Today I'm bringing to you a post that I had been waiting for so long to out, but this last month had been so cramped with my exams and quite a couple book tours that I never had the time to work on it, but now my exams are over and it's finally HERE!!
So I know a lot more people have been loving the Grishaverse and those characters ever since the Netflix adaptation came out, which means that more and more people are on the lookout for similar content to scratch that itch until Season 2 comes out.
Kaz Brekker, played by Freddy Carter has also been one of the most popular characters, in the book series as well as the Netflix series fandom, deservedly so.
Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, Bastard of the Barrel, is an incredibly complex and well-written character. He's not a typical hero, more of a morally-grey character with certain redeemable qualities. He's someone who appears very calm, controlled and suave. He's also ruthless and can even edge on cruelty at times, borne out of a lot of trauma in his childhood, but he still has people he cares about lot.
He also represents great PTSD and disability rep, among other characters as well.
And if, like me, you love Kaz Brekker above and beyond, then you might also really love these other characters.
NOTE- Just to clarify, they won't be entirely the same, of course, but these characters will share different traits.
1) Andrew Minyard from The Foxhole Court-
Although this is a YA contemporary series, and Andrew is very much not a thief or gang leader, they surprisingly have a lot in common. Andrew mostly seems like a side-character in the first book, The Foxhole Court, but I assure you he is very important. Andrew and Kaz both have suffered a lot of trauma in their last, and have the same sort of vicious, repressed rage inside them that comes out in fits and bursts. Something that antagonizes them in the eyes of other's eyes. Andrew also faces a similar kind of aversion to skin on skin contact due to his PTSD. Both of them have created a reputation for themselves where they are feared, stayed wary of, and seem indifferent and uncaring, but are intensely protective of their loved ones.
The very repressed way, and trying to to tamo down their feelings is also similar for them when think about their love interests. Also, I wouldn't really that Kaz is goth, but he looks damn good in black. Andrew has a very similar style and aesthetic. As for the story, The Foxhole Court was one of my most interesting reads of the month and even though I haven't watched it, I've heard a lot of people say that if you love Riverdale, you'll enjoy this series.
2) Ronan Lynch from The Raven Cycle-
Again, the aesthetic is really similar- lots of black, plus I though Kaz and Crowd and Ronan with his Raven was pleasant coincidence. Another thing is that both Kaz and Ronan could have been very different versions of themselves had it not been for the death of a loved one in each of their lives and being witness to the decay on the corpse after. They were both let down by the peole they upheld the most and then robbed of their protection.
Their grief and helplessness over that loss has made them jagged and sharpened their edges, a little bit cruel and yet capable of love. Both of them can't back down from a challenge thrown their way, tongues sharp enough to cut, and a veneer that makes them feared and unapproachable. An island. As for the story as a whole, The Raven Cycle is one of the most beautiful things I've ever read, and has become one of my all-time favourites.
3) Jude Duarte from The Folk of the Air Trilogy-
I think the Folk of the Air series is popular enough that I don't need to know explain much, so I'll move right on.
Kaz and Jude may not have a similar coloured aesthetic, but they would have worked stunningly well together. Or scratch that. Let them face off.
Both of these characters are cunning and sly, ruthless and cold when they need to be, and wickedly good at getting what they want. Both of them do things that can some (a lot) of the times be cruel.
They have very questionable motivations and weak morals. They are silver tongues, nimble fingers, overweening ambition and a vicious thirst for revenge. They are morally grey characters because you can't really call what they do heroic, but not even villainous. As for the series, I think I think the Folk of the Air is a good enough time, if you love angst to the 10th degree, enemies-to-lovers, or politics.
4) Juliette Cai from These Violent Delights-
Juliette Cai, like Kaz Brekker, is a gang leader, or at least the future heir of one. Her father is the leader of the Scarlet gang- one of the most powerful gangas in Shanghai. She is still holds a lot of power in her hands and has a notorious reputation that precedes her.
Juliette has created a reputation for herself where she is feared and there are bloody stories about what happens to those who cross her.
Even though she doesn't have a stomach for too much bloodshed, she will do whatever needs to happen to get the job done. Her anger is also a lot like Kaz, where it isn't boiling rage but icy coldness and cruelty. She can contain her temper and unleash where she needs it.
She only trust people as far as she can throw them and is really really smart.
Also, just the way they feel for their love interest is really similar. You can feel the heavy angst and mixed feelings rolling off of these characters when they think about their love interest. Like, "Is it going to be a disaster for me to feel these feelings? –"Yes."
"Am I gonna do it anyway?– Yup."
5) Severin from The Gilded Wolves-
In the set-up of the story, Severin is a rich noble who has hired a crew for a heist to get back something of his family. But there a lot more sinister layers to his motivation that you can imagine.
His outside veneer is uncaring and cold. He is all business, even with peope who genuinely care about him.
He is a man with a plan, a ton of secrets and does not let people come to close to him. His face never revealing too much of what he's thinking, but he's truly, deeply hopeless when it comes to the girl he loves.
His presence is very powerful and magnetic and just very strong. I love him so much and things go wrong with that heist. All three books in this series are out now, and I am so excited to read the last one!
Let's Talk!
Thank you so much for reading till the end! I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. What are you currently reading? Have you read any of these books?
Until next time,
I hope everyone stays safe,
Bye!
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