The Ravkan civil war is a coup-based civil conflict that vaguely takes place during the events of the original trilogy. The moment it becomes an official war is unclear, but the chaos is set in motion by the Darkling’s first attempt to depose the King, Alexander III, with severe poisoning. Key players include Nikolai Lantsov, Alina Starkov, and the Darkling. During the war, a lot of Grisha fled the fighting and paid their way to Kerch by becoming indentures without realizing that they'd essentially sold themselves into slavery.
History[]
Alexander III falls ill once the Darkling has Morozova's stag and Alina Starkov in his power. The King is kept confined to his chambers away from everyone but court doctors. With the Apparat ruling in his stead, news of the King's situation is hidden from the ministers and court as long as possible, until they break their way into his find him ill in bed. The Darkling forces Alina to expand the Shadow Fold through Novokribirsk, causing a massacre. Alina and Malyen Oretsev flee to Novyi Zem.
With King Alexander III alive and news of Novokribirsk spreading, many Grisha defect to the Darkling's side. Those who do not support him remain at the Little Palace under the King's rule. The Darkling begins hunting Alina and Mal. When he finds them, he holds them prisoner on a whaler to find and capture the sea whip, which is crucial to his success in the war. Luckily, Nikolai Lantsov, as Sturmhond, takes the sea whip, Alina, and Mal for himself. With the hopes of saving Ravka from the Darkling, Nikolai parades Alina around villages to announce her return and restore moral in the common citizens. They arrive in Os Alta and Alina becomes the Commander of the Second Army. While Os Alta prepares for war with the Darkling, they bulk up defense at the borders.
During Nikolai's birthday party, Vasily Lantsov reveals an alliance with Fjerda which opened key routes to Os Alta. In reality, Fjerda allied with the Darkling. The Darkling and his forces attack the capital resulting in mass casualties of the remaining Grisha and Lantsov line. Nikolai escapes with his parents to the Spinning Wheel while Alina faces off with the Darkling in the Royal Chapel. Alina and the Darkling barely escape with their lives. Due to the extent of Alina's injuries, she is brought into hiding once more: this time in the White Cathedral. With the King and Queen out of the capital, the Darkling takes the throne as Tsar. The First Army begins to desert to either the Darkling or Nikolai Lantsov.
Alina heals in the White Cathedral under the Apparat's watchful eye until the remainder of the Grisha and Alina's guard breaks the ceiling to restore her powers. They leave for the surface to find Nikolai and the firebird, their key to defeating the Darkling. Nikolai finds them first, bringing everyone to the Spinning Wheel. During this time, West Ravka declares for Nikolai. This means that the Darkling lost major coastlines for ammunition and supplies. Nikolai and Alina take their time at the Spinning Wheel to gather their forces and plan their diplomatic meeting in Ketterdam with West Ravka. When Alexander III learns of Genya Safin's presence, he calls her for trial as a traitor to the crown. Genya reveals his crimes of rape. Nikolai gives his father the choice of trial for rape or abdication and exile to the Southern Colonies.
With the King and Queen shipped off, Nikolai and Alina are about to fly off to Ketterdam when the Darkling attacks the Spinning Wheel. After Nikolai gets turned into a nichevo'ya, Baghra sacrifices herself so Alina and her crew can escape. They escape and search for the firebird in the Sikurzoi. During this time, the Apparat agrees to send forces to Caryeva to aid Alina per her request. Right as they find it, Alina and Mal realize that the third amplifier is Mal. The Darkling talks to Alina through their amplifier tether, telling her that he has taken the Grisha students from the school and that in five days he will be entering the Fold. He also shows her Keramzin, burnt down with Ana Kuya and Botkin Yul-Erdene's corpses strung from a tree. During the preparations for the hostage rescue, Alina meets up with the twelve Soldat Sol that the Apparat sent.
The final battle on the Fold consists of Alina's forces on foot and the Darkling's forces on a sandskiff. Alina, wanting to avoid killing Mal for his power, decides they will camouflage themselves with her power alongside the Squallers' acoustic blankets to stay hidden from the enemy. Her goal is to get the Grisha students, who she assumes are hidden belowdecks, to safety. They use lumiya to provide a backup source of light for emergencies. Alina manages to get onto the sandskiff completely camouflaged until the Darkling finds her. With her arm shot and stepped on, Alina's camouflage and light source is gone. She quickly uses their tether to escape from the skiff. Mal finds her and she stabs him, completing Morozova's experiments. Mal's amplified life dies and Alina's powers with it. In return, the otkazat'sya around her gain the power to summon the sun. As their power destroys the Fold, the Darkling cried out in rage at the loss of Alina's powers. Alina takes the knife with Mal's blood, wrapped in a scrape of the Darkling's power- and stabs him in the heart. The Fold dissolves, Nikolai returns to his human form, and Mal comes back from the brink of death.
After the war, Nikolai swoops right into his role as leader, installing himself in the royal quarters to assemble First Army leaders and Grisha commanders. By Alina's request, Zoya Nazyalensky, Genya Safin, and David Kostyk become the newly formed Grisha Triumvirate. With Alina and the Darkling presumed dead, they hold a funeral service for the both of them. The Apparat holds the service in Kribirsk. Nikolai is coronated as the new King of Ravka.