Chapter 43: Zoya — Summary, Analysis, and Study Notes
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Zoya, now in dragon form after her transformation, flees the battlefield and lands in a cave north of Os Kervo, seeking a moment of solitude to process what she has become. Juris's knowledge guides her to the cave, and she struggles to reconcile her new senses—keener sight, sharper smell, and an overwhelming emotional connection to everyone around her—with her sense of self. She reflects on her choice to spare the Fjerdans, recognizing that her instinct for vengeance comes from a wounded past, but she allows herself to consider that peace might be worth pursuing.
Nina, who has been riding with Zoya, insists on returning to Leviathan's Mouth to resume her undercover mission as Mila Jandersdat. Zoya protests, warning that the Apparat may still be alive and her cover compromised, but Nina is resolute. Zoya reluctantly agrees, flying Nina back to the naval base while shrouding them in mist. As they approach, Zoya notes the chaos aboard the base—boats and rafts moving constantly as the battle has stalled.
Before parting, Nina warns Zoya to tell the king that Prince Rasmus cannot be trusted. She explains that Hanne still hopes for him, but Rasmus is not who they believed him to be. Zoya creates a distraction by bursting through the mist and releasing lightning, allowing Nina to slip back onto the base unnoticed. Zoya senses Nina's longing for someone warm and bright—a pull toward a person in Fjerda—and wonders whether she should warn her about the dangers of falling in love undercover, but ultimately accepts that Nina's heart cannot be contained.
Zoya circles the battlefield and observes the Fjerdans retreating. She sees the bodies and feels the grief of soldiers tending to their wounded, but finds no trace of the Darkling or his followers. She knows his presence on the battlefield was significant, but she cannot guess his intent.
Returning to the Ravkan camp at Pachesyana, Zoya loses control of her dragon form and falls. Nadia breaks her fall with a gust of air, and Nikolai catches her, his worry washing over her. She learns that a truce has been called and that Fjerda has requested talks in Os Kervo. The group—Tolya, Tamar, Nadia, Leoni, Adrik, and Genya—reunites around her. Zoya reports that Fjerda's crown prince offers no help, but Tamar notes that an entire battlefield just declared Zoya a Saint, and Nikolai clarifies that the Darkling made the declaration.
Zoya discovers she is now wearing Juris's dragon-scale armor, which fits like a second skin. Tolya and Tamar explain that the khergud fought on their side but had to disappear to avoid questions. Nikolai reveals that Fjerda has called for an assembly of Ravka's highest-ranking nobles to push the issue of succession, and he has ordered airships to bring them to Os Kervo. He plans to face them directly, hoping to secure his legitimacy as king despite his bastardy and the revelation of his demon form. Frustrated by the political maneuvering, Zoya declares she is going to go live in a cave.
Key Events
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Zoya lands in a cave near Os Kervo to regain control of her dragon form and process her transformation.
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Nina insists on returning to Leviathan's Mouth to continue her undercover mission; Zoya reluctantly flies her back.
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Nina warns that Prince Rasmus cannot be trusted, and Zoya creates a lightning distraction so Nina can rejoin the base unnoticed.
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Zoya surveys the battlefield, confirms the Fjerdans are retreating, and finds no sign of the Darkling.
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Zoya loses control of her dragon form while landing at the Ravkan camp; Nadia breaks her fall.
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The group informs Zoya that a truce has been called and Fjerda has requested talks in Os Kervo.
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Zoya learns she has been declared a Saint by the Darkling and now wears Juris's dragon-scale armor.
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Nikolai reveals he has summoned Ravka's nobles to Os Kervo for an assembly on succession, planning to defend his claim to the throne.
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Zoya, overwhelmed, announces she will go live in a cave.
Character Development
Zoya undergoes the most significant shift in this chapter. Her transformation into a dragon is not merely physical; it forces her to confront her emotional walls. She feels the fear, grief, and joy of those around her, and she finds this connection terrifying—yet she acknowledges that she has opened the door and cannot close it. Her internal debate about sparing the Fjerdans reveals growth: she recognizes the voice of vengeance as belonging to a hurt child, and she allows herself to consider peace. Her decision to let Nina return to her mission, despite her protective instincts, shows respect for Nina's agency and a willingness to trust her training.
Nina demonstrates her commitment to her mission and her independence. She refuses Zoya's attempts to bring her home, insisting her work is incomplete. Her warning about Prince Rasmus shows her growing disillusionment with the Fjerdan prince, while her joy and anticipation suggest she has found something—or someone—worth returning for.
Nikolai appears pragmatic and strategic. Despite the physical toll of battle, he immediately pivots to the political fight ahead, summoning the nobles to Os Kervo rather than allowing them time to scheme. His acknowledgment of his bastardy and his demon form shows his willingness to face hard truths head-on.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Identity and Transformation: Zoya's dragon form represents both power and instability. She cannot maintain it indefinitely, and she struggles to understand who she is now that she carries Juris's essence. Her scale armor—Juris's armor—symbolizes the weight of the identity she has inherited.
Peace vs. Vengeance: Zoya's internal conflict about sparing the Fjerdans frames the chapter's central moral question. She chooses to believe that peace is possible, even as she acknowledges the pull of her own fury.
The Cost of Power: Zoya's new abilities come with an emotional burden—she feels everyone's pain and joy, and the exhaustion of this connection nearly causes her to crash. The chapter emphasizes that power is not free.
Choice and Agency: Nina's insistence on returning to her mission, and Zoya's decision to let her go, highlight the importance of individual choice. Zoya's final declaration that she will live in a cave is a rejection of the political games around her, a choice to step away.
Political vs. Military Victory: The chapter shifts from the battlefield to the negotiating table, suggesting that Fjerda's retreat is not the end of the conflict but the beginning of a new, political phase.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 43 marks a turning point in the novel's final act. Zoya's transformation is now public—she has been declared a Saint, and her dragon form has been witnessed by an entire battlefield. This changes her role in the story from a powerful Grisha to a figure of mythic significance. The chapter also sets up the political climax: the assembly in Os Kervo, where Nikolai will have to defend his legitimacy against Ravka's nobles. Nina's warning about Prince Rasmus removes a potential ally, complicating the path to peace. The Darkling's absence and his declaration of Zoya as a Saint leave his intentions ambiguous, creating tension for the chapters ahead.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Zoya decide to let Nina return to Leviathan's Mouth, despite her concerns?
Zoya recognizes Nina's right to choose her own path. She acknowledges that Nina is a soldier she trained well, and she respects Nina's commitment to her mission. Zoya also senses Nina's emotional pull toward someone in Fjerda, and she understands that trying to contain Nina's heart would be futile.
2. What does Zoya's internal debate about sparing the Fjerdans reveal about her character growth?
Zoya initially believes she should have killed the Fjerdans to give them a wound they would never recover from. But she recognizes this as the voice of a hurt child who feared there would always be someone more powerful and cruel. By allowing herself to consider peace, she shows that she is willing to move beyond her past trauma and embrace a more hopeful future.
3. Why does Nikolai summon the Ravkan nobles to Os Kervo instead of blocking the assembly?
Nikolai believes that giving the nobles time to plot and scheme would only make the situation worse. By bringing them to Os Kervo immediately, while West Ravka is still grateful to him and angry with Fjerda, he hopes to face the succession issue on his own terms and secure his claim to the throne.