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.

Is Alina biracial in the books?

In Leigh Bardugo's “Grishavese” books , Alina is white, but the Netflix series changed Alina's race to reflect actress Jessie Mei Li's half-Chinese heritage, and as a half-Chinese person myself, I know all too well that “What are you?” is the world's worst and yet most popular guessing game for mixed-race people.

How is Alina described in the books?

As a teenager, Alina is described as a sickly, skinny girl with dull brown hair, dark circles under her eyes, and sallow skin. She is short. Her ethnicity is not explicitly described in the books.

What nationality is Alina Starkov?

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.

Is Alina mixed?

“We knew we wanted to make some changes there, and it made a lot of sense for us to write Alina as half Shu.” Alina's mixed-race status on the series led Heisserer to staff a writers' room with half mixed-race writers to write a story he wanted to show up on screen, but knew he was not able to tell himself.

Shadow and Bone's Failure At Exploring Racism (Spoiler Free Rant)

Why is Alina a half breed?

"[Alina] was really ostracized at the orphanage where she grew up, and that's why [she] and Mal got together," they explained. "Obviously, they also wanted Mal to be mixed race, so they, the two of them, the two 'half-breeds,' as they say, sort of have more in common with each other.

What race is Malyen Oretsev?

Unlike the novels, in the Netflix series, both Mal and Alina are mixed-race—part Ravkan, and part Shu-Han (in real life, Alina actress Jessie Li Mei is a Chinese-British actress, while Mal actor Archie Renaux is White English)—two countries that have long been at war with one another.

What race is Zoya?

Zoya's half-Suli heritage was only established in King of Scars. And since Zoya is born in Ravka and described as having raven hair and blue eyes, a lot of fans, including myself, assumed she was purely Ravkan.

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.)

Does Alina have white hair in the books?

Procrastinating Bibliophile Alina's hair is brown in the first book, but later turns white in either the end of the second book or the third book.

What does Alina Starkov look like in the books?

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.

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.

Is Nadia from Shadow and Bone Black?

Physical description. Nadia is a pale, apple-cheeked girl with freckles across her nose.

Was Shadow and Bone Cancelled?

Shadow and Bone season 2 is not coming to Netflix in April 2022. Even though Netflix renewed the popular fantasy show based on the book series of the same name by Leigh Bardugo for a second season all the way back in June 2021, fans are still left waiting for the release.

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.

Is the darkling in love with Alina?

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.

Why is Alina Starkov hair white?

Alina has spent two months in the underground tunnels of Ravka. She is controlled by the Apparat, who leads a cult convinced that Alina is a saint. As a result of her battle with the Darkling, Alina's hair has turned white and she is weak from being away from sunlight and her powers for so long.

Is Kirigan the black heretic?

In the big twist of season one, we find out that General Kirigan, also called the Darkling, actually is the Black Heretic. He has been alive for centuries, and created the Fold using merzost, a.k.a. the power of creation, to expand his own power and save the Grisha with him.

What race is INEJ?

Inej is Suli, who are a nomadic people of Ravka, with deep brown skin and dark hair. Based on her descriptions throughout the duology, Inej could be coded as someone from the Indian subcontinent.

How old is the darkling?

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. In season 1's episode five, he's somewhat frustrated about Luda's mortality.

What are the races in Shadow and Bone?

Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) 'Shadow and Bone' (Book 1, Grisha Trilogy) The Grishaverse (opens in new tab) is a world populated with six countries: Ravka, Shu Han, Fjerda, Kerch, Novyi Zem and the Wandering Isle.

Does Shadow and Bone have LGBT?

No, there's no gay romance in Shadow and Bone. Throughout this story, the only romance that will take place is between Alina, the protagonist, and...

What type of Grisha is mal?

While Mal is not a Grisha, he does have magical powers, which are revealed in Ruin and Rising. Mal is a human amplifier, which means a Grisha can use his powers to enhance their own.

Is Alina half Shu 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.

What country is Zemeni based on?

Bardugo apparently based the country on the American colonies and Australia, and it is seen as a haven for anyone wishing to start a new life – in particularly Grisha, known as zowa locally and who are treated with honour by the Zemeni people. The nation is named for the real Russian archipelago called Novaya Zemlya.