#making a kanej and helnik one as we speak

[cowboylikejesper]

i can’t stop making these

[lilisouless]

Look, Show!Wesper will never be book!wesper

(I know you hate long post, but would you make an exeption for Wesper?)

It´s a vanilla jelly you get from a supermarket vs a fine restaurant´s chocolate pudding (ps, i got hungry writing this and actually stopped to eat a jello from)

I am also aware that the desition of having them hooking up very early on instead of the build up wasn't just pragmatic choices, i really think them being a same sex couple had an influence on that desition, is a consequence of how netflix often treats their lgbtq rep, which is why i get why a lot of people got very upset , specially being lgbtq themselves

Not to say how many scenes will be lost or won't have the same impact.

Now, that being said , there is something on Show!Wesper potentially coming. Is not just the angst, if netflix writers notice what they have done, they could build something interesting

You`ll see, i said before many times that Leigh pairs up often people with similar or complementary issues. The difference between Wesper with Kanej and Helnik is that their problems aren't related to each other

With Kanej, we know their similarities with the touch and how they affect their relationship, not to say anything that their moral conflict, Inej still believes in salvation for Kaz but Kaz can hardly show his good side because is dangerous for him that people know there is someone he loves more than himself. Inej represents a kindness and faith Kaz believes must be left behind, Kaz represents for Inej that people who do bad things can still have good on them , which is something she applies to herself

And Helnik speaks for itself, Nina represents everything Matthias was supposed to destroy, Matthias is part of people who wants to kill her kind. Even without that, Nina is not the concept of the perfect woman behaviour Matthias was raised with and reminds her of this over and over, reminding Nina she is loud and sometimes goofs too much, something her trainers often told her, also got bullied on the orphanage, all this things makes Nina think she is "too much" and people may get tired of her (see her speech to Inej, the best reflection of her insecurities were there) Matthias would eventually realize he actually likes this things about Nina (and letting her know it,a huge step on making amends) and thats why he was so cruel about it.

In both couples, they manage to turn their relationship into something with only joy, but there was pain at one point or another,there were part of each other´s problem thats what i mean.

With Wylan and Jesper that doesn't happen , and this is not a way to say they are better or less important because of it, is just stating a fact and the reason why Kanej and Helnik often think about each other on specific terms while Wesper think about the whole team , but making important highlights on each other. They have meet each other for less time,they are not important on each other`s lives from the begining like the other two, most of their relationship build up is seen on the book with little previous information other than Jesper being send to recuit Wylan and sometimes flirted with him to see what happens (which was pretty ambiguous but you get it). They have a similar conflict individually but the other is not part of it, they mostly bond because of it and are more a companion than a participant on their respective problems. As much as Jesper bitchs on Wylan, he is hardly the reason of his insecurities and Wylan is not related to everything that was going on with Jesper

Now my point: Show Wesper does have a shot on making each other part of their problems, not a whole (that was never a think with Kanej and Helnik...well,on the books anyway🙄) but like i have said before

-Jesper´s loved ones are either leaving or distancing themselves from him,Wylan is the closest person he got at the end of the season. Wylan in exchange has no one, he has no friends outside of Jesper ; sure he has some friendly interactions with other characters but they aren't friends. This means Jesper and Wylan and , maybe unaware, pushing for the other to be their "person" their stability: Jesper offers Wylan a key on an impulse and Wylan decides to move in inmediately.

On the book they find their stability on each other as well, but that was the result of a healthy outcome, knowing each other and deciding that staying together was both what they wanted and the best for them in more than one sense, is not a problem,its a resolution.

On the show it can turn into a problem because becoming someones person its an untold compromise if you and that person have unresolved issues.

By this point i`ll drop spoilers from the book, so if you only watched the show i suggest to not open the cut

Jesper doesn't know Wylan is a merchant son, Jesper hates when people hide information from him, when they consider him untruswhorty or leave him out. This doesn't sound nice if your person is hiding a big deal from you,specially someone you have been vulnerable with. And remember that Jesper in the book , when Wylan stoped talking to him supposedly, his reaction was thinking "he doesn't want to be associated with criminals anymore" and was quite bitter about it. This was Jesper not only not in a relationship with Wylan, they were hardly friends and didn't consider their mutual atraction outside of a phisical thing, "why bother getting attached, he will leave when all of this is over" .

So Show!Wylan , acording to Jesper , may as well be one more of the people who don't trust him or will leave too. Thats how Wylan becomes part of the pain. If this guy,he got so attached only saw the barrel as his playground all along and will go back to his privileged life where Jesper doesn't belong and leave him alone. Its also very unlikely that Wylan explains to him that his dad tried to had him killed, he never says that on the book since the only thing he confess to Kaz was that he couldnt' read,Jesper having a loving father himself which he has a dificult but still loving relationship with, will not even think that Wylan`s dad won't have him back, even if Wylan tells him that.

Also, Jesper always felt like he didn't deserved the people in his life and on the show Wylan hasn't shown to be aware of his gambling adiction or his drop of university, he may hide that from Wylan out of fear he will be judged (and deep inside, feel like he deserves said jugdment)

On Wylan´s side, its harder but not impossible. Jesper on the show already knows he can't read, but lets see this: Jesper thinks Wylan is either a colelge drop out or from the streets, Wylan may think is not the same someone who was never taught to read from someone that had all the resourses to learn and still couldn't.

Wylan doesn't reason "my dad never loved me for real" he thinks "my dad used to love me until i failed him" ,so if the love of his father who knows him from birth faded away very easily, why this boyfriend he has known for one months at most would be diferent? Add that Jesper forgot their first meeting, Wylan may think "sure, he will get over me quickly" considering how fast they got together and making rushed advances, you know "easy comes, easy goes" way of thinking.

So, a soc spinoff can build a whole double abandonement issues conflict for those two. Not book!Wesper but can help to flesh them out and making their relationship not just be the happy side couple, they can still have the grown together wesper had on the books while adding something more.

[manikas-whims]

for quick headcanons: soc ships proposals

these are simply my take, you don't have to agree. and if you wanna add something, reblog and do add your own spin :3

⚠ Warning ⚠ Long Post.

WESPER

• Since their anniversary as an official couple is coming up soon, Wylan decides to propose.

• But he realizes planning isn't exactly his best forte and seeks help from none other than Ketterdam's best schemer Dirtyhands himself.

• Kaz is flattered but even he is weak when it comes to the matter of hearts. He still agrees though, provided Wylan invests a bit in his newly brought club around the Lid. Wylan agrees.

• So Kaz simply asks Wylan to bring Jesper with him to the Fifth Harbour on the day of the event. Wylan is suspicious but he agrees in the end.

• Wylan manages to keep Jesper busy by portraying as a model for Marya's next painting, just so he can go out and pick a ring.

• When the day arrives, Wylan asks Jesper to meet him at the Fifth Harbour by 6 bells.

• Jesper being bad at dates doesn't remember if its because of some special occasion. So he decides to keep it safe and buys a bottle of expensive alcohol.

• When Wylan and Jesper arrive on time, they're both too shocked to speak, their mouths wide open.

• Kaz being Kaz has got the whole harbour decorated in traditional Kerch and Zemeni colors for the duo. There's fairy lights hanging all over, varying cuisines that Jesper has never seen in his life before and a band hired to play throughout the night.

• As they walk in, they spot Nina speaking with Colm Fahey who got invited earlier on by Kaz and Inej gave the man a lift on her Wraith as she herself didn't want to miss two of her favorite people's proposal.

• Jesper is slightly worried because of his father's presence, even more worried because he believes today's supposed to be some big event that only he can't seem to remember.

• Matthias is standing with a Priest and he comes over to congratulate Wylan & Jesper.

• The pair is very confused and so Matthias quirks his brows and tells them: "Brekker said you're getting married."

• The bottle of alcohol in Jesper's hand drops and Wylan is stuttering, unable to form coherent words. He finally yells: "This isn't what I asked Kaz!"

• Kaz finally shows up, Inej at his side. Everyone's staring at him and he shrugs. "What? Too much."

• After a few minutes of yelling and chaos between their squad, the situation is finally calmed down.

• Wylan rummages out the ring from his pocket— a golden band with their initials 'W+J' engraved in it along with intricate patterns. He looks at Jesper. "So amongst all this extravaganza, if I tell you that I want you to adore my stupid face for the rest of our lives, will you?"

• Jesper is wide eyed and has that kinda dubious expression because Wylan has managed to surprise him yet again. So he just tries to collect himself and goes, "Ofc! I already told you I like your stupid face."

• They hug and kiss and everyone cheers. Nina proposes an after-party with waffles.

• Kaz suggests they could still get married cause we know he's secretly the biggest Wesper shipper xD

Thankfully Inej drags him away.

• The actual wedding takes place a month later and yes, Kaz is the wedding planner. Kuwei is that uninvited guest..:)

HELNIK

• Nina keeps joking about wanting Matthias to propose. But she doesn't realise all her meaningless teasing has actually spurred him into action.

• He's secretly making plans and has only told Inej and Wylan about this because he knows Jesper will end up babbling. And Kaz is the last person he wants to take help from.

• He needs a place and proper timing. Inej takes up that task on herself and somehow convinces Kaz to let them use The Crow Club for just one evening.

• Wylan helps Matthias in purchasing a custom ring with a heart-shaped ruby. With his newly acquired mercher title, Wylan’s got connections with the best jewelers in Ketterdam. Marya also tags along cause she believes they'll need a woman's opinion on this.

• So on the day of the event, when Nina is coaxed into wearing the best replica of a Ravkan Kefta and brought into the Crow Club by Inej, she's excited but also wondering whats up.

• Wylan is playing some romantic melody on his flute.

• The whole club is lit by candles and as the members of Dregs part slowly, at the end is Matthias in replica of traditional Fjerdan garbs (another courtesy of Kaz).

• Nina's eyes keep growing wider and she's at a loss of words when Matthias bends on one knee. "Nina Zenik, will you be the beguiling Drusje to this mighty Fjerdan till the end of time?"

• There's tears in her eyes and she looks around everyone. Wylan is smiling, Inej gives a nod, Jesper gives a thumbs up and winks, even Kaz's eyes flash somewhat in approval.

• She looks back to the brave blond soldier she fell for. He must've planned for them to be unified in their own lands' traditional clothes. She smiles, already tearing up. "Saints Matthias, I'm supposed to be the one full of surprises." She messily wipes her eyes and mumbles, "I..will."

• The whole Dregs break into a roar of cheers as Matthias glides the ring on her finger. Marya is clapping her hands in joy.

• Rotty yells from somewhere in the crowd, "KISS HER YOU PODGE!!!" And Matthias tilts his face down. The newly engaged couple share a passionate kiss.

• Their wedding takes place in a Ravkan forest. King Nikolai himself decides to give his blessings (in disguise ofc). Zoya and Genya are there too.

KANEJ

• It will be super vague. Like Kaz and Inej's relationship is built more on silent gazes and fleeting touches. So they've got this unspoken thing going on. They both know they're each-other's but never actually address it.

• Inej has returned from another of her sea adventures and taking a short break in Ketterdam. She's casually sitting by Kaz's window, feeding the crows while he works on his papers.

• He glances at her, mesmerized by the sight of her glowing skin in the evening sun. Her long hair (free for once) sways due to the wind as she peacefully smiles and looks out at the city.

• He just speaks out of nowhere, "Inej?"

She turns her head and looks at him, the smile never leaving her face. "Yes Kaz?"

"Do you want to tie the knot?" he asks.

The smile immediately leaves her face and she frowns, unsure about his words. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

• He puts his pen down, passes a hand through his hair and huffs out a breath.

"I'm saying my dear Wraith," he starts, methodically taking off his gloves and then joins her at the window. He offers his palm and she gladly places her own in it, her eyes somewhat expectant. Kaz quirks his lips slightly and continues, "would you like us to exchange vows and make it official?" He squeezes her palm and gestures between them.

• She's stunned for a moment because between the two of them, its always her initiating any sort of new action— a hug, a kiss,..making love. And it has taken them a good amount of years to reach this level of intimacy without triggering the other’s traumas so its even more shocking that Kaz asks her first. A small part of her had even wanted to propose him some time in the future but now he's clearly beaten her to that.

• "Inej?" Kaz rubs the back of her hand, "if you don't want to—"

"NO! I do!" she says hurriedly before he can take it back and he breaks into that crooked grin of his, fishing out a simple silver band with a single black feather atop it, its end pointy like a knife.

He smoothly slides it onto her finger and they exchange a gleeful smile.

• After a few minutes he goes, "So like..do you want to do this my way or yours?"

And she's confused so he explains. "If its your way, we can have a traditional Suli wedding, whatever your people do and take your parents' blessings."

He adds a dramatic pause later, "If its my way, I'll just ask Specht to put our names on a marriage document and be done with it."

She rolls her eyes.

• In the end, Inej tells the other Crows. Jesper wiggles his brows, teases Kaz but also gives him a big hug. Wylan is surprised but also happy. Matthias is slightly displeased at the holy bronze girl for letting herself be charmed by this notorious demjin. But he does believe that the two belong with no one else and congratulates them.

• Nina takes it upon herself to plan the wedding and decides it should be a Suli one. She wants to see Inej draped in red. But also wants to see Kaz out of his fitting suits for once and in traditional Suli clothes for men.

• Mr. and Mrs. Ghafa find their son-in-law quite odd but give their blessings happily because there's no one else who'll be more suitable for their lovely daughter.

.

Send your SoC Headcanon requests via asks

SoC Masterlist

[lover-of-trash-and-people]

shadow and bone rewatch s1e6 while drinking mid-range scotch

I wish I have a face that is as unlined and pretty as Ben Barnes' when I'm 39

Arken you dirty dirty liar

the face Alek is making at his lies that he knows are lies firstly because he knows the art of lying so well and also because he can read people very well

okay Ivan is kind of a bad bitch with his smirk at Arken's lies

alek's eyes narrowing and his little smile when Arken says 'im an entertainer' bitch I love this show

*grabs hand, pulls up sleeve, and discovers Arken's hand is full of marks indicating successful passages through the fold* 'well, that is certainly entertaining' I love this man with all my heart

him screaming is so fucking hot, is that weird for me to say

Nina being the Darkling's spy is quite interesting

Ben giving the Darkling crazy eyes when Arken owns up to his guilt is so cool

also wtf is Arken a fool trying to negotiate with possibly the strongest man in the world

kind of loved the darkness literally eating him

also love Alina learning to use her powers better when she is alone than when she is with anyone else, wish we got to see the cut in this season as per the books, ah can't have everything I guess

the camera pan to Jesper's gun at his side, amazing

god Jessie is literally so beautiful I need to see her bring Alina to the peak of her power so bad

netflix you better renew this series to let the plot run to its completion

HOW THE FUCK DID THEY CAST THE CROWS SO PERFECTLY

INEJ FUCKING TREMBLING JUST THE TINIEST BIT AS SHE BOWS SLIGHTLY TO ALINA SGSHSBSJJSJSSJ MY TWO QUEENS

'And where is my Summoner?' my little Darklina heart ouchie I really wish you hadn't used and manipulated her like this Alek it was incredibly fucked up especially considering you actually caught feelings

'Ivan and I won't fail you' oh Fedyor my baby, my angel, you don't deserve what is coming

Helnik literally recreating Titanic lmao stop this is a joke

I too would jump off the raft if I came to consciousness to see a gorgeous woman with magical powers with her hand on my back

omg but why is ryevost so pretty though

'I know exactly how she felt. The King's soldiers treated me the same way... I'm not myself today.' why must you do this to me, why must you fuel my darklina soulmates agenda idiocy

I don't quite think I have a problem with the Zoya Darkling relationship as much as I have a problem with the line they chose to reveal it to use with.

my drink's over and I don't know if I should have another, considering that it's 7 am

the tenderness with which he looks at Zoya and takes her hand and then when he says 'I shall relax when I have Alina' makes me believe more that the man that is reduced to tears time and again in front of Alina could in fact be the master manipulator I know him to be

god I can't wait for Zoya's character arc

'I speak six languages, it's part of my job' why is Nina literally the fucking coolest

Alina blinding the oprichniki was so hot, I can't wait to see more of her power and her ruthlessness

I know I've said it before but good god is Jessie Mei Li gorgeous

HER LITTLE SMILE AMONGST ALL THE PANIC AS SOON AS SHE SEES MAL, THE AUDACITY OF THIS SHOW TO MAKE ME FEEL THIS WAY

THE SCORE COMING IN AT THE RIGHT MOMENT, THEIR HANDS MEETING, HER SMILE AGAIN DHDHSBSNSNSNSNAN IM IN PAIN

REALLY?! YOU'RE GONNA GO DIRECTLY FROM MALINA TO HELNIK WITH NO CONCERN FOR MY HEART?

I simply cannot get over Calahan's accent lmao it's really funny

'im not afraid of you' he says to the insanely gorgeous girl with magic

HIM HANGING HIS HEAD IN DEFEAT TO INDICATE NINA HAS MADE VALID POINTS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND I CAN'T BREATHE

'You're just a man. Like all the others.' she says and then forgets her train of thought looking at him as he strips. god I love this

not sleeping all night and then scotch is not a good idea, I think

'I promise not to ravish you' 'I hate the way you talk' her hand on his chest, his hand gripping hers, my fucking heart feels like it's about to explode

good god these shooting locations and sets are so beautiful

Alina throwing the flask at Mal and Mal going 'OI!' I fucking can't, I guess I am a

simp for childhood friends to lovers, give me more of that banter and childhood friend energy, I am thriving

wow it literally seems like they took book! Mal sl*tshaming book! Alina and made show! Alina sl*tshame show! Mal, hmm, interesting

'They would have split us up!' MAL'S LITTLE SMILE AT THIS, and the 'You wrote me letters?' Mal's nod, the Malina yearning stare, the Malina hug, 'thank you for finding me' 'always. I'll always find you.' NO MALINA YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE MADE ME ABSOLUTELY FUCKING FERAL

I understand they had to split time between my ravkan babies and the crows and that is why there were several aspects that were sort of not reflected on enough but Alina's training at the Little Palace, Alina's cut, Mal's personality, a teensy bit of backstory for the crows, maybe one lockpicking scene from my boy Kaz

random note: we have far too many idols and paintings and pictures and whatnot of Hindu deities in our house apart from the specially designed temple (we are Hindus, so maybe it's not that weird but it's a little weird)

Kaz's cane is a literal star, it's so beautiful my heart wants to explode

'Why would Heleen get the Crow Club?' *literally fucking gets up and walks aways instead of answering the fucking question* I LITERALLY CAN'T BREATHE I'M LOSING MY MIND

'I know that voice' WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO MAKE ME FIGHT FOR PLATONIC SHIPS IN FANDOMS

'We won't starve' omg get you someone who packs food for you when you go on the run together hiding from your ex who wants to capture you and use your powers as a weapon against your consent

Mal looking surprised at her summoning sunlight, Alina looking cautiously at him waiting for him to disapprove or run for the hills in fear or smth like that, 'I'm sorry it took me this long to see you... But I see you now' my dumb little shipper trash heart ouch

they really said we're gonna feed you this part asian couple as the protagonists in this show in 2021 and guess what I'm eating it's really tasty I'm very satisfied as a south asian

NINA'S LITTLE SMILE WHEN MATTHIAS WAKES UP WITH HIS ARM AROUND HER

'I can feel how much you hate sleeping next to me' 👀👀👀 BITCH SAID IMMA SPILL THE TEA AND THEN SHE DID

it's 8 am and guess what I'm getting another drink my parents have c*vid and are in govt qu*r*ntine centres there is nobody to supervise or stop me

I too say 'Why do you have to say things like that?' to my pretty crush when she flirts with me

Nina smiling at Matthias bragging about his conservative ways is my aesthetic

'No, it's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall and yet, oh, there you stand.' MY FUCKING QUEEN

Matthias laughing uncontrollably at Nina saying something which isn't even that funny is a whole ass vibe

Kaz Brekker saying 'The Black General' ooh fuck yeah

YESSSS STEP OUT OF THAT CARRIAGE ALL SEXY BLACK GENERAL

isn't alcohol supposed to like kill germs? well, the amount in my system definitely will

I love my crows so much (always but this time particularly for setting that alarm in the stolen carriage)

ooh Polina recognising Inej by the knife yesss let's go writers

this Ivan Jesper showdown is all I needed from life and yet did not know about

Ivan taking off his cloak was, um, sexier than I wanted it to be

I just realised how thirsty I am going to sound in this post

'Has no one told you that keftas are Fabrikator-made and resistant to bullets, hmm?' 'Oh, I do love a challenge' LITERALLY EVERYTHING

im sorry to be pointing out flaws in a perfect show and adaptation but the line delivery on 'You robbed me of my brother, now I'll rob you of your life' from Polina was kind of weak

'You're a-' *gets knocked out with the back of a gun* LMAO we love the hints

got excited at the prospect of kaz v. zoya until I realised they will not be letting the opportunity of kaz v. darkling pass up

my goodness is Amita Suman a splendid actress

I AM NOT KIDDING WHEN I TELL YOU I SQUEALED WHEN I SAW DARKLES EMERGE OUT OF THE SHADOWS IN FRONT OF MY BABY BOY KAZ

THERE BEING ACTUAL FEAR OR ATLEAST DOUBT ON KAZ'S FACE, THE LITTLE BACK STEPS AS

THE DARKLING WALKS TOWARDS HIM, AAAAH I CAN'T

THE DARKLING STOPPING AT KAZ SAYING 'SHE FLED ON HER OWN' AND THE HINT OF TEARS THAT WE SEE IN HIS EYES

'IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR SHE WASN'T INTERESTED IN BEING A CAPTIVE ANYMORE' YOU TELL HIM, KING

*ACTUAL FUCKING TEARS IN THE DARKLING'S EYES AS THE SHADOWS APPROACH*

NOT ME YOWLING LIKE A HYENA THAT THIS CHILD OUTSMARTED THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN EXISTENCE WITH A FAKE MAGIC TRICK

'Are you sure you added enough cloves?' literally warranting a wide ass smile from my queen Alina making my entire fucking day

for some reason, no matter how much I push it from my mind, Ben Barnes dressed up as the Darkling, dancing to 'push it' keeps coming to mind, it's absolutely ridiculous

I got somehow distracted with interviews but good things came out of that as it gave my body the time for the booze to kick in

and I would just like to say that I love Leigh for all she has given me

Alina is so fucking compassionate, I have no much love for her. I can feel her guilt and her sorrow as Mal talks of Mikhail and Dubrov

don't particularly like how the stag plotline is woven in, could have been executed better

'You're afraid you might start to like me?' *flaps furs like a bird's wings in frustration*

'I DO like you' my fucking heart you idiots

the sexual tension is so palpable and the moment is so intimate I simply cannot

OMG SHE FUCKING FELL

that moment where you think he might let her fall despite having read the books and he doesn't and he tells her his name I- <3

YOU DARE TRANSITION FROM A HELNIK SCENE TO A KANEJ SCENE YOU REALLY HAVE NO MERCY FOR MY HEART HUH

people have talked about this endlessly but Freddie's little jaw tic after he says Inej because Inej is wounded and he can't physically bring himself to help her I fucking cannot

THE MUSIC PICKING UP AS KAZ LOOKS TO THE DARKLING'S CARRIAGE I CAN'T WITH THIS SHOW ANYMORE

and now for one of my favorite scenes in television and cinematic history, David Kostyk throwing a book at Jesper Fahey without even knowing who he is merely because he opens the door of his carriage and says hello to him before getting knocked out by Kaz Brekker while trying to run away

Immediately followed by another, the scene with David Kostyk raising his finger to put forward his point in front of the Darkling and the Darkling trying to let him know he doesn't have to before obliging is one of my favourite scenes in the world

also sir please stop being devastatingly attractive in your glorious appearance with your face and your black kefta and cloak because all that comes to mind is Ayesha Erotica's Emo Boy and I'm afraid that is terribly inappropriate.

'No, you look great.' *literally looks down from embarrassment or blushing* MALINA RIGHTS?

THE LOOK ON THE DARKLING'S FACE BEFORE HE SAYS 'NO ORDINARY TRACKER, NO ORDINARY GIRL' BITCH IM OUT OF BREATH

'ORPHANS OF KERAMZIN, REUNITED.' 'ADORABLE.' HE FUCKING SNEERED IRL I FUCKING CANNOT

GOD IT'S SO GOOD

[battlestar-royco]

IT'S BEEN 84 YEARS. LET'S TALK ABOUT NETFLIX'S SHADOW AND BONE.

8.7/10 ⭐️

spoilers for everythingggg under the cut! i'll be discussing its merits as an adaptation vs as a show, characters and plots, and the overall aesthetic and magic/world.

SHOW VS ADAPTATION:

i say this as someone who knows all the books very well and has been in the fandom for nearly a decade, so i'm biased. but. s&b functions better as an adaptation than as a standalone show. alina's plot moves so well, and satisfyingly renders so many iconic scenes and sites from s&b. the worldbuilding is also pretty easy to fall into, with a forgivable amount of voiceover/infodump. and, hurting budget aside, i mostly liked this visual interpretation of the gv.

(sidebar: the in-universe racism... doesn't work. i tried to view it in good faith but imo it was very heavy-handed. if it was framed like, "wow it's a SHU WOMAN saving the world!!!" it might've been better, but it's just racism without recompense. and it's a terrible look to make other characters of color racist. i just. why?)

as for the crows, however... i'm just not sure how strong they'll be for new viewers? i totally understand why they were included, and i really like certain connections the show made between the two series. it was a great decision to introduce the druskelle in the first Cut scene, and showing nina as a ravkan spy.

the new crows stuff felt in character, but i think the show is at its height when it sticks to the books. the first couple episodes switching between tgt and proto-soc gave me whiplash, but luckily it got more organic as it progressed. if i didn't know and love all the crows before going in, i wouldn't be that invested in them based on season 1. aside from a couple fantastic scenes, it really felt like the writers were trying to make fetch happen for like 4 episodes before they figured out what to do with everyone. plus, ravka is such a different vibe from ketterdam--tonally, sartorially, technologically, etc they didn't totally feel like the same world. it was pretty jarring. although i prefer the duo to the trio, s&b is alina's story and she is That Bitch who walked so the crows could fly. so i didn't hate their inclusion but the shoehorned content did at times disservice both plots, imo.

CHARACTERS:

way too many, which is yet another consequence of smushing everyone into one season.

MAL/ALINA/DARKLING: first and foremost, and i PROMISE i'm not saying this just to be a hater, but there needed to be less malina. i'll be the first to say that show!mal really has what book!mal wants. the new pre-fold scenes were so good. li and renaux have amazing chemistry, and their laughter over stolen grapes was a highlight. his stag plot was also good. THAT SAID, there were way too many keramzin flashbacks and malina parallels like.. 🤢🤢why do they want us to love mal so much. for what. they only needed the teacup scene but they clearly thought they were doing something with micro-aggressions and that meadow shot they showed like 6 times. knowing mal's original character, and how they scrubbed his show counterpart almost to the point of flawlessness, he's just never going to be my fave even though i do respect what they did with him. also, why were there like 5 fake deaths for this dude? boring.

the darkling was great. ben barnes knows what the fuck he's about, and he funneled manipulation and charisma into every scene. as for the backstory: at first i really wasn't feeling it, but i eventually did warm up to it and i'm so glad they showed it because oh god the cut and the creation of the fold were SO FUCKING ICONIC. also, love love love the baghra development. WE LOVE TO SEE OLD WOMEN/MOMS WHO AREN'T "EVIL"/"CORRUPTED" BY THEIR MAGICAL POWERS!!!!!!! BITCH! it didn't have to be 12 minutes long though.

i honestly don't have much to say on alina. jml was excellent in her role and very true to the book. without her book narration she feels much more consistently written.

TRILOGY CHARACTERS: i really felt the lack of genya and zoya. genya's character and actress are perfectly layered and effective, even though their roles are relatively minor. i'm so looking forward to her razrushost moment, but i wish they'd laid more groundwork for it. (and i hope throw out the wig and just dye her hair next season.) also like. WHY KEEP THE IRRELEVANT MEAN GIRL/DARKLING THIRST PLOT FOR ZOYA??? AFTER ALL THE EFFORT THEY PUT INTO IMPROVING MAL? they sacrificed so much for malina at the expense of other characters. finally, it was interesting how they decided to kill marie. i love the tailor magic flex. but also they clearly just did that to emotionally manipulate us and connect the crows so. hm.

CROWS: speaking of! the crows storyline felt a little like filler. honestly i wish they waited to roll crows into later seasons. i'd prefer little foreshadowings about them, a la the druskelle cameo or the references to nina and matthias. introducing the crows so soon makes the ice court heist feel less special. the recruitment was super tight and pragmatic, so this felt a little fluffy/fanservicey. kaz also comes off as sooooo old again. especially without the vulnerability of his book counterpart, he just seems like a 40-year-old in a 20something body.

i was pleasantly surprised to find jesper my favorite crow. like wow.... second amendment rights for jesper fahey only!! i like all the crows but book!kanej are my faves by a long shot. they felt a bit stiff tbh, like the actors were a little uncomfy with each other and/or their exposition-heavy lines. however, the one scene that felt EXTREMELY kanej to me was when they killed that dude in the church holy fuck oh my god. WE STAN AN ANGSTY BATTLE COUPLE WHO ARE BOTH DEAD INSIDE. highlight for sure.

and i actually kinda loved helnik? i know helnik is controversial for very valid reasons, but i thoughy their dynamic was fantastic and they were among the strongest performers. it was much less overwhelming than the constantly interweaving kaz/inej/jesper imo. they need to fire their location scout though. those green screen mountains and beaches were um. interesting.

aesthetic and magic:

i really hope they get a bigger budget for costumes, cgi, and sets next season! the keftas are serviceable, but they look a little cheap at times. i will also never forgive ANY of the crows' hats. it's mostly just a personal aesthetic thing but god i fucking hate them. the darkling was best dressed, but in general i liked the ravkan look more than the kerch. why were the crows always in the most elaborate getups? why couldn't they just chill in their waistcoats??? they never seemed relaxed in the way alina and co did; the clothes never felt worn or broken in.

favorite sets: the darkling's room, the crow club, all the grisha tents, the matthias/nina ship, the church where inej killed the squaller, outdoor fountain where they told the story of the black heretic. the lighting was almost always right for each scene, and there was so much detail in every one of them.

THE MAGIC WAS SO COOL! my greatest beef is alina's light--it often looked so fake, and it washed out jml. oftentimes it was fluorescent or blue, and it was used as a forcefield or orb. it's supposed to be sunlight bro. what is so hard about that? the darkling's magic looked good, other than the fold. i've always imagined the fold more like a huge black fog rather than a literal wall. so that was a bit game of thronesy, but not terrible.

and can we talk about the amplifiers? amplifiers are my personal favorite gv lore but season 1 barely gets into them. they never mention the bear zoya slew, nor do they establish the unique strength of the stag, sea dragon, and firebird. BUT THE ANTLER COLLAR FUSED INTO ALINA'S SKIN WAS SUPER DARK AND MACABRE AND I KINDA LIKED IT? ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO WONDER HOW TF IS SHE GONNA SLEEP???

if you made it this far, thanks so much! that's all i have for today.

[sityoursiredassdown]

General Shadow and Bone Thoughts

From someone who binge-watched it in nearly one sitting. Spoilers below!

I have to give it to the writers of this show, they adapted the story and characters so well and honestly changed some for the better. 

I guess I’m now a true multishipper??? Because the show actually made me enjoy Malina???

That being said Darklina still has my heart 

But for real I was someone that did not like Mal in the books and therefor struggled to root for Alina to end up with him, but the subtle changes to his personality in not judging her for enjoying being Grisha or being drawn to the Darkling. As well as showing what he was doing in the narrative and how he feels was a good touch, since in the books we only get Alina’s POV. I hope they stick with it as they adapt book 2. 

Every Kanej scene had me on the floor because Freddy and Amita brought their damn A-game, bravo. Not a single touch and I was riveted. 

I wish we got to see more Helnik but what was shown was so! good! 

Also wish we could have had another episode or two so we really saw Alina enjoy and thrive as a Grisha, because discovering she liked her powers was such an important thing for her in the books. 

idk why they changed the plot point of the Darkling telling Alina about getting her a stag amplifier to him not wanting her to have an amplifier, probably to make his motives feel more hidden. I can respect that. 

Also on the Darkling. We got some backstory!! That was a treat I was not expecting, bless. 

Every time the crows interacted with characters from the trilogy I felt like I was reading a fanfiction cross-over come to life but IN THE BEST WAY.

The differing reactions to Alina made perfect sense and it created such an interesting conflict between three people that are pretty damn tight. 

Jesper is a disaster bisexual and honestly, same. 

Also those hints of his backstory is just *chef’s kiss* 

The show did a great job of making smaller side characters feel fleshed out. (RIP, Mikael and Dubrov. And Marie) 

Nina is BLACK!!! Love everything about it. 

The actresses for both Zoya and Genya are just??? perfection??? They’re so pretty I wanna cry tbh. 

Honestly did not expect the Conductor to betray the crows, like I was genuinely surprised. Good thing Kaz is better at reading people. 

I nearly had a heart attack when Kaz was one on one with the Darkling even though I knew he’d be fine. 

I may have ended up back on the floor when Aleksander ran back to kiss Alina again one more time in the war room. 

Honestly Ben Barnes plays him to perfection and the fact he looks so constantly in awe any time he’s near Alina is the content I signed up for. (Okay I’m done simping I’M SORRY) 

But honestly I only like a handful of villains, let alone hero/villain ships LET ME HAVE THIS 

Alina going absolutely feral in fights is also content I signed up for. Baby girl is not a push over and GOOD FOR HER. 

Inej landing a blow on the Darkling when no one else could in the final battle when no one else could was iconic. 

SPEAKING OF INEJ.

Her first kill??? to save Kaz??? I was shook and enthralled and I thank the writers for their service. 

Also Kaz joining the fight on the skiff to protect Inej also left me wrecked. 

Like I said all their scenes were just next level. 

idk why but I kept snickering each time Mal and the Darkling hit each other in the last episode.  

But also Archie does a great job of making Mal have a presence when going against the Darkling so their stand-offs don’t feel contrived. He and Ben played off each other superbly. 

Just. All the ships are cute. Everyone’s got fantastic chemistry. I’m not choosing anymore and no one can make me.  

There is probably a bunch of stuff that I missed and I definitely have my shipper biases but this show was so damn enjoyable that I had to get my thoughts out in a ramble. 

Here’s hoping for season 2! Lets get Nikolai and Wylan up in this bitch! 

[jasontoddsjuicythighs]

i just finished shadow and bone so here are some Thoughts™ (there’s some spoilers for the books too so read at your own risk)

i loved it so much

it was. So Good

mal and alina are?? so cute?? i don’t remember liking their relationship this much in the books but in the show it’s just. sublime.

i cried on 6 out of 8 episodes and i’m p sure 90% of the time was because of them

they love each other so much?? they make me v emo whenever they’re together

and the letters. jesus christ the letters.

i think i’ve never cried more than when they were sending letters to each other

like,,, they’re each others true north. THEY’RE EACH OTHER’S TRUE NORTH

why do they insist on hurting me like this

their love is,,, so pure.

it makes my heart hurt with yearning

when they held hands in the meadow?? the fact that when alina tries to apologize for what happened at the little palace, mal tells her that she doesn’t owe him any explanations?? and when they search for each other’s comfort while alone in their beds, hundreds of km apart?? absolutely devastating

my mental health can’t take another two seasons of this

(that’s a lie. i need the next season asap)

moving on

I LOVE JESPER SO FUCKING MUCH

i loved him in the books and i love him now

kit young as jesper is just *chef’s kiss*

he’s perfect for the role

(they all are but i’ll get to that later)

i have never been more attracted to a man in my life than when he just,, killed 6 volcra in like five seconds with the calmest look on his face

he’s also really cute when he’s with milo so

i liked his fight with ivan, especially because it showcases how his (jesper’s) powers can be used in battle

kaz was incredible

freddie’s potrayal of him was everything i could have wanted and more

his “fight” w the darkling was v funny to me

imagine being an inmortal all-powerful wizard who can manipalute shadows and having an over-dramatic teen who wears all black and a cape avoid fighting you by being good at magic tricks

truly,,, something

kaz was as calculating and ruthless as he is in soc and i couldn’t have asked for anything else of his character, tbh

the little kanej moments in the show destroyed me, tore my heart in pieces, left me dead in a ditch-

kaz fighting the volcra off of inej... telling her that he needs her... looking at her worriedly when she's injured... inej killing the inferni to save him and always being by his side when he needs her... good god

someone save me before they drive me insane

inej’s characterization was on point, too

her motives, the references to her experiences in the ménagerie, her devotion to alina, her faith... it was all incredibly done

it felt as if i was reading the books all over again

and amita’s performance was spectacular

i can’t wait to see more of her in season 2

speaking of the crows... their little heist to the royal archives watered my crops, cleared my skin, cured my depression

i really hope they adapt the ice palace arc someday bc it would give me a lifetime’s worth of serotonin

jesper's and inej's friendship gave me so much life

two of my favorite friendship dynamics between the crows are theirs and nina + kaz so I NEED A SEASON 2

GIVE ME MY CROWS BEING GAY AND DOING CRIME I AM BEGGING YOU

speaking of which

helnik

HELNIK

HELNIK!!!

i missed them,, so much

enemies to friends to lovers to (one-sided) enemies to lovers excellency

i don't really have a favorite pairing within the grishaverse, but helnik are definitely up there

they're!!! so!!! cute!!!

i missed their banter

and matthias' smile!!!!! it's adorable wtf

i wish we had seen more of david and genya :(( especially of david

but their interactions!!

so pure oh my god

as much as i hate the darkling... ben barnes’ performance was rlly good

and zoya was amazing too

i missed her

now i just hope netflix renews the show for a s2 bc I!! NEED!! NIKOLAI!!

that’s all

have a nice day

[booknerdateen]

The Grishaverse Series

A mini dramaticness before we begin

Also note: there are spoilers so beware

It all started with Six of Crows. I read the book either last year or a few years ago. The news came when Shadow and Bone was being adapted into a show. So, I decided to go down the rabbit hole and read the trilogy before I watched the show so I can get a more depth of the world and all that. I finished the books with eight days to spare. A few days after I finished the season, I went to Barnes to get the other books. I already had Six Of Crows, but y’all can never have too many copies. Soon, I reentered the world of the Crows. Finally at last, I was able to read Crooked Kingdom (one of my best friends been dying for me to read CK). After the catastrophe of CK’s ending, I delved into King of Scars. I didn’t really know much about Nikolai’s duology besides it being about him, Zoya, and Nina. With the annoying ending of Scars, I started Rule of Wolves the next day. I started this journey from Alina and the Darkling to the Crows and their hiesting to seeing Nina’s happiness and Nikolai and Zoya dealing with their demons-figuratively and literally. So, here we are reaching and end of an era for me. I am glad I got to read an amazing series of this world.

The Grisha Trilogy

Aright yall!

I went into the trilogy not knowing much, besides the teaser trailer knowledge

I went in trying to not be biased about the Darkling cuz Ben Barnes

Did it affect me, yes yes it did

Although I don’t like Darkling

Some of y’all hate me for this but I ship Darklina

Yes yes, they toxic, but man you can’t convince me Darkling and Alina had that amazing chemistry in the first book

Not counting when Alina found out bout his true intentions and all that

I didn’t understand why we hated Mal until half way through Siege and Storm

I’m not Malina, but I can understand why we ship them

My amazing love of my life, Nikolai/Stormhund!

Him revealing himself as the prince, omg

Nikolai planting a kiss on Alina and her hitting him afterwards, love it

Tamar and Toyla are amazing!

I actually didn’t realize they were Shu until King Of Scars

Do I see why they betrayed Alina and used her for the Apparat (who needs to freakin die!), yes

Should they’ve, no but I see why though

Harshaw is me half the time

I love him teaming up with a random cat and called him Oncat pure wholesome

Alina going back to the Palace to start the Second Army and understandably putting a whole in the cafeteria ceiling, yes bruh

It’s not the cafeteria but I can’t remember what it’s called so hush

I thought she was gonna murder someone with that cut

Zoya declaring her alliance to Alina

Alina being sus about Zoya….I get that

Genya’s iconic “I am not ruined, I am ruination” I freakin love that!

Nikolai putting his father in his place and potentially exposing the king to r*pe

I freakin lived for that!

I did suspect that what happened between him and Genya, but it was more implied until R&R

Deaths=man, we lost some amazing peeps

Founding out Mal is the third amplifier, blew my mind

Mal dying=was not having that

Mal resurected=didn’t think it had worked, but it did

Darkling being stabbed and killed by his own knife by Alina…..wow

I didn’t like that

Sorry not sorry

I thought it felt a little rushed when that happened

I’m still confused on how he died

Overall: 9/10 I loved it

Six of Crows Duology

I don’t remember what happened in this book when I first read it

I longing to live to be part of the Crows

I love their friendship

Reminds me of my friends

“Compromise. I’m sorry does the trick and uses fewer bullets”

I’ll probably do a post about my favorite lines of the books

Oh yes, so I read SoC after watching S&B

Reading Nina and Matthias’ parts with the shipwreck and all that and it being the same as their scenes in the show

I loved that

Well vice versa it should be….show being line for line like the book with them

“Please, my darling Inej, treasure of my heart, won’t you do me the honor of acquiring me a new hat”

I actually texted my mom that but reworded it as a way of asking her to get Taco Bell breakfast after her PT

It worked

Wesper, Kanej, Helnik=yesssss

My cinnamon roll Wylan

Jesper, Inej, and Wylan hijacking a fjierdan tank=high speed chase but with teenagers

The 180* that Van Eck and Kaz kept doing in the end, omg

Van Eck being a total evilness, man I wanted to smack him

Inej almost giving up on escaping

Kaz pushed Wylan against the wall about to kill him

Jesper’s father being afraid of Little Jesper being killed cuz Jes being grisha

Speaking of that, I did not see that coming

Kaz and Jesper getting into a fight and Wylan and Kuweii being the only ones concerned

Jesper Llewellyn Fahey

Jesper kissing Kuweii thinking he was Wylan

Wylan being broken-hearted

Them making up ahhhhh

The auction….that’s it that’s the only thing

Matthias being shot

Him going to Nina to say he loves her

Chapter 40= I tossed the book and dramatic screamed (not actually screaming)

Omg, Wylan finding out his mother aint dead but in a rehab place bruhhhhh

Kaz reuniting Inej with her parents

Kaz’s small steps of touching people again

Overall: 10/10 I’m biased about this duology

Nikolai Duology

Nikolai transforming into darkling creature at night is the equivalent of a werewolf turning at night (depending if we do every full moon and all that)

Nina burying Matthias’ body 😭

He found peace

Nina being the best necromancer grisha

Nina wanting to choke the ever living death out of Brun

Genya and David being married

Nadia and Tomar being married

David threating the monk

The monk 🤦🏾‍♀️

Wait no, the “Starless Saint” Cult 🤦🏾‍♀️

Nina mentioning about the Crows, mentally not verbally

Kuweii setting a tree on fire

The fold universe is very confusing

Sankta Eve…whats her name betraying them all to bring Darkling to life

Zoya being amazing as always

The Apparat really needs to die

I cannot stand that dude

The attenpted assination on Nikolai and Princess Shu (I forgot her name)

Isaak willingly to take Nikolai’s place while he in the fold

Isaak falling in love with Princess Shu

Or should i say “Princess Shu”

Isaak deserved better

Darkling ressurected 🙄

Nina and Hanne 💜

Freakin Brum I swear

Ramus deserved to die

Alina, Mal, Misha, and Oncat cameo

The Crows cameo!

Inej cameo in the end!

“Captain Ghafa”

Darking decided to give a redemption

Why….just why

Zoya turning into a dragon, that’s my zoya!

Nikolai turning into darkling creature to risk Ravka’s future

Brum being exile

Mwhahah

Hanne tailored as Ramus bruhhhh

I feel like Hanne is a trans coded character, I’ll go depth in another post

Freakin fjeirda in general

Fjeirda soldiers bowing down to “Sankta Zoya”

Nikolai stepping down the throne

Giving the throne to Zoya!

Queen Zoya

David’s death….I was not prepared for that 😭

Inej suspecting Alina to be actually Alina to Nikolai

Nikolai brushing her off as an old friend from the country

“I need Stormund to send a message to Kaz Brekker. I have a job for him”

Not word for word but ya know

Six of Crows 3??!?!?!! Ahhh

Overall: 8/10 loved it!

[absent-o-minded]

SHADOW AND BONE SPOILERS

I binged the show yesterday in two sittings (Eps 1-5 in one, Eps 6-8 in the other) and I thought that I'd make a list of some of my favourite moments/lines throughout the series. (This is going off of memory as I haven't done a rewatch yet, so I'm sorry if some quotes aren't word for word.) Part 1?

- Milo The Goat being the Main Character for 10 minutes straight

- "She's not like you. No one is." I wasn't expecting to get fucking whipped so hard so early by Kanej but ThErE We gO

- The entire scene of Kaz dressing up as a painter just to get a look at the blueprints to the Archive Library because...why not?

- Alina and Mal being cutie patooties in the Camp before shit hit the fan.

- An underappreciated moment: When Mal said that Alina "looked healthy" and him smiling at the fact that she had developed an apetite from using her powers. I thought that it was a very tender moment.

- Ben Barnes as the Darkling having soldiers make room for him to walk because he is THAT BITCH.

- Mikael and Dubrov! It's always a good ol' adrenaline kick when a TV Show takes your love for two minor characters and shoves it in the blender right before your very eyes...Thank-Thanks Shadow and Bone.

- "Your tracker friend liked it when I put him on his back too." Even my face felt the burn of Zoya and I knew that it didn't even happen.

- The Crows in general were immaculate. Everything from the representation of Inej's religious standpoint (which I thought was done incredibly well) to Kaz being an emo boy (...she said see ya' later boy...) to Jesper going "Bang bang bullet bullet gun!"

- Jespers fucking lines, with some special mentions but not limited to: "...He threw a book at me?..." "I'M NOT THROWING OUT THE GOAT...so soft." "(*Insert Screaming*)" "I lost a little bit of money...I lost all of the money." "Of course, love." "I know. I'd miss me too. I'm fantastic."

- Alina's powers were beautiful (Mega props to CGI). Imagine having the power of being a literal ray of sunshine and then playing a character who has the power to summon literal rays of sunshine? That's Jessie Mei Li.

- The wholesomeness of the Inej and Jesper scene where Inej is trying to stitch her self up and there is a mutual understanding of her position of going back and Jesper inadvertently says that he values her.

- "My Crows." UHHHHNNNNNGGGG

- Genya saying that the Queen has saggy tits had me rolling.

- SPeakIng of GeNYA, Genya and David. The small snippets we got of the two are enough to last me lifeti-yeah, no, about two weeks, I love them both so much, please gimme.

- "You don't have to put-" *sigh* "Yes, David?" PFFF.

- Helnik in the Whaler's hut. I cannot pinpoint one particular thing. Wholesome.

- The build up of the Darkling x Kaz confrontation over the few weeks leading up to the Shows Premiere, the plethora of theories that involved Cane Whacking and Shadow Summoning and Insult Throwing and Fashion Copyrighting, and what did we get? The peak humour that was Kaz fucking throwing down a flash bomb and dissapearing like my perception of time and space after sitting in the dark for 5 hours watching the show. I do not know why I expected anything less, that scene was beautiful.

- The bit where Alina directly put her hands over the mans eyes and radiated her light directly onto his eyeballs? It was brief and swift but I found that so cool.

- As a Film Student, I can just really appreciate the overall aestheticism of the series. They managed to encapsulate both the quintessential elements (The setting/locations, The Score, Costume Design etc) and as well as the more meticulous, intricate details (Again with Kefta details, but also with Characterisation, Prop Design of the Crow Club) and so much more. The essence of the world that Leigh Bardugo has built was captured as if it had been plucked straight from my mind and I revelled in it for those 8 hours.

There are so many moments that I have missed or have not spoken about but I'll end that here as its been quite long, but this series was utterly beautiful, and all of those involved: The incredible Cast, the most talented of Cinematogrophers, Designers, Camera Workers, Writers, Hair and Make-Up Staff, truly to every single person involed - Thank you so much <3

(Also - Please feel free to add anything in the comments, or message me if you want to talk about the show. I'm debating whether to do a more consice review, but we'll see how lazy I'm feeling tbh. Take care everyone <3 )

[i-can-stab-you-in-the-eye]

SoulmateAU. Kanej.

Kaz was asked about soulmates a lot of times. And he answered all of the questions with a sharp smile. "She killed herself when she understood who am I. If you believe in these fairy tails, you better leave Ketterdam on the first ship. The demons do not have a soulmate." The answers change every time, but the point is still the same: Kaz Brekker, Dirty Hands, the bastard from the Barrel doesn't have a soulmate because then people would have to admit that he has a soul.

He repeated these words in different variations so many times, he heard it from so many victims, he saw it in the eyes of every member of Dregs, if someone was brave enough for speaking about it in his presence, so often, that he almost believed in that.

And then a voice from the dark said, "I can help you"- he wasn't ready.

* * *

First months after her fourteen birthday Inej thought that her clean body is a mistake. The Saints couldn't be so cruel to her. And even after her mum explained that her soulmate could haven't a voice and dad made a joke that he or she would be just so amazed at Inej's beauty that would lose the power of speech, she didn't feel completely relieved.

But at the moment when she is got in "Menagerie" everything changed. Her curse became a blessing because no matter why these men came, they always said something. And it was always a little, minor the moment of relief. Every single word that came out from their mouths is meant no one of these terrible, disgusting people was not her soulmate.

In the night when she finally decided on making deal with Kaz Brekker, she was ready to hear anything. Except the silence that had started slowly enveloping her when the sound of his steps was fade away.

Helnik part

Okay, it's a little piece of story and I wanna know if you liked it. Because liking idea and liking how other person write about this idea are different things. And yes, I don’t have any other accounts where I could post it, so here we go.

[pushingpeopleover]

This is something that actually seems to happen in quite a few YA series, at least that I’ve observed. And what I mean by that is there is something fundamentally different about the writing of Helnik then there is for Wesper and Kanej.

A majority of Nina and Matthais relationship happens for us in brief flashbacks after their reunion (if i remember correctly). The problem with this is that we, the audience, don’t actually see them develop a romantic relationship. We know they have one, we see the snapshots of them moving towards one, but we’re more or less thrust into this dynamic that started before the duology began.

For some reason, this makes it harder for the reader to love(?)/relate to the couple. Kanej, though having shared history, don’t have this problem because the majority of their development and changes happen right in front of us and slowly. We see as Kaz realizes he values Inej as more than just a gang member, or as Inej realizes that she has feelings for him but she isn’t willing to give up her dream to fix him. These little things that the fandom adores are actually really vital to how the audience responds to the ship as a whole!

I’m kind of rambling at this point, but I’ve never really written this theory down before. I usually consider it as something conditional to only “childhood friends,” like Mal and Alina from The Grisha Trilogy. I can’t speak for everyone, but I always felt like I was missing something within their relationship and I’ve chalked it up to this phenomenon.

I think Leigh handles this problem really well with Helnik though! Because despite this difference, there’s still a lot of people that really like the ship!

TL;DR, audiences seem to respond less to relationships where a large part of the core development happens “offscreen.”

Helnik is underrated!

Does anyone else feel like Nina x Matthias is extremely underappreciated by SoC fans? Everyone always talks about Kanej and Wesper but poor Helnik barely gets any attention! This may just be me, but within the fandom the most fanart of the three SoC couples is of Kaz and Inej, followed by Jesper and Wylan. Don’t get me wrong; I love those ships! I obsess over them too. But Nina and Matthias are just as valid. Maybe it’s because they are the “least diverse” of the group? Don’t go off on me please; it’s just a theory! Or maybe it’s because of that event that happened in Crooked Kingdom that we don’t speak of:( But I love those two so much. I want more content for them! What do you think?