Alina Starkov is the protagonist of the Grisha Trilogy, an average cartographer who suddenly learns that she is a Grisha who can summon sunlight. In the first novel of the series, Shadow and Bone, she falls under the sway of The Darkling, a powerful Grisha who fuses a magical amplifier made of a stag’s antlers into Alina’s skin to enhance her powers. Alina soon realizes that the Darkling actually wants to rule Ravka and makes a last-minute decision to fight him. She succeeds, but there is a great loss of innocent life as the Darkling destroys the city of Novokribirsk.

Alina is haunted by guilt and shame at her involvement with this event as Siege and Storm begins. She still longs for a quiet life with her childhood love Mal, but she is haunted by her similarities to the Darkling. The Darkling claims that they are intimately connected and Alina spends most of the book fighting this idea.

Because of her relationship with Genya Safin, who pretended to be her friend but betrayed her, Alina is often unsure if people are just using her for their own ends. She is hesitant to talk about her feelings and often pretends everything is alright.