I may have eaten from silver dishes or stolen scraps from the kitchen.
I may have worn summer silks and jewels in my hair.
Or maybe I went barefoot and clawed in the dirt, searching for roots, for gold, for shelter. I can’t recall. There have been too many stories in between, miracles and martyrdoms, too much blood spilled, too much ink. There was a war. There were a thousand wars. I knew a killer. I knew a hero. They might have been the same man. I remember only how I fell into books, never to rise from their pages, how I was never truly awake until I began to dream of other worlds.
I wander now, lost among the shelves. My hand cramps around the pen. I gather dust. But someone has to set down the words, put them in the proper order. I am the library and the librarian, hoarding lives, a catalog for the faithful.
You can call me Lila (as an anon nickname) or Lav (short for Lavendar aka my main blog), she/her, lgbtqia+💕💜🩵, Chronic Illness/Disability advocate & fellow spoonie🥄🦓🦯+ CPTSD Zillennial. Primarily English, but I speak a very small amount of Czech (which helps in these books). My main page is: @lavendarneverlands + a few side blogs for favorite fandoms (like this)🌞🗡️🌙🪡📚🐦⬛🔪♥️🐺🎩🌻🐐🏴☠️👑⚡️🥀🐈
All are welcome here (like Kaz you don’t need a reason😂)! No mourners, no funerals. . . Always. . . #SaveShadowandBone #SaveSixofCrowsSpinoff #SoC3
I have read & loved each & every Grishaverse story: for more —
Shadow and bone (S&B), Siege & Storm (unpopular favorite from the trilogy) #S&S, & Ruin and Rising #R&R
Six of Crows (SoC) & Crooked Kingdom💔🖤
The King of Scars duology: (KoS) & Rule of Wolves (Row)
+ ALL Novela’s/Bonus Chapters: Lost Letters to Ravka, The Tailor, The Lives of Saints. The language of Thorns; Ayama & the Thorn Wood, The Too-Clever Fox, The Witch of Duva, Little Knife, The Soldier Prince, & When Water Sang Fire. & Demon in the Wood (regular, graphic novel, & audiobook; and a favorite)
And of course the Netflix Shadow & Bone TV show starring the phenomenal cast (I love you: Jessie Mei Li (the ADHD & representation we need), Ben Barnes (my childhood Prince Caspian crush has re-surfaced), Calahan Skogman (a true poet), Danielle Galligan, Amita Suman, Freddy Carter, Jack Wolfe (human sunshine), Kit Young, Daisy Head, Anna Leong Brophy, Sujaya Dasgupta, Archie Renaux, Julian Kostov) of course our Gothic Queen & Mother Leigh Bardugo, & the incredible crew who made it possible all the way to the score by Joseph Trapanese as they made it to near-perfection… and how could I not mention the true star MILO the GOAT… I am forever in denial about its cancellation #WeNeverStopFighting
⏰This blog does & will contain spoilers including the notes below🚨
Confession: I watched Season One of Shadow & Bone before reading the books (I didn’t know there were books until I finished it! Thus accidentally breaking my “books first” traditional rule). However, I actually think this improved my love of the books as I came in with the show version of Mal & (fan-cast come to life) chemistry of Ben Barnes as the Darkling (minus the spoiler of knowing his name was Alexsander & he was not to be trusted). The added diversity & “fixes” gave me a very different viewpoint & understanding heading in. And I pretty much binge read them (only disappointed in the lack of crows as I surprisingly avoided spoilers outside of the first book).
I of course love our sankta Alina Starkov, & despite popular opinion Mal Oretsev (Malina holds my heart). I enjoyed the ending to the 1st Trilogy, and the found family with Misha & my all time fav OnCat. — Hence the blog name & my favorite quote of the books & one of all time — “They had an ordinary life, full of ordinary things— if love can ever be called that.”
I did love Alexsander NOT the Darkling; though I did ship Darklina for a while; I blame Ben & Jessie😂 to be clear, however, I DO NOT CONDONE ANY OF THE ABUSE THE DARKLING CREATES
Genya Safin is very dear to me & her story/quotes meant a great deal to me. Daisy Head’s interview speech of “taking space” is one of my favorites. I will forever be a “David Lives” truther😅😭
Inej Ghafa is also the same, her story, her character, her quotes, her ship… ALL. OF. IT. Amita & Freddy. Kaz Brekker… representation!!! Kanej… do I need to say more?
Nina Zenik is a queen, Helnik was an ALWAYS & it ALWAYS destroys me💔Matty, but I’m glad Hanina found a happy ending. Nina’s journey through grief came when I needed it most… she represents many things that were beautifully done.
Wylan Van Sunshine is bb & must be protected at all costs same with Jack (our lil wolf). Wesper will always be endgame. Jesper Fahey is a style icon & that word also applies to Kit.
Zoya Nazyalensky is a severely under appreciated character in my opinion, and one I am thankful to see as a heroine in fiction! Zoyalai is a favorite🎀 as is our Privateer Nikolai Lantsov + another style icon ;-) + (his & Mal’s TV bromance *chefs kiss*) — Speaking of show additives a moment for: Fedyor x Ivan👌👌😘😘🥹
I could go on for days… but for now I’ll just say any shop, character, fic, fanart, theory, quote, book talk, etc. is welcome & probably enjoyed! Please be kind! Please be healthy! And let’s have a great time appreciating a great fandom! Welcome!!!
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Has anyone else noticed the Netflix intro change?!
Season 1, Episode 1, now has a Ben Barnes voiceover setting up the world… instead of the usual Jessie Mei Li/Alina Starkov “afraid of the dark” broken sandskiff scene first…
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Alina, tracing patterns on a dusty table: Remember that time we got chased by volcra in the Fold, Mal? It was terrifying.
Mal, chuckles & reaches for her hand: But we made it out. Together. Always together.
Nikolai, sauntering over & feigning interest: Ah, yes, the Fold. A fascinating ecological disaster. I've always wondered, do they have a frequent flyer program for shadow-monsters? Like, "Fly 10 times and your next attack is free?"
Alina, interlacing her fingers with Mal’s: Oh, Nikolai, you're incorrigible.
Mal, glares at Nikolai momentarily: Some dangers are worth facing… unlike others.
Nikolai, waving his hand dismissively: Don't mind me. Just brainstorming ways to make a profit.
Alina, smiling brightly at Mal across the table: Did you know that the sun is actually white, not yellow?
Mal, returning her smile, eyes sparking: Is that so? Like your hair when you summon, then? Pure and blinding?
Nikolai, clears throat & holds up map: Alright, so about these supply lines to West Ravka… Are we SURE the Grisha don't need, say, blinders or some form of protection to deal with the radiant glow of your mirrors when the time comes to ward off the Nichevo’ya & foot soldiers?
Alina, to Mal, ignoring Nikolai: You think so? Maybe you need some protection, just in case I accidentally summon a little too much light…
Mal, leaning closer across the table: I'll risk it.
Nikolai, slams the map down: FINE. Everyone just go blind! See if I care!! … I'm going to the Little Palace, at least there Zoya lets me drink tea while she yells at me, who cares that she won’t be back till tonight; sounds worth waiting for after this mess!
Alina, half-asleep post-accidental-finding in the woods: My brain is 80% song lyrics, 10% strategizing how to overthrow a power-hungry Darkling, and 10% Mal Oretsev.
Mal, turning over to look at her: You're thinking about me?
Alina, smiling: Constantly.
Alina: Like, "Mal Oretsev, please stop touching that map it's a historical artifact!" And "Mal Oretsev, did you drink all the kvas again, and leave me with nothing but hard cheese?!"
*Alina, Mal, and Genya laying on a blanket, looking up at the clouds.*
Genya: That one looks like a stag.
Mal: Nah, it looks like a really lumpy potato. A very… fluffy potato.
Alina: I think it looks like a dragon, curled up and sleeping.
The Darkling, peeking around at the mention of stags & dragons, then silently coming up behind them to cast a shadow: It looks like an impending Darkling.
Alina, sighing at the bond: Can we go five seconds without the doom and gloom for once?
The Darkling: Doom and gloom comes whether you like it or not.
Alina: Just… enjoy the fluffy potato dragon, okay?
Alina, reading a missive from Nikolai: From now on, he says to use code names… but he didn’t list any code names… so… umm… You can address me as "Sunny One".
Nikolai, popping in: Actually I have some great suggestions!
Alina: Why did you send a missive if you were here?
Nikolai: Perhaps I wanted a grand enterance… "Been there, Done that."
Mal: That is NOT her code name.
Nikolai: Sure it is, "If I had to pick a dude".
Alina, jumps at Alexander’s stalking ghost that smirks:
Alexsander Morozova’s ghost/projection: Let me guess… it happened once in a dream? *winks*
Nikolai: Or not?
Alina: What? NO! It’s fine…
Mal & the Darkling, in sync but drastically different tones: IT’S FINE?!
Alina: The Darkling is never again.
Nikolai: Well… I should certainly hope so.
Genya: Zoya should be if I had to pick a girl.
Zoya, elbows Genya: HUSH NOW OR IM TELLING DAVID!!!
Alina: Genya is I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. *blows kiss*
Genya: Aww… thanks babe. Back at ya! Xx
Alina: Annnd David is *in sync with Nikolai*: Eagle Two.
David: Oh thank the saints.
Alina: Your welcome ;-) but Zoya’s right… *whispers* it should be go get some ;-) ;-)
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Nikolai: And with the way things are going I might die before I'm twenty-five, these are practically my twilight years! I need to learn how to cook, rent a condo, and buy a balalaika.
*the group simultaneously*
Mal: Your not even the one with a death sentence hanging over your head…
Tamar, laughing: You don’t know how to cook?!
Genya: “Rent a condo” NIKOLAI you OWN a castle!… and well, EVERYTHING!
Alina: Shit… he kinda has a point…
Zoya: You can’t even play the balalaika, Lantsov.
Nikolai: Precisely. This is my crisis. Let me have it.
Genya, turning around: Oh, no. What have you done now?!
*Alina, Mal, & David now laying on the ground next to Nikolai as well*
Genya: David, where did you come from?
David: Where did any of us come from? What is the point in anything?
Genya: No, literally… WHERE did you come from… you weren’t even in here like, .5 seconds ago.
David: Oh, I saw people lying on the floor panicking and figured I should join them… is this not what we’re doing now?
Genya: Ah, what the hell *flops down to the ground* apparently it is.
Zoya: You just want to lay down next to David.
Nikolai: You could lay down-
Zoya: -Finish that sentence and I guarantee your prophecy will be fufilled and you will not see so much as your twenty-first birthday.
Tolya: I think now is a good time to discuss prophecies… including those in some of my favorite poems!
*group groaning & running suddenly*
Tolya, chuckling to himself: Works every time.
Zoya, whipping back to him: Did you do that just to make them stop? Wait… Do you always do that?… Do you even like poetry?? Or is it just alone time???
Tolya: You will never know.
Zoya: Oh, I’m gonna find out… *muttering* I need some more tricks to get away from these people.
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