#tamar

Allow me to remind you of the kind of life they were living when Aleksander was a child: Constantly flitting from settlement to settlement, changing their names, aloof and always different from everyone else. NEVER belonging anywhere.

And Baghra had no intention of trying to change that. Of ever allowing her son to connect with other people, to grow and develop into a person outside of herself.

If Aleksander had listened to her, they would have stayed like that forever, until they were both to sick of the world to keep summoning.

Which probably would have been pretty quick.

But in a world which that happens...

Aleksander never has that drive and desire to create a safe place for Grisha. He never attempts to dabble in merzost, never accidentally creates the Fold, and never forms the Second Army.

The chances of an ordinary Grisha ever being able to create a system to protect themselves as long-lasting as Aleksander did are slim to none.

So Ravka never becomes a safe-haven for Grisha. It remains a place where Grisha are hunted as witches... At least until it eventually collapses due to the incompetence of the monarchy. Probably gets swallowed by Shu Han and/or Fjerda.

Your beloved pirate/prince likely would never exist.

Alina? Without the Fold that "needs" to be destroyed, they have no reason to keep her around. Her powers might still be revered, but saints are far more useful dead than alive.

Genya? Dead or sold as a prostitute in Kerch.

Nina? Same as Genya.

Zoya? Dead or trapped in a child bride marriage.

Marie, Sergei, Nadia, Tamar, Tolya, Adrik, Ivan, and Fedyor? Dead.

Leoni? Assuming Novi Zem remains tolerant of Grisha in this AU... She's fine, I guess. Until something changes.

This post was inspired by one of the commenters on my friend's post. They were a fan of the Crows and the books which, I respect. Personally, I found the characters to be enjoyable to an extent but then this person proceeds to go on and on about how my friend lacks literary understanding because the books were and I quote, 'revolutionary and ground breaking' with the representations.

And this is were I draw the line.

SoC was a scam, an author's attempt to check off the representation checkboxes without putting any actual effort into it. But considering how this author used war and genocide as a mere backdrop for 5 books, I'm not very surprised.

So we have lots of LGBTQ+ characters which is an awesome thing indeed but what difference is it making to the characters themselves other than checking off a box?

Let's not forget the fact that this story takes place in early 19th century.

That was not a time of acceptance. The society was deeply religious and restrictive and homosexuals if discovered were killed or casterated. There was a huge stigma and people were not out and proud. They had to live in hiding. And very few people even accepted the truth about themselves.

But here we see them having already figured out their sexual orientation and were widely accepted as if they were living in 21st century. We see Jesper and Wylan, Nina and Hanne, Nadia and Tamar all were accepted just like that. Inej who is this deeply religious person is also very accepting of them. There is no conflict or overcoming one's religious teaching. Nothing. Hell, none of them face any backlash or the shame or even an internal struggle.

This alone proves how much of a safe game LB was playing with the characters. She needed the applaud without making any actual effort towards it. She shamelessly utilized representation and in the same breath insulted the countless people who remained in hiding or were persecuted in the 19th century.

Why set a story in a time period if you're not going to address the stigma that people faced in that period? Even for profit, capitalistic countries were full of bigots and racists but somehow we don't find a single one in Ketterdam?

'Ohhh Ravka(and Fjerda) is deeply religious and filled with bigotry and hatred towards the Grisha cause they are different but they are very accepting of the queer folks.'

See how insentitive it looks? LB's stories are restrictive with respect to religion, genocide and wars but somehow a fully free society when it comes to expressing themselves? How is this not a scam?

And same goes for Inej. The Suli was LB's representation of South Asian demographic. She is a brown girl in a majorly white country and faces not much racisim. Same goes for Jesper. 19th century were not very accepting to people of colour but somehow it all works out too that they even successfully pull of a heist!

And I'm not even going to address the Nazi-Jew relationship of Matthias and Nina and the Slave owner/slave relationship of Kaz and Inej. That is a different can of worms for a different time.

I get that these characters are relatable to a lot of people but the author is not some ground breaking revolutionary. If anything, LB is a coward who used these representations to ensnare people just like she used wars and genocide as a stage for her romance novels. She wrote those books with tone deaf atittude and from an out of touch priviledged reality. Using queer characters or using people of different races in books alone is not a call for celebration. Not if they were not used with proper care and respect.

Tamta's Epic Journey

Tamta, a 13th-century noblewoman, traveled from Georgia to Mongolia, surviving wars, marriages, and captivity to rule her city. Her story reveals a world of clashing empires, faiths, and powers. Anthony Eastmond's book uncovers her life through rare texts, art, and ruins.

Key Facts

Born in powerful Georgian family under Queen Tamar; father served at court.

Married Muslim rulers—nephews of Saladin—in Akhlat, living as Christian in polygamous Muslim court.

Patron of Christians; gained respect in high society despite interfaith marriage.

Captured by Khwarazmians and Mongols in 1220s; negotiated survival in captivity.

Sent to Mongol court in Karakorum; returned as Mongol ruler of Akhlat until 1250s death.

Eastmond reconstructs her tale using art, architecture, and sparse records.

Historical Context

In the 13th century, the Caucasus sat on the "Edge of Empires," where Georgians, Muslims, Khwarazmians, and Mongols collided. Tamta's Georgia peaked under Queen Tamar, but Mongol invasions upended everything from Anatolia to Mongolia.

Historical Significance

Tamta's life shows women's power in chaos. She shifted from daughter and wife to ruler, highlighting gender, faith, and survival amid global shifts. Eastmond's microhistory globalizes the Middle Ages, blending text with art to reveal overlooked voices.

another request for @tuvooakenoak teehee