On April 23 the TV series Shadow and Bone aired on Netflix. This TV show has been anticipated by many, especially readers familiar with the source material. Shadow and Bone is based on two book series written by Leigh Bardugo: The Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows take place in what Bardugo refers to as the Grishaverse, a high fantasy world inspired by cultures around the globe. There are two types of people in this world, normal humans and people called Grisha, who have magical abilities. The tension is rife between the countries that populate this universe as the normal humans struggle to live alongside the Grisha.
The first series, Shadow and Bone, is about a 17-year-old girl named Alina Starkov. Alina believed that she was a normal human her whole life, until she was placed in a situation where she was almost killed. Her powers get revealed during this moment and she finds out that she is a Sun Summoner, a Grisha who can summon light. Since she is the first Sun Summoner in almost 100 years, everyone either fears her or thinks she is a saint. The Darkling, who can summon darkness, takes interest in Alina. The Darkling wants to take control of all countries in the Grishaverse by using Alina’s power. Alina’s and the Darkling’s powers are polar opposites, which sparks intense battles between them. Overall, the series is filled with heartbreak, tension, war, and political intrigue, and I would recommend everyone to read this series.
The Shadow and Bone TV series also includes characters from the Six of Crows series. The duology also takes place in the Grishaverse, but two years after the events of Shadow and Bone. They feature a whole new cast of characters, but there are many instances in Six of Crows where they talk about Shadow and Bone characters. Six of Crows follows six teenagers in an underground gang, sent on a heist to get millions of dollars. The part about Six of Crows that I appreciate is that many of the characters have trauma, whether that be from sexual harassment, the death of family members, or being abused and neglected as a child. Leigh Bardugo does not disregard any of the trauma that the characters went through and shows how each character deals with it. Since Shadow and Bone takes place a few years before, the TV series will show what the Six of Crows characters were doing at that time.
I recommend that everyone reads both these series and watches the TV show when it comes to Netflix. It is a journey that you will not regret going on.