Lady Asha: My Son Isn’t Perfect And That’s On Him He Messed Himself Up Fr

So, everyone keeps complaing about what Cardan did in the end of twk but I'm like??? I have never been more proud of someone in my life like HELL YES Cardan is THE perfect High King, where he bleeds things grown. He had such amazing growth and he is so strong now and I am proud proud proud I love him

I love Cardan’s story arc. Like, love love love. 

And I won’t complain about what Cardan did when he exiled Jude (though it did break my heart a little because THEY MADE SO MUCH PROGRESS). BUT I also understand that he was trying to protect her. And, looking at the language, I mean…Jude is royal! She can say “hey my exile is over I’m coming back now” and she can. She’s just way too stubborn to even realize it. She’s just all “oh my god I’m so mad” and I mean I would be too, like being exiled from the place you call home is heartbreaking. 

I digress. 

Point is, I agree with you about Cardan. He’s opening up, we’re learning what he’s been through and why he’s had to become what people would consider a monster, and we learn that hey, maybe he doesn’t want to be cruel or wicked. Maybe, deep down, he wants to do good. And the land thriving off of him, the power he’s receiving, well, I think he wants to do good with it. He wants to be king and wants to do right for his people. And Jude. 

But he still has a long way to go. 

SIX OF CROWS AND CROOKED KINGDOM SPOILERS

I love this scene

I think one of my favorite aspects of the Six of Crows duology is the fact that Kaz and Inej do not end up together.

And that’s not because I don’t ship them.

It’s because Inej, unlike so many YA heroines, isn’t what “heals” Kaz. Her love doesn’t magically fix him or make him a better person. He wants to change for her– he wants to get over his phobia of human touch. He wants her to love him. But it isn’t some overnight happening. He doesn’t suddenly overcome his affliction because of his love for her.

In the end, Kaz is still morally ambiguous, sometimes outright corrupt, and still has severe PTSD trauma.

And while Inej might love Kaz despite those things, she is not willing to lower her worth to accept them in a relationship. “I will have you without your armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.”

That was one of the most powerful YA heroine lines to her love interest that I’ve ever read. So many fictional girls (and real girls, for that matter) stay in the hopes of fixing a man, of healing his brokenness. Inej wants to heal him, but she understands that she cannot. Only Kaz can heal himself. Only he can want it enough to change. And it won’t be some overnight affair. Wanting to change and actually changing are two entirely different things. Kaz will have to go through agonizing changes if he ever wants to grow.

So far, he has accepted that he is the “demon of the barrel”. He still wants to burn the world down. He is still angry and hurting. He talks about wondering why over the years, with every violent turn his life takes, why his phobia has only gotten worse. It’s because he’s let himself rot in it. He’s stripped any and all goodness in the world down to the barest threads.

That’s why he is not ready for Inej. Inej, who might have her own issues and flaws, but who still has hope for a better world. Who is still willing to fight for it.

It’s not Kaz’s inability to touch her that she wants him to work on. It’s his mindset. His finality in the evil in his heart and his acceptance of it. He will never get over his phobia until he can understand goodness, the goodness of touch, the goodness of man.

And Inej will not accept him while he still holds on to that armor of hatred. And I think that is beautiful. It is healthy. It shows a level of self-respect that is often sadly absent from our fiction today.

Am I he only one who just doesn’t get why people flop their shit over Leigh Bardugo? Alina was forgettable chosen one, the Darkschlong a total stereotype bad boy, and Kaz brekker is an abusive asshole with a sad wittle backstory yet everyone drools over him. Now i can’t be on twitter bc everyone I follow is shitting themselves over the Netflix announcement.

the books are certainly not without their faults and they obviously won’t appeal to everyone (i used to date someone who disliked SOC bc he found the heist required too much suspension of disbelief), but i really enjoyed both series and they’ve made Leigh one of my favorite authors. plus, i’m glad they’re doing these books over most of the other popular YA fantasies out there–although i would kill to get a Winner’s Curse show bc can you imagine the epic?!?!!

Can we please stop making people feel awful for shipping a problematic ship or for liking a problematic character? I've seen people accuse others for encouraging pedophilic behaviour simply because they ship an immortal with a mortal, and for encouraging abusive behaviour simply because they ship an enemies to lovers ship.

Certain self-righteous people tend to forget this is fictional characters we're talking about, and you can't judge a person from that. The characters you love or the ships you ship don't make you a bad person or a good one. If you like a perfectly healthy relationship, or are in love with the kind, cinnamon roll character, good for you. If you like that borderline abusive, slightly problematic ship, it doesn't make you a bad person, no matter what anyone says.

Additionally, this blog supports shipping "problematic" shipping, because fiction and fanfiction is not reality.

Whoever or whatever you like in characters and ships doesn't define your personality. Fandoms are treated as an escape from reality for most people, and that sort of behaviour makes our fandoms toxic which helps no one and nothing.

Cardan looks like he would play an instrument like the piano or something but all he does is play with his heart

haha

I hear you and I raise it.

Kaz: If any Razorgulls encroach on fifth harbor again show them no mercy

The Dregs:…. yes sir

Kaz: can I help you

The Dregs staring at Inej and Kaz wearing matching sweaters: nope

Inej and Kaz are definitely not big on public displays of affection, but just think for a moment about how hilarious it would be if they were. Like can you imagine if your boss (who is like 20 max) has this super tiny super sweet gf who leans on him all the time and you just have to take orders from this chronically angry guy who is constantly hanging onto his girl like

Kaz, as serious as ever: if you see any Blacktips take them down. We don’t want them talking

The Dregs: … okay

Kaz: what

The Dregs, staring at Inej, who’s got her arms wrapped around Kaz’s stomach and her head leaning on his arm: nothing

Cruel prince reader here: NOPE can't do it! Valerian forced her to the ground and made her eat fearie apple which makes her lose control of her body and mind. Sound very similar to date rape drug. Like I know it's called CRUEL prince but I figured the way everyone was stanning Jude and Cardan that he wasn't gonna be too bad. Sure he wasn't the 1 who did that but some shit just crosses the line and he has to be help responsible for the actions of friends trying to impress him. Tumblr is fucked up

Okay. 

I’m going to start with the Faerie apple scene, and then I’ll discuss Cardan and Jude.

Faerie is a dangerous world, right? So dangerous for mortals, in fact, that they cannot eat the food without salt, they can’t eat certain apples, they must go around with rowan berries to avoid charms, etc. etc. The world Holly Black creates is scary, and cruel, and one you would not want to live in. 

However, this is Jude’s home. She’s been forced to grow up here. She’s been forced to live and survive despite the cruelty around her, and she’s survived. In fact, she’s incredibly brave for not only learning how to live in this world, but also standing up to those who aim to hurt her. 

And Jude, for so long, has been keeping herself safe. This moment of eating the Faerie apple, then, while horrible, reminds Jude, and by extension, us (the readers), that Faerie isn’t a safe place. Any safety that Jude had felt up to this moment is gone. She’s vulnerable and can’t stand up for herself and it is cruel. Horrible. Terrifying. It’s a reminder that this world is not meant for mortals, that dangers lurk in every crevice, and even out in the open. It’s a reminder to us, too, that Jude isn’t invincible. She’s human, just like us. 

Now, onto Cardan. 

I’m not just going to say ‘Faeries are cruel,’ because sure, they can be, but Cardan does need to be held responsible for his actions. He and his behavior shouldn’t be written off. 

He’s a bully. He causes pain. And yes, when Jude and Taryn were thrown into the river, he does try to end it sooner. If I’m not mistaken, too, he does try to get his friends to stop their actions in the Faerie fruit scene. But yes, he is cruel, and treats mortals terribly, and treats lots of people terribly, actually, but he was also abused. Is abused. That’s not an excuse for his behavior. Don’t get me wrong: he treats others with immense cruelty at times, and that shouldn’t be ignored or excused. But, it is all he knows. There’s more about why Cardan’s the way he is in the sequel, The Wicked King, but the little moments we catch of how he’s treated by Balekin helps to explain his cruelty. 

That all being said, I think the characters of Jude and Cardan are very dynamic, and as the book (and sequel) show, they aren’t just the badass and cruel characters that we originally met. They are both vulnerable and have been through traumatizing and horrible experiences and that does, inevitably, shape who they become. Ultimately, though, it’s not who they have to be. And I think that both Jude and Cardan are learning that. Particularly Cardan. 

So yes. There are incredibly cruel moments in the book. I think that was going to be unavoidable, particularly when Holly Black’s created such a dangerous world. But those moments don’t necessarily undermine the rest of the book, or the series. 

This scene, honestly. I just love it. especially the part where Kaz says "that's the laugh".🧡😭🧡.

Also... That little "is my tie straight" vulnerability from Kaz is one of the most precious things I have read.

And also that "He had his arm around her".

The fact that they both had such deep wounds and their PTSD. And also maybe because they never really had any kissing scenes, my brain has just made all of of their encounters super intimate. And. I.cant.stop.crying.

I just love this scene so much.

But wasn’t that what every girl dreamed? That she’d wake and find herself a princess? Or blessed with magical powers and a grand destiny? Maybe there were people who lived those lives. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary.

That was how you survived when you weren’t chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.

Crooked Kingdom, page 460