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Darklina 101
This is a summary of the story between the Darkling & Alina in S&B.
Spoilers
This is a summary of the story between the Darkling & Alina in S&B.
Spoilers
Alina Starkov is a 17yo girl who grew up with her bestie Mal in an orphanage in Keramzin, in the fictional country of Ravka. She works as a junior cartographer in the King’s First Army.
She’s got an unrequited crush on Mal, who also works in the army, as a tracker.
She’s got an unrequited crush on Mal, who also works in the army, as a tracker.
Physically, she’s described as being plain, sickly and thin. She tires easily and has a hard time sleeping. She’s also sassy, funny, loyal and smart, but is often overlooked by pretty much everyone (not for long though)
In this world, there are regular folks and then there are Grisha, people with special abilities (like summoning the elements and manipulating matter). They are generally regarded with trepidation and a degree of distrust by Ravkans, and other kingdoms actively persecute them.
They wear a specific uniform called a kefta and are divided into three groups based on their specific abilities — Corporalki, Etherealki and Materialki. Each group’s kefta is a different colour.
The Darkling is the leader of the King’s Second Army, the Grisha. He has the ability to summon shadows & use the Cut; basically slash people in half.
He looks young but is ancient and very powerful. He’s also the only one permitted to wear a black kefta (he’s an aesthetic hoe)
He looks young but is ancient and very powerful. He’s also the only one permitted to wear a black kefta (he’s an aesthetic hoe)
The story begins with Alina getting ready to cross the Shadow Fold, a territory full of monsters called volcra. During the crossing, they are attacked. When Mal is injured, Alina manifests a powerful light that effectively kills the Volcra. She is then taken to see the Darkling.
The Darkling draws out her dormant powers by way of making a small cut on her arm. As it turns out, Alina is Grisha, too. A Sun Summoner — essentially, the Darkling’s polar opposite — incredibly powerful and extremely rare.
She is taken to the Little Palace (where the Grisha live and train) but is attacked on the way there. The Darkling comes to the rescue in the most dramatic way possible and uses the Cut to kill her attacker.
They have a little heart-to-heart and it’s cool, it’s chill, just two pals chatting, y’know
Basically, Alina’s power — her light — can destroy the Shadow Fold and allow free transit within Ravka, something that hasn’t been possible because of the murderous monsters that inhabit it. So yeah, she’s super valuable.
Alina refuses the matchy-matchy couple’s kefta the Darkling offers her because she doesn’t want to stand out even more. She chooses instead to wear blue, like the other Etherealki — of which she is part of, being a summoner— which is sad because it would’ve been SEXY but whatevs
She begins her training but feels out of place bc she can’t summon her light on her own. The Darkling offers to find her an amplifier — a token to magnify her powers (the Darkling himself is a living amplifier, which is why she feels that surge of energy when she touches him)
Eventually, Alina manages to release the block she had on her abilities and grows in strength and health. She realizes that the reason why she was always sick growing up is because she wasn’t using her powers and was holding herself back.
Later, she runs into the Darkling, who updates her on the status of the hunt for Morozova’s stag, her amplifier. There’s some flirty banter and they share a moment
a moment
He leaves shortly after and do you think Alina forgets all about him? Nay, nay. The exact opposite, in fact. Baghra, her tutor, takes a certain kind of twisted pleasure in mocking her for it.
At the Grand Palace’s winter fete, things take a turn. First, the Darkling returns and makes his intentions known by sending Alina a black kefta with his symbol to wear. Then, they perform together at the ball. It’s hot.
And then... things progress much, much further 
but they are interrupted. This is generally where a lot of fics take creative liberty and simply continue the scene (as they should)
but they are interrupted. This is generally where a lot of fics take creative liberty and simply continue the scene (as they should)
Right after Alina leaves the party, Mal (whom Alina hadn’t heard from since leaving for the Palace) makes an appearance and throws a bit of a jealous fit. She discovers he was one of the trackers hunting for the amplifier
That’s when Baghra reveals the truth: The Darkling is the one who created the Shadow Fold and he has no plans to destroy it — only to expand it, with Alina’s help. She is floored by the betrayal. Baghra begs Alina to run before it’s too late, and she does, meeting up with Mal.
Alina and Mal decide to try to find the stag before the Darkling so he can’t use the collar to control Alina. But just as they find it — and right when they’re having a romantic moment — the Darkling appears, overtakes them, and kills the stag.
He puts the collar on Alina, gaining control over her power. He threatens to kill Mal if Alina doesn’t cooperate and things get *angsty*
+ the ICONIC “Make me your villain” LINE
+ the ICONIC “Make me your villain” LINE
The next day, they go to the Shadow Fold and through Alina’s power, the Darkling attacks West Ravka. When he throws Mal overboard, Alina is able to regain control of herself. She jumps from the ship and leaves the Darkling and the other Grisha behind with the volcra.
Annnnnd that’s it. The first book ends with Alina and Mal leaving Ravka behind.
Fics if you’re in the mood to jump right in https://twitter.com/galacticidiots/status/1347666697021509639
