Enter into the Shadow and Bone universe. Whether on screen, like Ashley, or on the page, like Cinthia, you need to immerse yourself in this story, and then come talk to us about it because...we have thoughts!
Shadow and Bone Is God's Gift to Humanity!
By: Ashley Avila
Who knew that TV adaptations could be biblically accurate to the original material.
Shadow and Bone is one of the best book to TV adaptations Netflix has ever done in its course of its existence. The series was adapted from the Shadow and Bone trilogy of books in 2021 and only has one season. The second season was released recently so you are able to binge watch the show almost immediately. The series deserves to be talked about more as it brings back interesting fantasy worlds and well developed characters.
The plot of Shadow and Bone the tv show does align with the books. It is about orphan mapmaker Alina Starkov travels through the Shadow Fold, an area of unnatural darkness that is swarmed with monsters, with her childhood best friend Malyen (Mal) Oretsev who is a soldier in the First Army. Both know that there is a low chance of survival traveling through the dangerous fold, however when their regiment is attacked, Alina releases a surge of magic she didn’t know she had. After her discovery, she is thrown into the world with Grisha, her country’s magical military elite, and she has grown closer to the leader of the Grisha, the Darkling. He hopes that Alina can summon power that is strong enough to destroy the Fold and heal the divided nation, Ravaka, but only if she can master her new gift. Yet, the show combines Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, but with a twist. The storyline of the Crows, the name of the crew of criminals, Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, are hireed to kidnap Alina Starkov for money. There is another side plot of the additional crows of Nina Zenik and Mattias Helvar. This is not the plot of the Six of Crows or the Shadow and Bone books, but it was shifted in order to incorporate the Crows into Shadow and Bone because fans were raving for their adaptation.
The many plots may seem overwhelming as there are so many characters to follow, but the show has the perfect pacing that it does not feel like too much going on. They were able to seamlessly translate from one plot point to another making the audience intrigued and on their toes while watching. Keeping the interest of the audience only improved with the second season.
Not only is the plot what grabbed my attention, the cinematography and effects make the show as great as it is. Since it’s a fantasy, there is a necessity for CGI and special effects, but it does not look tacky in Shadow and Bone. The effects are done beautifully, spectacularly even, which makes the world more immersive, the effects only improved for the second season. The audience is able to grasp what kind of world the show is set in and are able to enjoy the worldbuilding. The fact that the editors took time for their craft really pays off for the audience because it grabs their attention for this fantasy series.
One final point to stress why you should watch Shadow and Bone is that the acting is absolutely amazing. Jessie Mei Li, who plays Alina Starkov, was able to portray her character so well. She was able to portray the complexity of Alina and her struggles which made me feel connected to her character. It is clear that she was passionate about bringing this character to life and trying to stay true to the original character. Not only does Jessie Me Li deserve praise, but Freddy Carter absolutely devoured his role as Kaz Brekker. He was able to show through his facial expressions the pain Kaz went through and then shift that pain to anger. Somehow, he was able to perfectly match the descriptions from the book to the series. When filming the director said “take five” and Freddy Carter must have heard “change lives” with the amount of passion he put into the show and his character. These actors deserve the praise for the work they’ve done to bring this book series to the screens of fans.
In conclusion, Shadow and Bone is a 5/5 from me because of how accurate they are to the original books and with the actors dedication to their jobs. Everyone needs to watch this show if they want their lives changed.
All Great Stories Start as Words on a Page
By: Cinthia Lopez
Six Of Crows
Who knew teen criminals could be so lovable?
Six of Crows follows a crew of six teenagers—all of whom are criminals. It’s set in Ketterdam, a city full of crime and corruption that is incredibly difficult to survive in unless you have a few tricks up your sleeve.
Throughout the book, themes of greed and justice are prevalent. Those living in Ketterdam have been screwed over terribly by those in high places and thus they must turn to a life of crime to get by.
This is genuinely one of the best books I’ve read as of late. I loved how the characters were driven by a sense of greed and justice, not for others but for themselves. It’s made clear that they’ve all done bad things in the name of survival and none of them are consumed with guilt because they know it was a matter of them or someone else.
Kaz Brekker, one of the protagonists, walks with a limp. He is seen as someone who is easy to take advantage of as he walks with a cane, but that’s a mistake people make. He is ruthless and methodical, building up his reputation, along with his crews, so that they are to be feared. His name carries weight in Ketterdam.
Inej Ghafa was incredibly young when she was sold and forced to do the beckoning of men. Kaz took her into his crew and gave her the freedom to build up the Wraith persona—someone to not be messed with as she knows everyone’s dirty little secrets. She is extremely agile and an amazing fighter who vowed vengeance on all places like the one she was forced to work in kid.
And those are only two out of six of the main characters. All of them are deeply flawed and it’s what makes them feel more real, more human—after all, no one human is completely perfect.
Another part of this book that stood out to me is how scarily real the villains are in the story. Pekka Rollins, one of the main antagonists, built his empire in Ketterdamn by conning orphans and taking advantage of children’s naivety. Heleen Van Houden, another prominent antagonist, is the owner of the Menagerie—a brothel in Ketterdam. She traffics young girls and employs them, not allowing them to be free unless their freedom is bought and even then, it is rare. Knowing the type of world we live in and the fact that these villains don’t have powers, makes them more chilling to read about.
It took me a while to pick up the book as it was slow in the first chapter or so but actually starting to read it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. It’s one of two books in a series and I would highly recommend it.
Shadow and Bone
This book highlights the importance of each individual in a world in which one might be deemed as more valuable. It also places emphasis on found family as none of the characters in the books are biologically related, but they do build close bonds as the events unfold. They recognize the sacrifices needed for the common good and utilize their strengths to meet those steep prices.
It does focus more on the good of the country, and the world, rather than the individual sense of greed and justice for oneself. It’s one of the primary things that differentiates it from Six of Crows, but it is still highly enjoyable nonetheless.
My favourite* character in this part of the series is Nikolai Lanstov, who is introduced in the second book of the trilogy. He first appears as Sturmhond—a privateer—and I instantly knew he would easily become my number one. He has a taste for danger while also being one of the most selfless characters in the book. Sturmhond is his alter as he loves being free and sailing the seas allows him to be free of his duties as Nikolai Lanstov…after all, he is also a prince, soon to be king.
While the show is enjoyable, I think that reading the series is worth it as not only was it well-written, but it also includes major details that the show overlooked or changed. I would highly recommend it and it easily became one of my favourites.
*Cinthia, although very intelligent and rational in almost every aspect of her life, insists on the British English spelling of words like “favorite.” Why she is so adamant about adding a superfluous letter to random words is beyond me, the editor-in-chief, but I’ve tried to and failed to get her to stop, so I am resigned to let her win (something Great Britain never could do… 1776!)