#ulle

Demon in the Wood (Leigh Bardugo)

They're not even shocked.

I actually loved demon in the woods. It's the only time by Bardugo that I could actually read and didn't had to switch to audiobooks for. Really made me wonder if a ghost writer had written it. It has an uncharacteristic amount of nuance to it.

I found Ulle interesting because he's more powerful AND WARY than what he presents

“Some of them object to having a woman at a council meeting,” he admitted. “But they were outvoted.” [...] “They are set in their ways, and you are not only a woman, but”—he cleared his throat—“they fear you are not entirely natural.”

“The first men to see bears thought they were monsters. My power is unfamiliar, not unnatural.”

“A bear is still dangerous,” noted the Ulle. “It still has claws and teeth to maul a man.”

Little darkles observes as much

“He lied about the elders.”

His mother cocked her head to one side, her black eyes glittering. “Did he?”

“None of them voted to have you at the meeting, but the Ulle demanded it.”

“How do you know?” He hesitated, less sure now. “It was the sound of the Ulle’s voice, the way the elders stood apart from him as they watched us come down the hill.”

She rose and brushed the hair back from his face. “You read the flow of power the way others chart tides,” she marveled. “It will make you a great leader.”

He's right. People who are the most loud and domineering and who engage in a lot of posturing usually hold the least amount of power. And people who do hold the most power tend to downplay it or play the "i have people to answer to" in order to keep the favors people ask of them in check.

I really like this character. He holds a lot of power. Downplays it. Advocates for her, yes, but also ensures she knows who to be grateful for for the roof over their heads.

And he has his prejudices as well 🤷🏽‍♀️ He brings with a subtle touch of the ambiguous THEY think you're unnatural. But it's established in the story that this sentiment is shared among grisha. There's gatekeeping within the community. General public might treat grisha and unnatural and evil to justify hunting them. But darkles and his mom face the same prejudices in the community, and he's told literally never to touch anyone, because the instant that one girl finds out darkles is an amplifier, he's lured in for murder that very night.

So yeah this guy invites them and advocates for them but he's more complex than an upstanding guy. As for his son, he's the privileged rich kid in this little community 🤷🏽‍♀️ and kids tend to be honest reflections of their household's belief system while lacking all the social skills, manners, and politeness their parents mastered over the years.