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magneticflower · 7 months

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Because I never tire of talking about Kanej---- I decided to make posts about my favorite Kanej scenes and why I like them so much. I was going to do multiple at once but my brain can only focus on one at a time at the moment so I'll just stick with one for now.

Starting off with one from early in Six of Crows---- the iconic 'Inej, darling' scene. Now, we all know it was done sarcastically but that's actually what makes it great? I think this scene does such a good job of showcasing their relationship to each other. It shows how close they are at this point, enough that Inej feels quite comfortable insisting on a please from Kaz Brekker of all people. It's not something that most people would dare to do, but she does.

And yes he sighs, because he is already dealing with the prospect of the stairs and now she's asking him to be something he's not--- polite --- but he concedes anyways--- though that doesn't mean he'll do it nicely or all that politely either. She probably expected as much even when she asked. That's why she doesn't miss a beat in giving a pointed look and a quick retort of her own before leaving without a second glance. It's a perfect showcase of how they banter. Both are clearly comfortable enough to throw pointed jabs and snippy little comments at each other because aside from being partners in crime, they're actually friends too.

And that's something I like about Kanej. They clearly were around each other enough that there was a level of comfort between them that they didn't really have with anyone else and we get to see that pretty early on. I mean, just before that Kaz felt completely comfortable washing in front of her, but more importantly he felt comfortable taking his gloves off in front of her--- something she noted he never did with anyone else.

There's clearly a bond there, and I think that the 'Inej darling, treasure of my heart,' 'have a nice trip down' bit is just a neat little moment of insight into their dynamic because they clearly banter like friends do.

#kanej #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #six of crows #I can't tell if I explained my point well but i hopE you get what i mean ; i think it was just a really good way #to give us a peek into how they are with each other ; friends throw out little things like that all the time ; or at least i do with my f #iends ; and we mean nothing by it other than to be snarky for fun lmao #and that's how that scene reads for me which is why I enjoy it so much #i'm a sucker for a duo that can give and take little jabs from each other

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turtleofdamascus · 1 year

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In praise of the non-canon moments in sab2 and my ratings:

Just want to appreciate these moments the writers added cuz idk I feel like they do understand the characters. It’s like watching fanfic. Hot take: I sometimes like them so much more or just as much as the canon scenes taking place.

kanej chapel scene in s1

iconic. One of the best non-canon things they added to show Inej's first kill. And it be for Kaz. AHH and in a chapel. The symbolism. The emotion. And of course the delivery of Kaz saying "Look at me" while leaning in but not touching. 10000/10

Nina and Kaz fake couple scene

I'm dying I cannot with this scene. This is perfect. I always wanted a fake dating scene in the books. And this was perf. "He's all hands" and Kaz's face looking slightly terrified and horrified. Also ahhh him having to take off his gloves to do the tea ritual. I gasped. It was so surreal. And then Inej watching tear tear. 9000/10

Kaz panicking at tea time

I gasped when I saw this. I think this was insane. Cuz in the books, all we get that is similar is the... prison carriage scene. But this- this seems even more exposed. Kaz panicking and then putting his hand down and then, Nina putting her hand on him and Kaz looking terrified then running through the streets and then Inej carrying him and... then him curled up holding his cane without his gloves and Inej being there to give his gloves and witnessing it. Ahhh like first of all, looks like a nightmare for kaz but dang idk if we get such a scene capturing the vulnerability of kaz ahh. The writers knew exactly how to torture him. It's so crazy bc Freddy can play him with nerves of steel but then in a puddle of fear and I'm in awe. The shaking and the curling up in the corner. I'm in tears. 10000!/10

Wylan monologue on butterflies

This was hilarious and very Wylan. So nerdy. 900/10

- feeding the team butterflies… ummm

I don't know if this brought me out of the show, bc it was so bizarre. But ahhh Inej on top of kaz trying feed him a butterfly while he's having a nightmare was just-- ahhh most strange situation I could think of but also ahhh the angst. I was screaming no don’t touch kazzz. I guess the scene was another excuse to torture Kaz and I ate it up. AHHH the fact the only inej could help him. 900/10

-the Jesper and wylan piano tuning

Also such a random scene but I loved it so much. Lol the fact that wylan pretends they're piano tuners bahaha. And then he congratulates Alby's playing and then proceeds to show off. Such a fun scene. 9000/10

Jesper being in prison carriage scene

Screaming crying and throwing up. when i saw this in the first episode. I gasped and in the first 5 minutes AHH. What. Idk i kinda loved that jesper was there. There's so much trust in their relationship and seeing kaz struggle right in front of jesper was so painful. Ahh him gasping for breath and trying to hide it. Is heartbreaking. And then Jesper being like "boss", and then "kaz" and his eyes being so concerned for his friend and calling for help. I cry. 10000/10

Hallucination scene

Once again performed beautifully. The stares. The "May I" and then gently pressing Inej to him. The hand on the cheek. And Inej giving him the intent stare. The soft kiss. UMM. I don't like that it's a hallucination. But i do find it fascinating to compare the "I want you" of this and the actual "I want you". THEY are BOTH delivered similarly. So in some ways,,,, I see this as a look into a future. Not unrealistic. If we never got a "real" I want you. I would be angrier. so for that it gets points back. WHAT DID WE DO TO DESERVE A KANEJ KISS> 9000/10

Also some thoughts on canon moments brought to life perfectly:

Kanej "I want you" church scene

“You,Inej, you…. To die buried underneath” Kaz never said it but ahh his eyes looking so ... distant and his lips forming the words and then the delivery of the "To die buried..." with his eyes rolling upward. Perfect. Perfectly delivered. AHHH. Freddy understands Kaz.

"I want you" - Idk how freddy can go from being the most monstrous looking person to turning his eyes into these round boyish eyes. So... open and round. And ahh you can see Kaz trying... so hard to show he's giving his all. And then when he takes his gloves away and you can see his shuddering breath. Ahh

"Gloves on" delivered so sadly and brutally. Amita's eyes so... yearning but letting him down. Ahh felt like a breakup. Almost made me wish they cut the line. Because the show!kaz was trying to hard. I kind of wish in some way they didn't say this canon line lol. I want Inej to see he's trying.

And then when Inej leaves... and we are left looking at Kaz. His eyes watering. And looking so heartbroken. Stab me.

This was delivered perfectly. I-chef’s kiss.

The Dregs fight

Ahh the fight was amazing and stunning with the speed ramping. And kaz using his cane to lift a chair and slamming his cane into people faces. Chef's kiss. Freddy giving his all. THIS IS BRUTAL KAZ I NEEDED. YESSS feral kaz. How did i deserve this 100000/10

Pekka Rollins revenge scene

UMM... Freddy/Kaz gave it his all. And I bow before him like Pekka. AHHHH. The glares. The delivery of every line from the books UMM. Praise. "Buried." "Six feet deep" . Also seeing Kaz getting beat up was so painful but ahhh performed so well. The framing of the shot where Pekka bows before him... and it's silent almost. It looks like a painting. I'm stunned. Also the delivery of the line "quitclaim for inej ghafa" AHHH. Ahh idk... the protectiveness. 10000000/10. AMazing showstopping. I can't believe they plucked it from the books.

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savesabshipweek · 5 months

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FAQ

When is the event taking place?

The Ship Week starts on Monday 27th November and will end on Sunday 3rd December.

Where's the schedule?

You can find it here.

How can I get involved?

To participate, all you need to do is create a piece of fanart or fanfic based on one (or more!) of the prompts for the day, and post to any platform of your choosing, using the three tags mentioned in our rules.

If you’re not an artist or writer, you can still celebrate the ship of the day by tweeting your appreciation of them, sharing your favourite moments, or sharing moments you’re looking forward to seeing onscreen when we get these characters back!

Do I have to participate every single day?

Nope! You can participate as much or as little as you’d like. Feel free to just choose the prompt(s) that inspire you.

Can I post more than one submission per prompt/day?

Yes, of course! The more the merrier.

Do I have to follow the prompts?

No, we want to encourage maximum engagement, so feel free to post any art or fic celebrating the ship of the day! Think of the prompts as a fun challenge rather than a restriction.

What tags should I use?

Tag your fic or art with the day’s ship name (e.g. #kanej), #SaveShadowAndBone and #SixOfCrowsSpinoff. We’ll aim to retweet/reblog all entries, and you can @ us to make sure your tweet/post will be seen. Please do not use more than three hashtags on Twitter, or your post will be marked as spam. On AO3, you can add your fics or art to our AO3 collection.

Is Not Safe For Work (NSFW, 18+) content allowed?

Yes, just be sure to properly tag your work as such.

Can I write a story in a language other than English?

Of course!

Should I post my works as chapters of the same fic or as individual fics?

Up to you! However, if you end up writing a multi-chapter fic one day, we would suggest separating the fics.

Are there any requirements/suggestions about length for fics?

Nope! Feel free to write as much or as little as you’d like!

Is this event solely dedicated to either the book or the show?

You can do something for either! We want to encourage both book and show fans to participate.

What constitutes fanart?

Anything! You can make traditional art, gifsets, icons/headers, fancams/edits, playlists, or any other creative endeavors.

Can I post my submissions late?

Yes! We will continue to reblog and retweet tagged posts after the event ends.

If I have further questions, where can I ask?

Feel free to submit a question through our Tumblr ask box or @ us on Twitter.

#shadow and bone #six of crows #saveshadowandbone #sixofcrowsspinoff #grishaverse

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sleepless-crows · 1 year

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book fans are really going to have to think about it as an au, or a different timeline. With that in mind, it was so good. The very last scene?!?! Alina’s struggle with her morals when it comes to mal, her struggle with needing more power when it comes to the point where she turns to merzost- since they didn’t adapt it with the apparat’s underground shit, with her discovering there, that was the perfect decision.

I honestly don’t know how I feel about Sturmhond!Mal, and I love Inej going after slave traders already, but what with the introduction of jurda, how will her return (or absence) for the ice court job play out? (Also, so glad kuwei didn’t get in the way of the first wesper kiss. I think they did an amazing job with older wesper, and I will die on that hill)

Did you see the look between tolya and inej when he helped her up? Hoping and praying that wasn’t a ship thing.

JESPER ALMOST SAID SIX OF CROWS- HE ALMOST SAID IT

Pekka deserves to die, actually. He didn’t suffer enough. Poor Matthias </3

I really need to read the lives of saints now.

Oh, speaking of Pekka, it was so cool to see Kaz’s revenge play out on screen

i could go on, but bye for now babe

oh my gosh i have so many opinions about the finale. i really did not like alina's ending and just for zoya i would gladly prefer that she faked her death and lost her powers. if many people didn't like that, then they should've done literally anything else so long as it did not do zoya like that.

also i entirely just forgot about the apparat now that you mentioned him. i don't know i kinda liked what he did for the story even if i forgot what that was but i guess the show au was an intriguing decision.

I KNOW RIGHT. i'm glad mal is like finding his identity or something but sturmhond is nikolai's thing. i feel like the whole sturmhond thing was also done a little weirdly in the show. also how they talk about sturmhond like he's an act nikolai puts up instead of an alternate identity which he can take up to do things he wouldn't be able to as prince/king but where he is probably the most himself.

yeah i'm also glad inej is going after the slave traders already but like this was all because they killed off tante heleen. like she's not a part of the main crows anymore??? just like that??? i don't like that decision.

i think show!wesper was really cute and really fun and i loved it. but i love it separately from book!wesper. i have some controversial opinions about how they handled wesper in the show so sakdjfhlksjdf

OH I SWEAR. TOLYA IS ACE. AN ARO ACE ICON OKAY. AND INEJ WOULD NEVER FALL FOR ANYONE ELSE THAT KIND OF RUINS THE WHOLE POINT OF KANEJ? THEY ARE EACH OTHER'S RIDE OR DIE. INEJ HAS HER TRAUMA, THE ONLY REASON SHE EVEN FELL FOR KAZ WAS BECAUSE HE WAS THE BOY WHO SAVED HER. THEY BETTER NOT DO ANYTHING WITH TOLYA AND INEJ FOR THE BOTH OF THEM

HE ALMOST DID AND THEY CUT HIM OFF LIKE WHY

i just find it really frustrating that we still have pekka like the guy infuriates me so much i don't want to think about him or see him after he's been rid off like stop talking to matthias and interfering with helnik. i also really liked matthias' storyline in the show though. they changed a lot, but i really loved what they did with it.

and yes, violent kaz showed up so much and i loved that

#amandayetagain asks #i hope you know if you rant in my inbox i will also rant in turn <3 #i want to ask you to dance right there*#sab spoilers #shadow and bone spoilers

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madness-maybe-managed · 2 years

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I just binged We Free The Stars, sequel to We Hunt The Flame and book two of Hafsah Faisal’s Sands of Arawiya duology!

Words cannot describe how much I loved this series. All the characters, the world building, the fantasy and Arab culture—everything was done so beautifully.

Zafira and Nasir have my whole heart, seeing as they shattered and mended it every other chapter. Their characters were so masterfully written and their dialogue has absolutely undone me, I cannot count the amount of times I had to put the book down and scream. The feels! The feels—the ultimate slow-burn couple. My Arab Kanej loves.

Zafira was show-stopping. Her story, her power, how she acted—everything about her pulled at my heartstrings. I just want to wrap my arms around her and give her everything she wants, after all she’s been through. She’s such an amazing character, her motivations and her thoughts, I love her so much. She’s definitely my favourite character, with Kifah and Altair as close seconds. Her arc, her use of her power, what she did with it, absolutely brilliant. One of my favourite main characters across every series I’ve ever read. Indeed, the Huntress is a legend worth singing ballads about.

Nasir, the Prince of Death. This boy needs a hug, and maybe a decent night’s sleep. His life was so painful, and I love his character growth and how he managed to thrive. He’s amazing, and I really admire how he survived. For all his calling himself a monster, his heart really was the strongest of humans.

Kifah, wonderful Kifah. I adore her so much and she’s absolutely one of my icons. I am claiming her for the aromantics (yes, that one very specific line has firmly attached it in my brain that she is aro. Fight me if you claim otherwise.) Her strength, her cool attitude, everything about her is strength.

Altair. Oh, this man is hands-down one of the best characters I have ever read. I would love to be friends with him. He deserves the world, and rightfully so. I raise a glass of qahwa to the smooth, clever, and witty son of none. Give me his wardrobe.

Benyamin and Aya, the wonderful, tragic safins. Their story pains me. I felt so bad for both of them but I loved their story.

Lana! I love this girl, she’s so amazing and her resilience is worthy of gold. She and Zafira are so strong, their bond is really touching and they give me so many feelings.

Yasmine deserves the world. She’s so strong and understandable and SHE. DESERVES. EVERYTHING. GIVE HER HAPPINESS.

Deen, oh my god. He shares the name of a person in my life, but they cannot be more different. I’m so sorry, buddy, I did not like you because of your name for the first three pages but your, “A thousand times” line? Iconic, shattering, take my money. You and your sister deserve the world.

Lion…I like him not. However, if I were to be driven mad, it would also be due to a lust for knowledge. That, I can definitely understand. I do not like him. At all. The fury he ignites within me rivals my hatred of Xue Yang. But he was a great villain. His title is amazing, though. I can respect the name Lion of the Night. The significance behind it is touching, but he can still suffer.

In summary, I will lay down my life for all the women and men in this book. All of them. They can have my everything. The world building and the history—no misses, everything was top-tier. It broke my heart, sewed it back together, made me cry and laugh and scream. 1000/10, must read. Keep comfort food with you.

#Sands of Arawiya #hafsah faizal #zafira bint iskandar #Nasir bin Ghameq #altair al badawi #kifah darwish #yasmine ra’ad #deen ra’ad #lana bint iskandar #we hunt the flame #we free the stars

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firelxdykatara · 3 years

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kitty i can't wait for your thoughts of Shadow and Bone asdfasfaw

Ok well I just finished and I have so many fucking thoughts. Most good! Some, less so. Part of it may just be my bias because I’ve only read the Six of Crows duology and have little interest in actually reading the original trilogy, because I know how it ends and Leigh clearly hates me personally and doesn’t want me to be happy (/j), so I was already predisposed to be far more invested in the Crows and Darkling/Darklina segments (genuinely, the Mal/Malina scenes/storyline bored me to tears, and while I appreciate that the show went out of its way to change Mal’s character to make him much less of a toxic douchebag [I’ve read enough excerpts and explanations of his actions in the books to really loathe book!Malina], it isn’t enough to make me ship them when Darklina is right there), but I also don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the Crows absolutely stole the show.

It’s actually kind of funny, because I’d assumed they were only being so heavily marketed to hype the show up even more, since while there’s a lot of TGT/SoC fandom overlap they are also two fundamentally different genres and I’d wager there are a lot of people who are massive fans of one but not so enthused with the other, while remaining fairly insignificant to the overall plot. Turns out, they make up fully half of the show’s runtime (much to my delight). Which is part of what I think will help this series stand on its own, both as a book adaptation and simply as a fantasy TV series.

I’ll put more of my story-specific thoughts under a cut, so there’s lots of show spoilers to follow!

I know that a lot of early reviewers were saying that Alina’s motivations and storyline revolved too much around Mal, and that really held true for me. It made sense in the beginning--he was the only constant in her life, she was thrust into something new, terrifying, and completely unfamiliar, and they’d developed an unhealthy codependence as a coping mechanism for their childhoods and the traumas they faced, the lives they lead growing up in a war-torn country. But she started coming into her power, falling for the General--not just his power and charisma, but what she felt when she was with him. The way he helped her summon the sun, the way she felt free in a way she never had before.

Until it all went to shit--but the Darklina make-out scene in episode 5? Fucking iconic. Poetic fucking cinema. The way they were quite literally about to have sex on that wartable (and someone better write fic of that moment, what if they hadn’t gotten interrupted), and the General left, but then he ran back just to kiss her one more time... this is what OTPs are made of ok.

I think what really bothers me overall is that Alina ultimately lacked agency in her one storyline, pretty much the entire way through. She did make a few choices, but they were mostly incidental, and a lot of it was Alina desperately trying to get back to Mal rather than seizing her own power and destiny and running with it. The most prominent example is the end of episode 5--Alina is having happy make-outs and almost bones the General in his own war room, and then he leaves, and Baghra comes in and infodumps to her about how evil he is and how he’s only using her and she needs to escape.

I recognize that a lot of this is probably because that’s essentially what happened in the book and Leigh is an executive producer for the show so she has a lot of shot-calling power. However, I really think that even in the book this plotline would’ve been better-served by having Alina make these discoveries on her own.

For example, imagine that the letters which were used as framing devices for episodes 2 and 3 were vitally important to the plot, rather than being one-offs that are mentioned a few times but not really affecting much of anything. Alina begins to get suspicious when she doesn’t receive word from Mal, and she starts wondering if her letters are even reaching him--so she starts snooping. She finds ashes in the war room hearth, late at night,, and recognizes a fragment of Mal’s signature and larger piece of her own. She now knows that someone--possibly the General, but maybe that creepy priest guy, or someone else in the palace--is keeping her and Mal from contacting one another. So she starts snooping around even more. She asks the General leading questions, trying to figure out what the truth is of his intentions. She still feels this pull--this connection to him, and she hopes she’s wrong, but she’s not willing to just sit around and wait for the other shoe to drop.

The Winter Fete still happens, she still gets the hot make-out session with the General, and then when he’s called away, she snoops through his papers, looking for anything that can tell her the truth. She finds a hidden compartment filled with journals.

She reads about Aleksander’s past (and, incidentally, wasn’t that supposed to be a huge moment in the books, him revealing his true name to her in private? kinda wish it had been kept that way in the show but who knows where they’ll go with it in the future)--that leads to the flashbacks in episode 6. She feels for him, but she also reads further--she gets a firsthand look at his desire for power, something that began as a noble desire to save his people, but was twisted by a lust for vengeance (for his lost love and all the Grisha who were killed) and shot through with greed, the realization that if he found the Sun Summoner he could control the Fold, rather than just destroy it. He could create a new world where Grisha could live without fear--where Grisha could rule.

Alina is terrified. Whoever the General used to be--whatever humanity she saw flickering in his eyes, the way his heart fluttered when they kissed--she can’t trust that it’ll be enough to save her from plans centuries in the making. So she goes to Baghra, the woman who helped her discover her power, learn to channel it--the woman who always seemed to know much more than she ever let on. Baghra gives her side of the story--Alina got it from the General’s perspective first, now Baghra is telling her something framed much differently. She isn’t sure what or who to trust, but she knows that Baghra seems willing to help her escape--but rather than trusting her ‘loyal Grisha’, she makes the choice she made in the show, to choose the other path, and winds up with the Crows.

Idk how Mal and the Stag thing would fit into this (if it isn’t obvious by now, Mal just... doesn’t interest me), but Alina’s story and her character arc would be so much stronger for it. And she’s supposed to be the central character, so her story being weak and her agency so frequently being compromised ultimately hurts the show as a whole.

I know I’ve gone on and on about Alina and the Darkling (look, I’m a slut for enemies-to-lovers, and also lovers-to-enemies-and-back, so Darklina and Helnik are where so much of my investment is rooted--plus Kanej, but that almost goes without saying), but the true standouts of the series were the Crows. Inej, Kaz, and Jesper, and Nina and Matthias in their episodes, stole the show (along with the Darkling, Ben is far and away the best actor in the cast and I love that for him, but Freddy, Amita, and Kit are also amazing, and Danielle&Calahan were fucking phenomenal as Nina and Matthias--I do have to say, though, that the whole cast is really solid and has amazing chemistry).

They worked together so perfectly--Freddy and Amita communicated so much with their eyes alone, especially together, and a whole lot of their relationship dynamic is rooted in how they exist together, which really came through. The show altered the Crows timeline considerably (I’m pretty sure Kaz would’ve been 14 during the original trilogy lol), so Inej is still at the Menagerie, but things like Kaz putting up the Crow Club for Inej’s freedom, the way Kaz needed her but could never bring himself to say it (until the end of the season dklhfgdkjfgh i SCREAMED)--the way Jesper played off the both of them, and it’s so obvious they all love each other even though they’re criminals and thieves and murderers, and Kaz would never admit it (out loud--which actually feeds into my theory that his love language is acts of service; Kaz does things for the people he cares about, he never announces it and he will almost always try to downplay it, but the way you know he cares is if, for example, he puts his entire life, everything he built, up as collateral for your freedom), but they’re a family.

One thing that I was kind of iffy about was Inej’s refusal to kill--but I thought it might be something they were planning to work into her overall character arc, and they did. It was the one line she hadn’t crossed--in the books, I’d imagine that it took a while for Inej to wind up at that point, being willing to kill on top of everything else. So I actually like that they worked that into the Crows plotline, and Inej killing for the first time was to save Kaz’s life.

Just like Kaz’s first selfless act was to save her.

(He’d deny it, of course. He protects his investments. He needed her for the job. But the truth is, he did it for her. And he’d do it again. Even if he’d never admit it.)

Meanwhile, Nina and Matthias’ storyline was pretty much note-for-note according to their backstory as it was revealed in Six of Crows, and I loved every second of it. Their chemistry was perfect, their journey from enemies to begrudging allies to friends to maybe something more (Matthias’ stomach cockblocking them when they were about to kiss had me fucking SCREAMING AT THE TV, and then of course the whole ‘betraying him to save him’ thing happened and I sobbed), and then suddenly right back to enemies.

Because from Matthias’ perspective, he trusted a witch--believed in her, liked her, wanted her--and she turned on him. He has no idea that she wasn’t the one who knocked him out in the first place, and no reason to believe her, because as far as he knows, she just confirmed everything he’d ever been told about Grisha. That they are deceitful and treacherous, would turn on you as soon as look at you, that they are dangerous and not to be trusted. It wasn’t revealed in-show but I imagine Matthias’ backstory is largely the same, which means that his entire family was slaughtered by Grisha when he was a young boy, and then he was turned into a brainwashed child soldier by the witch hunters and never knew anything else.

They are perfectly primed for their SoC arc next season and I, for one, am so stoked to see the rest of their journey. And if I slip Netflix a couple twenties, maybe they’ll let Helnik have a happy ending please please please.

Anyway, yeah! I have a lot of thoughts but things are still percolating in my head so I’ll probably float around the tags for a bit and let things settle. This is just a preliminary overview of my thoughts in the immediate aftermath of bingeing the entire show in one night kldfjghdkjfhgkjgf

EDIT TO ADD: I CAN’T BELIEVE I FORGOT ABOUT THE TRUE STAR OF THE SHOW, M I L O

MILO BEST BOY. MILO THE MVP. MILO DESERVES ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD AND I HOPE HE LIVES A HAPPY AND HEALTHY AND FULL LITTLE GOAT LIFE.

#shadow and bone #kanej #helnik #darklina #sab spoilers #alina starkov #the darkling #inej ghafa #kaz brekker #jesper fahey #malina salt #asked #cobraonthecob

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battlestar-royco · 3 years

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IT'S BEEN 84 YEARS. LET'S TALK ABOUT NETFLIX'S SHADOW AND BONE.

8.7/10 ⭐️

spoilers for everythingggg under the cut! i'll be discussing its merits as an adaptation vs as a show, characters and plots, and the overall aesthetic and magic/world.

SHOW VS ADAPTATION:

i say this as someone who knows all the books very well and has been in the fandom for nearly a decade, so i'm biased. but. s&b functions better as an adaptation than as a standalone show. alina's plot moves so well, and satisfyingly renders so many iconic scenes and sites from s&b. the worldbuilding is also pretty easy to fall into, with a forgivable amount of voiceover/infodump. and, hurting budget aside, i mostly liked this visual interpretation of the gv.

(sidebar: the in-universe racism... doesn't work. i tried to view it in good faith but imo it was very heavy-handed. if it was framed like, "wow it's a SHU WOMAN saving the world!!!" it might've been better, but it's just racism without recompense. and it's a terrible look to make other characters of color racist. i just. why?)

as for the crows, however... i'm just not sure how strong they'll be for new viewers? i totally understand why they were included, and i really like certain connections the show made between the two series. it was a great decision to introduce the druskelle in the first Cut scene, and showing nina as a ravkan spy.

the new crows stuff felt in character, but i think the show is at its height when it sticks to the books. the first couple episodes switching between tgt and proto-soc gave me whiplash, but luckily it got more organic as it progressed. if i didn't know and love all the crows before going in, i wouldn't be that invested in them based on season 1. aside from a couple fantastic scenes, it really felt like the writers were trying to make fetch happen for like 4 episodes before they figured out what to do with everyone. plus, ravka is such a different vibe from ketterdam--tonally, sartorially, technologically, etc they didn't totally feel like the same world. it was pretty jarring. although i prefer the duo to the trio, s&b is alina's story and she is That Bitch who walked so the crows could fly. so i didn't hate their inclusion but the shoehorned content did at times disservice both plots, imo.

CHARACTERS:

way too many, which is yet another consequence of smushing everyone into one season.

MAL/ALINA/DARKLING: first and foremost, and i PROMISE i'm not saying this just to be a hater, but there needed to be less malina. i'll be the first to say that show!mal really has what book!mal wants. the new pre-fold scenes were so good. li and renaux have amazing chemistry, and their laughter over stolen grapes was a highlight. his stag plot was also good. THAT SAID, there were way too many keramzin flashbacks and malina parallels like.. 🤢🤢why do they want us to love mal so much. for what. they only needed the teacup scene but they clearly thought they were doing something with micro-aggressions and that meadow shot they showed like 6 times. knowing mal's original character, and how they scrubbed his show counterpart almost to the point of flawlessness, he's just never going to be my fave even though i do respect what they did with him. also, why were there like 5 fake deaths for this dude? boring.

the darkling was great. ben barnes knows what the fuck he's about, and he funneled manipulation and charisma into every scene. as for the backstory: at first i really wasn't feeling it, but i eventually did warm up to it and i'm so glad they showed it because oh god the cut and the creation of the fold were SO FUCKING ICONIC. also, love love love the baghra development. WE LOVE TO SEE OLD WOMEN/MOMS WHO AREN'T "EVIL"/"CORRUPTED" BY THEIR MAGICAL POWERS!!!!!!! BITCH! it didn't have to be 12 minutes long though.

i honestly don't have much to say on alina. jml was excellent in her role and very true to the book. without her book narration she feels much more consistently written.

TRILOGY CHARACTERS: i really felt the lack of genya and zoya. genya's character and actress are perfectly layered and effective, even though their roles are relatively minor. i'm so looking forward to her razrushost moment, but i wish they'd laid more groundwork for it. (and i hope throw out the wig and just dye her hair next season.) also like. WHY KEEP THE IRRELEVANT MEAN GIRL/DARKLING THIRST PLOT FOR ZOYA??? AFTER ALL THE EFFORT THEY PUT INTO IMPROVING MAL? they sacrificed so much for malina at the expense of other characters. finally, it was interesting how they decided to kill marie. i love the tailor magic flex. but also they clearly just did that to emotionally manipulate us and connect the crows so. hm.

CROWS: speaking of! the crows storyline felt a little like filler. honestly i wish they waited to roll crows into later seasons. i'd prefer little foreshadowings about them, a la the druskelle cameo or the references to nina and matthias. introducing the crows so soon makes the ice court heist feel less special. the recruitment was super tight and pragmatic, so this felt a little fluffy/fanservicey. kaz also comes off as sooooo old again. especially without the vulnerability of his book counterpart, he just seems like a 40-year-old in a 20something body.

i was pleasantly surprised to find jesper my favorite crow. like wow.... second amendment rights for jesper fahey only!! i like all the crows but book!kanej are my faves by a long shot. they felt a bit stiff tbh, like the actors were a little uncomfy with each other and/or their exposition-heavy lines. however, the one scene that felt EXTREMELY kanej to me was when they killed that dude in the church holy fuck oh my god. WE STAN AN ANGSTY BATTLE COUPLE WHO ARE BOTH DEAD INSIDE. highlight for sure.

and i actually kinda loved helnik? i know helnik is controversial for very valid reasons, but i thoughy their dynamic was fantastic and they were among the strongest performers. it was much less overwhelming than the constantly interweaving kaz/inej/jesper imo. they need to fire their location scout though. those green screen mountains and beaches were um. interesting.

aesthetic and magic:

i really hope they get a bigger budget for costumes, cgi, and sets next season! the keftas are serviceable, but they look a little cheap at times. i will also never forgive ANY of the crows' hats. it's mostly just a personal aesthetic thing but god i fucking hate them. the darkling was best dressed, but in general i liked the ravkan look more than the kerch. why were the crows always in the most elaborate getups? why couldn't they just chill in their waistcoats??? they never seemed relaxed in the way alina and co did; the clothes never felt worn or broken in.

favorite sets: the darkling's room, the crow club, all the grisha tents, the matthias/nina ship, the church where inej killed the squaller, outdoor fountain where they told the story of the black heretic. the lighting was almost always right for each scene, and there was so much detail in every one of them.

THE MAGIC WAS SO COOL! my greatest beef is alina's light--it often looked so fake, and it washed out jml. oftentimes it was fluorescent or blue, and it was used as a forcefield or orb. it's supposed to be sunlight bro. what is so hard about that? the darkling's magic looked good, other than the fold. i've always imagined the fold more like a huge black fog rather than a literal wall. so that was a bit game of thronesy, but not terrible.

and can we talk about the amplifiers? amplifiers are my personal favorite gv lore but season 1 barely gets into them. they never mention the bear zoya slew, nor do they establish the unique strength of the stag, sea dragon, and firebird. BUT THE ANTLER COLLAR FUSED INTO ALINA'S SKIN WAS SUPER DARK AND MACABRE AND I KINDA LIKED IT? ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO WONDER HOW TF IS SHE GONNA SLEEP???

if you made it this far, thanks so much! that's all i have for today.

#shadow and bone #shadow and bone spoilers

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sityoursiredassdown · 3 years

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General Shadow and Bone Thoughts

From someone who binge-watched it in nearly one sitting. Spoilers below!

I have to give it to the writers of this show, they adapted the story and characters so well and honestly changed some for the better.

I guess I’m now a true multishipper??? Because the show actually made me enjoy Malina???

That being said Darklina still has my heart

But for real I was someone that did not like Mal in the books and therefor struggled to root for Alina to end up with him, but the subtle changes to his personality in not judging her for enjoying being Grisha or being drawn to the Darkling. As well as showing what he was doing in the narrative and how he feels was a good touch, since in the books we only get Alina’s POV. I hope they stick with it as they adapt book 2.

Every Kanej scene had me on the floor because Freddy and Amita brought their damn A-game, bravo. Not a single touch and I was riveted.

I wish we got to see more Helnik but what was shown was so! good!

Also wish we could have had another episode or two so we really saw Alina enjoy and thrive as a Grisha, because discovering she liked her powers was such an important thing for her in the books.

idk why they changed the plot point of the Darkling telling Alina about getting her a stag amplifier to him not wanting her to have an amplifier, probably to make his motives feel more hidden. I can respect that.

Also on the Darkling. We got some backstory!! That was a treat I was not expecting, bless.

Every time the crows interacted with characters from the trilogy I felt like I was reading a fanfiction cross-over come to life but IN THE BEST WAY.

The differing reactions to Alina made perfect sense and it created such an interesting conflict between three people that are pretty damn tight.

Jesper is a disaster bisexual and honestly, same.

Also those hints of his backstory is just *chef’s kiss*

The show did a great job of making smaller side characters feel fleshed out. (RIP, Mikael and Dubrov. And Marie)

Nina is BLACK!!! Love everything about it.

The actresses for both Zoya and Genya are just??? perfection??? They’re so pretty I wanna cry tbh.

Honestly did not expect the Conductor to betray the crows, like I was genuinely surprised. Good thing Kaz is better at reading people.

I nearly had a heart attack when Kaz was one on one with the Darkling even though I knew he’d be fine.

I may have ended up back on the floor when Aleksander ran back to kiss Alina again one more time in the war room.

Honestly Ben Barnes plays him to perfection and the fact he looks so constantly in awe any time he’s near Alina is the content I signed up for. (Okay I’m done simping I’M SORRY)

But honestly I only like a handful of villains, let alone hero/villain ships LET ME HAVE THIS

Alina going absolutely feral in fights is also content I signed up for. Baby girl is not a push over and GOOD FOR HER.

Inej landing a blow on the Darkling when no one else could in the final battle when no one else could was iconic.

SPEAKING OF INEJ.

Her first kill??? to save Kaz??? I was shook and enthralled and I thank the writers for their service.

Also Kaz joining the fight on the skiff to protect Inej also left me wrecked.

Like I said all their scenes were just next level.

idk why but I kept snickering each time Mal and the Darkling hit each other in the last episode.

But also Archie does a great job of making Mal have a presence when going against the Darkling so their stand-offs don’t feel contrived. He and Ben played off each other superbly.

Just. All the ships are cute. Everyone’s got fantastic chemistry. I’m not choosing anymore and no one can make me.

There is probably a bunch of stuff that I missed and I definitely have my shipper biases but this show was so damn enjoyable that I had to get my thoughts out in a ramble.

Here’s hoping for season 2! Lets get Nikolai and Wylan up in this bitch!

#Shadow and Bone #Shadow and Bone Spoilers #Kanej #Helnik #Darklina #Alarkling #Malina #SaB #SaB spoilers #this is pretty positive so pls no hate if you disagree

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southslates · 3 years

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so i watched up to episode four and want to summarize my Thoughts (spoiler warning for shadow and bone up to episode four)

overall i think this show is really good. it surpassed my expectations, honestly. the attention to detail is incredible, you can see where the money put into it went. it's definitely my fave television show even after just watching half of it.

the actors were all incredible, but the crows take it away. freddy looks damn hot and his transformation into kaz is like . . . not something anyone could have seen coming in its entirety. amita as inej might be the star of the show. her lines, her delivery, the way she pulls together inej's vulnerability and strength . . . incredible. and kit as jesper pulls off the comic relief in such a unique, special way. literally three of the most spectacular performances on the show.

i was a fan of book darklina, but the show definitely is pushing me towards malina (and genyalina). i can see the appeal for a lot here, but they're clearly trying to push for mal with the insane number of flashbacks and that is starting to get a little annoying.

back to the crows. the dynamic is perfect. kaz and inej have that perfect in-synch dynamic that's so beautiful in the books, and the three of them are a unit. milo the goat is a real mvp. jesper and kaz are the best duo (in my humble opinion) and their banter with inej is great. jesper and inej's friendship is absolutely everything. it's very clear that kaz feels something for inej and hates that he doesn't mind jesper.

it is also very clear that the crows aren't who they are in six of crows yet. jesper is far more loose with his money and tongue. kaz isn't as much of a mastermind, and he lets pekka get the better of him. inej is still in the midst of her trauma from the menagerie and she's considering the right to kill. it's done well. the pre-relationships are done well. inej's plot with tante heleen is a little confusing.

of course i've got to talk about my otp. the kanej here isn't what i expected but i do like what we got. because we got a lot of that mutual banter and that very clear trust between them, that anticipation of each other, and the quiet chemistry of kaz knowing inej is there and their eye contact. the subtley is a little . . . less than i expected, but i guess that far pre-relationship wouldn't translate well to screen. the context of the investment line in the first episode was iffy. kaz giving heleen his shares at the crow club to pay for inej's indenture had me realize why people said his motivations changed.

glad the crows got so much screen time! i was fearing they would be tossed to the side but they weren't.

i think there are a Lot of plot elements, but so far it's working together well. mal and alina's romance is set up to be really sweet. jessie mei li is blowing their performance out of the water. archie as mal has a lot of scenes to himself and he pulls them off. ben barnes as the darkling has the best kind of appeal. his chemistry with jessie is undeniable, but he's clearly set up to be unredeemable.

the helnik crumbs in episode four blew me completely away. danielle and calahan both have these accents that make their performance perfect, especially in the dank setting under the ship. we can already see matthias wanting a trial for grisha, and nina's introduction was absolutely iconic.

genya is beautiful, incredible, showstopping. her and alina have a hell of a lot of chemistry.

the setting of the little palace and the crow's travels blow me away each time. they are absolutely gorgeous.

my Big Complaint with this show is the racism subplot. like come the fuck on. i know zoya is not our fave right now, but i didn't like the racism on her part. the racism at genya's first interaction literally seemed so pointless and performative. that's absolutely what's getting on my nerves right now.

also the cgi while alina is summoning is a little shaky at first, but i can ignore that and the rest of the special effects (especially the fold and the darkling's power) can make up for it.

and then last thing which bothered me a bit is the tell not show of the dialogue, but i get how necessary that would be to non book fans (the malina introduction, inej deliberating on why kaz hates pekka with jesper).

but after everything, i am become in Love with this show. it's not perfect, of course, but it has thus far much exceeded my expectations and i'm looking forward to seeing the rest after i suffer through calculus and chemistry tomorrow.

#sab spoilers #shadow and bone spoilers #shadow and bone #six of crows #the grishaverse

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raayllum · 3 years

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it makes sense that you’d love kanej bc your taste is 10/10, but ahhh that post made me so happy ! my two favourite fictional worlds colliding. please do feel free to elaborate if you’d like!

(this is just a sidenote bc i feel like the books are underrated but if anyone wants a largely cute contemporary ya romance i’d rec “emmy and oliver” bc it’s adorable as hell as “let’s talk about love” bc ace & biromantic black girl rep)

kanej is one of my favourite couples of all time, i fucking Love them, they’re so well written and developed and their relationship provides such an interesting side to both of their characters and the pining but also having other life goals that are prioritized over being Together is just *chef’s kiss* like that scene in “crooked kingdom” where she’s about to intervene all wrathful when he’s being beat within an inch of his life but he spots her in the rafters bc he knew she was there / would be there the whole time and “he always knew how to find her”? i live for that shit. edit with the iconic “and if i couldn’t walk i’d crawl to you” quote + rayllum here

and i’m just always about like, the potential for physical intimacy being a part of ships but it’s also not what the ship is built on, and it’s built on emotional intimacy instead (especially when it’s against the characters’ better judgement) and just... kanej

and there’s just enough similarities with the main trio for them to work

like callum and ezran can fill kaz and jordie’s spots (but both live) and callum takes kaz’s place largely driven by a need for revenge (again maybe viren? but he could also take jan van eck’s place with soren as wylan and marcos or corvus can be his romantic jesper or something). cause callum is clever and quick thinking and has a ruthless anger to him and already wears gloves (plus mage staff = cane?) and ezran is a canonical lil shit (just look at 1x01) imagine what he’d be without Responsibility? and maybe elves are considered ‘exotic’ the way the suli are in ketterdamn so rayla gets snatched and then is good at climbing and sneaking around and getting information, so that’s the main three

obviously would be different - i could see callum taking longer than kaz does with inej to really let rayla In just because ezran is his #1 priority in all things always, but just like in tdp canon he sees that he can rely on her to look out for his baby brother and that starts melting him. would also be an interesting exploration of callum being internally very emotionally intelligent but struggling to express that in ways he doesn’t in the show. ezran’s love of sneaking jelly tarts being maintained but also jesper’s gambling problem, and inej’s faith being easily translated over to rayla (and her in canon duty to the draconic royal family)

#aah good vibes man #thanks for asking #also thank u!! i think my taste is pretty good too #AU #brotp: we're in this together #rayllum #six of crows #i reblog way more about it on my main but i truly love the duology with my whole heart #and claudia would honestly fit nina or matthias pretty well depending on how much we wanna lean into dark mages being poachers #Anonymous

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