I *finally* finished Shadow and Bone on Netflix
This adaptation is FANTASTIC. Itās everything I pictured when I was reading the books and more. I honestly think itās even better than the original trilogy.
Iām currently reading Six of Crows, and this show made me appreciate the characters even more than I already did. I love how the writers tied their storyline into Alinaās, everything came together so perfectly.
THE COMEDY. Milo the goat? David raising his hand? Alina straight up walking into the Crowsā getaway vehicle? I wasnāt ready.
The ROMANCE. Malina is adorable and so wholesome, Darklina was SEXY AS HELL and their chemistry was off the charts (until it all went to shit...weāll talk about that later), and Kanej? Fuck. I havenāt even finished SoC and Iām already obsessed with them.
The way that Inej made her first kill to save Kaz...I love them your honor.
I love love LOVE Jessie as Alina. She is such a ray of sunshine. She captured Alinaās wit perfectly while also making sure she was kind and not too negative. In fact, I love the entire cast. The casting directors had a job and they did it to the best of their ability.
I thought Mal was so annoying in the books, but the show made him so likeable. He went through so much to get to Alina. I love that it showed him losing his friends to the Fjerdans, that he never really gave up on her. And when Alina slips and says the Darklingās first name in front of him, he doesnāt even get angry or storm off and throw a fit. He just basically says, āItās none of my business. Iām here for you now.ā WHAT A KING. Also Mal is an honorary crow.
Ben Barnes was PERFECT as the Darkling. I know heās an evil dick but god, he is an attractive one. I also love how the show gave us a backstory, and how it shows that, although heās selfish and manipulative, he truly believes that he is doing the right thing. It adds a layer of complexity to him that was missing before. Also, can we talk about the desk scene in episode five because I- ššš
IN ADDITION, I hated how in the books the Darkling was supposed to look Alinaās age. The casting of a man who looks older than Alina really highlighted the power imbalance between them.
Jesus Christ, the collar was terrifying.
Jesper is my life now and I would die for him and Milo.
Inej was SUCH a cool character. Her and Jesper both have such awesome abilities, and I love the group dynamic between the crows.
Kaz was EVERYTHING, and I love how the show really highlighted the fact that he has a heart of gold underneath that tough exterior. I canāt wait to finish SoC.
Nina and Matthias were everything. āIām beguiling youā STOP- š I was so excited when the Crows were on the same boat as her.
The final showdown and the combination of the characters from the different series meeting? Epic.
āMake me your villain.ā
Zoya, Genya, and David were all also perfect. I love that they added in a little extra scene for Zoya at the end by including her in the final showdown and having her meet the Crows.
Overall, Iām in love with the show. Itās one of the best book adaptations Iāve ever seen, and itās a rare case where the adaptation is actually BETTER than the book. The first shadow and bone book was my least favorite in the trilogy, so if I enjoyed this season THIS MUCH, then I can only imagine how awesome the other seasons will be. I canāt wait to see Nikolai, and to (hopefully!) see the storylines from the SoC books brought to the screen once the original storyline has played out.
Itās been a long time since Iāve been this invested in a franchise, guys. I hope it sticks around for a long time. Donāt fail me, Netflix.