This Right Here Is Facts. Say It Louder For The People In The Back.

This right here is facts. Say it louder for the people in the back.

I swear, after Alina left LP she was giving me headaches(well, more like LB did). All Darkling's bad and evil characteristics/deeds were conjured from thin air. No witnesses, no proof. Her stay at LP and people reacting to him tells us otherwise. Not even Baghra painted him like that. Why are assumptions presented as facts. Why does the author thinks that's enough? And why do I feel like I'm being gaslighted??

You’re preaching to the choir, Anon. 🙌 I truly do not know. And it really does pain me, because with a few small changes all of these things could have been resolved easily.

(This got long)

There are various times throughout the book when LB writes one thing, Alina says another thing happened, and then chapters later Alina says yet another thing happened. It’s like a slow creeping game of telephone that’s gets more and more different with each recitation.

It made me feel like I was remembering things wrong, I’d go back and realize, Alina was wrong, but it’s not treated like a statement from an unreliable narrator. It’s not addressed or broken down or used later for some form of catharsis. There’s never any pushback from the narrative.

Things that would have improved the story (with little effort):

Have Alina notice things are out of place at the LP, have her develop her sleuthing skills, just enough that she discovers things to later put together. This would support Baghra’s claims.

Have her find her letters in Genya’s room.

More scenes with the Apparat (because that feels like a dropped political plot line)

Another scene with the king where he tries to sway her away from Grisha/the Darkling.

Scenes with other Grisha outside of Marie and Nadia- the only Grisha Alina ever interacts with other than Genya. She needs to talk with them, see the lives they’ve lived, the things they’ve endured, the horrible things they’ve escaped from. Have her talk to the children, maybe ones from Kerch or Fjerda.

Alina needs to see the impact of the war on Grisha- have her see Grisha recovering from captivity in Shu Han in the infirmary. Just glimpses whole her ribs are healing. Enough for her to imagine another life and another fate she might have endured.

Issues with Catharsis (the plot twist sucks):

She already doesn’t trust the Darkling which lessens the effectiveness of the reveal. LB telegraphed the Darkling reveal from Day 1, so when the hot guy all in black called the Darkling ends up being the bad guy… gasp? I mean fucking duh.

So, when Alina’s all “you betrayed me!” I’m over here like… this was entirely expected and I don’t know why you’re so surprised.

Alina is never convinced, she never buys into it, and without that investment, the reader can’t invest either.

Baghra’s claims… are just ridiculous. And the only way they make sense is if you know the ending beforehand. That is bad writing. There’s no clues littered along the way, no evidence of some master plan of manipulation on the Darkling’s part. Alina just believes Baghra based on zero evidence.

In Alina’s position, who are you going to believe: the man who’s supported you every step of the way, saved your life, and you have a budding romance with?

Or, the woman who hits you all the time, never calls you by your name, insults you, drugs you, and never gives an ounce of encouragement or approval at any of your accomplishments? Who’s now screaming that the Darkling is going to lay waste to the world and have volcra eat everyone.

LB is nuts if she thinks I’m going to believe Baghra in this scenario.

It’s presented as a zero sum game: spend a short life running, or live as a slave.

But it’s a false dichotomy. These are not Alina’s only choices.

The solution is simple: Alina needs more information. She should have stayed at the Little Palace to gather evidence. Jump into a cat and mouse game that could have been absolutely hair raising with suspense.

If she had made her own choices, taken her agency and her position of power, the story would have been much more interesting. But instead, she allows everyone else to make choices for her.

And LB only encourages that, and punishes Alina when she does claw her way into some agency. You’re right, Anon, at a certain point it feels like she’s gaslighting the reader. Making me question my own reading of the story, and carrying on with this altered version of events that never happened.

Rent help needed!! ♡

*URGENT: PLEASE READ/SIGNAL BOOST**

Sunday, August 22nd: Hi everyone, I’m Gemma, a bi, mentally ill disaster, who’s in desperate need of help, as things have gotten worse and I'm really struggling to pay my rent and keep utilities on and due to late bills, my account is overdrawn and I really need help.

As most of you are already aware from my previous post, I have been struggling financially for quite some time due to my welfare benefit (Universal Credit) being under a review, which is due to my worsening mental health and the UK’s controversial changes to how benefits are assessed and assigned. And at the moment, I'm currently struggling to get by, as my application for Disability (PIP) was declined and I am currently awaiting an appointment for a WCA (Work Capability Asessment) from the DWP to assess my mental and physical health, and my debt from overdue bills is piling up to an amount that I'm really struggling with.

I know this is a huge ask, and I'm completely heartbroken to be asking for help again, but I still desperately need some as I don't have anyone else to turn to and my rent is due next week, and I'm really struggling to pay off my overdue account.

If anyone could spare any amount to help me, even if it’s just £1/$1/€1, it would literally save my life, and sharing definitely helps just as much as donations. Nobody is obligated in any way to donate if they can’t or don’t want to, I know we’re all struggling right now.

£12/£400

PayPal | Ko-Fi

@thebibliosphere @ndiecity @normal-horoscopes @bihet-dragonize @shareyourdollar @justsomeantifas @mortemia @posts-from-a-weirder-timeline @toastyglow @deadgodjess @taffybuns @carry-on-my-wayward-butt ❤

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sophie-reads-too-much

3 years ago

Shadow And Bone Season 1 But It’s Just Memes

Shadow and Bone season 1 but it’s just memes

28K notes View Post

sophie-reads-too-much

3 years ago

Reblog if you’d be okay if your friend came out as transgender

let’s see how many transphobics we can weed out

1,212K notes View Post

sophie-reads-too-much

3 years ago

This

Okay but the Darkling using the Fold to protect his country isn’t even out of the realm possibilities and actually a pretty reasonable way to keep his borders in control. Like we haven’t seen the Chinese do EXACTLY that with the Chinese Wall and the ancient Romans do with Hadrian’s Wall. Keeping the Fold surrounded in Ravka while at the same time controlling it with his Grisha, keeps both his people safe and ends that endless war they’re fighting. He’d reunite west and east Ravka if he and Alina work together actually, prompting trade to flow back into the rest of Ravka, both feeding his people and refilling the crown’s treasury.

And I’m sure the Darkling usurping the crown is framed as a bad thing, but if you look at the big picture... He is immortal, he would hold that seat for as long as he lives and bring stability to his country. No such thing as change in government when he dies and his heir follows because it will always be him. There isn’t a power vacuum after some unpopular king dies bc it will always be him. No risk of incompetent monarchs fucking shit up both for Grisha or plunging the country in unnecessary wars bc it will always be him. We’re talking about a perpetual regime that actually can have progressive growth because it will always be him. He’s had 500 years of serving countless kings on his repertoire, you cannot tell me he doesn’t know how to effectively rule a country. To secure his throne he could actually have Sankta Alina as his queen, Nikolai saw the truth in that by proposing to her, but Alina would have the better hold and be in a better position of power to not only rein in Aleksander’s more ruthless approaches, while at the same time actually helping the geopolitical situation the country is currently in. Who else better to be a queen than someone who thought she’d been non-Grisha all her life until it turns out that she was one? Who else better to gap the divide between the Grisha and otkazat’sya than a queen who knows and sees the perspective of both sides?

Idk. to me Shadow King and Sun Queen sounded like a better outcome for the Grisha and for Ravka in the long run than whatever the heck happened in canon.

250 notes View Post

sophie-reads-too-much

3 years ago

so there’s no hot evil villain in love with me?

52K notes View Post

sophie-reads-too-much

3 years ago

Just so I don’t loose it

The Darkling Masterlist

My Masterlist

»»---------------------►

War of Hearts • Series Masterlist

Aleksander promised you eternity with him. Alina Starkov took that from you both. Now you’re going to finish what your lover started.

The Three of Us • Part 1

You’ve managed to locate the mythical Morozova’s stag and have arrived at the Little Palace to share the news. You’re eager to meet the infamous Black General, and to hopefully see your childhood friend Alina.

Vengeance & Vanity • Part 1 • Part 2

You’re by Aleksander’s side on Stormhond’s ship as you search for the Sea Whip. That is until things go drastically wrong, and you’re separated from Aleksander - held captive by the enemy as they return to Ravka.

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sophie-reads-too-much

3 years ago

PSA from Blobby. Something we should talk about more ❤️

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sophie-reads-too-much

3 years ago

Credit:- @adxmsolo on Instagram

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sophie-reads-too-much

3 years ago

Alr

Aleksander I thank you for your advice

Wtf are mommy issues? Just traumatise your mom back xx

-Alecksandar Morozova

107 notes View Post

sophie-reads-too-much

3 years ago

You're my sister, my sister, my blood, my family. I should want to protect you. To protect you from the sort of boys who want to do with you exactly what I want to do.

Im so sorry this is what I was thinking about as I read this 😭😭😭