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
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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?
I've answered some of these above, so let's go with the ones I haven't touched upon.
3. Remember the idea of "like calls to like" and how Baghra said that many powerful Grisha end their lives by turning their own power upon themselves? Alina even contemplates whether or not she would have the strength to do such a thing. Alina uses the Darkling's own power against him when she wraps the knife in shadow.
5. The funny thing is that there's never a clear moment when a book is "done." Also, I don't write linearly, so the final words were written long before many of the others. In fact, the prologue was the last piece of Ruin and Rising to be written. But I can tell you that the finality of many of the scenes in Ruin and Rising broke my heart.
The Darkling is really and truly dead??? *Going back into denial*
Mod
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 :) "
1. No. But at one point I considered prolonging the timeline and making it something like an 8 book series.
2. I chose Aleksander for a lot of reasons. I liked the meaning. Alexander the Great was a young conqueror. But Alina gives the real reason—it's a common name, a boy's name, one that might belong to a peasant or a king. It's why I chose the name Alexei in Shadow and Bone—the first and last people we see die on the Fold bear the same name.
3. Those who continue to serve him do. Once he's king, they do not.
4. That's for you to judge. But I will say that I wanted to address the trope of the woman as "healer" and the idea that she should somehow be responsible for moderating her partner's behavior, soothing him, tempering his actions. I don't like it. I don't buy into it. First of all, a man should be able to better himself on his own. Second, it plays into this creepy Victorian ideal where the woman is expected to embody virtue and morality. Alina asks, "What if I'm the avalanche?" for a reason.
5. She thought Mal sounded like her father, Ilya Morozova.
Any references for the Conservatory Alina and Mal got busy in? Vin and I are discussing it now.
Oh extra question: Does Alina retain her little shadow trick, or did that die with Aleksander?
Mod
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."
Thanks for the kind words :)
I think I've addressed the ending of the series above. As for future Alina and Mal scenes, I'm leaving that one open-ended.
I don't think of myself as a shipper when it comes to my own characters. But if you're asking if I always knew Mal and Alina were endgame? Yes. They both had journeys to go on. They both did some foolish and hurtful things. And they both gave up so much in the end. This has always been the story of two orphans, two people the world viewed as expendable, the things they achieved together, the damage that was done to them in the process.
I think the only thing that ever shocked or surprised me with regard to fan response was seeing someone say that the Darkling's actions were all defensible because he was "doing it for the greater good." That language gave me chills. The Darkling is meant to be a tragic character. We aren't meant to rejoice at his death. But he also doesn't get a free pass on mass murder and torture.
Thanks again!
Leigh wrote: "Alexandra wrote: 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? Li..."
"But he also doesn't get a free pass on mass murder and torture." Thank you Leigh. <3 I'm glad you feel that way too. Talked a bit about my feelings in the email I sent you. :)
Mod
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.
Last Question:
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.
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."
Good gravy. I think I've answered all of 5 people at this point. Onward I plunge!
1. It's not a mistake. "I am become" is actually perfectly correct grammatically, just an archaic way of speaking. Ancient Ravkan ;)
2. Oh, Vin, you dreadful creature. I'm not getting into mechanics, but as for whether or not they did the deed—yup. *fingers crossed for apple blossom art*
3. Hard to say, no pun intended. But I quite like the way the scene is written.
4. I'll leave that up to you :)
5. Lol. I was not. But consider me delighted by all canon and non canon smut.
Thanks for the kind words!
Hi Leigh! First of all, Ruin and Rising made me cry so much. I finished it a few days ago in the backseat of my mom's car and I was a sobbing mess. My parents kept looking back at me to make sure I was alright. Ok here are my questions:1. What color were Alina's eyes? I can't remember if it was ever mentioned.
2. Which part was the hardest to write in R&R? I read something where you said you cried while writing a couple parts so I'm pretty curious.
3. Which character(s) did you have the hardest time saying goodbye to? Like I said earlier, I was a sobbing mess when the Darkling died, and I know authors can become pretty attached to their characters.
4. Any chance we can see more of the Darkling? Maybe a...MINI SERIES??? Like what Cassandra Clare did for Magnus Bane with the Bane Chronicles. That would make me so so so happy!
Anyways, thanks so much for writing such an epic trilogy (even if you ripped me heart out and tore it into tiny pieces at the end)!
Hi Leigh, I'm a big fan of your work and would like to become an author too one day. Sometimes I don't think I'll be able to pull it off, that I won't write a story that's good enough to be published etc. So I was wondering, do you have any advise to help me (or any aspiring author) get through all this self-doubt?
Mod
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?
As I mentioned above, I'm not going to get into the specifics of Nikolai's future because there's a very good chance I'll write about the King of Scars again.
But I'll say that I think Nikolai is pretty clear about his feelings for Alina—he respects her, cares about her, considers her an ally and a friend. I think saying he was "in love" with her is a stretch, but if you read the scene during the meteor shower, he does clearly hope that they could be more to each other in time.
And as for who he's tumbled... Sturmhond doesn't kiss and tell. And he doesn't stop at kissing either.
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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
Aw! So nice to see all the Nikolai love.
Many of these answered above, so here goes...
4. Alina and Mal use the Lantsov emerald to finance the reconstruction and upkeep of the new Keramzin.
5. This has come up a few times. "Beat a tattoo" is just a turn of phrase where tattoo means rhythm. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tattoo
6. It's true! The rights to the trilogy were optioned by Dreamworks and David Heyman (Gravity, Harry Potter). As for when it might happen, we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed.
Leigh wrote: "2. Oh, Vin, you dreadful creature. I'm not getting into mechanics, but as for whether or not they did the deed—yup. *fingers crossed for apple blossom art*"
Mod
1. 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!) "
1. Possible, but not in the works currently.
2. INDEED.
3. I wrote Darkling POV for a couple of scenes in Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm. I don't know if I'll ever release it.
4. Yes and yes. One of the fundamental questions of his character is how many times you can love someone, lose that person, grieve, then do it all over again before you simply stop trying. But that's all I'll say about it for now.
5. Sorry, you'll just have to speculate ;)
6. As I said above, anything is possible.
7. I'd prefer not to get into those specifics. But one day I may write about the founding of the Second Army and how the Darkling took on his title.
8. Hmmm, he didn't call to her exactly. She only felt the pain of his grief echoing her own over the tether. If he'd wanted to present himself in a vision, he could have.
Mod
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.
There is no cure. Nor should there be.
1. Not gonna answer.
2. You want a love story too?
3. Nope.
Mod
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 "
1. Already answered!
2. This one is fun for me cuz I've been dancing around it for over a year. In the verrrrry first outline (I mean even before the books sold, so it changed early on), Vasily was going to kill Nikolai at the end of book 2 and frame Alina for the murder. And Nikolai was basically like, "Nah, girl, that's not how the story goes."
3. He has lived a long life, rich in frik frak.
4. Strictly Ballroom, The Untouchables, Room with a View, Highlander (you heard me), Romancing the Stone
5. Honestly? The backlash wasn't so bad. Early on, I got a few harsh tweets (some from people who hadn't even read the book) and I saw some of the anger from a few people on tumblr, so I was fairly freaked out. And then things got really good. I've gotten beautiful tweets, emails, and asks from so many readers—many of them people who were sad to see the Darkling go, but who still loved the ending. I got to meet so many fantastic readers and fans while touring. It's been a surprisingly wonderful time.
Leigh *clapping* You deserve more than this. Congrats for the NYT place by the way.
Mod
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! "
Hmmm, I'm tempted to skip over these, but let's go for it, shall we?
I have very little to do with promotion, but I'm guessing the Darkling was promoted because he's a fundamental part of the series and popular with readers. But I actually don't think he was more heavily promoted in the lead up to Ruin and Rising because we were so vague about EVERYTHING.
Obviously, I disagree with you re Alina's character growth. I don't expect to sway you, but here are my thoughts...
In Ruin and Rising, Alina embraces her role as a Saint when she must, faces a dictator who she knows possesses greater power than she does, learns to rely on people to help buttress her own strength, murders her best friend because she knows the sacrifice is required.
What does Alina do after she loses her power?
Brings down the most powerful Grisha in the world using her intelligence, courage, and the teachings of a woman who was her mentor and friend.
Secures a pardon for Genya.
Determines the future of the Second Army by selecting the Triumvirate (Zoya, David, and Genya) and getting Nikolai to put them in power.
And as for ending up where she began, Alina chooses to rebuild Keramzin and make it a place of love and learning where every child can be raised to be a valued citizen of the new Ravka, and where every child has a say in his or her destiny—Grisha or not. In other words, she gives orphans and refugees, the unwanted and disadvantaged, the opportunities she never had.
For me, these are not the actions of a girl who does not know her own worth. That's how I see the story, and that's why I wrote it that way.
Mod
Bless.
How can there be a sunrise in the West of Ravka with the fold being a giant wall of darkness?
Leigh wrote: "Maddie wrote: "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 c..."
HIGHLANDER!!! There can be only one! :) But really, I was such a Highlander fan (both movies and TV series) that my Alpha Psi Omega initiation name was McCloud (though whoever made up all of my initiation stuff was not a fan and therefore spelled it wrong to my immortal shame).
Mod
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. Alina has lost HER powers. The shred of the Darkling's power she retains is something separate, the remnant of their battle in the chapel. It's not something she can truly control or wield (just as the Darkling cannot truly control or wield sunlight), because it belongs to him. That's why it vanishes once the Darkling is gone.
2. Alina recognizes herself in the Darkling and has for a long time. She understands the depth of his loneliness and the way it drives him, the way power has isolated him from others and eaten away at his humanity. She IS vanquishing an enemy, but she is able to mourn him and his potential too.
3. The Darkling didn't open Fjerda's borders. He was allowed supply lines for his army. Alliances shift and the one he has forged with Fjerda is tentative at best given their hatred for Grisha. Consider the shifting alliances of World War I and II. The wars at Ravka's borders began as battles over territory, resources, treasure. They were exacerbated by the creation of the Fold which made Ravka vulnerable in a way its neighbors are not and pressed the issue of hegemony further with both the Shu and the Fjerdans.
4. The Darkling has always faced the problem of a country full of Ravkans who radically outnumber Grisha and who aren't eager to take orders from one. Consider the massive desertions after he takes power. I don't think the Darkling started out wanting to be King. He started out wanting to create a place of refuge for the Grisha and his ambition progressed over time. The Fold was created accidentally in an attempt to recreate Morozova's experiments and bolster his own power. But it put himm the Grisham and Ravka in a position of much greater vulnerability. He had to bide his time until he could find a way to sway public opinion or use the Fold to his advantage. Alina was the key to both of these things.
5. The Darkling offers his arm and she takes it. They physical contact allows her to see the room essentially through his eyes. The same thing happens in the scene when he tells her his true name.
6. Pretty sure he doesn't run around grasping Mal's wrist the way a Grisha Examiner would. But hey, I haven't read the fic.
7. Mal's mother is dead. As for Morozova...
Mod
What 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 of..."
1. You may get to find out.
2. Yup. You aren't imagining things. At least not these particular things ;)
Thank you for the awesome Q&A Leigh. <3 You are the best :)
Mod
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?"
1. They would have worked for anyone—though not a living amplifier like the Darkling.
2. All Summoners. If a Tidemaker had united the three amplifiers, they all would have become Tidemakers.
3. Yes. In a major way. The focus shifts away from Ravka in The Dregs, but its future and the future of the Grisha are still very much in play. And one of the main characters is an exiled Grisha Heartrender ;)
4. Addressed above!
5. Alina explains this during their recovery in the barn. Unlike Morozova's other amplifiers—creatures that were killed, then resurrected with the "unnatural" life of merzost—Mal has never died. He was born under ordinary circumstances but with the power of Morozova's resurrected daughter in his bones. When Alina kills him, that power i.e. the false life that animated Morozova's daughter is destroyed. It's why he loses his extraordinary tracking ability. But Mal's ordinary human life, the one he was born with remains.
Mod
Apologies for not getting to everyone's questions. I've been at this for nearly 2.5 hours and I'm afraid I've got to call it quits.
Thank you for the great questions and for participating in the read along.
I haven't been online as much lately because I'm touring and also because that last deadline for the Dregs kind of wiped me out. But I am so grateful to you guys for putting the trilogy on the NY Times list, the USA Today list, and a whole bunch of indie bookseller lists. Thank you also for the lovely asks, the beautiful art, the wonderful mixes, the enthusiastic tweets. Thank you for coming out to see me on tour and for writing kind reviews. It means so much.
I'll be traveling a lot this summer, so please pop by my web site and check out the news page to find out where I'll be. I love getting to meet you in person. And I always have treats to hand out ;)
xoxoxoxo
Leigh
Leigh wrote: "Hey guys, Apologies for not getting to everyone's questions. I've been at this for nearly 2.5 hours and I'm afraid I've got to call it quits.
Thank you for the great questions and for participa..."
Thank you Leigh for taking the time and patience to answer the questions, even though you shattered hearts by the R&R finale, and left us wallowing in a pool of our tears...
The Grisha series, despite all its highs and lows, is a thrilling joyride, and I'd just like to thank you so, so, so, very much for taking the energy to write Alina's episodes down.
Hope you have as much insight and excitement writing your next Grishaverse series, as we have in reading it. (And please don't kill
Thanks once again. =)
Thanks Leigh for answering some of our questions!!!!
Did the Darkling really have to die?
I love this Q&A!!! :) Will there be another one soon?
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I'm most curious about Baghra saying Mal "sounds like-" What?? It's killing me!