âSo now a question comes up. If you were in Bardugoâs place as the author and had to write the story from the second book onward, how would you have wanted the story to go? Or, for example, if Alina had gone to the Little Palace as a child and met the 13-year-old Aleksander from Demon in the Woods, how would you have wanted their relationship to develop? Or if Alina had stayed with Aleksander in the end and the problems of Ravka were finally resolved, and during that time Alina had matured to almost match Aleksanderâs level â do you think she could have brought back that human part of the Darkling? If she could, how likely do you think his change would have been? What if it took centuries until Ravkaâs wars with the other countries finally ended?
And one more thing â in the last book of the series, when the Darkling sacrifices himself to the tree, why does he say his name out loud? Didnât Baghra tell him his name should remain hidden? Or did Aleksander himself want everyone to know his name? Also, whatâs the deal with Zoyaâs power â they keep saying sheâs stronger than the Darkling and that she can even see the saints. Whatâs up with that?â
âSo now a question comes up. If you were in Bardugoâs place as the author and had to write the story from the second book onward, how would you have wanted the story to go?
I'd have Alina grow up, and seize the opportunity to make Ravka a place worth living in. Even if she were to realize she isn't fit to rule, she wouldn't fuck off into obscurity before dealing with her cult, helping Grisha AND certainly not while her country's still bankrupt, destabilized and at war.
Or, for example, if Alina had gone to the Little Palace as a child and met the 13-year-old Aleksander from Demon in the Woods, how would you have wanted their relationship to develop?
This is pure nonsense.
There's no Little Palace without Aleksander's work. Were she to be around his age, she'd die of wasting sickness, pining after a guy, who doesn't give a fuck about her. Or she'd be murdered for her powers.
Or if Alina had stayed with Aleksander in the end and the problems of Ravka were finally resolved, and during that time Alina had matured to almost match Aleksanderâs level â do you think she could have brought back that human part of the Darkling? If she could, how likely do you think his change would have been?
Aleksander likes to believe himself a heartless monster, partly because that's what he's treated like, but the mere fact he never stopped fighting for his people shows otherwise. Were he to act only by force of habit, he wouldn't drain his own life to prevent more loss of his soldiers. He'd be careful to save himself for when they're gone, and the work still left to do.
He's the most human (in positive sense) character of them all.
What he might learn, is to allow himself to be a human with needs of his own. Not just the invincible leader others can lean on.
What if it took centuries until Ravkaâs wars with the other countries finally ended?
That's just the current situation. Or its history over and over.
He's used to it.
And one more thing â in the last book of the series, when the Darkling sacrifices himself to the tree, why does he say his name out loud? Didnât Baghra tell him his name should remain hidden? Or did Aleksander himself want everyone to know his name?
First of all, I'd like to believe he's over his mother. At least in this.
Second, he's about to surrender to fate worse than death for the country he never abandoned, but which kept treating him like useful monster at best. He never complained being the Darkling, but now that he knows he cannot ask even for peace in death, he sheds the cloak of almost mythical creature to reclaim one of the most basic signs of personhood- his name.
Also, whatâs the deal with Zoyaâs power â they keep saying sheâs stronger than the Darkling and that she can even see the saints. Whatâs up with that?â
That's simply overpowering the least likeable bitch available, so the brainless reader believes she's the best person around to rule them all. Because turning into a dragon somehow makes hatred disappear, while shadow powers naturally generate it.
She cannot see the Saints as some Joan of Ark chosen one, Alina's cheap copies simply botched erasing the Fold, and three of the useless Saints were trapped there. Zoya's stupid enough to invite one of them to live in her head. Mostly because he told her she's THE super special girl, just like she always wanted to hear from an older male mentor figure... How empowering...
