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#❝  writings   »   ALINA STARKOVA
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Bruh, I think I may be a genius.
I think I may have solved one of the BIGGEST plot holes of the original Grishaverse trilogy: why didn’t any of the Grisha Mal touched--including Zoya--notice that he was a goddamn amplifier?
(spoilers for the Grisha Trilogy/Ruin and Rising under the cut)
BECAUSE ALINA HAD ALREADY CLAIMED HIM.
SHE CLAIMED HIM WHEN SHE REFUSED THE TESTER’S CALL IN THE BOOKS. SHE CLAIMED MOROZOV’S AMPLIFIER ALREADY, ALIVE, AND THEREFORE INCOMPLETELY OR SOME BULLSHIT WHEN SHE WAS A KID, AND THAT’S WHY HIS AMPLIFICATION DIDN’T WORK ON ANYONE ELSE.
And then when she killed him in Ruin and Rising, she closed the circle/disrupted the claim or something, and that’s why she lost her power, because she had lost her powers to keep him in the first place, so blah blah blah some equivalent exchange bullshit, but my point is that I just fixed a massive plot hole by being sick and sleep-deprived while rewatching season 1 of Shadow and Bone and prepping for season 2.
...Also that Inferni in the show with the blue ribbon in her hair that dies in episode 1 was totally Zoya’s girlfriend and that’s why Zoya in KoS/RoW wears a blue ribbon, thank you and goodnight.
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thereisnolumos · 1 year
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Correcting all the atrocities against Russian language in Grishaverse
I think that I might’ve already wrote on this topic here before, but I can’t seem to find it and I’m continuously bitter with the way my language has been expropriated and twisted in the girishaverse series, so, without further ado, 10 things that infuriated me (and the ones I remembered now, for there are surely more) as a Russian speaking person:
1. The first being the Grisha itself. It’s a male name. A shortened version of the name Grigoriy, to be exact. To call an entire group of people like that is… try switching it to “Johnny” every time you read it and you’ll understand the pain. She could’ve at least try and justify it with some “first ever” character with such powers named Grigoriy, so that’s why they’re called that… but no
2. All the names. Listen, if you’re using Russian names while writing in English (or any other language that doesn’t differentiate between genders) you have two ways:
eradicate the switch completely, giving everyone the male version (i.e. default bcs that’s the world we live in), or
FUCKING STICK TO THE RULES OF THE LANGUAGE YOU’RE GOT THEM FROM. The female Russian last names will always have a vowel in the end. So, it’s Aleksander Morozov and Baghra Morozova (I’m dying to know what name she thought that one is a short version of, for it just doesn’t exist). It’s Alina Starkova. Genya Safina (which should be Evgeniya, bcs Genya is a short version). Zoya Nazelenskaya (her name looks to me as of Polish and/or Ukrainian origins, correct me of I’m wrong. I’m only going off from the Russian language rules), etc.
3. It’s Fyodor, not Fedyor. And it’s Kaminskyi or Kaminskyy, there is an extra sound in the end, not just -y. Actually, for this last name use the name of the President of Ukraine as a guide, their names would be of the same origin, same as Zoya’s last name.
4. You cannot use just any word as a name in Russian language. I know that it’s sort of a thing in modern English language, but it’s not a case here. So, if I recall, there was a character with the name “Privyet” in the books. Which means “hi” in Russian. Don’t do things like that. Please. I beg of you. Fun fact, we have Vera, Nadezhda and Lubov (Faith, Hope and Love respectively) as real FEMALE ONLY names, but no such thing as just taking a word like say “Otvaga - Bravery” and making it a name. Nope.
5. Don’t even get me started on the idiocy that “otkazat’sya” is. It’s. A. Fucking. Verb. Means “to refuse” in a slightly different context that “otkazat’”. There isn’t a single version of the reality where it would’ve made sense to call a group of people by verb. None. If she wanted it to mean “the abandoned” as in “the power abandoned them”, she should’ve called them “otvergnutyye” or “ostavlennyye”. If the meaning is more towards “they refused that power”, then it should be smth like “otkazavshiesya”.
6. They have stressed the wrong syllable in the “merzost’” on the show. Supposed to be the first one. Not sure whether or not she meant to use the word “filth” in regards to the forbidden magic, or if, once again, she just liked the sound of this word.
7. “Kefta” should’ve just been “kaftan”
8. I actually hate that she couldn’t just stick to the names that would’ve been found in Russian empire during the time she drew inspiration from. What is Baghra and Malyen???? Where’d she get them??? I can stretch Baghra as being a very strange short version of the name Agrafena (veeeeery old Russian name, which suits her long life), but it’s a big stretch to say the least. Malyen just doesn’t exist. Mal doesn’t exist as a name (it’s a old version of the word “small” though)
9. What is the word “Tsarina” everyone seems to use in fanfiction where Alina and Aleksander rule over Ravka? There is no such word. There are:
Tsar - the male ruler
Tsaritsa - female ruler and/or wife of a Tsar
Tsarevich - son of Tsar and Tsaritsa
Tsarevna - daughter of Tsar and Tsaritsa
No Tsarina.
10. David’s last name is extremely strange. I assume he’s not of Ravkan origins, from his first name, but Kostyk - is a friendly short version of a name Konstantin. I’m debated over the fact whether or not this form of this name has even been in use before Soviet Union actually. I’ve met people with the last name like Kostyukevich and Konstantinov though (there are many last names that originated from first names in Russian language many, many years ago. But there are rules for the ways they were formed)
Feel free to add all the ways Leigh Bardugo butchered other languages and cultures in this series
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stromuprisahat · 1 year
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there's no wrong answer about this I'm just curious: if you had to choose between all the characters of the grishaverse show Vs books, which would you go with? And yes, I mean with all their flaws and writing narrative (for instance show Ivan > book Ivan etc)
Alina Starkova- book
She's a nutcase, herd of psychiatrists could make a living out of treating her. Codependency, self-gaslighting, confidence issues... it would be interesting, if we could blame it on her life-long wasting sickness. What makes her better for me is her honesty. She doesn't want to be part of this story.
The Darkling- both
I can't pick one, I love them too much. I like to think book!Darkling is less cold than we're lead to believe, because we mostly see him through the eyes of his enemies and when we get his POV, he immediately adopts the biggest bunch of losers around. He's more of a wet cat, show!Darkling hopeful idiot. They are both much better than I would ever be in their situation.
Zoya Nazyalensky- book-TGT
I never liked her, but she was tolerable as a mean bitch.
Malyen Oretsev- show
They retconned the hell out of him to make him less of a dick, what's left looks like a nice boy, supportive brother with a name and preternatural skills from the book.
Baghra Morozova- neither
She's a horrible hag and one of the true villains of Grishaverse. I hate her immensely.
Genya Safin- book1 or show
The wasted potential! One of those characters that should've been MC... minus her post-S&B lobotomy.
David Kostyk- book
... because Luke will always be d'Artagnan to me.
Nadia Zhabin- neither
She's only there to prop up the current MCs and gain some diversity points.
Marie- neither
One-dimensional punching bag.
Ivan- both
Book!Ivan is realistic joy, Simon Sears' scowl and delivery of that one speech in the carriage would make him proud.
Fedyor- show, for now
TBH I don't remember him much from the books. He was only briefly in the first one, and I didn't get to him again in the next. I love his loyalty and dynamics with Ivan in the show.
The Apparat- neither
Another true villain. This time in creepy, manipulative, cultish way. He should have burned.
Kaz Brekker- book
The whole "human trafficking's okay, where there's enough money involved" plot...
Inej Ghafa- book
They made her into another religious fanatic. Plus Inej "I'm gonna become captain of the ship to disassemble slavery" Ghafa doesn't care about other girls being sold?!
Jesper Fahey- probably book
I've read the books two years ago, and Jesper's the one I cared about least, so...
Nina Zenik- book
They made hormonal teenager into adult deserter. When you age her up, her whole romance with Matthias is like a Jewish resistance member abandoning her work to save Gestapo officer's life, because he surely changed.
Matthias Helvar- neither or both
Look, I'm all for the story of a murderous bigot changing into a better person, but a.) Book made it too quick for me to believe it. b.) Show sort of forgot what he was doing in the first place and made Helnik only into two soldiers from enemy countries.
Dubrov and Mikhael- couldn't care less
They're just a canon fodder to make Malyen sad. And horny dicks to Alina in the book.
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svyatoiy · 4 months
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basic information.
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legal name: alina starkova. most known as: the sun summoner, sankta alina, sankta alina of the fold, alina the bright, alina the just, alina the merciful, sol koroleva, daughter of keramzin, daughter of ravka, daughter of the fold, rebe dva stolba ( daughter of the two mills ), rebe dva volkshiya ( daughter of the people ), the patron saint of orphans and undiscovered gifts. nickname(s): alya, alinochka, lina, solnishka. date of birth: december 21st. sex: cis-gendered woman ( she / her ) place of birth: dva stolba, a small settlement along the border between ravka and shu han. currently living: verse dependent. usually the little palace in os alta ( ravka ) if she's not traveling, or somewhere along the coastline of novyi zem. spoken languages: ravkan, and later she becomes fluent in shu. education: taught to read and write by ana kuya at the orphanage, then trained as a mapmaker with the first army at 16. hair colour: natural hair colour is dark brown bordering on black. after using merzost against the darkling her hair turns completely white. eye colour: dark brown, though during and after more intense summoning they glow with a slight golden haze. height: roughly 1.66m. originally she was much shorter, but after recovering from the wasting sickness she had a late growth spurt.
family information.
siblings: none. parents: both her parents were assumed to be murdered in the border wars when she was a child. she barely has memories of them. children: none. pets: a tabby cat named oncat.
relationship information.
sexual orientation: bisexual for clarity's sake, though she doesn't actively use any label herself. relationship status: single. since when: since she killed both her situationships during the war :/
tagged by: @sheikage ✨ tagging: everyone who hasn't already done it but wants to!
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pagetorn · 1 year
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While I do have kaz, Baghra, and Genya under test muse, I also have Matthias Helvar and Alina Starkova under my request only secret page. So as a heads up! I write those two also but if you want to write with them, you’ll need to request them specifically. I will not actively be posting starter calls, opens, or sending memes from them (memes will be sent only after someone requests to write with them)
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darkestelemental616 · 2 years
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It’s important to remember that the enemy is human.
This chapter fought me every step of the way, plus worsening health and housing issues, but it’s done at last!
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crackbabycore · 1 year
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something so funny about darkling's last name being Morozova (female version of the name) instead of Morozov (male version) and Alina's being Starkov (male version again) instead of Starkova (female version)
I honestly don't know how you can write a book heavily inspired by russia and not even get the names right was there no research whatsoever going on orrr
(p.s. zoya is also subjected to this but I forgot and it's not as obvious (she'd be Nazyalenskaya))
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inahandful-of-dust · 1 year
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I posted 1,615 times in 2022
93 posts created (6%)
1,522 posts reblogged (94%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@storm-elf
@taags-old-account
@proshipper-on-ship
@femmefangirl
@stromuprisahat
I tagged 1,555 of my posts in 2022
Only 4% of my posts had no tags
#change the world - 333 posts
#reblog - 240 posts
#aleksander morozov - 176 posts
#the darkling - 146 posts
#grishanalyticritical - 140 posts
#tolkien gave me life - 114 posts
#about writing - 109 posts
#darkolai - 107 posts
#of dreams and nightmares - 74 posts
#alina starkova - 66 posts
Longest Tag: 124 characters
#luther wanting to throw viktor a coming out party and diego just start up telling viktor that they love him my heart is full
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
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#4
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59 notes - Posted September 14, 2022
#3
THE ENDLESS SIBLINGS in The Sandman (2022-)
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74 notes - Posted August 19, 2022
#2
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My #1 post of 2022
me, obsessively refreshing the Dream/Hob ao3 page every hour, waiting for "The Uses of Adversity" new chapter: this is fine
184 notes - Posted August 23, 2022
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