Alina Starkov

Grew Up… in an orphanage, after her parents died. She was teased and bullied, but she found comfort in her best friend Mal. When people came to test the children for magical powers, she sabotaged the test so she could be sure to stay with Mal in the orphanage.

Living… in the Ravkan Little Palace, custody of the army and royal family. She had been working as a cartographer, until her powers were revealed in an accident that almost cost her life. She was separated from Mal and taken to the Little Palace without her consent.

Profession… in-training as a Grisha. Grisha are magic users who typically fall into established groups of powers, but Alina can summon the light of the sun—something that has been theorized, but never seen until now. She doesn’t want to be a Grisha, though, and she really doesn’t want to be a famous one, as they are often targets for assassination.

Relationship Status… single but crushing. She hasn’t told Mal about her feelings, and she’s finding being separated from him is hard. Though she’s also developing an interest in General Kirigan, a powerful Grisha in his own right.

Challenge… mastering her powers and gaining her own autonomy. As she says, “I’m terrified of failure or success. If I really do have this power, who am I?” Her unique ability means everyone around her is interested in controlling her and using her for their own ends. Alina doesn’t know exactly what she wants, but she certainly doesn’t want to be just a pawn. And that means mastering her sun-summoning, which is proving to be elusive. 

Personality… fearful but compassionate. Alina doesn’t want to hurt anyone, and she doesn’t want to be hurt. She’s all too aware of the many dangers of the world, and her growing powers are both a danger to others and a potential danger to herself. She craves a secure connection with someone she can trust, but it’s dangerous to trust anyone in the murky political situation she’s found herself in.