Shadow and Bone on Netflix advance review: Is the series faithful to the books?

Shadow and Bone Season 1 comes to Netflix on April 23, 2021. While waiting for this series to finally come to our screens, readers of Leigh Bardugo’s trilogy, which starts with a book by the same name, have been wondering two very important things.

First and foremost, is this Grishaverse adaptation going to be faithful to the stories we’ve come to know and love? And second, how exactly did Showrunner and Executive Producer Eric Heisserer manage to combine Alina Starkov’s story with the characters from the Six of Crows duology, which takes place after the events of the Shadow and Bone trilogy?

While sharing the answer to the question about Six of Crows is strictly forbidden, we can at least give you a hint or two. The easiest answer is to tell you to check out the trailer and get your brains to work.

Let’s just say they combined these stories very, very well. Sorry, we can’t offer the specifics there in terms of what Kaz Brekker’s gang is doing in Ravka…but it’s the best we can do. For now.

The Grishaverse is in good hands with Netflix’s Shadow and Bone

As far as whether or not this story is everything we’d want to see from the Grishaverse, that one is almost pathetically easy to answer: Yes. It’s amazing. It’s like watching your imagination broadcast, in living color, on your screen.

The attention to detail is stunning, from each Grisha’s kefta to Kaz’s cane and gloves (more on that after air), to Jesper’s guns. Then, there’s the way each and every actor cast just becomes their character.

Without the perfect Alina Starkov, who Jessie Mei Li delivers, this show wouldn’t even have a chance. Freddy Carter simply is Kaz Brekker. The list goes on and on. Ben Barnes’s only fault is that he’s far too easy to fall in love with, given who he plays…Lips sealed on that one, but if you know, you know.

As Shadow and Bone Season 1 follows Alina through her journey of discovery that she’s the Sun Summoner instead of “just” a mapmaker and First Army soldier, we see her build relationships with many of our favorite characters. Genya, David, Mal, Baghra, Zoya…They’re all here, and they’re all either true to what’s on the page or further developed in meaningful ways.

That takes us back to Kaz, Inej, and Jesper. Without revealing the actual plot here, let’s just say that their involvement in Season 1 is so clever, it’s 100% proof that the process of bringing these books to life was one that involved actually getting to know‚—and, more importantly, to love—this world before attempting to introduce Netflix viewers to it.

From a visual effects standpoint, the Shadow Fold is as dark and terrifying as you could possibly hope for. And every time you see a Grisha practice the Small Science, just be prepared to be in awe, as you should be.

It doesn’t matter if it’s an Inferni lighting the fires to guide First Army soldiers across the Unsea, a certain Heartrender on a mission in a foreign land doing her thing, or even the Darkling himself summoning shadows. What you see in Shadow and Bone Season 1 makes the whole experience magical (apologies to the Grisha, who we know do not like their work to be called magic).

Gushing for thousands of words (perhaps a trilogy, two duologies, and some fairytale anthologies, if you will?) would still not be enough to express just how much care has been put into bringing this to you, the lovers of all things Leigh Bardugo. But that’s just one reader-slash-viewer’s take.

Get ready to stream Shadow and Bone on Netflix, and please, share your thoughts with us after you do. There are going to be a lot, one way or another.

You can stream Shadow and Bone on Netflix beginning April 23!