Monika Stefekova answers “Is anyone else worried Zoya and Nikolai...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about King of Scars (King of Scars, #1):

Is anyone else worried Zoya and Nikolai might be paired up in this? They are both great characters, but together? Disaster! Disaster for them and anyone unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity.

Monika Stefekova Frankly, I don´t understand all the hate Zoya gets. In the original trilogy, she was more annoying than anything else. She was definitely not fleshed …moreFrankly, I don´t understand all the hate Zoya gets. In the original trilogy, she was more annoying than anything else. She was definitely not fleshed out enough for me to feel particularly strongly about her one way or another, yet it seems than some fans decide to dislike her for all eternity.
Personally, I am actually quite impressed with Zoya as a character in King of Scars. I don´t think the author is trying to artificially make us like her as some suggest; she has simply grown up and grown into a woman she was always going to be. As I got to know her properly in KoS, she´s actually became my favourite female character in the Grishaverse. She is haughty and abrasive, but she is also strong, practical, smart, decisive and her heart is ultimately in the right place.
As to her relationship with Nikolai, I love the ultra slow burn we are getting, and I think they are actually perfect for each other. She needs someone to brighten her up a bit and counter her cynical side, and he needs someone grounded enough to help him turn his ideas (which are fairly grand and romantic at times) into something realistically doable. They are already true partners at the beginning of the book and it only gets better as the story progresses. I am so excited to see where their relationship goes in the sequel.
Also, I have to say that I was not expecting this level of maturity from a YA series, and I am very pleasantly surprised. Finally, there is a realistic portrayal of what a solid relationship between equals should look like.(less)

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