My Villain, My Balance

"You might make me a better man."
"And you might make me a monster."
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

PREVIEW:

"I could not see it at the time," I told the Darkling. "I was too blinded by your half-truths and seduction to see clearly. You claimed me that day at the Grand Palace when you grabbed my hand in front of the King, demonstrating to the world that you had a naive Sun Summoner under your control. But I will never be yours."

His colorless eyes flashed with fury and something that made them look hollow. Soulless. Inhuman. "Fine, make me your villain." I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. "But you are still my soldier," he fumed. "In my army. You are mine whether you like it or not."

"I will put my self-worth before duty," I said coldly.

We glared at each other through the mirror. Then, the Darkling's scowl seemed to fade leaving an unsettling glimmer of fire in his eyes. He leaned down leveling his mouth with my cheek. His lips brushed the shell of my ear when he whispered, "I will break you eventually. With time, you will see."

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If the Darkling succeeded in making Alina a monster, what would Alina act like under the Darkling's spell. Would she be cold and callous or would she try to fight it-would she try to be good? If you read my other Darklina book "The True Saint", this one is the opposite (although it does not connect with my other book so it can be read separately). Instead of Alina making Aleksander a better man, she becomes a monster. This takes place the night of the Winter Fete and continues until the end of Ruin & Rising. What would happen if Alina did not run that night and instead confronted the Darkling about her new knowledge of the Black Heretic? This book is a retelling of the Grisha trilogy if she had stayed-combining elements of the books and the show.
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Cover art by: morgana0anagrom

Characters and universe created by: Leigh Bardugo

#1 darklina 3/28
#1 thegrishaverse 12/29
#2 alina 1/14