Leigh Bardugo's Blog, page 767
April 1, 2013
Early bday present from mom. 2 fancy pairs of pajamas....
Early bday present from mom. 2 fancy pairs of pajamas. “They’re for your work.” This lady GETS me.
Has any fan ever told you how evil you are?
I attended the Sarah Rees Brennan school of Evil Authordom.
What’s the Latin for “I regret nothing”?
Speaking of wedding rings, do they wear them in Ravka? Or something else?
Wedding rings are exchanged in Ravka.
There are quite a few Ravkan wedding traditions.
And they do come up in the trilogy.
Make of that what you will.
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
hi Leigh, i love your book and i have so many questions, these are one of them, how do oprichnik get their positions, what is their status among Grisha and are they loyal to the Darkling? thank you so much for writing the gathering dark- thank you thank yo
The oprichniki operate as a kind of secret police and are culled from the First Army ranks by the Darkling himself. They are feared among Grisha and ordinary citizens alike because, though they are still technically the King’s men, they answer to no one but the Darkling and take both their orders and their pay from him.
They are extremely loyal to each other and to the Darkling. But in Ravka, it’s always wise to watch your back.
(And thank you for the kind words on the book!)
brokenbluecup:
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
omg....
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
omg. It’s like a delicious bag of quote skittles. thank you
Choosing the Siege and Storm promo polish. #shadowandbone...
Choosing the Siege and Storm promo polish. #shadowandbone #nailpolish #fancytimes
Hello Ms. Bardugo, what inspired you to think of the word Grisha? Did it have something to do with the word Geisha?
Yes!
The Grisha: I chose the name Grisha for the magical elite because it is the Russian diminutive of Gregory which means “watchful” and derives from the biblical Grigori (which a lot of paranormal fans will recognize from fallen angel tales). It also evokes the word “geisha,” which reinforces the sense of beauty, secrecy, and the elite.
This is from a larger piece I wrote on language and naming, that you can find here.
Hey Leigh, how do you pronounce Mal?
Rhymes with “shall” or “pal.” (As in, “Hey pal, I shall await more fan art from Vindictev with bated breath.” ;)
I have a pronunciation guide on my web site if that helps.
brokenbluecup:
“They are orphans again, with no true home but...
“They are orphans again, with no true home but each other and whatever life they can make together on the other side of the sea.”
-Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Guys, go look at brokenbluecup’s archive. It’s like a gorgeous rainbow of Shadow and Bone quotes. I want to make a collage of all their pretty
March 31, 2013
Thoughts on LARB's "Decapitating the Chivalric Hero: On Game of Thrones"
Ilana Teitelbaum wrote an interesting piece on chivalry and the appeal of GoT. Definitely worth a read and I ain’t mad at it, but here’s the response I posted…
I’m glad you’re giving Tolkien more credit here. That said, I don’t think the ASoIaF books are quite so cynical as they’re being made out to be.
Ser Barristan Selmy is a figure of tremendous dignity and power who abandons an antiquated notion of service (and possibly chivalry), but never abandons his honor.
Jaime Lannister’s evolution could be read as the victory of honor (and in this case definitely chivalry) over “baser” desires.
Ser Jorah Mormont is a character who gives up his honor, nearly sinks further in an attempt to regain standing, then abandons that plan for love of a woman (okay, a girl really) who is, admittedly, hot but also a woman of ideals.
While GRRM’s nobles may smirk at the idea of chivalry and its trappings, that certainly doesn’t mean that the author is sneering at the ideas of honor or kindness. If anything, I think he asks how honor can continue to exist and adapt in a world that, like ours, feels arbitrary in its cruelty.
Also, the White Walkers aren’t what keep me invested in the story. They’re cool and all, but I actually do care who sits the Iron Throne, and I sure as hell care what happens to the Stark kids and Dany, and Jaime, and Brienne, and Tyrion, and the list goes on. Ah, yes, fully-fleshed characters who surprise and confound us and manage to be good—even if it’s just for a moment, even when the world offers no reward. That’s how you get us to care.
