CAn A SCrEEn AdAPtAtion bE bEttEr thAn itS SourCE MAtEriAl? A rEviEw

By Mollie Boardman

Over the past couple of decades, it has become typical for successful YA book series to have mediocre, or even outright bad, screen adaptations. Thankfully, there are some outliers and the Netflix series depicting Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone universe appears to be the exception to this rule. The ‘Grishaverse’ that Bardugo has created spans across a trilogy and two duologies; a total of seven books that explore the lives of different characters. The world Bardugo has created through these books is first and foremost a fantasy one, with magical powers referred to as ‘the small science’ and the people who wield it dubbed ‘grisha’. This world mirrors our own - albeit many years in the past - with the author taking inspiration from countries we know to build her own. You may recognise nods to Russia, Scandinavia, China, Ireland and more. As the books themselves follow many storylines, this review will only focus on that explored in the TV show and how it compares to its source material.

Released on the 23rd April 2021, the first season of the tv show made a splash within the YA community and beyond - claiming its spot in Netflix’s top 10 list in many countries. The creator, Eric Heisserer, made the decision to blend two different series together, and so, season 1 follows the story of Shadow and Bone, the first book in the trilogy, and the characters of the Six of Crows duology before their original storylines. As such, these creative liberties caused the show to deviate slightly from the books. In my opinion, this choice worked very well in their favour, as many criticisms I had about the book series were improved or changed to make the story and characters more interesting. Mal was definitely a more likable character and viable love interest for Alina. I actually felt like I could ship The Darkling and Alina’s relationship, before all the villainy and toxicity (The Darkling being Ben Barnes certainly helped as well). Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy subverts expectations of what is clear-cut villainy and heroism through the characters of Alina and The Darkling, and their subsequent similarities in the pursuit of power for different reasons. Season 1 clearly understands this, presenting to audiences the humanity within The Darkling, as well as his cruelty after many years of dealing with loss, grief and pain. The fact that us book fans could also see the much-loved members of Kaz, Jesper and Inej, as well as Matthias and Nina, that make up 5/6ths of the Six of Crows gang, was an added bonus that only improved the watching experience. Getting bored of one storyline isn’t possible because you’re whisked away to another at just the right moment, increasing the tension you feel throughout each episode. The only downside to including multiple narratives in a show with only 8 episodes is it feels slightly claustrophobic fitting in all these fleshedout stories with limited runtime - a gripe that seems like it should be directed at Netflix. Whilst the writing of the show, that stayed true to Bardugo’s yet putting its own spin on things, was commendable, the allocated actors made this shine for me, as they embodied the characters wholly and perfectly. Whether they were the leading characters or an extra in the background, each cast member inhabited their role as if they themselves had only ever existed within the Grishaverse. They truly made the world feel alive.

Alongside the actors, the production and design teams of Shadow and Bone literally brought the Grishaverse to life. The costuming was immaculate, intricate and fairly close to what I had imagined. The set design was extensive and seemed like it had been plucked right out of the novels, and the special effects, while not something new or innovative, managed to blow me away with the care and thought that you could clearly see had been put into them. The sound design, especially, made the whole experience complete. Not just the soundtrack, which is quite spectacular in its own right, but the sounds they use within the world. They know when to enhance a sound to give it maximum impact. My favourite moment has to be from the first episode when Jesper shoots a bullet through a coin. The slowmo, echoing ringing and over-the-top action is a perfect introduction to Jesper’s character. The crew members have expertly built the foundations for the world of Shadow and Bone in season 1, which will endure throughout the adaptation.

After much success, Shadow and Bone returned to Netflix with season 2 on the 16th March 2023. Unfortunately, season 2 suffered even more so from jam-packed episodes that tried desperately to tell everyone’s stories equally with questionable pacing. This is most likely due to, for the most part, the fact that Netflix hasn’t confirmed a third season for the show, and their restriction on the length and number of episodes. It is clear the creators wanted the fans to get what they wanted, but may have given us too much with minimal payoff. This is prevalent within the pacing of the show. Season 2 attempts to fit aspects of 4 books into one season comprising 8 episodes, which results in the first half of the season to have incredibly fast pacing and the latter half to have incredibly slow pacing. As a result, the storytelling is put at a detriment, as there was a lack of suspense, foreshadowing and build-up to emotional and important moments. A big reveal within the story that should’ve been quite a heartfelt moment was quite mundane and underwhelming as opposed to its novel counterpart. The strongest part of the writing would be the plot involving the Six of Crows characters, which we got more of thankfully. We see a lot of their backgrounds, development and dynamics throughout the course of this season and the writers managed to incorporate their storyline within the main plot quite nicely.

While a few characters got some much-needed backstory and development, there were some just as important characters that were left without much substance. Alina somehow had both more and less agency, and a lot of development was watered down so quite a few characters were left feeling static with no room for growth. The Darkling wasn’t as imposing as I’d hoped and had lost the sense of dread you can feel in the books, in the show’s effort to humanise him more. Although in my opinion, his imposing and villainous nature would’ve been more interesting to see. Some relationships also felt quite rushed, whereas others felt as if they’d been building for some time, or in the right way at least. Thankfully, the creators and actors really delivered on some amazing and powerful scenes that promised to shape the characters and story into different directions. After a solid foundation with season 1, Shadow and Bone season 2 just seems quite contradictory in its approach.

Once again, the shining stars of the season are the actors and the design team. (And can I just say one thing? Kaz. That’s it, just, Kaz.) With new characters introduced into the story brought new cast members, and they really were phenomenal. They seamlessly fit in with the existing cast and expertly incorporated their respective characters into the storylines and relationships. Season 2 also offered more locations for us to explore, from Novyi Zem to Ketterdam. The crew working on set and costume design were able to bring a variety of different cultures to life to the highest standard. Visual effects and make-up teams pulled out all the stops, as we got more scenes up close and personal with the fighting and power of grisha. Everyone absolutely crushed it and understood what they were bringing to life.

Leigh Bardugo herself has stated that Shadow and Bone, the book series, is completely different and separate from Shadow and Bone, the TV series. Ultimately, the creators stayed true enough to the books to honour the original story, but made the TV show different enough that it thrived in its new format. The ending of season 1 fit a lot better compared to the book and the cast members were phenomenal in their roles. Unfortunately, season 2 missed the mark slightly with its storytelling issues that failed to keep the same themes and meanings as the book series, as well as make the emotional moments strong. The many changes throughout the show were welcomed but needed a lot more set-up. Overall, however, I really enjoyed Shadow and Bone,

Design Mollie Boardman

Boardman