The Grishaverse discussion
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Ruin and Rising
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Leigh Bardugo Q&As
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LEIGH BARDUGO Q&A - 6/26 AT 3PM EST
I'm ready!!;) Okay here are my questions:1: Can you tell me if the Darkling was ever in love with Alina?
2: Will we be seeing any of the same characters from the Grisha trilogy in The Dregs?
3: Is there ANY possibility that Aleksander faked his death yet again?
I have so many FEELS! Thank you Leigh, for writing such an incredible book. 1. How did Alina know it was Mal in that moment that they saw the Firebird?
2. What you did to Nikolai tore my heart out. I know he eventually worked his way back to his charming self, but is there a reason you wanted to turn him?
3. I love Alina and Mal, but some little part of me kind of wanted Mal to be martyred and Alina becoming Nikolai's queen. It was sort of hinted at the whole story, so I wondered if this was ever an option (and so I can hunt for fanfic to feed my soul!)?
Thank you for doing this! 1. Did you always plan on having Alina kill the Darkling?
2. Is Nikolai going to marry the sweaty duchess?
3. How do you feel about such a large portion of your fans preferring the Darkling to Mal?
Here are my questions:1) What happened to Misha?
2)Did Alina and Mal ever have any kids?
3) Who was your favorite character to write?
4) Do Baghra and the Darkling have any other interesting back stories/experiences?
5) What is Alina's heritage? Where did she get her Sun Summoning powers or were they just a result of the amplifiers?
6) Do Genya and David ever have any kids?
Thank you for answering them! I loved your books!
Hi, thanks for doing this!Well, here are my questions:
1. Is there any possibility that the Darkling faked his death?
2. In what way affected Nikolai's behavior having merzost inside him?
3. Why did Alina wrapped the blade with shadows before stabbing the Darkling? And did that affected him in some... special way?
4. Did the Darkling ever had real romantic feelings for Alina?
5. How did you felt when you wrote down the finale words in R&R?
Thank you for doing this and thank you for these wonderful books!
I can't wait for your next book.
Is there anything else you can tell us about The Dregs? Or not yet?
Hello Leigh! I have a lot of questions...1. Did you have any alternate endings that you considered?
2. How did you choose the Darkling's real name?
3. After Shadow and Bone, did people still address the Darkling "Moi soverenyi?"
4. Did the Darkling mean it when he said, "You might make me a better man?"
5. What was Baghra going to say in chapter 7 when she said, "He sounds-"
Thanks :)
Hi, Leigh! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our burning questions!My first question is a self-indulgent one. Do you have post-Ruin and Rising Alina/Mal stories? Little morsels of their life together for saps like me? Because that would literally make my LIFE.
okay okay, serious question time!
J.K. Rowling said that from the very beginning of writing Harry Potter she saw a scene of Hagrid carrying Harry's body out of the forest and up to the castle during the final battle. This one scene kept her from killing Hagrid off throughout the whole series. Did you have a similar scene/moment at the end of the series that you saw happening from the very beginning that kept you from doing certain things/forced you to write certain things in the narrative? What parts of the end did you know before you started writing? What parts of the end did you discover while writing?
I was an Alina/Mal shipper from page one. Were you? Did you always know they would end up together?
Did anything about their relationship shock you as you wrote them?
Same question for her relationship with Nikolai and the Darkling.
When you first came up with the idea for this series, what was your goal in all of this?
What fan reactions shocked you? On the flip side, what fan reactions made you giddy with joy?
Can you tell us something that we don't know about Alina and Mal? *I will go down with this ship*
The Grisha has become one of my all time favorite stories, so thank you thank THANK YOU for having the courage to write it and share it with us.
AW YEAH. QUESTION TIME WITH MY FAVORITE AUTHOR.1.) Was Mal's tattoo purposely made to be "I am become a blade" or was that a mistake on Tolya's part?
2.) Did Mal and Alina really frick frack in the conservatory? Was that the missionary position?
SORRY LEIGH I MUST KNOW SO I CAN DRAW IT. LOL.
3.) If this book wasn't in the YA genre, would you have written that scene between Mal and Alina more explicitly?
4.) If Mal and Alina had children what genders would they be and what would you name them?
Asking this because I'm highly inspired by the ending to draw Malina family fanart. Hehe.
5.) Are you aware that you've activated the dormant smut machines within many Malina fans?
Much Malina smut will be made for Malina Smut Week 2014 and Maddie with a few others and I will shower you in it BECAUSE IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT.
6/26/2014 EDIT: 6.) Any references for the Conservatory Alina and Mal got busy in?
Adding Maddie's question since we're discussing it on Skype right now.
I would bombard you with an avalanche of compliments for writing the best meaningful relationship of any book I've read, the most satisfying ending of a trilogy, and etc. but the list is quite long and I think you get it.
LOVE YOU, LEIGH! ♥
*flees to draw Malina smut*
Leigh, thank you so much for writing these books and characters!My favorite character was by-far Nikolai so I have a few Nikolai-biased questions.
1. Did Nikolai ever overcome the darkness inside him?
2. Did he ever fall in love with anyone else besides Alina? (He did love Alina, right?)
3. Did you intend for Nikolai to be a love interest or did that just kind of happen?
4. What's his thigh tattoo of?
5. Is there anyone Nikolai "tumbled"? ;)
6. Did Alina ever love Nikolai at all?
Hey Leigh I have a few questions aha (may or may not be that they all relate to a certain privateer)1. Will we ever see more of Nikolai Lantsov or is this really the end for his character? Will we ever find out about how he fights the merzost and what that was all really like or anything afterwards? (If you haven't decided can I say if you do I will buy like 7593485743 copies)
2. Who would be Nikolai's heir (Does he *gasp* get married?)
3. Will Nikolai be mentioned in The Dregs?
4. What did Alina do with the Lantsov Emerald?
5. Does Nikolai have any other tattoos besides the one on his thigh and what are they?
6. Is it true that the Grisha Trilogy will be turned into a movie I've heard that Dreamworks picked it up but I wasn't sure?
Thanks Leigh! (Thank you for creating Nikolai Lantsov My life has become infinitely better bc Nikolai Lantsov and infinitely worse bc Nikolai Lantsov (why isnt he real ugh))Thank youuuuu
I'm going to try to limit myself. :P1. Any chance you'd write a Darkling prequel series? He's been around awhile and I feel like he's got some stories to tell. :D
2. I'm quite fascinated with the darkness in Nikolai. Will that ever be explored in The Dregs, or any other possible Grisha series/stories?
3. I remember you saying before that you've written the Darkling's POV. Was that just Demon in the Wood, or referring to something else? Will we ever see it?
4. Can you tell us anything of the Darkling's past relationships? Was he ever loved by anyone but his mother? Or did he ever love anyone other than her?
5. Who tended to the Darkling before the funeral? Alina was wondering and so am I. :D
6. I THOUGHT DARKNESS NEVER DIES! *forever sobbing* Any chance he was healed like Mal and also burned a fake body like Alina?
7. How old IS the Darkling? And at what age did he take on the title?
8. Had Alina gone to the Darkling when he called to her after Baghra's death, what do you think would have happened? What was he going to say for why he called to her? (REALLY wish that scene had been written!)
Here we go:1.Does the Darkling have any kids?
2.Can you tell us more about the Darkling's father?
3.Is Nikolai a virgin?
I just realized that all my questions are one way or another related to frik-fraking.*Akward silence* If any of you happen to find a cure for perviness,get me some.
1. Was Malina endgame the entire time you wrote the series or were you experimenting with pairings?2. Is there anything in previous drafts or plans for the books that almost were completely different?
3. You said this on tumblr, you opened this door; who'd the Darkling get it on with?
4. Favorite movies?
5. How was the backlash over the end of the series? Was it difficult? (You know I'm super happy with you)
6. What happens with Genya and David?
7. Sweaty Duchess prequel series? #TeamSweatyDuchess
Thank you Leigh for writing this amazing series and for doing Q&A!1. Can you explain why you decided to get rid of Alina's powers?
2. Did you know the ending of the story before you started writing Shadow and Bone? If so, have some details of it changed while you were writing the series?
3. I remember reading somewhere that you wanted to kill one of the characters in S&S, but in the end decided not to. Was it one of the characters that died in R&R? Can you tell us who it was?
4. Can you tell us something more about the Dregs? If you cannot talk about it yet, then when can we expect to learn more about this series?
first off, thanks for this amazing series, Leigh!1. what was Bahgra going to say after "he sounds-"?
2. did Alina ever love the Darkling? Were any of his feelings for her genuine?
3. I don't think Alina ever had any character growth throughout the series. Did you intend it to be this way? She kind of ended up where she started.
4. why was the Darkling only in 5 scenes when before the release, the Darkling had been so heavily promoted?
Thanks again for this Q&A. Have a great one!
1. Will you ever publish anything you've written from the Darkling's POV?2. If the firebird was not the third amplifier, why was it pictured with Morozova?
3. Where did you think of the idea for Vasily's name? Does it, by any chance, relate to...Vaseline?
4. Do Alina and Mal ever have children? Possibly a little boy...named after a certain prince we all know and love?
5. In the book, Mal says he wishes they could have had a proper wedding night. Does that mean if he wasn't the third amplifier, he would have waited for marriage to have sex with Alina? (Because that would have been so cute. Just saying.)
6. Do Alina and Mal adopt Misha? Or does he just live as an orphan?
Those are my questions for now. I'll probably think of some more later. :)
Thank you, Leigh, for such an amazing trilogy. I loved every minute of it!!
1. Will Nikolai be in The Dregs?2. What's next for Zoya?
3. What happens to Genya and David?! (Please say they get married and have beautiful, clever children.)
4. Does Nikolai have any lingering side effects other than his physical scars on his hands that we should be concerned about?
5. Is Stigg really, truly gone?
6. Will the Apparat ever have his entrails strewn across Ravka and his head mounted on a pike? (Please say yes. Immolation is also acceptable.)
1. Are you only writing three books in Alina's point of view? 2. Can you make Darkling come back and be with Alina?
3. What will happen to Nikolai?
Good GIF...Also Leigh your book made me think about my mental sanity.It made me laugh, it made me cry(a lot, like an ocean of tears, also that ending...) and scream(like a school girl or like my heart was ripped out and thrown into the void(which you kind of did)). Also it was nice to find out that the White Cathedral was insipred by a church in my country(the one that has the form of a fish)*high five*.
Now question time:
1. Is Aleksander really dead?*puppy face*
2. Why was the knife covered by shadows?
3. When does the Dregs take place , how long after the Grisha series?
4. Will you write a book, where Baghra teaches you how to insult people? Or how to be as sassy as Nikolai?
5.What is your favourite scene in the Trilogy?
6. Also we still don't know anything about Alina's past!
Thanks for the awesome books and answering!!
I also love how you made it be in Russian, since that's where I'm from. So yay for that.
Hi Leigh! THanks a lot for doing this!I've been Bahgra's fan from the beginning. Bahgra's death is to me the most heartwrenching, beautiful moment in the series. (Thank you for writing more Bahgra and sending her off in such a poignant way!)
1. I know a previous question asked why was Alina's knife wrapped in darkness. My question is, if she had lost her powers at that point, how was she able to do that ("summon darkness")?
2. I was surprised to see Alina describe her killing the Darkling a "mercy killing," since she had made up her mind they were enemies first and foremost. (I mean, she refused to go to him as a friend after Bahgra died... to help her!) As I see it, she saw a great opportunity to finish off her rival and took it. There is no shame in that. Why do you think Alina called it a mercy instead of just "enemy killing"?
3. I'm also fascinated with the politics in the series. While he seemed to be very unpopular, in his short time in office the Darkling managed to open the Fjerdan borders, which was a good political move for the country, right? What was the Darkling's plan for Ravka? Ravka seems to have been at war for a long time. How/why did it start?
4. If all the Darkling wanted was to be king, why did he had to wait for Alina to come along? How did he know about Sun Summoners and the fact that he should wait for one?
5. When Alina "visits" the Darkling at Keramzin she comments it looks/feels different from other "visitations," I guess in the sense that she's able to see more than she usually is able to through this means. Why is that? Was she actually seeing the truth or some illusion created by the Darkling?
6. How come the Darkling doesn't realize Mal is an amplifier?
7. Is Morozova still alive? How about Mal's mom?
Thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions!!!
1. Do you have any crack pairings :D?2. Would Nikolai have a child with the same powers of the Darkling since he had been infected?
3. Could Nikolai become the next Darkling and in another 100 years, could he find another sun summoner? *squeals because that sounds so awesome*
Nikolai basically has the same dream as the Darkling. Rebuild Ravka.
It's good some days passed since I read it or I'd write a long list of screaming whys lol But I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that what I wanted to read wasn't what you wanted to write. But as long as you wrote the story you wanted, I can just blame myself to be a victim of my own desires :p
So just a little curiosity.
How did you feel or did you have any input in the way your publishers kept pushing the Darkling and the Darkling/Alina storyline knowing where your story was going instead and how little airtime the Darkling would actually have?
Thanks in advance and good luck with the Dregs.
Most of my questions have already been asked, sooWhat happens to Tamar and Nadia after R&R?
Is the Wandering Isle based off of Ireland? Or even another Celtic country? Or maybe I'm completely off?
Thank you!
Hey Leigh I actually have another question so yeah I was wondering:Which one of the pairings in this series did you yourself ship? All or only one? Or like 2 of them or something?
thanks :)
I just want to know the answers to all the questions that were already asked and will be asked about my dear Alexander!! *sobbing*
I want know what will happen to Nikolai, who will he marry?
Congratulations on finishing your first trilogy and thank you for this Q+A, Ms. Bardugo! 1. How did the Darkling accomplish his staggering rise to power, from little Eryk to the founder of an army?
2. Did he ever have a core group of trusted comrades, or even an SO? Who did he lose, that he became so deeply familiar with longing and grief?
3. Why was Alina always so fixated on defeating the Darkling, and seemed to disregard the terrible state of the country? Certainly, he committed awful, unforgivable deeds, but weren't those acts out of desperation to end the wars? And after the Darkling was vanquished, wasn't the country just as wartorn and beset by enemies as it was before?
4. What's your response to the criticism that his death, and Alina's ending, was anti-climactic?
And one more:
Are there any deleted scenes from the series? :)
First of all I want to thank Leigh Bardugo for creating such an enthralling series! Since a lot of my other questions have already been asked I only have one to share:
Was Alina the first ever Sun Summoner and if so why were her powers so short-lived?
A lot of my questions have already been asked, so I'll add a few I haven't seen asked (:1. Would the three amplifiers have worked for anyone they were put on, or were they only ever meant to be Alina's? If the latter, why only for her?
2. Were the new Grisha that were created all sun summoners or different kinds of Grisha?
3. Will there be more to the Grisha struggle for peace and stability in a world that oppresses them in the Dregs?
4. Did the ending of Ruin and Rising change in any way? I know you said that for the most part it remained the same, but were there even any minor changes?
5. Did Tolya and Tamar manage to bring Mal back to life? If so, was it by merzost? Or did something else bring Mal back to life?
What made you choose Mal as the third amplifier? Do you regret any choices you made concerning the ending? Did Nikolai ever find love, or even get married? Is there any music, literature, etc, that influenced the series? Do Mal and Alina ever have kids?
Why did you choose Mal to be with Alina instead of the Darkling?
Did the Darkling's death contribute to the destruction of the Fold? Or was the Fold only destroyed by the new sun summoners?
[applause] Congrats on finishing your first series Leigh. The Grisha trilogy is so creative and interesting and on my top list :) Siege and Storm was my favorite!1. Can you tell us anything about the origin of sun summoning? (Maybe the rumors heard in S&B)
2. Was it hard finding scientific info (Team Science) for David and Genya? At times I couldn't keep up lol. You did a good job delivering both science and superstition.
3. If the firebird isnt an amplifier are there more mythological creatures alive in the Grisha world?
4. I cried reading about Nikolai, I was a heartbroken fan. How did you feel writing his journey as a monster? Did the Darkling have this power before or after S&B?
5. Did Tolya find love after R&R? Such a poet, I hope the twins found happiness. Luv em!
6. Could Morozova's amplifiers have worked on anyone or just Alina? Since Mal's a living amplifier, why didn't Alina, the examiners, the twins, the oprichniki or Grisha, even Zoya in S&B, sense his power?
7. What did the Darkling's silent reaction mean when Alina asked why he hadn't visited her? Was he hiding something?
8. Just a curious question: Why is the Lantsov ring's jewel an emerald when the royal colors are pale blue and gold (I think)?
I hope my questions aren't too much. Good luck on the Dregs, everything you've said about the story gives me huge Game of Thrones and Legend of Korra vibes!!! Can't wait to see more of the Grishaverse!
So many of my questions have already been asked, so I wanted to thank you for such a well-written trilogy that has brought me a lot of entertainment!Also, I live in Atlanta, so I'm keeping an eye on your August schedule where it states you may be at the Decatur Book Festival. Hope to meet you!
Just wanted to tell you I loved the series - I thought Ruin and Rising was a perfect ending. The epilogue made my heart burst! I just have one question: Did you think of what alias' Mal and Alina used after leaving their old lives behind? Just curious - I doubt Alina would have taken the last name Dumkin after they were married, haha.
i suspected mal is having some new power like darkness for darkling and sun power for alina but this amplifier is unexpected.just wanted to tell you i loved the series especially perfect ending and i wanted to know how many kids they have since kids would be the balm for their emptiness they felt after they lost their powers.
Hello Leigh! These are my questions: 1) If Morozova was the only one that could "resurrect" animals/humans, how did Tolya and Tamar bring Mal back to life?
2) Did the non-Grisha who summoned light in the Fold keep that power? And were they the only ones who experienced it? (like did ALL the non-Grisha in Ravka experienced it or only in the Fold?)
3) Did Nikolai remember what he went through and did during his time as a volcra? Could he remember when he put the ring on Alina and so forth?
4) Did Nikolai find love? (Maybe you can't answer this one since it goes beyond the book time frame, but is there anything you can tell us about how he dealt with this new darkness and pain?)
and final question: How did the connection of the three amplifiers work if Alina wasn't holding Mal's bones (he just died)?
Thank you for all your hard work and for letting us into this amazing world!!! Can't wait for the next series :D
Wait I have more questions haha(They have more to do as to why you didn't/did do this and that, and I understand if you don't want to answer.)
1) What was your reasoning in that the Darkling died by a stab? Is it that even the most powerful man can die a common death? (or something else?)
2) The soldiers of light that Alina was going to create-- that was an amazing idea btw! Why didn't you go through with it? (You don't need to answer this question)
3) I thought that the Apparat had more to offer and was more dangerous than he turned out to be. What was the inspiration for him? And did the Soldat Sol and the rest of the followers 'die out' in Ravka and everywhere else?
Thanks again!
Hi Leigh :D As you know, I LOVED Ruin and Rising. <3 Thought it was amazing. Thank you. Question: Did you write the ending that you had always planned on writing? Did you know from the beginning that Mal and Alina would end up together? <3
Hi Leigh! Your series was AMAZING!!!!!!! But I have a few questions...1. Is Baghra really dead? Or are Baghra AND Aleksander still alive?
2. Does Alina have any hope of regaining her powers?
3. How was Alina able to control the shadows enough to wrap them around the blade?
4. What would have happened if Mal was killed by someone else before Alina killed him? Would the power of the three amplifiers together still work?
5. Was there ever any other Sun Summoners?
6. Why can't Alina remember anything before coming to the orphanage?
7. Did Aleksander fake his death? If so, is he going to make an epic return in the Dregs?
8. What is your dream cast for the movie?
9. What would have happened if Alina had answered the Darkling's call that one time when she refused to answer?
10. Will the darkness inside Nikolai grow or fade?
Thank you so much! :D :D :D :D
I think the biggest questions me and my friend had dealt with the epilogue:1. What happened to Misha?
2. Where was Tolya and Tamar and why did they not visit them? (Are they gonna be in the other series? :D)
Mod
2: Will we be seeing any of the same characters from the Grisha trilogy in The Dregs?
3: Is there ANY possibility that Aleksander faked his death yet again?
"
1. I'm not going to give a definitive answer on that. I don't think he would ever have described himself as "in love" with Alina, but he certainly had strong feelings for her and believed they were destined for a future together.
2. Right now, characters from the original trilogy are referenced in The Dregs. There's a very good chance you'll be seeing them in later books.
3. As Nikolai would tell you, anything is possible.
Mod
1. How did Alina know it was Mal in that moment that they saw the Firebird?
2. What you did to Nikolai tore my heart out. I know he eventually worked his way back to his charming self, but is there a reason you wanted to turn him?
3. I love Alina and Mal, but some little part of me kind of wanted Mal to be martyred and Alina becoming Nikolai's queen. It was sort of hinted at the whole story, so I wondered if this was ever an option (and so I can hunt for fanfic to feed my soul!)? "
1. If your recall, Mal and Alina felt the amplifier jolt twice in Siege and Storm—once she was wearing the other two amplifiers and his hand closed around her bare wrist. It was brief and shocking at the banya, then a quick contact when Alina's life was in danger in the chapel. When Alina was driven over the cliff by the Firebird, they had no choice but to prolong the contact and the "circle" of the three amplifiers became apparent to both of them.
2. Well, he did and he didn't. That darkness and the memories of what he may or may not have done while in its grip will always be with him. I like to take away what a character believes most defines him or her and see what happens. The Darkling knew death would have been too easy on Nikolai. But living without language and without real control over himself? That was real punishment.
3. I mapped out the entire trilogy before I sold it and had to submit synopses for both the second and third books. This was the ending that I always envisioned and that served the themes of sacrifice and strength in the story. But I'm very pro fanfic and there's certainly more to Nikolai's story.
You are awesome Leigh. <3 And ohh. I was wondering. Would you write more about Mal and Alina and their life together? :D Or do you feel done writing about them?
Hi leigh,So how old were Aleksander and Baghra? I know he created the second army but I don't think there is an actual number on how old either of them are.
Mod
1. Did you always plan on having Alina kill the Darkling?
2. Is Nikolai going to marry the sweaty duchess?
3. How do you feel about such a large portion of your fans ..."
1. Yup. And the line about Grisha steel was even in the early outlines.
2. Nope. But you'll have to wait and see what the future holds for him.
3. Honestly? I think tumblr and GR give a pretty skewed view of what my readers may or may not prefer. The Darkling is a popular character (bless), but I've encountered very few people who believed he was viable endgame for Alina. The Darkling is ancient, powerful, enigmatic, brooding, wounded. I built him to be appealing, and some of the most gratifying responses are from people who loved him but were still satisfied by the ending of the book.
Mod
1) What happened to Misha?
2)Did Alina and Mal ever have any kids?
3) Who was your favorite character to write?
4) Do Baghra and the Darkling have any other interesting back stories/experiences?
5) What is Alina's heritage? Where did she get her Sun Summoning powers or were they just a result of the amplifiers?
6) Do Genya and David ever have any kids?
Thank you for answering them! I loved your books!
1. He lived at Keramzin for a time. The rest you'll have to wait to find out.
2. Again, not anxious to answer that one at this time.
3. Sturmhond and then... actually, Zoya. She's my spirit animal.
4. Yes, they have very long histories full of quite a bit of conflict and adventure. I don't know if I'll ever write them all.
5. Alina was born with her powers as all Grisha are. I may someday release a novella about her parentage and the why of how she came to be. Man, I'm being vague, but there you have it.
6. Maaaaybe. Here's the thing. There's a very good chance you'll be seeing these characters again so I've found myself right back in the "no spoilers" corner, alas.
But thank you for the kind words!!
Hi Leigh,I'm still kind of reeling from finishing R&R (just finished it last night along with the Darkling prequel story, so I'm chock full of feels) and can't quite formulate any really cool questions. But like a few other posts I've seen, I'd love to know more about what happened to Misha and Oncat (because it seemed to me like Oncat decided to adopt Misha after Harshaw died, or at least that the way it goes in my head). :) Loved this finale. You made me cry (more than once and almost a few times while I was at work) and broke my heart, but you managed to knit it back together pretty well. Thanks for another wonderful book!
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What an ending! What a final battle! What are we going to do now as we wait for her next book to come out?!
Ask away and Leigh will answer tomorrow!