Oh, hey, it’s been a hot minute since we had a new fantasy book series brought to life by Netflix (yes, I’m still sad about the demise of The Shannara Chronicles).
Don’t ask me why, but I’m a sucker for a good escapist fantasy world filled with drama, destiny, and over-powered teenagers that are the only ones that can save the world. So, consider my interest piqued for Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Shadow and Bone, the trilogy of novels by author Leigh Bardugo.
Along with the first look images released, Bardugo (who is also Executive Producer on the project) explains to newcomers that Shadow and Bone is a different kind of fantasy world than we might be used to. “Think Imperial Russia, not Medieval England, repeating rifles instead of broadswords.” Bardugo goes on to explain:
It’s a story about the people who have been told how much they don’t matter proving how much they do. And it’s been incredible to see that story take shape on such an epic scale, the battles, the magic, but also the relationships between the characters. These photos give just a tiny hint at what’s in store—a mapmaker with an extraordinary gift, the people who want to use her, the tracker who will do anything to protect her, and the team of thugs and thieves who are about to cause some very big trouble for everyone involved.
Writer/Showrunner/Executive Producer Eric Heisserer added:
These photos offer a glimpse into the expansive, textured world Leigh created in her books. We worked tirelessly to craft a lived-in feel for fictional lands like Ketterdam and Ravka, with invented languages, uniforms, currency, and artistic choices from set design to costuming. You’re immersed in the Grishaverse when you read, and it’s our hope that both new and existing fans have that same feeling when they watch the show. The series has an incredibly passionate fanbase and we can’t wait for new people to discover the magic that is Shadow and Bone.
Fans of the book series be advised, though. From what we can tell of the characters that have been cast, the show isn’t just adapting the first trilogy starting with Shadow and Bone, it’s also bringing in stories from the spin-off Grieshaverse books Six of Crows. How they tie in, considering that the Crows duology is set in a different place and timeframe, will remain to be seen.
Based on Leigh Bardugo’s worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, Shadow and Bone finds us in a war-torn world where lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. With the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha. But as she struggles to hone her power, she finds that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. There are dangerous forces at play, including a crew of charismatic criminals, and it will take more than magic to survive.
Shadow and Bone is a Netflix production from 21 Laps Entertainment, starring Jessie Mei Li (Alina Starkov), Archie Renaux (Malyen Oretsev), Freddy Carter (Kaz Brekker), Amita Suman (Inej), Kit Young (Jesper Fahey), and Ben Barnes (General Kirigan).
Shadow and Bone launches 23 April, 2021, only on Netflix
Last Updated: February 1, 2021
Original Heretic
February 1, 2021 at 04:45
Never even heard of this book series…