Shadow and Bone
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Jessie Mei Li has made a wonderful Alina thus far.
I believe her wholesome naivete entirely its never annoying, only heartbreaking.
Shes not acting irrationally, or greedily, or along cliched paths of bad fictional-character decision-making.
Shes just a good-hearted teenager swept up into a dazzling machine by a powerful and wildly charming sociopath.
When he says, I always have hope, Mother.
Even you cant kill that, its purposely jarring.
(Its definitely manufactured consent either way.)
Cynical, shrewish crones with no fucks left to give, except where it counts?
Fearless, crotchety old bitches with no patience for polite society or teenage fantasies or the condescension of children?
Baghra is the hero none of us deserve.
Its an emotionally truthful moment in the books that makes me love her all the more.
Id read a prequel novella about Baghras tragedy in a heartbeat.)
Luckily, Mal escapes, and overhears Baghra and Kirigans face off in the courtyard on his way out.
(In Kazs defense, hedidcall him limping man.
Real grade-A work.)
Admittedly, Alinas escape is well-timed perhaps too well-timed for a number of reasons.
Id really take a stab at be mad about this, but you see: Kit Young.
The whole thing is worth it for his smug little just ask sequence alone.
Interior Monologue
The leader of the Pomdrakon Players hashugemlady energy.
Its made even cringier when Alina and Genya see hes cast a white dancer to play Alina.
The way Alinas face shifts around on top of Maries before Genya wipes it away is pure uncanny valley.
Why is David making eye contact with people?
Why is David a goth now?
Why has David joined the Black Parade?
Arkens lodestone is literally just a big magnet.
His contribution to the heist is a magnet.In case that wasnt clear.
This is a much cleaner, more meaningful sacrifice.
Sol Koroleva, the name the Apparat uses with Alina on the staircase, means Sun Queen.
A spicy little bit of from-the-books satisfaction before it all comes crashing down on our sweet summer summoner.
Im trying to remove it.)
The fete was just horny in general, actually!
