Shadow and Bone’s first season was released last year, and the second season of the young adult adaptation finished filming in July 2022. Following the fantasy world created in 2012 by author Leigh Bardugo, an executive producer on the show, the Netflix series invites viewers to embark on a journey of adventures through the Grishaverse. Since it is an adaptation of such a vast world, some changes were required, especially in the plot.
Bardugo was a prominent figure in decision-making on the project. Shadow and Bone was her first book ever published, so she has a lot of love (as do her fans) for the characters and story. So, when showrunner Eric Heisserer asked her to bring two different books together, Shadow and Bone and the first volume of Six of Crows, she was surprised by it but accepted his offer. This unique adaptation has been highly praised by old fans, as well as bringing numerous new ones.
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Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows are set in a fantasy world where some people, called Grisha, have magical powers. These powers give them special abilities to manipulate the four elements and darkness (which is very rare). However, there has been one type of Grisha that has never been seen, and some speculate is only mythical: the Sun Summoner. The story follows Alina, an orphan cartographer who works in the military. She finds herself having to go through a dangerous mission, where legends become a reality. Season one of Shadow and Bone was fun and adventurous, just as much for the viewers as the characters. Here are all the differences between the show and books.
Milo, The Goat
Netflix
Milo unfortunately wasn’t a part of the books. One of the funniest storylines (and the cutest), the goat became a fan favorite very quickly. He could, perhaps, appear in the upcoming Grishaverse books and unite the series and the novels.
Six of Crows Timeline
The timeline of the Six of Crows books is different from the Shadow and Bone. To be able to join these two narratives, the audience gets to see the Crows before their initial quest in Six of Crows, which only starts after the third book of the original trilogy finishes. So, when the series starts there are a lot of things that the audience gets to see for the first time (such as Inej’s first kill) that are only briefly mentioned in the book because it happened a while back. Instead of following this particular story after Shadow and Bone’s trilogy happened, they walk side by side.
These Characters Never Met
Because the characters are from different book series, and they happened at different moments in time, most of the characters never actually met. Some of them did meet, but it only happens in another book duology in this universe, King of Scars, but this came out after the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows books were finished. Even then, because some characters died, they didn’t meet each other as they did in the show. The characters won’t be named so that future seasons are not spoiled.
Ketterdam’s Location
Ketterdam is the city of crime where the Crows live. Its location was changed in the adaptation mainly for storyline reasons. Ketterdam originally was a city in Kerch, an island separated from the main continent. In the series, it was located in West Ravka because that was the only way that the Crows could have been so involved in the main plot: The Fold. What the city represents for the characters and the world didn’t change, only its location on the map.
Crossing The Fold
In the first episode, some people from the military are randomly chosen to cross The Fold. Once Mal is chosen, Alina comes up with a plan to make her essential for the crossing and go with her friend. In the book, their unit was supposed to cross the Fold from the get-go: they knew it before arriving at the camps. This was changed, probably as a storytelling device to show how much their friendships matter and to make the protagonist more active in how her future unfolds.
The Darkling’s Age
In the book, The Darkling appears to be a 17-year-old boy. Nevertheless, everyone knows he is the only Shadow summoner alive, and therefore extremely powerful. In the series, the character was portrayed as a much older man that goes by General Kirigan. That was something that the author discussed with the producers, and they reached a consensus that this change was for the better - and it helped build the character and story.
First Kiss
Because The Darkling’s age was changed, the scene where he and Alina share their first kiss also changed. In the book, The Darkling kisses Alina so that she will stop questioning him. The author stated how important it was for the kiss to be consensual since there is a clear disparity in their position of power and age. The filmmakers ended up having Alina kiss General Kirigan and then proceeding to say she was sure about it once he stopped the kiss and asked.
Alina’s Heritage
The show has a lot of diversity in the cast and characters. One of the main changes from the books is Alina’s heritage. Making the main character have physical Shu attributions, a nation that was deeply looked over by the others in Ravka, brings various subjects such as xenophobia and prejudice to the story. In the book, the character was born on the borderline with the Shu country, but she doesn’t have any physical resemblances to them. This decision helped create a better understanding of the world, as well as giving Jessie Mei Li, an actress of Asian descent, the opportunity to be the star of a fantasy show.
The Amplifier
Leigh Bardugo is very vocal about abusive relationships since the author had a difficult experience in one. In the book, the Darkling gives Alina a necklace (and forces her to put it on) made of the stag for her to wear so that he will be able to control her powers. Bardugo wanted the message of how violent and abusive he was towards the protagonist to be more firm in the series, since various fans still romanticized their relationships, and the author didn’t like that. That is why the stag is literally incorporated into the character’s collar bone.
