“There is something far greater than armies, something strong enough to topple kings and generals, to crumble nations and birth empires. Faith, Alina.”

I read the first Shadow and Bone book…and that’s it. It’s a series I couldn’t get into. However, my sister calls the sequel series one of her favorites.

I didn’t plan on watching the show, but after seeing so much about it, it eventually got to me.

Like I said, I only read the first book of the first series so when it comes to Six of Crows, I know nothing and can’t say whether or not it’s a good adaptation, but I think the two were woven together pretty well.

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I will earn a small commission if you purchase through them.*

Into the Fold

Shadow and Bone follows the story of Alina Starkov, a military cartographer who volunteers to go into the Fold after her best friend, Mal, is assigned the task. The only problem is the Fold is a large area of darkness splitting the country and filled with creatures. And most people don’t make it out alive.

After they’re attacked, and Mal’s life is on the line, Alina awakens a power that she never knew she had and becomes a beacon of hope that one day, the Fold could be destroyed. In this world, those with powers are called grisha.

On the other side of the Fold is a group of criminals made up of Kaz, Inej, and Jesper who learn of a job that involves crossing the Fold and kidnapping Alina. They’re meant to meet up with a grisha named Nina who is kidnapped herself and has her own journey with a guy named Matthias who sees her kind as witches and devils.

I feel like the three storylines worked, but Nina and Matthias felt a little off until the end. There were a few times I was like, “How do they relate to the main story?” But it does come together.

(I learned from my sister Nina and Matthias are part of The Six of Crows so that’s good to know and makes more sense.)

Welcome Changes

I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Even though it’s been years since I read the book, I do remember a good chunk of it and I feel the show is adapted well. It hits the same major points even with The Six of Crows being included. Alina gets taken to “The Little Palace” where grisha are trained and kept safe from those who want to hurt them.

Alina’s side is interesting as she learns more about her powers, but the Crows definitely brought more energy. The whole cast has great chemistry but you can tell Kaz, Inej, and Jesper have worked together for a while. They brought out the most laughs and handled themselves well even against grisha with their own set of skills.

I don’t want to bring up the book too much but one of the best changes has to be Mal. I didn’t like him in the book, don’t remember why, but now getting his perspective (since it’s Alina’s POV in the book) really developed his character and we get to see how much her cares for Alina.

I’m also happy how diverse the characters are, ranging from different races, sexualities, and even religions.

Overall

Honestly, it took me a couple of reads to get past the first chapter of the book. I didn’t understand the worldbuilding but the show explains it easily, as well as the history.

Shadow and Bone isn’t the first story to do the, “Ordinary girl finds out she’s been special all along,” but the world and characters are different enough to overlook that. The fact that the show pulled me in more than the book is saying something, but I think the addition of the Crow’s did that. My sister’s been raving about it for years so maybe I’ll finally read The Six of Crows.

The show isn’t perfect, but there are a lot of good parts and is a solid adaption.

*Amazon Links to Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows

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