Since the release of Leigh Bardugo’s young adult fantasy novel Shadow and Bone in 2012, the Grishaverse (the collection of Bardugo’s books existing in the same universe) has caused readers to fall in love with Bardugo’s diverse, interesting characters, phenomenal world-building, excellent writing, and intriguing plots. The Grishaverse currently consists of seven books - the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, and the King of Scars duology. Bardugo has also written two novellas and published a graphic novel in the Grishaverse, as well as bonus short stories at the end of her books.
Released on March 16, 2023 on Netflix, Shadow and Bone has eight episodes each ranging from 56 to 64 minutes. It’s been a huge hit so far - the show currently ranks #1 on Netflix’s Top 10 Shows in the U.S. and boasts an 86 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Due to the show’s popularity, showrunner Eric Heisserer “is ready to launch [Six of Crows] as its own story,” according to an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Based on Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising, the last two books of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, Season 2 of Shadow and Bone picks up where Season 1 (which is based on the first book of the trilogy) left off. After narrowly escaping the grip of the powerful General Kirigan (Ben Barnes), Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Lei) must search for two amplifiers (magical animals that enhance her power) in order to destroy the Fold, a shadowy wasteland that splits her country, Ravka, in two. With the help of her childhood best friend Mal Oretsev (Archie Reanux), she must find allies in her fight against Kirigan and reunite Ravka once more. However, Alina must learn how to navigate and balance leading the fractured Second Army, her telepathic connection with Kirigan, and tumultuous politics.
Meanwhile, in Ketterdam, Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter) faces a new problem - gang leader Pekka Rollins (Dean Lennox Kelly) has taken over the Crow Club and accused him and his friends of murder. Unfortunately for Rollins, Kaz holds a grudge against him - Rollins swindled Kaz and his brother out of their fortune, which essentially ruined Kaz’s life. Kaz, hell-bent on revenge, enlists the help of demolitions expert Wylan Hendricks (Jack Wolfe) and Heartrender Nina Zenik (Danielle Galligan). His associates Jesper Fahey (Kit Young) and Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman) return this season to help with his plans.
Shadow and Bone continues to impress in many areas. The intricately-made costumes reappear, the acting is on-point, and the special effects look realistic. Beloved characters remain true to the books and offer different perspectives of the events that occur, as well as allowing audiences to see scenes that do not occur within the main storyline. The fight scenes and emotional romances remain a major aspect of the show.
However, my main criticism of Season 2 is that the events that occur are so different from the books that it makes the canon nearly unrecognizable. Alina does not create a council to train her army. She does not spend months searching for the elusive Firebird, and she finds Rusalye (the sea whip) with relative ease. Random characters are omitted or barely shown, notably the Apparat (Kevin Eldon), Fedyor Kaminsky (David Kostov), Harshaw, and Sergei Beznikov. Obviously, the stakes are high, but we do not see it as much in the show as in the books. Critical moments of the franchise such as the final battle are not portrayed. Instead, they are replaced with plotlines that do not make sense (and are probably only used to end the show with the remaining episode).
Another aspect of the show that I take issue with is how they merge plot points of Six of Crows with Shadow and Bone. The events of Crows take place before the events of Shadow and Bone in the texts. But the writers chose to add this detour to the already convoluted Shadow and Bone plotline. They do this in a way that does not make sense for the show or a potential spinoff with the Crows.
Relationships and major events from the second book in the duology are rushed for the sake of portraying them. I think this has to do with time - Six of Crows arguably has a larger fanbase, and the writers remain unsure about whether or not they will be able to produce a Six of Crows spinoff.
I do not think that Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising should have been merged into one season. The plots of these books are substantial on their own without adding more characters and aspects from two other books into the mix. The show remains cinematically beautiful, but it lacks the nuance that the books have.
That being said, I will accept any adaptation of this world that I have spent so much time in. I still want to see my favorite characters on screen, even if it comes at the expense of a coherent plot. It’s not an ideal situation, but I’ll take what I can get in this industry that does not seem to care about the similarities of books to their adaptations. If you watch Shadow and Bone without having read the books, you’ll have a good time. But I think that fans of the book will be disappointed.