Sparkle Valley Philosophy: Ivana

Ivana didn’t start out cruel. She started out loved. And that’s what broke her.

Once she was all that – Emily’s favorite – the center of attention. But then Abigail appeared and everything changed.  She became Emily’s favorite, so much so that she became her “sister.” And for Ivana this was too much. What began as jealousy turned into bitterness, then finally into resolve. If she couldn’t be loved, she’d be feared, and she’d get what she wanted – new hair, new outfit, and kingdom to rule. That’s what happens in Book 1 when she takes over Sparkle Valley.

On the surface her story seems to be about ambition, but it’s actually about loss. Power is just how she tries to cover it. The outfits, the nicknames, etc are just the armor over the wound of being replaced. (And as for psychological symbolism – she reflects Emily’s pride given shape: defiant, clever, and terrified of being ordinary.)

Ivana lives in a constant state of self-defense. But underneath the pride she’s still looking for meaning. This is the Nietzsche angle. His idea of the will to power isn’t about domination—it’s the drive to transcend what’s broken in yourself. Ivana wants that. She wants to become something better, more complete. She just doesn’t know how. So she becomes her Evil Majesty (the  Queen of Mean, Her Obnoxious Awfulness, Her Royal Nastiness, etc)

Abigail & Ivana in Sparkle Valley - Who Knows Where

In Book 2, that conflict becomes her whole story. She feels the Beast tugging at her, feeding on her resentment and loneliness. Part of her is tempted by what the Beast has to offer—it’s so simple. No pain, no doubt, just control. But another part refuses. She goes into hiding in Who Knows Where, trying to scrape the darkness off herself. It’s clumsy and desperate, but it’s real. She knows what she’s doing is wrong. She knows the Beast is using her. And she fights it. 

That’s the difference for example between Ivana and the Smortzle. He surrenders. She wrestles. When Abigail returns to Sparkle Valley, Ivana joins her. She helps her save Sparkle Valley, though she’s never sure she deserves forgiveness. She keeps her distance, like someone afraid she might break what she’s trying to protect. Her redemption isn’t clean. It’s ongoing.

By the end, Sparkle Valley is saved and Ivana appears at peace. But the pride is still there. The Beast still whispers to her. She doesn’t totally trust herself. She's complicated. That’s what makes her human. Ivana’s story isn’t about a fall from grace or a sudden redemption. It’s about someone trying to live honestly with the parts of herself she can’t erase.

It's the same fight Emily’s having in the real world. There’s a part of her that wants to harden, stop feeling. It’s so much easier to just close off. But through Abigail she fights it.

And that’s what makes Ivana such a resonant character. Her fight is the same one at the heart of Sparkle Valley—whether to hold on to your emotions and imagination, or trade them for control and safety. If you harden too much, you start to lose what makes you human. Too little and there's chaos.