Nichevo'ya (or "the nothings") are shadow creatures created by the Darkling through the use of merzost (creation).
History[]
Siege and Storm[]
The Darkling demonstrates his ability to conjure the nichevo'ya when he ambushes Alina Starkov and Malyen Oretsev. One of the nichevo'ya bites Alina's shoulder, leaving lasting pain and a welt.
Ruin and Rising[]
At the end of the book, the Darkling reveals his vast amount of power by turning Nikolai Lantsov into a nichevo'ya. Nikolai is only able to return to his normal self after Alina kills the Darkling, and later describes his experiences as a nichevo'ya, revealing that while he was the creature, he could not read.
Etymology[]
Nichevo'ya means "nothings" in Russian. The Darkling chose the name in hopes of mitigating the fear the creatures inspired in his closest allies.[1]
Trivia[]
- Nichevo'ya are part of the Darkling and do not have free will.[2]