ALSO, There’s A Difference Between Stanning Joost - Who Was An Innocent Boy Who Literally Didn’t

"Fine, make me your villain".

- The darkling (shadow and bone) by Leigh Bardugo

That single sentence really struck a cord with me. It exploited multiple things about the darkling and his character.

1. It conveys that he knows Alina (and many others) see him as the bad guy. He understands that they look at him as the villain who must be stopped because what he stands for and does is wrong.

2. He’s trying to make Alina understand that well what he is doing is dark and dangerous business, it’s not the wrong thing to do. He’s trying to make her see that sometimes bad actions must be preformed to generate good results.

3. Despite the fact that he’s attempted to explain his vision of a different future to Alina, he has come to understand that she simply doesn’t see it the way he does. He has come to understand that all she sees when she looks at him, is a monster doing monstrous things.

4. He is upset and frustrated that Alina can’t understand his vision and his actions, that she can’t understand him, that she only sees him as a villain.

5. That sentence also touches upon the subject that the villain never truly sees themselves as a villain. The darkling knows what he’s doing is bad, but he believes in his core that it’s ultimately the right thing to do. He believes that by preforming certain destructive actions, a positive result will emerge from the ashes.

6. That single sentence also shows that in Alina’s perspective, The darkling is her villain, but he doesn’t think he is. He thinks she should be with him, on his side.

The darkling is a very interesting villain because he is written to be very dark and very motivated, yet you can understand his motivation, you just probably don’t agree with his methods.

Wanna hear a sad thought

So this has been scratching at the back of my brain for a few days now from a combination of a few things. Mainly a post about SOC feeling lie an origin story for an even greater myth (its somewhere on my blog if you can be bothered to find it) and an ask I got about if Inej died what would happen to Kaz which got me thinking about character death and what happens post CK to our lovely crow children. I’ve been noticing all the headcanons lately are super fluffy and like people naming Kaz and Inej’s children, which yes I know all fandoms do this and yes they are still good and make me happy. I just can’t feel like they’re real even if they capture personalities well and them still being a decent amount angsty because I don’t think anything like that gets to happen. The end of CK opens a lot of potential problems, hiding Kuwei was just a bandaid fix to a whole plethora of issues that are going to wreak havoc on the grishaverse. It definitely feels like the preceding story to something huge. Lot’s of characters with powerful connections and political tension, and manipulation. Basically like world war in the grishaverse, I think everyone from our little crew gets involved one way or another, they wouldn’t be the main characters of this story, but the ripple effect would get to all of them Nina especially because she’s a member of the second army.

The secret to Jurda Parem would get out and its as Van eck said throwing global markets into chaos, the Shu are making more Khergud soilders and using them to hunt grisha. The second army is still not at its strength, and its trying to recruit more soilders, Nina is there as well as Kuwei who works away on the antidote for Parem. He is never successful though. Nina manages to recruit Jesper into the second army when he sees whats happening to grisha convincing him its the safest place, and a strong cause. Wylan’s father’s empire or his now isn’t doing well because the markets are in total chaos, and he goes to Ravka with Jesper.

Inej is true to her word hunting slavers, but with the secret to Parem revealed most slave ships are capturing grisha, and they are being sold, having their worth increased. Most of the grisha she frees are taken to Ravka, but a decent amount have joined her crew, or crews because Inej now has several vessels under her command. She still goes back to Ketterdam and she and Kaz have a blossoming romance, but it doesn’t last long.

Kaz dies. Its a few years after SOC, but I don’t think he lives past 23. Despite all his threats, spider webs of lies, and Important connections. He’s pissed off the wrong people. The wrong grisha, essentially Kaz gets in deep shit with the council of tides, and despite what he says at the end of crooked kingdom he doesn’t really have much leverage. Once the secret to parem gets out the fake plague has resided, of course Ketterdam is still in chaos because of the war. Kaz is the only one of our crew still in Ketterdam, so when it somehow leaks about their heist, stealing Kuwei, the auction, and Kuwei dying and getting smuggled off to Ravka. The evidence is uncovered, with Ketterdam hanging on by the skin of its teeth, people are mad, and looking for someone to blame. So they blame Kaz. Of course it isn’t technically right to peg one man for all this trouble, but plenty of people already want the new king of the barrel dead. The council of tides is pissed, and already hates Kaz, since he doesn’t have the plague to threaten them with he cant do anything. The dreg’s won’t risk retribution from the council of tides, and they can’t get dirt on every government official and member of the Merchant council. Kaz faces public execution. Half of the barrel is there, a good portion of them celebrating and sneering, saying how Dirtyhands finally got what was coming to him. No matter how awful he was though, many show their respect, because he was still one of the most legendary criminals Ketterdam had ever seen. The last thing Kaz says is, “I did it Jordie.” 

Cardan looks like he would play an instrument like the piano or something but all he does is play with his heart

haha

SOC SPOILERS

Meanwhile in the tank:

Crooked Kingdom is a goddamn masterpiece and I’ll preach that everyday but I think the best thing in it which is clearly not talked about enough is that whole fucking chapter with Wylan where the ENTIRE time he’s just like:

What the hell... what am I doing here? Who are these idiots? What the fuuuuuuckk... I’m a human fucking being, Kaz

And I think that’s beautiful

Y’all I was just thinking idk if this has been done but six of crows enemies to lovers:

Kaz Brekker x Jan van Eck

I admit, while reading , I kept forgetting that they are 17 year old teenagers. And it was because of scenes like this one, where that realisation came back to me in a huge wave.

This confusion in Inej's heart and mind. Her thoughts, her doubtfulness , her questioning herself. I have also doubted myself when it has come to matters of heart. And I think everyone does.

But even beneath her confusion, I can see a sign of maturity there. I know that they were all forced to grow up and mentally mature earlier due to their past. And by her maturity, I mean, how she understands, that just like her, Kaz has also gone through unexplainable stuff. The need for his armour. The need for her own armour. And it's not like she turns a blind eye to the things Kaz was trying to do for her. The net. She noticed it. Even though she had accepted and even tried to make peace with the fact that maybe she will never have him like she wanted to. She didn't shut him out.

I think all these little things, they talked to me more about her character. They made me live her and absorb her character more.

Cruel prince reader here: NOPE can't do it! Valerian forced her to the ground and made her eat fearie apple which makes her lose control of her body and mind. Sound very similar to date rape drug. Like I know it's called CRUEL prince but I figured the way everyone was stanning Jude and Cardan that he wasn't gonna be too bad. Sure he wasn't the 1 who did that but some shit just crosses the line and he has to be help responsible for the actions of friends trying to impress him. Tumblr is fucked up

Okay. 

I’m going to start with the Faerie apple scene, and then I’ll discuss Cardan and Jude.

Faerie is a dangerous world, right? So dangerous for mortals, in fact, that they cannot eat the food without salt, they can’t eat certain apples, they must go around with rowan berries to avoid charms, etc. etc. The world Holly Black creates is scary, and cruel, and one you would not want to live in. 

However, this is Jude’s home. She’s been forced to grow up here. She’s been forced to live and survive despite the cruelty around her, and she’s survived. In fact, she’s incredibly brave for not only learning how to live in this world, but also standing up to those who aim to hurt her. 

And Jude, for so long, has been keeping herself safe. This moment of eating the Faerie apple, then, while horrible, reminds Jude, and by extension, us (the readers), that Faerie isn’t a safe place. Any safety that Jude had felt up to this moment is gone. She’s vulnerable and can’t stand up for herself and it is cruel. Horrible. Terrifying. It’s a reminder that this world is not meant for mortals, that dangers lurk in every crevice, and even out in the open. It’s a reminder to us, too, that Jude isn’t invincible. She’s human, just like us. 

Now, onto Cardan. 

I’m not just going to say ‘Faeries are cruel,’ because sure, they can be, but Cardan does need to be held responsible for his actions. He and his behavior shouldn’t be written off. 

He’s a bully. He causes pain. And yes, when Jude and Taryn were thrown into the river, he does try to end it sooner. If I’m not mistaken, too, he does try to get his friends to stop their actions in the Faerie fruit scene. But yes, he is cruel, and treats mortals terribly, and treats lots of people terribly, actually, but he was also abused. Is abused. That’s not an excuse for his behavior. Don’t get me wrong: he treats others with immense cruelty at times, and that shouldn’t be ignored or excused. But, it is all he knows. There’s more about why Cardan’s the way he is in the sequel, The Wicked King, but the little moments we catch of how he’s treated by Balekin helps to explain his cruelty. 

That all being said, I think the characters of Jude and Cardan are very dynamic, and as the book (and sequel) show, they aren’t just the badass and cruel characters that we originally met. They are both vulnerable and have been through traumatizing and horrible experiences and that does, inevitably, shape who they become. Ultimately, though, it’s not who they have to be. And I think that both Jude and Cardan are learning that. Particularly Cardan. 

So yes. There are incredibly cruel moments in the book. I think that was going to be unavoidable, particularly when Holly Black’s created such a dangerous world. But those moments don’t necessarily undermine the rest of the book, or the series. 

Am I he only one who just doesn’t get why people flop their shit over Leigh Bardugo? Alina was forgettable chosen one, the Darkschlong a total stereotype bad boy, and Kaz brekker is an abusive asshole with a sad wittle backstory yet everyone drools over him. Now i can’t be on twitter bc everyone I follow is shitting themselves over the Netflix announcement.

the books are certainly not without their faults and they obviously won’t appeal to everyone (i used to date someone who disliked SOC bc he found the heist required too much suspension of disbelief), but i really enjoyed both series and they’ve made Leigh one of my favorite authors. plus, i’m glad they’re doing these books over most of the other popular YA fantasies out there–although i would kill to get a Winner’s Curse show bc can you imagine the epic?!?!!

“I hear a symphony” by Cody Fry is literally Wesper