ever been told about Grisha. That they are deceitful and treacherous, would turn on you as soon as look at you, that they are dangerous and not to be trusted. It wasn’t revealed in-show but I imagine Matthias’ backstory is largely the same, which means that his entire family was slaughtered by Grisha when he was a young boy, and then he was turned into a brainwashed child soldier by the witch hunters and never knew anything else.

They are perfectly primed for their SoC arc next season and I, for one, am so stoked to see the rest of their journey. And if I slip Netflix a couple twenties, maybe they’ll let Helnik have a happy ending please please please.

Anyway, yeah! I have a lot of thoughts but things are still percolating in my head so I’ll probably float around the tags for a bit and let things settle. This is just a preliminary overview of my thoughts in the immediate aftermath of bingeing the entire show in one night kldfjghdkjfhgkjgf

EDIT TO ADD: I CAN’T BELIEVE I FORGOT ABOUT THE TRUE STAR OF THE SHOW, M I L O

MILO BEST BOY. MILO THE MVP. MILO DESERVES ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD AND I HOPE HE LIVES A HAPPY AND HEALTHY AND FULL LITTLE GOAT LIFE.

[lover-of-trash-and-people]

bittersweet netflix shadow and bone finale (s1 e8) rewatch; accoutrement: white wine with ice cubes in it (no YOU'RE a mom drink shh)

my wine's like fruity I love her

light and darkness title card we love to see it

Inej looking at Alina before she goes below deck to hide <3

okay that 'what can you really do on your own' was like not fun that shit hurted

okay but Jesper's 'not enough'? <3

oh no my baby Zoya's first inkling that Darkles does not really care

omg Helnik just appeared and I remembered how much heartbreak I have to face in this episode

gods I love Danielle as Nina so so much

'this can't be it' said she with her pleading smile with downturned eyebrows MA'AM I-

don't break my dumb little heart

I might hate Calahan's little accent but they're making me tear up

oh gods I literally cannot keep a hold on myself when Dani's accent bleeds through with full force, it's like she comes more alive or smth

'I will keep you warm' SIR WHAT-

I am surprised they showed a leaning in for a kiss so soon but I'm not mad about it

her little eyebrow twitch at 'what are waffles'

when that rando said 'i hunt slavers now' a dread settled into me because I knew what was about to go down

Matthias looking somberly at the stuffed wolf's head </3

I am so incredibly entranced by this exchange between Fedyor and Nina and what it represents, it's very interesting that they pushed up their storyline to match with the timeline

damn it's kind of jarring to be back in the Fold

'REMEMBER WHO'S DRIVING'??!!!! *you better stop* meme, *i am, disgusted* meme, *oh wow, oh wow* meme

Mal you fucking idiot you could never take the crows by surprise

the music rising as Kaz starts explaining his thought process, fucking perfection

haha Mal bitchass Inej caught you

'Because if he isn't with Kirigan's crew, he's with ours' WHEN I TELL YOU I SCREAMED

'And why would we destroy the Fold? It's the greatest weapon we've got' valid point at the moment but you know I don't necessarily agree with your methods

the use of the light tunnel in the show instead of Alina just being a super flashlight in the books is quite an interesting addition as well

is this an inappropriate time to point out how pretty Ben Barnes is

okay I kind of love the depiction of the shadow powers okay sue me

'they are traitors who tried to kill you' why are you suddenly making valid points despite having kind of committed low scale genocide

'i never said I was smart' YES MAL BE THE VOICE OF HIMBOS EVERYWHERE

Kaz's face going from 'can you believe this idiot' at Mal to 'fuck me I'm gonna do the same thing aren't I' at Inej

'For who would oppose us now?' *himbo romantic rival appears out of nowhere and shoots at him* god I love this show

him standing calmly in his ridiculous all black attire after nodding at his soldier to stop the himbo in his tracks, i fucking can't

could she summon light without the Darkling making her after he put the collar on her until the uhm moment in the books? idts but in the show she can hmm

'only because I'm not in the game' you tell him Jesper

not me snickering at 'you'll be seen not as a saviour, but as a heretic' LMFAO

'Shame. I'll have to give that speech again now.' THIS SHOW IS A FUCKING COMEDY AND YOU CAN'T PROVE ME WRONG

YES LET'S FUCKING GO SULI SOLIDARITY

Darkles casually whipping the Cut out like a shuriken or a throwing knife at Jesper because he shot at him lmao I can't

INEJ FUCKING GHAFA STABBED ONE THE OLDEST AND MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THAT WORLD AND THAT IS VERY TELLING OF HER POWER

that moment where you actually think that affected him despite having read the books and watched the show

and then he has to go and fucking say 'it will take more than this' and I can't be help but be a little bit impressed at this old fool's resilience

throwback to when he said 'the king is a child' sir you make some valid points sometimes and it does make it difficult to hate you

I would just like to inform everyone that it is currently 6:09 am IST and I am sipping my second mug of wine while watching netflix sab for the second time instead of doing my three papers that are due tomorrow

I'm sorry but Inej jumping to check on Zoya after she gets knocked over by the volcra? first class display of solidarity and sisterhood as well as Inej's inherent kindness

Kaz jumping in front of a FUCKING VOLCRA AND STABBING IT WITH HIS CANE to save Inej, you best believe love is true, kids

god the volcra are so ugly and gross, they did such a good job with them

they kind of remind me of these creatures (I think they might have been called Hollows or smth) from the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children movie

STAG VISION TIME

despite my dislike for the callous nature with which the stag plotline was handled, I kind of dig the stag vision scene

'It's just me and you now, Alina. And we're all we need, anyway.' I actually feel bad for this old fool simping for this wonderful gorgeous powerful woman despite lying to her and manipulating her and exploiting her power

okay 'I never needed you' *stabs the bone fragment out of his hand* beautiful power move I fucking love you so so much

alright ben looking like ✨ that✨ not only in physical pain but also emotional pain at what the Darkling clearly considers another betrayal from this girl he wants to give the world and maybe? loves? maybe? or at least has feelings for makes my fucking heart hurt while simultaneously soar at Alina taking back control and reclaiming her power as her own and stepping into her own

'how do you claim such power' okay could have had better dialogue there writers

the fucking score lifting as she says 'you cannot claim what was not given to you' good people my heart is full

one day I'll talk about my defense of the chosen one trope because god damn I kind of love it

hmm I wonder was that brief hesitation that we saw on Alina's face due to her thinking about the 'you chose to betray our people' comment or the 'i was trying to save us' comment because that will define some of her actions in the later seasons (hopefully god if we get some, I honestly don't know what with this stupid brownface debacle)

I'm not saying talking about brownface and pointing out that it is wrong (for further context, I am actually brown) and harmful is stupid btw I'm talking about the incidents involving brownface in question

I don't wanna talk about this anymore but I might feel like I need to and end up posting about it idk

goodness Ivan actually believing in this cause makes me so sad because he too has been victimized by the system that ostracizes Grisha and he has every right to feel the way that he does

Ben actually fighting in that ridiculously heavy cloak and kefta when he's about to turn 40 this year makes me super impressed because I as a 19 year old sometimes wake up with muscle pulls after weeks of inactivity it's weird idk

also I understand that this Mal Darkling fight is completely fanservice and serves nearly no purpose to the plot in general but like I? love it?

'I don't have to kill you Darkling. Your past will do it for me' YES HIMBO GO OFF YOU TELL THAT OLD MAN GODS THAT WAS SEXY AS FUCK

maybe it's because I know Darkles will survive and will come out of it more powerful but I can't get myself to feel bad for him at the moment

Inej and Mal tearing up at Alina's condition made me almost feel something despite it being super obvious she was gonna be fine and save their asses at the last moment

HER POWER

a solitary Kaz in spotted on the western side of the newly expanded fold in his signature all black emo boy look

okay but the crows with zoya and malina is such an adorable team? I literally love them so much?

INEJ'S FUCKING SMILE AT ALINA GIVING HER THE DAGGER AND KAZ LOOKING AT HER AGSGSGSHSJSJSK MY HEART CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE

SHE KNOWS JUST WHAT TO NAME IT WELL GIRLIE I KNOW IT TOO AND MY FUCKING HEART IS LITERALLY GONNA BURST

okay I know they had one interaction but Mal and Jesper would be besties in another universe

Kaz glaring at Jesper when he answers ''course not' to Alina's 'will you still be trying to kidnap me?' tell me one fucking adaptation that got the dynamics between characters this perfectly

okay why do I love that Alina kept the jewellery as maybe a small nod to she has the wits to, um, you know, I don't wanna say steal, but, um, yeah, steal it because she knew she would need money to survive on the run

oh Jessie I love you so much I wish you hadn't said those things on you ig story about the brownface

it's like every single celeb I grow attached to god's like nope that one is going to do or say something problematic (hey btw im not reassigning blame to god for stuff people have done out of their own free will, 'twas a joke)

AAAAAAAH them saying 'the deal is the deal' in the show even though they didn't have to but like they did and I love them for it

Inej literally not being able to not stare at Kaz's face and smile after this <3

'I didn't expect it to burn at all. But it can be destroyed in the end. Just like him' babe you're not wrong but like um just you wait

god Mal being on supportive boyfie mode is well, absolutely adorable, obviously, but I wish we got to see more of him as a person outside of his attachment to Alina

kaz my little demjin I wish you hadn't have had to suffer so much to meet the crows and find your calling

fastforwarding Zoya's arc is also an interesting choice to me

I wish the hug hadn't been done though, it didn't feel earned

maybe Alina awkwardly and half-heartedly (remember, at this point the alliance is fresh and they still don't entirely trust each other) reached for a hug and Zoya avoided her? and then the rest of Zoya's lines followed? that would have made more sense to me at least

I love Sujaya as well, she brought life into Zoya with whatever little screentime and scraps of writing she got

inej asking kaz 'what's your angle?' beep bop bleep morp I sense another incoming embarrassing love confession

'but we do need you' *stares at her face intensely* 'I need you' ah look at the clock, look's like it's time to screech and flap your arms like you're a volcra because you're incapable of containing your emotions

NO YOU CAN'T GO DIRECTLY FROM KANEJ PROGRESS TO HELNIK BREAKUP (TEMPORARY, MIND YOU)

helnik my loves you don't deserve this I'm so sorry for both of you

Matthias fucking smiling ruefully while he says 'this was... just a cruel joke all along' THIS IS NOT FUCKING OKAY

omg hellgate

AAAAAAAAH NINA IS ON THE SAME FRAME AS THE OG CROWS I CAN'T HANDLE THIS

CAMERA PAN FROM KAZ SAYING 'JUST HOW THIS ALL STARTED... WE'RE GONNA NEED A HEARTRENDED' TO NINA OVERHEARING HIM AND LOOKING OVER?????!!!!!! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING THIS TO ME?!

Nina genuinely being curious as to the status of the sun saint because she obviously still cares

Also, 'But she is a Saint' okay Kaz trying to earn brownie points you have succeeded

DID THAT SAILOR JUST SAY 'GOED MORGEN FENTOMEN' TO MALINA BECAUSE I AM NOT OKAY WITH THEM JUST THROWING THAT IN MY FACE ALL OF A SUDDEN

gods I know I'll probably see them again but my heart is full of sorrow as my eyes drink in the sight of my crows for the last time for a while

I know people were annoyed at the meadow flashbacks but guess what? as a darklina, I loved them

'now that the Darkling is dead' could have phrased that a little differently my dudes that line needed to hold more weight

am I glad that they showed Darkles in this state with his nichevo'ya as a tasty little cliffhanger despite not being entirely true to the source material? maybe but only because Ben Barnes saying 'follow' and the nichevo'ya doing exactly so sent a chill down my spine

well, that's it for now, I'll have to move on I guess, get back to my real life which I'm obviously not ready to do

thank you to whoever actually read these things

I probably should have just made reactions or commentary videos instead but I'm lazy

my tumblr will probably go into inactivity once more as I emerge from my stint in the grishaverse

it was quite short (less than 2 months), considering the length of my other obsessions but it was definitely more intense than the other ones

[sunshine-stars]

I probably won’t end up writing this but I’m having so much fun with the jatp six of crows au so:

SPOILERS FOR SIX OF CROWS AND CROOKED KINGDOM

Reggie is Nina

They’re both bi

Love food so much

Wear red

I wanna see him with heart render powers but hate having to use them cuz his parents always fought and used them against each other ouch

I can’t describe it but it just FITS

Dates Matthias (WHO WONT DIE IN THIS CUZ I LOVE HIM)

Willie is Jesper

Adhd

I would love to see him with Jesper’s cocky attitude

The guns omg

Gay

I can see him having trouble with gambling cuz he always think that this time he’ll get it right

(OMG THERES A MUSIC VIDEO ON YOUTUBE WHERE THAT LINE IS ABOUT JESPER AND ITS AMAZING HERE)

Suppressing his powers - prolly doesn’t realize he’s a powerful ghost in jatp and doesn’t realize he’s a Fabrikator

And it just fits that his mom died when he was young and he has a dad he always feel like he’s disappointing ouch

Hopelessly in love with Wylan

Alex is Wylan

Blonde lol

Gay

Idk if he’ll have dyslexia simply cuz I don’t and I don’t want to represent it wrong so I’ll either not include it or do tons of research about it

Realistically I could write him with a stutter instead cuz I have one but idk

Dad doesn’t accept him because he’s gay and maybe dyslexia and treats him like he’s stupid and worthless ouch

It just kinda seems like Alex would’ve had a rich snobby family

I project onto both of these characters

Dating Jesper

Or wait maybe Alex should be Matthias idk I’m just brainstorming rn

Ofc he’d still have anxiety and he’d just make a lot more sarcastic comments than does in the books

THE BANTER BETWEEN HIM AND WILLIE

Julie is Inej

BADASS SPY JULIE OMG

Also tell me Inej isn’t a lil bit gay cuz her and Nina obviously flirted in the books

And Julie’s bi so it fits

She seems like she’d be the most religious out of all of them

Cuz cross and stuff and just imagine Julie praying to the saints after her mother died and just ouch

After losing her mom she walked away to the next town and got kidnapped and ouch

But in this they find her in Fijerda and are just so amazing

Imagine her saying “I will have you without armour, or I won’t have you at all” to Luke

Dates Luke

Luke is Kaz

Ik this seems weird but hear me out

Ran away with older brother cuz parents didn’t accept his love for music and other reasons

Why am I making everyone run away in this omg oh well

Then older brother dies ouch

So Luke completely turns to music and closes himself to get by and joins the Dregs and ends up at the top

But he’s less closed off and scary as Kaz cuz I just can’t see that but still a bit less Luke like

I feel like Luke would actually be scary smart but the impulsiveness and puppy dog ness just gets in the way so people don’t realize that

Dates Kaz

Bobby is Matthias

Gremlin done with your shit energy

I can see him with backwards ideals in Fijerda and coming to Kerch and just being like what everything I learned is wrong???

DOESNT DIE IN THIS

I don’t have a lot of strong reasons for this but I can feel it

Dates Nina

Carrie

Matthias’ sister

Goes to Kerch with him

Same everything I learned is wrong???? But has a harder time accepting it

Insecurities

Enemies to lovers Flarrie

Flynn

Went on a walk with Julie and got captured with her ouch

But they stayed together the whole time

Just awesome dynamic with Julie

Enemies to lovers Flarrie

Anddddd more plot stuff

It’d be more lighthearted than six of crows but more heavy than jatp

Ya know how the original crew was Kaz Inej and Jesper

Instead it’ll be Kaz/Luke, Wylan/Alex, Nina/Reggie, Matthias/Bobby, and some Carrie

Kaz is the same

Wylan/Alex runs away/gets kicked out a lot sooner and Kaz recruits him sooner

Nina/Reggie is the same but a bit more with them than at the start of six of crows

Matthias/Bobby and Carrie get freed by Kaz a lot sooner

Matthias/Bobby and Nina/Reggie HATE each other and can’t stand to be around each other but eventually fall in love

Matthias/Bobby is constantly annoyed with all of them but needs them to survive but secretly is fond of them

Carrie joins in sometimes

Inej/Julie and Flynn come in a lot later and Kaz/Luke saves them before they go to the brothel

Jesper/Willie goes to Kerch a bit later and Wylan/Alex recruits him instead of the other way around

They obviously do the heist

And they have a lil band

ALEX/WYLAN PLAYS DRUMS AND FLUTE

Wow I got carried away with this

Any feedback is really appreciated!!!! Feel free to make suggestions or whatever!!!

[kazs-new-hat]

Idk if your still doing the grishaverse asks,, but shadow, rising, and wolves if you are :)

(from here !)

hii omg tysm for asking first of all 🥺🤧

shadow: rank all the grishaverse books you've read

(from most to least enjoyed)

six of crows -> crooked kingdom -> rule of wolves -> ruin and rising -> language of the thorns (idk if that counts??) -> shadow and bone -> siege and storm -> king of scars

i feel like i have to explain king of scars-- i loved it but to me it felt like a bit of a long prequel?? but i still enjoyed certain parts of it!

rising : what's the best ship? canon or otherwise

kanej. i'm sorry you probably saw that coming but i. i can't, it really is my fav grishaverse ship :,) it's so ironic and the interactions that they have would be considered benign to any other ship, but because of their backgrounds and their personalities just the slightest of anything is like a punch to the gut;; perfect example of less is more

non-canon wise i think jesper x kaz has a lot of potential lmaoo i love their dynamic it could work both platonically or romantically

wolves: sort all the characters you can into hogwarts houses

OKAY THIS ONE IS FUN;; i'll do hogwarts houses because there are less to choose from lmao. also, i'm going more on personality or what i see them as

might make another post for zodiac signs tho we'll see

alina : hufflepuff

mal : gryffindor

the darkling : slytherin

nikolai : ravenclaw

genya : slytherin

zoya : gryffindor

david : ravenclaw

kaz : slytherin

inej : gryffindor

nina : gryffindor

matthias : hufflepuff

wylan : slytherin I DON'T KNOW WHY

jesper : hufflepuff

thank you so much for sending an ask this was a lot of fun! the asks are still open if anyone wants to ask something :)

[all-inmoderation]

kaz (soc) and aang (atla)

Kaz

1. How I feel about this character

love him to bits. he really left an impression on me for some reason, even tho ive read plenty of characters before who are characterized as assholes-with-a-heart-of-gold, he just felt different to me. i think its because despite his tragic backstory, his assholey-ness was very unapologetic, which I liked, lol. and speaking of tragic backstories, oh my god his really hit. like, the imagery of little kaz fighting for his life on his brother’s corpse, and how that experience later formed into the near debilitating phobia of touch for him, broke my heart. it absolutely crushed me but also made me root for his character even more, bc i wanted to see him get his revenge on pekka rollins but also allow himself to be soft like he once was, before that day. 

2. All the people I ship romantically with this character

allowing himself to even admit he loved inej was hard enough for him, so i cant imagine kaz ever loving anyone else like he does her, tbh. if he did, it would be very very far in the distant future post-canon, where he’d presumably be a changed character (after healing from his trauma), i hope. because he deserves to learn how to be soft again, and i think the best person to do that with is inej, for him.

3. My non-romantic OTP for this character

i know people ship him  with matthias, which is an interesting dynamic for sure. i wouldnt ship them romantically but theyve definitely had some really interesting interactions together, (like when matthias says kaz has nothing sacred in his life, or when kaz says matthias was right and he was out of tricks) and i love how matthias calls Kaz demjin/demon, haha.

4. My unpopular opinion about this character

idk if this is unpopular but as much as i called him an asshole before (lmao) i don’t actually think kaz is one. okay dont get me wrong, he can definitely be a dick, but from what i can recall, kaz doesn’t say mean shit just to be petty, it’s more like he’s a no-bullshit type guy who can be pragmatic to the point that it comes off as cruel. which makes sense considering thats how hes survived in the Barrel, and i think that makes him far more interesting than him just being a snarky character. Also! i think kaz’s ability to read/manipulate people is underrated- hes not just a barrel boss bc he’s ruthlessly violent, it’s because kaz knows how to read people like a book and knows their likes, dislikes, fears, etc and uses it against them/for his own gain. this ability of his is so much more sinister and impressive to me than him cutting people up.

5. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

i wish theyd gone onto more detail about what kaz does as a barrel boss. bc towards the end of crooked kingdom when hes finally confronting pekka rollins, pekka says something like “if it hadn’t been me who conned you and your brother, it would’ve been someone else” and “you cant trick an honest man, brekker, you know that”. the last part “you know that” made me realize we don’t know much about what operations the dregs runs. does kaz scam pigeons too? it seems to be a commonplace thing for gangs to do, from what it seems from pekka’s line, but i wonder if kaz would do that himself knowing what it feels like to be on the receiving end. does he scam them but not give them the illusion of kindness like pekka did with him & jordie ? or does kaz simply steal and pickpocket and minimize the manipulation ? i wish leigh bardugo had gone a little bit more in depth with that bit bc pekka’s line arose a lot of questions for me that would be cool to delve into.

Aang

1. How I feel about this character

if you follow my blog you probably already know how much i absolutely adore aang. Aang and i are very similar, except he’s, like, Better lol. tbh I think he’s everything people should strive to be: kind, resilient, patient etc. etc. 

 2. All the people I ship romantically with this character

anyone. literally anyone. lmfao he’s just that type of character! his personality is so open and charming that he puts everyone around him at ease and is able to have meaningful interactions with every character ! lately i’ve been really into suki x aang tho ugh something about suki being so devoted to aangs past lives is just 😩😩😩👌👌

3. My non-romantic OTP for this character

i love toph and aang’s friendship ! i ship them romantically too but even when im contemplating a ship with a different character with aang, taang’s friendship is always important to me and very underrated int his fandom tbh.

4. My unpopular opinion about this character

he’s mister popular, hide yo wife hide yo kids he can steal anyone from you bc hes just that charming.

5. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

i dont wish to change canon in any way, i think it was masterfully done. but post canon, i wish to explore the dynamics between aang and older characters such as bumi, guru pathik, etc more. i think aang deserves to be able to hang out with people who remembers a time when his people were alive and his culture was valued !

[busysavingtheuniverse]

thoughts on (netflix's) shadow and bone from someone who's never read the books but has absorbed peripheral information from tumblr. spoiler warning(?)

overall pretty solid!

they failed to make me care about alina though. i was much more invested in the crows' storyline even though they achieved nothing they set out to do and won anyway, which is always my favorite type of plot

i know that malina vs darklina is a Very Important Debate in the grishaverse community so here's my opinions on it: the age gap definitely has a very weird vibe but mal has basically no personality aside from simping for alina so we ship darklina for the juicy dynamic and malina for the healthy childhood friends to lovers content

there's usually One Ship i center myself around for every fandom and for the grishaverse i've decided to dedicate myself to kanej

SPEAKING OF KANEJ. finally some good south asian (specifically desi) representation! i can't tell you how much it means to me. of course alina and mal are important too but INEJ MY QUEEN!

i can't comment on the queer rep because it's not my place but they pulled it off pretty casually - it didn't feel forced to me so +1 point

i can't decide if freddy carter's good-looking or not. what's going on with his face fam

they didn't do a very good job with properly showing the passage of time. logically i know it must've been at least a few months based on how many letters alina and mal sent but it felt like a few days ngl. it needed more episodes or longer episodes, just more room to breathe in general. i wouldn't have minded if they cut nina and matthias out entirely ngl

now for thoughts on each character individually!

like i said i didn't really care about alina? idk she has very generic protagonist vibes and she gave up mal pretty quickly for someone whose last sight of him was him hobbling after her screaming her name lol. also she was pretty reluctant to destroy the fold for someone whose parents it killed? it feels like they were going for the 'cinnamon roll who could kill you' vibe but since that's the personality of Every Female YA Protagonist Ever they failed to add that touch that would give her her own personality

mal! like i said, no personality aside from simping for alina. unrelatable, but his determination is sweet. they really romanticized his tracker abilities, didn't they? he managed to find the legendary stag no one had been able to find for hundreds of years What

i will now be simping for inej forever, thanks. queen. legend. her hair is literally so pretty

kaz… truly an exasperated dad. i love him. exactly my brand of Angsty Traumatized White Boy. beat the crusty old darkling with a magic trick. an icon

genya! ngl i wouldn't've been too pressed if she'd been the main character - someone so consumed by rightful revenge they're willing to hurt the people they care about to get it? overdone but still spicy with an added newness of rape survivors finally getting some healthy representation

jesper. a queer king. he and mal fight for custody of milo sometime off screen i don't CARE it wouldn't fit in universe that's what happened

zoya. her redemption felt a little rushed to me; like i said, they needed more time for stuff like this

matthias. we love a redemption and then nina accidentally destroying all that hard work lol

nina! queen! apparently she was supposed to be plus-sized though and that would've been very important so >:( to them cutting that. we love her changing matthias's mind on grisha by just being herself and then undoing that by also being herself

the darkling! mixed feelings. on the one hand he's an old man creeping on someone who barely looks legal on the other hand he's v pretty and his motives are very grey

and those are my thoughts on shadow and bone! i'll definitely be reading it but apparently six of crows is better so i won't get my hopes up (i even heard some saying the show was better)

[wheredidthe80sgo]

So... Shadow and Bone

Ok, this will contain spoilers for the show, so if you don’t want to know, don’t read ahead. 

-Ok, first things first, holy shit. Holy shit I can’t deal. I laughed and smiled my entire way through because everyone was just so perfect. 

-The casting stood out to me immediately. I mean we all knew that they were amazing when we first saw them, but seeing them on screen was just something else.

-Adding Alina’s backstory was a bit huh? Like they made her half-Shu, and that was pretty cool I guess but it was just kind of there. Also, I don’t remember that in the books, so if it was mentioned there then that’s cool but I just don’t remember it at all so.

-The Crows. The motherfucking Crows. I honestly think combining the two shows was the greatest decision they made because the Crows just lit up the screen everytime they appeared. Don’t get me wrong here, I love Shadow and Bone, but by itself I just think it would have been kind of weak. 

-Kaz’s introduction. Jesper’s introduction. Inej’s introduction. They were all brilliant. I adore them. 

-Kaz’s cane. That’s it. I want one.

-The backstories on all of the characters felt kind of flat to me tbh, mostly because there weren’t really any. They briefly explained Inej’s connection to the Menagerie (which was an interesting choice to still have her there imo) but apart from that there wasn’t much. Kaz’s backstory wasn’t mentioned at all and I think I only realised his not liking to be touched thing because I was a fan. Jesper’s backstory was just non-existent. Of course Alina, Mal and the Darkling’s were there as well but apart from that I didn’t really feel like I knew anyone all that well.

-Kaz and Inej were just- yeah. It was literally so understated. Like in the books I didn’t realise they were meant to be a thing until like halfway through, when they were on the boat, but in the show I just didn’t realise at all. There were flashes of it all throughout but because Kaz is an idiot of course he didn’t say anything. I thought it was nice but I did miss a lot of those iconic lines. (I wished they had developed their relationship enough to get to the ‘I will have you with armour, Kaz Brekker’ line because that’s my favourite.)

-Jesper. Jesper. Jesper. Kit was SO GOOD. Jesper was honestly my favourite part of the show. He was perfect in every scene he had and I was so so happy to see how well Kit did. Also, when they said that you would definitely know Jesper was bi and I held out hope that maybe it would be mentioned briefly but then he hooked up with a guy? Man, I almost cried.

-I do miss Wylan though. So, so much.

-Nina and Matthias were... well, they were perfect, obviously. The dynamic between Danielle and Calahan was just amazing, but I was kind of confused. If you’d read the books you would understand Nina’s importance and why we cared so much about her but the show just didn’t develop that as well, which was a shame. It felt a little out of place amidst all the other action, but I guess it worked out in the end with Nina on the ship to Ketterdam with the Crows and Matthias on to Hellgate. 

-The scenes with them walking were just perfect. I only just reread the books the other day and the dialogue was exactly the same. Nina, my wife, I would die for you.

-Kaz’s hair.

-Milo.

-Maybe it’s just all of the edits, but I couldn’t stop making fun of the Darkling. Every time he came on screen I would make some sort of comment. My favourite was during the Darkling/Kaz face-off (the Darkling/Kaz face-off!!!!!) and I couldn’t stop thinking about how the Darkling got bested by a seventeen year old with PTSD. 

-They made me like Mal. They fucking made me like Mal. Archie was so good. 

-The thing I liked about Mal and Alina more so than in the books was that the set-up to their relationship was so much better. You could so clearly see that Mal already had feelings for Alina and he just didn’t realise and I thought that it was really really sweet the way they carried it out. Thank you Jessie and Archie.

-Genya, Zoya, Marie and Nadia were just perfect. When Marie died I cried a little. Also Zoya being there at the very end of the show with the rest of them made me laugh, idk why it just did.

-Seeing the SAB and SOC characters on screen together was just so odd. Not in a bad way, just in a really weird way like worlds colliding.

-Inej’s relationship with her religion and especially Alina was so perfect. I cried when she saw Alina use her power for the first time. The look on her face, I- someone protect this girl.

-I also cried when the stag died. That was just awful. I loved that stag. 

-I do admit that Darklina is just... so hot. Like woah. Just woah.

-Genya and David. Yes.

-So I know exactly where they’re going with Alina and Mal’s storyline, with the destroying the Fold and everything, but I have no idea how the Crows are going to be incorporated into that. Like, if we get a season two, what are they going to do? Smuggle her into Ravka? Again? 

-I had to do an in conclusion for myself last night but it didn’t work so I’ll do one now: the Crows are headed back to Ketterdam with Nina and Matthias on board and Nina and the Crows have just met and are going to ally up I think. Alina and Mal are also headed to Ketterdam instead of Novyi Zem (?). Zoya is still in Ravka, the Darkling is alive and emerged dramatically from the Fold in basically the same vicinity as Zoya, Genya and David and the rest of them are back in East Ravka and Nikolai and Wylan are nowhere to be found.

-(Will I ever get over two of my favourite characters in the entire Grishaverse not being in the first season of the show? No, no I will not.)

TL:DR the show was amazing. I loved how true it was to most aspects of the books. I thought the cast was just perfect and I loved everyone. I really really hope they get a season two. 

[retvenkos]

let me just write an essay real quick....

@musicallisto i said i would do if for you, clara, and i am a woman of my word. here is my headcanon set for how/why you and matthias are a good™ match... (this probably won’t be very coherent, but you love me anyway)

First, let me cover some basic ideas about your dynamic, because I have thoughts...

Much like (our queen) Nina, you would challenge Matthias. You’re not a damsel in distress nor are you some soft spoken lamb. You are the sun - larger than life and outgoing, warm and impulsive, and quite emotional. All of this challenges the stiff regulations and detached behavior Matthias has lived with for so long - both in Fjerda and in Hellgate. You encourage his playful, soft side while also being very perceptive - enough to know when it’s not the time.

You both also carry such pride for who you are, and I think it’s very important for both of you that the other respect that but also challenge what exactly that means.

Furthermore, you have a romanticism to you that I think would actually really compliment Matthias? Like, we don’t acknowledge enough the fact that Matthias actually has romantic notions and yeah, they’re traditional, but they’re very sweet, and I think you would find them endearing. That’s good for him. I also think that if it’s a big deal to Matthias, then of course you will go on walks with him - of course you will let him bring you flowers and making it a “proper” date. I think you love romance, and that’s just neat.

I also want to say that whenever i read your writing, I feel so much reverence for whatever material you are writing about, and I think that would wonderfully compliment Matthias. His religion is important to him and the life he once lived weighs heavily on his heart. You would never make light of either of them, and I think that is very important for Matthias - especially because he still struggles. I’m also a sucker for the hardened one finding someone that challenges him, but holds him in their arms so carefully, and those are the precise vibes I get from the two of you.

You would joke with Matthias. You would make him feel like he belonged.

Also! I have this idea that Matthias is a really good storyteller - he just doesn’t know it. No one has ever really... asked him to tell them a story, but you would (maybe while dozing by a fire). And when he starts telling you stories of Fjerda, or stories of his life, at first it’s a little awkward or clunky, but you just listen and the longer he speaks, the more natural it becomes, and Matthias is actually very eloquent and emotional, and can you imagine listening to him talk - hearing the deep timbre of his voice as he softly puzzles over who he was, and pities those he once knew? An experience™, I tell you. He has the “I see everything, and I watch it corrupt us slowly” vibes. The oral storyteller vibes.  And I promise I’m going somewhere with this! It would fit perfectly with your storytelling abilities. I get the feeling that your more apt on paper, because it causes your thoughts to slow down, and so you’ll write him stories or letters and sneak them into his pockets for him to read. And! If anyone were to ever write his stories down, it would be you.

I also think that Matthias is the structure to your free will. You have such aspirations and so many dreams, and Matthias would be the steady hand that would remind you to see your dreams to fruition. 

Finally, I want to say that Matthias is the type to take responsibility. If anything were to ever happen - like the two of you argue or have a big disagreement - Matthias would not place all of the blame on you. I feel like this would be really good for you since you don’t like defeat, and you probably internalize a lot of criticism (girl, me too). Don’t get me wrong - Matthias is strong willed, too, but he knows when he’s done wrong, and as long as he doesn’t have to apologize to Kaz Brekker, he’ll admit it and sincerely ask for forgiveness. What a man.

Also! Final thing, I swear, then I’ll get into some details - the two of you are both hands-on in your relationships! You’re both a little doting when it comes to the other person - you just care *clenches fist* so much and want to make sure that this life is all that both of you dreamed of, and more, and I just think that’s neat. It makes me very happy.

Okay, but for how you fit into this world, you are definitely apart of the Dregs.

If you want to be Grisha, then I have decided you would do best a squaller. You would definitely make friends with Nina when she first comes to Ketterdam, if this is the route you want to go (Grisha’s gotta stick together, y’know?) and you first learn about Matthias by prying at her past. Lovingly. You’re definitely apart of the Dregs, and idk what your speciality would be, but you’d be iconic. Maybe you would be really good at throwing knives? Or maybe you’d be a spy! Both are viable options for you.

If you don’t want to be a Grisha, then you are introduced to the crows by the one and only Jesper Fahey. Clearly you are going to university with a special area of study in poisons, and you meet Jesper in like... one (1) class on the first two of three days. The two of you can bond over joking about how to get out of doing the homework. Jesper was like... we could put a bullet in him, and instead of being scandalized, you make some wry comment about how arsenic would be the best poisoning tactic since it doesn’t have a smell or taste. He’d never see it coming. At some point, Jesper would come to you wanting to know more about poisons (Kaz made him) and idk why, but I think it’s very important that I detail this moment:

Jesper sidles up to you in class after MONTHS of being gone and you’re like.... bro, where did you go? and why are you wearing those clothes?

But Jesper is just trying to get a feel for if you actually know your way around poisons or not (I mean, everything you’ve said has been true, but how much do you know?). He’s being really cryptic and awkward, though, and I love the idea that at some point, you think that Jesper thinks you are a drug dealer and you’re like ??? I do chemistry, but not that kind. And he’s like.... NO. POISONS.

And, ofc, that’s your area of special study. So of course you know.

And Jesper says, “Sweet. You could help me choose the right ones, then? The right amount?”

And you go: “Haha... you’re not trying to kill anyone, are you?”

And Jesper winks and says, “Not yet.”

And you’re mind is going.... I really shouldn’t negotiate with possible hit men, right?

But have you seen student loans? Ketterdam would be the last place to forgive student debt. Plus, this is one of the greatest (read: most expensive) universities of all time! And Jesper is nice...

(ooh! Maybe I flip the script and you guys are actually childhood friends? That would make a little more sense. Pick your poison.)

Anyway, somehow you end up helping him, and it sticks. Jesper comes and goes randomly to pick up poisons or get advice on them, He pays you well. He makes you laughs. You get to tease him about actually going to class.

Oh! This is important:

One time, Jesper kindly asked you to bring him something to the Crow Club, You definitely think this side of town is sketchy as hell, but Jesper is a friend and he’s offering more money (I feel like you would take the calculated risk. I’d go with you. Queens travel in packs).  Your plan is in and out.

You meet up with Jesper and you go.... oop— that is definitely a gunshot wound, and that is definitely an unconscious man in the corner.  What the hell is going on?

And Jesper is like.... “haha.... yeah, we just had a shootout. I nearly died. Pretty amazing, am I right?”

“You’re a criminal?”

“You mean you didn’t conjecture that?”

Okay... maybe you did. That’s on you, huh?

(Lol, idk why, but that chaos was just very important for me to include)

BUT OHYMYGOD, MATTIAS. Idk how you guys would meet - maybe after they sneak him out of Hellgate? You could be a kind of nurse for the Dregs, if you wanted to. Actually, the idea of a nurse or a healer who knows her way around poisons is actually a concept. My mind.

[lover-of-trash-and-people]

guess who's back again me with my thoughts during s1e3 of my netflix shadow and bone rewatch (spoilers)

My queen Genya is beautiful and is casted perfectly imo and I love her I enjoy Alina enjoying luxury because she's never had this stuff Genya said get lost racist maids Genya is so fucking amazing and funny and lovely You can tailor extensions in?! Sign me up I'm pretty sure this was never the intention but Grisha being treated as the other and Alina being like I've only been grisha for a day with Genya replying maybe you've only been aware for a day but you've been grisha your whole life gives me such old queer people accepting baby queers into the community NINA FUCKING ZENIK BEING PART OF THE CROWS THIS EARLY I MEAN IM NOT COMPLAINING BUT HOW (is what I said the first time I was watching this) DANIELLE IS NINA I'm really intrigued at how the Helnik story is woven into this timeline and how it's changed and how that will impact and possible future endeavours Also, Arken looking at Jesper and requesting Milo the emotional support goat is just amazing Jesper trying to fend off his gambling addiction and yet being dragged in, so fucking cool Genyalina dynamic absolutely adorable Hey Ben you cutie, he's literally better to look at in the sunlight Ew Pyotr you disgusting vermin The queen's a bitch and a racist confirmed okay alek stepping in to introduce Alina when she felt lost for words to do it herself was nice, I think Don't think I've said this before but the shadow summoning looks kind of dope as fuck okay leaning in close beside her ear and whispering now call the sun to her and holding her hand I see you aleksander you smooth fuck Alina slowly breaking into a smile as she sees her power and accepts its existence for the first time Her smile bursting forth when he says you were perfect aaah 'welcome home, miss starkov' aaaah my heart LEIGH BARDUGO IN A FABRIKATOR KEFTA HUGGING ALINA I CAN'T also the score is beautiful here Zoya I can't fucking believe you said that to Alina MILO HAS ENTERED THE CHAT Arken pulling a sus move cements my belief that Kaz will never trust him Also goddamn Freddy Carter looks good Wow Inej talking about her family is hitting me too hard in the feels Kaz Aaaaaaah Matthias first look Okay Daniella is serving good Nina energy I actually enjoy Arlen's vibe even though he's super sus Lmao jesper has been up to his jesperness lol Arken you sneaky bitch omg every time I look at Nadia I think of her brother and of Tamar Omg Botkin, I wish we saw more of him okay Malina we get it you're adorable fastracking the Zoya fight and toning it down? hmm, interesting choice okay why do I love when Zoya is mean to Alina (does it trigger my tsundere thing) OMG NADIA SAID I LIKE WOMEN WHAT ABOUT IT I knew we were about to see the Apparat as soon as she was in the library again, casting's perfect omg apparat stop being creepy (I know he won't, idk why I say it) already telling us about morozova's amplifiers? hmm I don't know how I feel about that OMG I CAN'T WAIT FOR BAGHRA omg apparat you creep switching up the hut for a cave hmm Omg Zoe looks hella fine and she has that nice ageless look too Her eyes are so startling, I love them 'And yet I wish I were with... with the First Army' yes super convincing Alina why is Arken such a sneaky mfer and why does that make me like him okay the little 'salt coming at ya' during the royal tester thing is so cool Oh Ivan, if only you weren't so mean to Alina I would like you eww volcra blood dripping Arken having the foresight to get Milo for Jesper, I love him for that why is the Jesper shooting volcra off with Milo in his hand the most perfect piece of art I have ever witnessed WE LOVE THE HINT THAT CANE WITH JESPER TAKING THE LAST SHOT THAT WAS SO SEXY okay make me cry I guess Alina that buildup of music depicting Alina's emotions ouch

[nomattertheoceans]

Idk if you’ve read Six of Crows, but if so, consider a SOC AU where Spacekru is Kaz’s team with Kanej as Becho obvi, and Spacekru is basically a heist team stealing from the rich (delinquent vibes), it would be really cool (ik that Spacekru is 7 ppl and Kaz’s team is 6, don’t come for me)

Hey!! Are you @rosealie​ ‘s anon from the other day? If so, welcome, I’ve been waiting for you!! :D It was so crazy the other day because I spent like.... two hours ranting in her DMs about how she should read Six of Crows, I sent her art and detailed stuff about the characters, and then she got an ask about Kanej and Becho and legit thought it was me trolling her lmao Anyway if it is you, I’m glad you came to me because I was really interested in your ask!! ( @rosealie​ I’m going to need you to not read the rest of the ask in case I put spoilers in it. And also, read Six of Crows)

Listen I am ALWAYS down for heists and gangs of misfists so I say yes to this AU a hundred percent!! I am always down for anything Spacekru to be honest, and I can’t imagine the chaotic energy of a heist led by them xD

I however disagree on the Becho being close to Kanej in that AU? Not saying it can’t be done because it probably can, but I would probably need more info on your idea to agree. It’s a very personal thing and I’m not trying to convince you or anything, but basically for me it comes down to why I love the ships.

I love Becho because of the whole enemies to lovers vibe (althoough they didn’t start at enemies exactly). I love the idea of Grounder/Skyperson relationships, and when Echo and Bellamy had scenes in s2 I have to admit that I shipped it immediately! The idea of Bellamy, the man who spent every second of his time since they arrived seeing the grounders as the enemies suddenly finding himself equal with Echo, and in that moment she’s not an enemy, she’s just a girl, and they have this unlikely alliance in the harvest chambers?? Golden. S3 was light on Echo but I loved s4. they went from reluctant allies to enemies in their clans’ war, and then it ended with him saving her life, it was so good. And obviously, s5 Becho is the best Becho. Bellamy is always ride or die with the people he loves and him and Echo are just amazing in s5. I love when we get to see established couples so I loved what we got in s5 for them.

For Kanej, what I love is how we start the book seeing how they’re already so close, and yet so far apart, and then we see that relationship blossom throughout the books. From the start, they trust each other so much, especially for the world they live in. Inej is the only person Kaz is physically comfortable with (to the extent that he is still Kaz obviously lmao but like, he takes off his gloves you know. Peak romance. Anyway.), Kaz immediatelly throws himself into danger to save her and he kills the man responsible for injuring her (aaah, young love. Love to see it xD). And yet despite all of this... All of Six of Crows for their relationship is about how Inej is willing to try to become more, but Kaz isn’t (”I will have you without armor” LISTEN I AM EMO), and how that changes and grows in Crooked Kingdom.

I feel like it’s a very different ship dynamic and that’s probably why I don’t really see Becho as “taking Kanej’s place” in a SoC AU.

If I had to assign characters and ships based on very broad statements (due to SoC’s backstories and worldbuilding being too detailed and developed to actually fit, so I’m keeping this broad), I would say Emori is actually the Spacekru member to come closer to Kaz. Both very cunning and intelligent, both ready to go to extremes to survive and get what they want from life. Does Memori come closer to the Kanej dynamic than Becho does? Probably not. But Memori are ready to go to extremes for each other, and we’ve all read Crooked Kingdom and how far Kaz was willing to go for her (well not Rosalie, but she’s not supposed to have read that far lmao). For Becho, I would say they might come closer to Nina and Matthias dynamic. Matthias/Bellamy: hates the other person because of prejudice (I am not getting into the whole brainwashed thing with Matthias because of course my parallel comes apart if I do so xD) Nina/Echo: part of the army for her clan/country. They’re sort of enemies to lovers I guess? More enemies to lovers than Kanej, anyway.

I don’t know, please tell me what you think!!! This is absolutely my interpretation and I don’t expect anybody to agree or anything ^^ But I would love to hear your thoughts!

[brekkerisbae]

King of Scars

[ SPOILERS AHEAD ]

I'm a huge fan of the Six of Crows Duology, I think it was beautifully written- Kaz Brekker owns my heart, yada yada yada, it's a rant for another post. Since King of Scars was the very next book in line, and also a duology, a lot of people unsurprisingly compare the two books. But to understand them, it's imperative to realise that they have varied themes and go in completely different directions. SoC had a heist centred plot dealing with the found family trope, while KoS is a character study woven in the subplots- it thrives on court politics and the survival of Ravka thrown in the middle of a brewing civil war.

I'm late to the Grishaverse, and I started reading the trilogy only because I had lots of time to kill during the lockdown and also the Netflix series is soon to hit the screens. Since I read all these books one after the other, I'm pretty emotionally attached to these characters. As a reader, I also prefer my stories to be character driven rather than plot driven (because I'm a soft bitch who just wants to cry over fictional characters). The plot is still important, but fleshed out characters are just..*chef's kiss*

1. Nikolai- my main bone of contention while reading his chapters was the lack of sass and charm that drew me in initially when I read the grisha trilogy. He is a more flawed and humane character here, daddy issues and inner demons, imposter syndrome and depression included. While Sturmhound was reduced to a comic relief side character next to Alina, Nikolai is the centre of attraction here. He is a multifaceted King, struggling with the remnants of the Darkling's power and trying to maintain peace in his country. His character has more edge and depth, gone is the fun frivolous flirtatious young prince who was in control of every situation. This development was necessary and it just took me a while to come to terms with.

2. Zoya was phenomenal thru and thru. She was shown as a petty, immature badass soldier changing sides for some mysterious reason in the grisha trilogy. But here, we get an in-depth peek into her past, which explains so much of who she is and what she had at stake. She's a strong character, loyal and trustworthy. I'm glad that Leigh Bardugo didn't try to push a love story down our throats already because clearly Nikolai and Zoya's dynamic was just established and the kind of characters they are, they need time to build upon any romance. There were several hints dropped along the story, so the next book will hopefully deliver some steam.

3. Nina- oh god, the chirpy bubbly waffle queen Nina is nowhere to be seen post Matthias' death. Instead we have a hollow broken wounded puppy lashing out at anyone and everyone, scrambling to latch on to her remaining inner strength, and looking for a new purpose in life. I feel that her arc gets the most development, as we find her tutoring a young Fjerdan Grisha girl, at the same time risking herself to protect pregnant women from jurda parem experiments by the Fjerdan government. While most of her interactions and actions were centred around her relationship with Matthias in SoC, it's refreshing and empowering to see Nina struggle through the troubled waters all alone, relying on her powers to get shit done. I'm living for this growth!!

4. Isaak's subplot had a lot of potential to be something better, but idk why it got lost between the other important action stuff going on in the other subplots. In a way, the three POVs (Nina, Nikolai/Zoya, Isaak) sort of gave us crumbs of each development, but Nina's and Nikolai's stories just felt too different to exist in one narrative. Except for that one tiny glitch, this book has a very odd pacing- it's initially very slow and drags till the first 200 pages or so and then bam! lots of action and a sucker punch climax. 

BUT, I'd say that I really enjoyed the book- the characters grew immensely and the plot is going in a very interesting direction. I low-key expected that ending so I'm not exactly suprised, and I'm excited to see what Bardugo has planned for the Darkling in the sequel. I mean, he can rot in hell for all I care, but seriously tho, he doesn't deserve a redemption arc. I just don't trust him anymore. If Alina comes back in the next book, ugh, I'll just- let's not even go there.

[timeandspacelord]

I will elaborate, having just finished a rewatch of the movie:

Miles, running after Peter B: What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing?

Wylan, disguised as a waiter in Club Cumulus for a job with the Dregs: WhatamIdoingherewhatamIdoingherewhatamIdoinghere.

Peter B. Parker to Miles: “Don’t watch the mouth. Watch the hands.”

Kaz to Wylan (and the rest of the Crows, but kinda mainly to Wylan): “Always hit where the mark isn’t looking.”

Both of them are out of place in their group, naïve in comparison to the person/people teaching/training them (although they are remarkably competent in other situations), and new to the circumstances everyone else in the group are used to. But by the end of their respective journeys, they learn the lessons that their mentor had to teach them (I don’t know if/when Wylan repeats the “Always hit where the mark isn’t looking”, but Miles does repeat “Don’t watch the mouth. Watch the hands” at the climax of the movie). Both of them end up doing super badass things and saving the collective ass of their group after overcoming their personal challenges, facing their fears, and proving to themselves and everyone else that, while they may be new to this and they may have a somewhat different take on everything, they’re just as good as any of the other people.

They also both feel the need to prove themselves to their father, although Jefferson is a far better father and person than Jan Van Asshole. And, though this probably means absolutely nothing, they’re both the sixth member of their group. Maybe that’s a subverting-the-five-man-band-trope thing, or maybe it goes deeper and shows how they’re a sixth wheel of sorts, interrupting the flow of an already functional five man band, or maybe it’s just a coincidence and six is a good number of characters for a group.

@fangirlwithasweettooth​ @edgydumasdepresedbitchthotbastar��

Wylan displays similarities to Miles Morales in Into the Spiderverse, discuss

@fangirlwithasweettooth @edgydumasdepresedbitchthotbastar

[peachyypages]

Full spoilery review for Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom By Leigh Bardugo was such a page turner. It was full of twists, turns, betrayal, family, ships...ugh I was/am completely in love with everything about this book. I decided for this review I'm going to try to just do it by character so...here goes. Jesper is such a great supporting character, I just loved how he came into himself in this book. He really because one with his power and his insecurities. It was oddly satisfying to me that at least one of these characters had a supporting family and a parent to look up to. His relationship with his father was sweet and well portrayed. I loved his father's dedicated attitude toward Jesper and how he even helped in the schemes of the book in support of Jesper. Jesper's budding relationship with Wylan especially made me happy. The cuteness and innocence of it made me feel so happy when in the deeper parts of the book. Wylan is an amazing character. I loved his Dynamic personality, he learned a trait from each of the crew as he grew closer to them and it really developed him into a fantastic person. I loved the plot line with his mother though, it helped you see the sweet innocent side of Wylan. The fact that he had someone to go back too after all the crap with his father was refreshing. Speaking of his father i fricking hate that man. All the crap he did to Wylan, when we read about the storyline of his father sending him to music school only for Wylan to be almost murdered by his fathers cronies. I was so sad for Wylan, it's not his fault that he can't read or right. The Part of the book int he Church of Barter when he held his own "reading" that legal document out loud was so empowering. Then the other councilmen stood up for the Wylan after hearing the crap that his father had done to him. When Jesper told Van Eck that he would help read to Wylan I can't tell you how big the smile was grew on my face. I was kind of disappointed with Nina's storyline in this book, I felt like we didn't get enough information on her new found power due to her use of jurda parem. Leigh made it clear that it was the opposite side of the coin int he fact that instead of taking power from the living part of the world she was taking the the power from the dead/darker side. I thought her new power was cool of course but I kind of felt that it was a plot hole of sorts. Usually when you have a power like that, or any power really it takes something out of you, like your energy or something. So like her old power giving her energy and making her feel alive when she used it, since this new power is supposed to be the opposite and it calls on death, shouldn't she have the energy taken away from her? Shouldn't she feel slightly tired or pale or deadish? Along with being disappointed with Nina's storyline I was very disappointed with Matthias'. I mean i've read enough books to know that no book series can end without the death of someone but still, Matthias' death shocked me. After all the crap he went through in Hell gate, being a strong mislead drüskelle, finally admitting his feelings for Nina, surviving the Night Court, better yet surviving Alys' singing, I feel like the death did not fit the character. Another slight problem that I had is how clutch Kaz was at fixing everything. While I 100% enjoyed all the plot twists that came with Kaz; character, and I fully appreciate all the things that he came up with. I love being thrown off course and tricked and Kaz did a fantastic job of keeping me involved int eh story. I found myself waiting for the next big Kaz stunt. But at at the same time I feel like I wish more had gone wrong. I wish that Kaz hadn't seen at least one other thing coming, that at least one other terrible thing had happened that impacted the story. kai always seemed to fix the problem, or to have planned the problem so we didn't realize that the problem wasn't a problem (I hope that made sense). Like when Wylan was "kidnapped" and tortured for information by the "Dime Lions" and "told them everything". Yeah I was actually kind of excited about that so that some more drama happened. Idk call me a weirdo if you want. Inej is my favorite character. By far. Best character. I love the development of her story and how she was a victim of Sex trafficking. It gave her character so much depth and I just loved everything she brought to the story. I feel like she brought out the best in all the characters. I loved how even though she seemed fine she had scars like Kaz. Kaz' scars were more pronounced but the way she would react subtly to touches was so amazing. It was great to see that fragile side of her even though she's the bad*** Wraith. I loved her and Kaz' plot together, how they both like each bother but are both a little too scarred to make any progress in any sort of relationship. But oh my god the end of the book. When Leigh did the thing with the ship. I was in tears when Kaz showed her the ship that he bought her, so imagine how bad my sobbing was when he revealed that he brought her parents to Ketterdam. And then when Inej invited him to meet them and he asked if his tie was straight. Oh my god I could go on about that for hours but just enjoy yourself again.

{"Come with me," she said. "Come meet them." Kaz nodded as if steeling himself, he flexed his fingers once more "Wait," he said. The burn of his voice was rougher than usual. "Is my tie straight?" Inej laughed, her hood falling back from her hair. "That's the laugh," he murmured, but she was already setting off down the quay, her feet barely touching the ground....... When he said "Thats the laugh"...alsdjflhsdladj}

{another part of the scene from a little earlier She felt his knuckles slide against hers. Then his hand was in her hand, his palm was pressed against her own. A tremor moved though him. Slowly, he let their fingers entwine.}

So yeah I fricking loved this book, the characters, the plot, the twists, the schemes. I just wish there would be a third installment so that we can follow up on Inej and Kaz at least. A future Novella maybe?

~Lemon🍋