Crooked Kingdom is a goddamn masterpiece and I’ll preach that everyday but I think the best thing in it which is clearly not talked about enough is that whole fucking chapter with Wylan where the ENTIRE time he’s just like:
What the hell... what am I doing here? Who are these idiots? What the fuuuuuuckk... I’m a human fucking being, Kaz
And I think that’s beautiful
six of crows duology— flower symbolism
Cross out everything you’ve ever done:
Had a beer
Smoked an entire cigarette
Written on a bathroom wall.
Read a George Orwell book.
Had a physical fight.
Used Twitter.
Listened to Lady Gaga
Been in a car accident.
Gotten suspended.
Gotten expelled.
Been allergic to something.
Got a computer virus.
Touched a real gun
Had a dog
Had a cat
Been pregnant.
Camped out
Swam in the ocean.
Wore a bikini
Driven a car
Been sent to the principal.
Ever liked someone.
Failed a class.
Failed a test.
Went to summer school.
Got worse than a D
Got A’s and B’s.
Read an entire book.
Recorded my own music
Had an xbox.
Worn heels more than 3 days in a row.
Wore fishnets.
Wore skinny jeans.
Hated someone.
Been cheated on.
Cheated on someone.
Practised Christianity.
Worn makeup.
Lied to my parents about where I was going.
Had surgery.
Had my license.
Self harmed.
Worn coloured contacts
Painted my nails black.
Broken someone’s heart.
Had my heart broken.
Cried for an hour straight
Lost something very valuable.
Got separated from one of my parents as a kid.
Broken a bone.
Gotten stung by a bee.
Eaten something bad/expired
Threw up from being so drunk.
Saw someone throw up from being so drunk.
Danced with someone of the same sex.
Owned an ipod
Owned an iphone
Fell for a best friend.
Stole a friend’s significant other.
Went far away from home for more than a week
Moved out.
Ran away.
Had a job.
Been fired.
Lied to a friend.
Lied to a family member.
Had a Facebook.
Posted a video on Youtube.
Started a rumour about someone.
Talked bad about someone
Deliberately failed a test.
Been skinny dipping.
Counted to a million.
Counted to a thousand.
Ate rabbit meat.
Ate duck meat.
Had fast food.
Been to Church.
Been to Canada
Been married.
Had a divorce.
Broke a glass.
Hugged someone today.
Texted someone today.
Received a phone call today.
Threw something out of the window.
Ignored a text from someone.
Wished you were somebody else.
Had my feelings hurt by a friend and never told them.
Been to a concert
Seen your favourite band live
Met a celebrity
Met your favourite band
Own more than 10 CD’s
samwinchesterwantsme done!
oh, to be the owner of a small bookshop on a cobblestone street with roses climbing the front of the building, where books are stacked about in piles and there’s always coffee brewing and a sleepy shop dog lifts his head at the sound of the door’s bell and thumps his tail against the hardwood
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.
When people talk about tfota they always mention Jude and cardan and sometimes heather and vivi but they never mention…
They make me feel things
“Is Inej Ghafa your real name?”
A strange sound escaped Inej’s throat, part sob, part laugh, a weak, embarrassing sound, but it had been months since she’d heard her own name, her family name. “Yes,” she managed.
“Is that what you prefer to be called?”
“Of course,” she said, then added, “Is Kaz Brekker your real name?”
“Real enough.”
six of crows by leigh bardugo
ALSO, there’s a difference between stanning Joost - who was an innocent boy who literally didn’t mean to harm anyone and was just caught in the crossfire of an experiment gone wrong - and stanning an entitled white woman who wanted to harm a girl of colour because she thought she would find glory in her death.
Basically: Dunyasha stans don’t try to excuse away your bad behaviour and learn reading comprehension 🙄