Over the course of Shadow and Bone and its sequels, Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising, Alina forms romantic attachments with Mal and two other men: the Darkling and Nikolai.
What ethnicity is Alina Starkov?
In Leigh Bardugo’s Grishavese books , Alina is white, but the Netflix series changed Alina’s race to reflect actress Jessie Mei Li’s half-Chinese heritage, and as a half-Chinese person myself, I know all too well that What are you? is the world’s worst and yet most popular guessing game for mixed-race people.
Is the darkling in love with Alina?
His mentorship of Alina and promises of power immediately bond the two, although as you’ll know if you’ve already watched the show, he has ulterior motives. In its original form, it was another pretty toxic love interest for Alina with the Darkling manipulating the young woman at his will and want.
Who does Alina Starkov end up with?
However, Alina has lost her power. She fakes her death, sealing her legacy as Sankta Alina, the Sun Saint, and claims a new identity. She and Mal marry and rebuild the orphanage at Keramzin, which was destroyed by the Darkling. Over the years, they take in children and keep in touch with the other Grisha and Nikolai.
Does Nikolai love Zoya?
In Rule of Wolves, Zoya confesses that she loves Nikolai, and at the end of the book, it is implied that Zoya and Nikolai intend to marry.
Did Alina sleep with the darkling?
Major spoilers for Shadow and Bone on Netflix are ahead. Upon initial rewatch, all I could do was scream, What a man! out loud at my kitchen table; the second time, I almost choked on my granola.
Why is Alina Starkov half SHU?
While the Grishaverse Alina was presumed to be a fair-skinned Ravkan, Shadow and Bone made a concrete choice to have Alina to be half-Shu. … In an interview with Polygon, Bardugo said that she wanted the show to have more diversity than her initial Shadow and Bone trilogy, which had mostly white characters.
Was Alina half SHU?
In the books by Leigh Bardugo, Alina is described simply as a pale girl, but in the show she is half Shu a fictional nationality roughly analogous to being East Asian in the Grishaverse. Showrunner Eric Heisserer explained the reason for this change in an interview with The Wrap.
Was Alina Starkov a SHU?
The series protagonist, Alina Starkov, we are told, was born in the border regions of Shu Han and Ravka and is herself part Shu. … For the Netflix series, the writers decided to change Alina’s ethnic identity, making her part Shu.
Did the darkling have a wife?
Many centuries ago, known then as the Black Heretic, the Darkling returned home to his partner Luda, who was also a Grisha Healer.
Is the darkling a villain?
I would like to point out the Darkling is a villain by his own admission. In what is probably the most quoted (and most meta-textual) line in the series, he concedes: Fine. Make me your villain. Up until that point in the story, he had tried and almost succeeded in seducing Alina to his cause.
Do Alina and the darkling kiss?
Alina kisses The Darkling first in ‘Shadow and Bone’ The first kiss between the two characters differed in the show, and instead, Alina makes the first move. There was definitely discussion about that that if she kisses him, it gives Alina more agency, Barnes told The Hollywood Reporter.
Does Alina end up with General?
In the third novel in the Grisha trilogy, Ruin and Rising, Mal and Alina do eventually get married and reopen the Keramzin orphanage where they grew up.
How does the darkling live so long?
As the Shadow Summoner, the Darkling is one of the most powerful (if not the most powerful) Grisha to have ever lived. His great power is what allows him to live as long as he does the more he uses his Grisha abilities, which can rejuvenate and strengthen the body, the longer his lifespan becomes.
Does Alina Starkov end up with the darkling?
In the books as in the show, Alina does not get together with the Darkling and ends up with Mal. However, in the books, Alina’s path to Mal is much more complex, with a third love interest involved and a complete loss of her Grisha powers.
Who married Nikolai?
| Nikolai Rostov | |
|---|---|
| Family | Ilya Rostov (father) Natalia Rostova (mother) Vera Rostova, Natasha Rostova (sisters) Petya Rostov (brother) Sonya Rostova (cousin) |
| Spouse | Maria Bolkonskaya |
| Children | Andrei, Mitya, and Natalia |
| Nationality | Russian |
Did Nikolai actually like Alina?
He loved her even when she did not rise. He loved her when she did not chase him down and laugh and call him a fool in her special Alina way. … But even though he loved her, he would not beg, he would not attempt to persuade her. If Nikolai Lantsov had one thing, it was his pride.
Did Mal sleep with Zoya?
Certain book fans will tell you that Mal’s personality was changed to make him more likeable, but that isn’t true. … The only real difference in behaviour is that Mal doesn’t sleep with Zoya when they meet in the first episode (episode 1 minute 17:59), which we are told that he does in the book.
Is the darkling alive?
In the end, Zoya realized and burned his body, but his spirit managed to flee and introduced itself in Yuri Vedenen’s body while he was unconscious and thus the Darkling came back to life.
Did Alexander really love Alina?
Agreed. But he did have real affections towards Alina. … I think he felt very affectionate towards her, but the power he was feeling corrupted his morals. Honestly, I believe he truly did care for her, even if she hadn’t been a sun summoner.
How old is Alina Starkov in the books?
In the books, the Darkling appears to be only a few years older than Alina, who is 17.
What does half Shu mean?
Image via Netflix. In addition, by making her half Shu, it means she will have been treated with prejudice her entire life because of the way she looks, making her transformation to the most important person in the Kingdom even more dramatic.
What happened to Kaz Brekkers parents?
Born Kaz Rietveld, he was raised on a farm near Lij with his father and older brother Jordie. When Kaz was nine, their father died in a plough accident.
Where does Alina grow up?
Keramzin Alina Starkov is a teenage girl who grew up with Malyen (Mal) Oretsev at an orphanage in Keramzin in the Kingdom of Ravka. The story begins as they march through the Unsea (also called the Shadow Fold), a perpetually dark, barren strip of land cutting most of Ravka off from the sea.
How is Alina Starkov described in the book?
Alina Starkov is described as somewhat small, pale, and mousy, having often been frail and sickly as a child. As a teen, she is skinny with dull brown hair and eyes; once she begins training with her Grisha power, she becomes healthier, physically and in appearance. She has a scar across her right palm.
Why is Alina different in Shadow and Bone?
There’s one major difference on the surface level of Shadow and Bone that was made regarding the series’ main character, Alina Starkov. … For the series, it was decided to make Alina half-Shu, which means mixed-raced Asian in the Grishaverse. Alina having a more complicated background adds some depth to her character.
Is Ravkan Russian?
As explained by Leigh Bardugo, Ravkan is not exactly the same as Russian; the language is heavily inspired by Russian, but is derived from both Russian and Mongolian. It seems in part to have a mostly Russian vocabulary, with much simplified noun and adjective plural endings, which may come from Mongolian.
Where was Shadow and Bone filmed?
Shadow and Bone series has recently debuted on Netflix. It was filmed in Hungary and is clearly Netflix’s biggest hit so far in this year. The first season of Shadow and Bone takes place across three fictional countries, but all feel like distinctly different settings.
Does Alina end up with Kirigan?
In the end, she’s reunited with Mal, and though they do not exactly define their relationship, they might not have to. After everything the two go through, they’ve formed an even closer bond by the end of Shadow and Bone.
