"Fine, Make Me Your Villain".

She could fight for him, but she could not heal him. She would not waste her life trying.

One thing among infinite other things that I loved about Inej is, how always, she is her first priority. And just like that, Leigh reminded us again, that as ladies, it is not our job to heal another person. So many girls(and boys too) need to take a look at this, trying to heal them, when the said person doesn't put in as much effort as their SO does.

And my love for Kaz Brekker is just never ending. And I can see why Inej would say that Kaz is worth saving. She noticed Kaz trying. This part where he held her hand. Just that. It might be a small gesture but we can see it must take a lot of courage, for Kaz , to do that.

And I just love the effort he wants to take, he is trying to take, trying to go the extra mile. And it's not just for Inej. I feel he is doing it for himself too. And I love him so much. For all of it.

Ok so we know how Kaz was supposed to be Baz but what if another option was Zak

Zak Brekker

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.

six of crows duology— flower symbolism

Friend: are you okay?

Me:

Me:

Me:[ Kaz slowly becomes more comfortable with physical contact with Inej. They share a bed on her ship and he always slips his gloves under his pillow. Inej won't allow him under the covers if he doesn't. Without gloves or not at all. Sometimes the dark harbor and dead bodies creeps back through his dreams and he bolts from the bed in a cold sweat, thinking the body he holds is Jordie and the lapping of the water is the harbor. Kaz escapes onto deck looking over the inky black water,his fingers flexing over the lifeless wood. Sometimes Inej will slip from the sheets to go stand silently beside his side until his hand seeks out her warm fingers, reminding himself who she was. That she was alive and breathing. That he wasn't that eight year old boy anymore. Sometimes she stays in bed and he doesn't return till the morning. ]

Me: I'm fine

Kaz is such a fucking SOFTIE deep down, it cracks me up every time. “My mother is the harbor, my father is greed” and then turns around to make sure the flowers they use in their escape are Inej’s favorites. Gets Jesper’s guns back for him even though he doesn’t have to. Allows and in fact encourages Nina to embrace her new powers. Goes out of his way to mentor Wylan. Asks Matthias to keep Mrs. Van Eck calm and comfortable even though it would’ve been easier to torture her. Essentially said he *missed* Jesper. Like??? What a soft little murderous gangster.

No cause what if Locke had a crush on Cardan the whole time

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?!?!!

CROOKED KINGDOM AND RULE OF WOLVES SPOILER

“Go little rockstar” but it’s Matthias watching Nina have mercy on his people

To any suicidal followers I may have: This is a sign to not kill yourself. You are loved and the world is special because you are in it. Keep holding on.

Reblog this when it’s on your dash. You will save someone’s life.