This post was originally published on Audible.com.
Gather round, darklings, and let us tell you the tale of Alina Starkov, the star of the Shadow and Bone by . Though the novel came out almost 10 years ago, the Grishaverse has expanded quite a bit since then. And now with the new Netflix adaptation, interest in Alina Starkov and the series at large is greater than ever. So keep reading to learn the answers to all your burning questions about Alina Starkov! (Warning: spoilers ahead!)
Who is Alina Starkov?
Alina Starkov is the main character and narrator of the Shadow and Bone trilogy. We first meet her in . She is a teenage girl who grew up an orphan of the Border Wars. When she is old enough, she joins the First Army as a cartographer. Her best friend is Malyen “Mal” Oretsev, who grew up with her at the orphanage. During a mission to cross the Fold, the dangerous barren land separating their country, Alina emits a blazing light while rescuing Mal, revealing her true identity. Alina is a Grisha, a person with a gift for Small Science: the ability to manipulate matter at its most basic form, such as controlling the elements.
Alina is thought to be the Sun Summoner, a long-rumored saint destined to defeat the Fold. She is whisked away to the Little Palace, home of the Grisha Second Army and their general, the Darkling, a Shadow Summoner and the most feared Grisha in all the land. The Darkling hopes to train Alina and hone her new power so they may defeat the Fold together. While mistreated by some of the Grisha, who are jealous of her power and the Darkling's interest in her, Alina develops feelings for the Darkling and a romance begins to blossom.
But then Baghra, who has been helping her train and is discovered to be the Darkling's mother, reveals a hard truth: Alina is simply a pawn in the Darkling's evil plot. He plans to harness her powers and use the Fold to control the world. Alina runs away from the palace with Mal. They encounter a stag, whose antlers are said to amplify her powers. When Alina can't bring herself to kill it, the Darkling destroys the animal himself. He then puts the antlers around Alina's neck, enabling him to use her powers as his own. Alina eventually manages to break free, and she and Mal run away and go into hiding.
In the second audiobook in the trilogy, , Alina and Mal attempt to lay low in a small town. When the Darkling and his Grisha find them, Alina and Mal are captured and wake up aboard the ship of a privateer named Sturmhond. He and his ship have been hired by the Darkling so he can find another creature in possession of a magical amplifier. Eventually, Alina, Mal, and Sturmhond escape, and Sturmhond reveals his true identity: Nikolai Lantsov, younger son of the King of Ravka.
Alina becomes determined to lead the Second Army, so the three travel back to Os Alta, the capital city or Ravka, together. Nikolai proposes that he and Alina get married, but she says no. Not long after, the Darkling attacks Os Alta. Fighting back, Alina defeats him using merzost, a corrupt form of Small Science, which causes her hair to turn white and nearly kills both her and the Darkling. At the end of the novel, she flees to the White Cathedral with the others.
