Zoya is an extremely beautiful—and mean—Squaller. Even Marie and Nadia, whom Alina finds catty and mean themselves, don’t have anything nice to say about Zoya. Zoya first appears in the novel’s opening pages, when she catches sight of Mal and seems to take an interest in him. Later, once Alina is settled at the Little Palace and Zoya returns from her military post, Zoya is particularly cruel to Alina: she taunts Alina for being poor and uses her powers to hurt Alina during combat practice.
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Zoya Character Timeline in Shadow and Bone
The timeline below shows where the character Zoya appears in Shadow and Bone. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 11
...Grisha who seemed interested in Mal arrives. Marie groans and mutters that her name is Zoya; she’s a year older and “horrible,” as she’s extremely snobby. Alina rolls her eyes and...
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Zoya joins the Grisha at their combat lesson, and Botkin kisses her on the cheek. Alina...
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...tries to read. She’s certain people will be gossiping about her after the altercation with Zoya. As Alina gets up, she notices her reflection in the mirror. She looks ill and...
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Chapter 12
Surprisingly, the next morning is fine: Zoya ignores Alina at breakfast and it’s a beautiful day. But when Alina reaches Baghra’s hut,...
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...is furious and accuses Alina of not trying, but Alina is just tired of failing. Zoya continues to ignore Alina. Still, though, Alina feels like she’s a failure who doesn’t belong—she...
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Chapter 14
With a grin, Genya drags Alina down the hallway and into Zoya’s room. She announces that on the Darkling’s orders, Alina needs to use this room. Zoya...
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Chapter 20
...The Darkling hovers, shooting Alina warning looks, as Alina pushes through the crowd. She passes Zoya, who is, ironically, clearly jealous of Morozova’s collar. Finally, Ivan ushers Alina into a tent...
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