Does the darkling love Alina in the books?

Bardugo, the author of the Grishaverse novels as well as executive producer of the show, walks a very fine line. She doesn't objectively romanticize the Darkling, but lead character Alina Starkov, against her will and better judgement, does, to an extent.
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Did Alina darkling love in the books?

To say the truth,The Darkling,at first,in Shadow and Bone,seemingly had some real feelings for Alina because be kissed her by the lake. But at the end of the book he put the necklace..." Perhaps. I think he felt very affectionate towards her, but the power he was feeling corrupted his morals.
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Do Alina and darkling end up together in the books?

Ultimately, though, Mal and Alina are endgame. After three books of will they or won't they, Alina's dalliance with the Darkling, and near-engagement to Nikolai, the pair end up together running the old orphanage where they grew up in Keramzin.
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Does Alina kiss the darkling in the books?

Alina kisses The Darkling first in 'Shadow and Bone'

In Bardugo's first novel, which is also titled Shadow and Bone, Kirigan kisses Alina without warning. The first kiss between the two characters differed in the show, and instead, Alina makes the first move.
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Does darkling fall in love Alina?

Ben Barnes himself agrees, as he relayed in a separate interview with Collider's Christina Radish in which he admits that he finds the Darkling's abuse of power disturbing, but also believes the Darkling genuinely fell for Alina: “I certainly judged the character.
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Did the darkling really love Alina?



Did the darkling have a wife?

Many centuries ago, known then as the Black Heretic, the Darkling returned home to his partner Luda, who was also a Grisha Healer.
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What chapter do the darkling and Alina kiss?

We're talking the Darkling and Alina's two insanely steamy kisses in Episode 5.
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Is Alina part Shu in the books?

Meet the Cast of “Jupiter's Legacy”

The series protagonist, Alina Starkov, we are told, was born in the border regions of Shu Han and Ravka and is herself part Shu. In the book series, however, Alina was full Ravkan, Ravka being the Grishaverse's stand-in for Czarist Russia.
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Why does the darkling kiss Alina?

After Alina finally accepted her powers, the Darkling visited her again during a training session. He had still not found Morozova's stag whose antlers he had promised her but he asked that she have faith in him, and then he kissed her to both of their surprise.
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How old is Alina in the books?

In the books, the Darkling appears to be only a few years older than Alina, who is 17.
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Is Alina in six of crows?

Alina isn't a part of the Six of Crows duology (although characters from those books are used in the Shadow and Bone series on Netflix.)
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Do the darkling and Alina kiss in siege and storm?

Over the other's protests, Alina orders Tolya and Tamar to prevent Mal from stopping her from surrendering to the Darkling. She promises Mal that she has always loved him and that their story will never end, and then goes to the Darkling and kisses him.
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Did Luda love darkling?

In the cold open for episode seven, "The Unsea," the audience finally learns more about General Kirigan (also referred to as "the Darkling"). The show flashes back hundreds of years and shows how General Aleksander Kirigan was once in love with a healer named Luda.
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Does Kirigan actually like Alina?

Despite Kirigan's attractiveness, this is obviously a big no-no for Alina and she ditches her romantic feelings for him. In the end, she's reunited with Mal, and though they do not exactly define their relationship, they might not have to.
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Did Zoya sleep with Mal?

The only real difference in behaviour is that Mal doesn't sleep with Zoya when they meet in the first episode (episode 1 minute 17:59), which we are told that he does in the book.
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Do Mal and Alina kiss In Shadow and Bone book?

In a recent interview with Collider, showrunner Eric Heisserer discussed all things Shadow and Bone, touching on why season 1 did not include more kissing. Fans were especially displeased the show excluded a romantic moment from the books in which Alina and Mal (Archie Renaux) kiss.
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Is the darkling evil in the books?

In the books, the Darkling (Ben Barnes) is pretty much straight-up evil. He's still pretty evil on the show, but we get to see more of how he became the way he is.
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How is Alina Starkov described in the book?

Alina Starkov is described as somewhat small, pale, and mousy, having often been frail and sickly as a child. As a teen, she is skinny with dull brown hair and eyes; once she begins training with her Grisha power, she becomes healthier, physically and in appearance. She has a scar across her right palm.
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What race is Alina in the books?

In the books by Leigh Bardugo, Alina is described simply as a "pale" girl, but in the show she is half Shu — a fictional nationality roughly analogous to being East Asian in the "Grishaverse." Showrunner Eric Heisserer explained the reason for this change in an interview with The Wrap.
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Is Alina mentioned in King of Scars?

Alina did not return in King of Scars, but there are several sneaky (and-not-so-sneaky) references to her presence in the Grishas' world.
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What does the darkling want with Alina?

Though the Darkling may not have created the Shadow Fold intentionally, he never actually wanted Alina to destroy it. The only mistake that General Kirigan is seeking to fix is his loss of control over the Fold, and his true intention was to use Alina's power to expand and weaponize it.
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How old is the darkling in the book?

The Shadow Fold was created roughly 400 years prior to the events of the series and the Darkling was already an adult by then. An estimate would put him at 500 years of age, if not a bit older.
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Who is the healer the darkling loved?

Luda was a Grisha Healer and the Darkling's partner until her untimely death.
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Who does Nikolai end up with?

Nikolai asks Alina to return with him to Ravka and help him to defeat the Darkling. He also proposes marriage to her, suggesting that such an alliance would make both of them stronger and allow them to unite the First and Second Armies against the Darkling.
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Do Nikolai and Zoya end up together?

In Rule of Wolves, Zoya confesses that she loves Nikolai, and at the end of the book, it is implied that Zoya and Nikolai intend to marry.
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