#shadow and bone reviews

[dasiesanddarkness]

Wylan Van Eck is the definition of "matches energy"

[reyreadersblog]

i'm actually pissed off.

I am sure everyone in grishaverse fandom has seen this negative review of six of crows. If you don't know who i am talking about..

This, i'm talking about this specific review.

(Go watch it if you haven't but know that it the dumbest review ever)

(I couldn't take a better screenshot, *cough* she didn't deserve it *cough*)

At first when she started critisizing the book, i though "woah.." because it's one of my favourite books, but since everyone has different opinions, i decided to watch the video, in order to understand what she disliked about this book.

I don't know why, but i expected logical a explanation from her, mabye because she is a grown ass woman...

and what came out of this woman's mouth actually shocked me💀

First of all "it's a fucking heist for god's sake" and mabye she has sight problems? Because it litearlly says "six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist" on the freaking cover so wtf did she expect?

"Do i look like that's something i would enjoy?" (Keep in mind she read the full summary) let me answer your question with a question, are you dumb? It's a ya book about group of teenagers with a heartbreaking past who go on this dangerous heist, if it is something you know you will not enjoy, then why tf did you read it in the first place?

Oh and uhm..this is her bio

She also said "half of the book was written in different laguage" saying that at your grown age is insane...

A. I understand that it is a little difficult to get into it, especially if you haven't read shadow and bone, and i haven't read it so it was a bit hard to understand certian magic elements in the book, but nothing that a human's brain can't comperhend...

B. Saying those kind of things about a YA book is crazy. I've seen her videos before and she is definitley one of those "i can't read a book if there is no smut" kind of reader, (litearlly her bio) so when you are reading a ya book and you decide to critisize it just because there was no smut in it is EMBARASSING, the book is about literal teens with trauma and you expect them to have sex??? DISGUSTING.

C. Soc has one the best romance subplot(s), oh wait let me spell it: S-U-B-P-L-O-T.

Definition:

And again, if you know you're a an adult romance girlie (with a lot of smut) , why are you reading a ya fantasy book with a HINT of romance in it and then start shitting about it??

Atp it's not even a "negative review" it's an insufferable blabbering.

Six of crows is an amazing duology and mabye next time she shouldn't read a book she know she won't like!?!

Like...go read Credence or any book by Penelope Douglas tbh

And leave ya books alone from this fucking smut for god's sake.

[the-moon-stole-my-heart]

Just finished reading Rule of Wolves and WHAT A ROLLERCOASTER of emotions

Ugh, I just cannot describe the feeling that this series gives me. The connections, certain characters showing up (especially when they mention the “couple who runs the orphanage”), and the plot twists??

Knowing we got to read about 3 years worth of this story, from our beloved Alina starkov, the sun summoner, to the chaotic six of crows, and then have a bit of both, with our ever-charming Nikolai? Be still my heart I’m so invested

Several times I had to set the book down, some bad (when I thought Nina had lost ANOTHER love of her life) and some good (when Zoya FINALLY admitted that she loved Nikolai)

Leigh bardugo, you will always be famous

Also, “get a message to the Crow Club. Tell Kaz Brekker the queen of Ravka has a job for him.” Being the end of the book was INSANE

I just seriously have no words. My mind is reeling, and my stomach is full of butterflies and love. Seriously. This may be one of my favorite books series ever. I could rant for hours and hours about it. Now what am I supposed to do with my life???

[sidsbooknook]

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“If I told you that I’m trying to save the world, would you believe me?”

I read Shadow and Bone a while ago, but it’s one of those books that’s really stuck with me. I absolutely loved the world building. Bardugo created such a rich, immersive setting with the Grishaverse, and the magic system felt both unique and believable. The concept of the Small Science, and how it blends magic with a kind of elemental science, was so clever and refreshing.

The characters were another huge highlight. I connected with Alina right away, and watching her come into her power was so satisfying. And I really loved her relationship with Mal. It felt real and grounded, with just the right balance of history, tension, and loyalty. Their dynamic gave the story a lot of heart, even amidst all the chaos and darkness.

I ended up giving it 4 stars instead of 5, and honestly, I’m not entirely sure why, maybe the pacing dragged a tiny bit in the middle, or I wanted a little more depth in some side characters at the time. But whatever the reason, it was still a really strong and enjoyable read, and it definitely left me wanting more of the world and the characters. A great start to a really interesting series.

[sirwhiplash]

Just finished reading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and before I start Crooked Kingdom I just had to share my theme songs (Spotify links for all!) for each of the characters and their ships. I cannot WAIT to draw them.

I did read Six of Crows before any of the Shadow and Bone. Was this a mistake? (Spoiler free answers only please xoxo)

I also have not seen the Shadow and Bone show on Netflix. Honestly, not expecting much.

Kaz: Blood on my Name by The Brothers Bright

Ineg: Buy the Stars by Marina and the Diamonds

Kaz x Ineg: Devil’s Backbone by The Civil Wars

Jesper: Can I Get a Witness by SonReal

Wylan: Moth Wings by Passion Pit

Jesper x Wylan: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers, Coldplay

Nina: Are You Satisfied by MARINA or Missile by Dorothy (*SPOILER* when she takes the jurda parem)

Matthias: Iron by Woodkid

Nina x Matthias: I Found by Amber Run

Bonus: The Ketterdam theme song is Short Change Hero by The Heavy. If there’s ever a Six of Crows show I hope it opens to Kaz walking down the streets of Ketterdam with that song.

[bookishwords]

"You and I are going to change the world.”

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Re-reading this I didn't like it any more or less than I did when I first read it. I'm mainly re-reading this series because I've been wanting to reread the Six of Crows duology, and it just felt right. It felt fitting to re-familiarise myself with the Grisha "magic" system and some of the characters because I still have to read the King of Scars duology which I've never read.

The Darkling is a great villain. He's evil, manipulative, seductive and poor Alina believed him, sometimes even after she'd already known what his real plans were. I kept yelling at her to get a grip and punch him in the face.

I liked Mal. Wharra loyal friend am I right? Although I was a bit annoyed about how bitter he was whenever Alina used her power. She used a little bit of her light to make lighting a fire easier and you're bitter. She makes sure you two don't freeze to death and you're bitter.

When they finally met at the Little Palace after months of not seeing each other I get he was resentful because of the Darkling and was jealous af but why are you upset that your best friend is alive, well fed and rested when you thought she was getting tortured lmao.

They may have been annoying throughout the book, but I am happy they survived in the end. After all we need the Darkling dead. I may love him, but he is evil and wants to ruin the world.

My favourite character was Genya. I love her.

[elfstearssociety]

Review: Ruin and Rising

I enjoyed it more than the previews two books. I actually laughed and cried too. The end („After“) was the best part, it’s a shame it was so short. The whole story is 99.9% just suffering, grief, horror, more suffering, pain, frustration, hopelessness for happiness. It was refreshing to read something soft in the end, but I feel like if the books would have a little more of it in between the story we would feel the horrors and grief even more. You know, balance and stuff. (Yes, I am here to ask you to break my heart, I know)

I definitely wanted more diversity in characters, but it had a little bit of queer characters and I enjoyed it. I thought there would be more.. I was really waiting T.T but it’s a 2014 book so I think it did pretty well for its time?

It’s hard to write a review without spoilers, but I honestly did not enjoy Mal :) because what the hell dude, I get the whole complicated situation started from the second book but what was wrong the whole time before it? Also, I did not understand if he actually did other girls or not, Zoya said it in a way that actually sounded like he didn’t, I don’t understand (sorry, I am an autistic and I read as an autistic). Because if he did, why the hell? And if he didn’t, also, why the hell? Anyways, check out the trigger warnings and go read the trilogy.

[boy-of-death]

Masterlist of my thoughts

Started: 06/03/2023

Last Updated: 21/06/2025

Random but funny

Fandom's warriors

Teen Wolf and mental breakdown

Shadow and Bones fanart

Lessons in Chemistry

Good Omens season 2

Toxic gay man fandom survivor

Remmick from sinners, Irish baddie

Bob from thunderbolts* playlist

Hannibal rewatch season is here

Fanfics recs

Hannibal

Iconic author's note

Arcane Jayvik will save my life

Arcane

Season 2 act 3 finale

Season 2 act 2

Jayce’s nightly reading

Interview with the vampire

The best meme of this fandom

Season 2 episode 8 finale

Season 2 episode 6

Call Of Duty

Headcanon for the 141

The Last Of Us

Episode 3

Should I watch it

[inkonshadowandpaper]

my boy yuri did not deserve that also “the starless saint” is a sick as fuck title i’m gonna steal it

also the saint of the book was a sick ending loved that

and sankta alina’s entry was really interesting

3 stars to “The Lives of Saints” by Leigh Bardugo pls give us more fictional folklore im begging

[the-book-junkie]

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

*An old entry in my journal from earlier this year when I handled my reading journal manually. Although the review is brief and somewhat lacking in hindsight, I want this to be a part of my record here.*

Started On: 19.06.2024 Finished On: 21.06.2024 No. of Pages: 356

Man, what a book. THIS is how you do fantasy. Goddamn. Everything from the world-building to the plot to the characters was just absolutely amazing. It was very hard to put down the book even though I was re-reading it. I love how Leigh played with the idea of a dark, 'morally grey' love interest for a bit only to completely throw it out of the window later on. Talk about not letting the readers know your next move! Goddam. This book will always leave me in awe no matter how many time I read it. SO. DAMN. FUCKING. AMAZING.

Overall, 9/10.

You can re-read this multiple times and still not get bored. I absolutely loved it. The bit where Alina is struggling to learn her craft at the Little Palace can get a little bit draggy. But that is my only complaint and it will do nothing to stop me from re-reading this entire series again and again.

[savethegrishaverse]

Just a reminder our fandom is large and trending on Tumblr- we aren't invisible! And no matter what happens, we aren't going anywhere!

[latenightswaudiobooks]

About Me!

Hi, I'm Savana! I'm a 24 year old who works overnights at a homeless shelter. I basically watch cameras for 8 hours out of my 9 hour shift. I have started listening to audio books to pass the time. I always want to talk and be able to talk about the books I am reading or have read. I'm way to awkward and anxious (Thank you Autism) to do it in tiktok videos like I'd really like to so instead I thought I'd try to write about them because I have always found so much joy in writing. Sooo hints forth comes this blog! A tumblr blog because I find familiarity in it from my nostalgia of reading fanfics and one shots on it from my middle school days. (Not that I don't still love a good fanfic and I go through phases where all I can do is read them). I read a little bit of everything, but I prefer my books to have romance in them I'm a hopeless romantic who is also a skeptic about true love? I am engaged to my first high school girl crush and she is the love of my life. I want to be with her forever raising our two beautiful terrors of children together. Deep down though I always believe I'm gonna mess it up. Anywho I'm gonna post some of my favorite books I have read. As well as my most recent books I have read within the next few days or maybe all today if I hyper focus enough. I do have a chronic illness as well as I struggle with mental health so if I am inconsistent I apologize in advance but I will try to make some sort of post at least once a week. That's enough with my rambling on with the books!

P.S. To get an idea of what I read there is a some genres, authors, and books I have read and liked in the tags!

[vanebookrecs]

My simple review on "Shadow & Bone" by Leigh Bardugo. This book has been on my bookshelf since 2021 and finally decided to read it. I have to say... it wasn't all that interesting. I don't know if I'll go through with the series.

[theaddictedwatcher]

Hello everyone!

Here again to introduce you to another fantasy show. This series, made for Netflix, is for now composed of two seasons. First broadcast in 2021, the story is an adaptation from the literary world created by Leigh Bardugo. Today, the show I will introduce you to is Shadow and Bone !

And now, to begin with as always, a little summary : The kingdom of Ravka has been cursed for millennia. Its fate now rests on the shoulders of an orphan, Alina Starkov, who works as a cartographer in Ravka's First Army. When her childhood friend, Malyen ‘Mal’ Oretsev, an orphan like her, is enlisted to take part in a boat crossing the Shadow Fold, a dangerous, dark and evil fog that cuts Ravka in two, Alina manages to go with him. In the middle of the Fold, as the crew is decimated by evil flying creatures, the terrified young cartographer begins to project beams of light that drive them away and allow the boat to emerge from the Fold. Word of her feat soon spreads and Alina discovers herself to be the Sun Summoner, a Saint steeped in beliefs dating back thousands of years and the only one capable of destroying the Fold to reunite Ravka. In this world, the Grishas, people with various magical talents, form the Second Army of Ravka under the command of General Aleksander Kirigan. Alina is taken by Kirigan to the royal castle at Os Alta to be trained and to meet the king. Meanwhile, in Ketterdam, a team led by Kaz Brekker, the Crows, have been offered a very large sum of money to capture the Summoner of Light. To complete their mission, Kaz, assisted by Jesper Fahey and Inej Ghafa, must find a way to cross the Fold… Who can Alina trust? Will she be able to rid Ravka of the Fold? Will she be able to escape the Crows? Who is Kirigan really? And a little technical description : - Created by : Eric Heisserer - Music by : Joseph Trapanese - Main cast : Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux, Freddie Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young, Zoë Wanamaker, Ben Barnes, Daisy Head, Danielle Galligan, Callahan Skogman.

As I said above, the series is a Netflix adaptation of two of Leigh Bardugo's literary sagas: the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows literary duology. Having read the books a few years ago and the author herself having been involved in the project, my expectations were pretty high. So I'm going to tell you what I thought of the resulting product.

I'm going to start by talking briefly about the production team because, in my opinion, this gives a pretty good idea of the quality of the construction of the atmosphere of this universe. Between Eric Heisserer (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Final Destination 5, Bird Box), Shawn Levy (Stranger Things, Deadpool and Wolverine), Dan Cohen (Stranger Things, The Adam Project) and Dan Levine (Arrival, Freedom Writers), the producers of Shadow and Bone are used to fantasy and fantastic productions that require particular attention to special effects and atmosphere. That's why the team they've built around them (costumes, sets, music and visual effects) has been meticulously chosen, and I'll be coming back to the work of each of them later.

To give you as brief an idea as possible of the characters and their respective stories, I'll start by giving you a little background on the universe in which the series takes place. The chronology of the two merged sagas was certainly the point that made me the most sceptical. The Grisha trilogy doesn't take place at the same time as the Six of Crows duology and, although some of the characters can be found in both sagas, I couldn't quite see how they were going to merge. So I'm going to tell you a little bit about the three different stories that run parallel in season 1, with slight spoilers about the first episode. I'll only be concentrating on season 1 so as not to give too much away, so there are characters and stories I'll be deliberately omitting, although I'd love to talk about them…

THE UNIVERSE

The Shadow and Bone series plunges us into a fantasy universe in which the different populations of the six nations of Ravka, Fjerda, Shu Han, Kerch, Novyi Zem and Wandering Isle adapt elements of the language, culture and traditions of the countries of our world, drawn from different periods. Each of these populations is partly made up of people with magical abilities. These people, called Grishas by the common people, can be categorized into three different sections depending on their abilities:

Corporialkis are Grishas who have the ability to alter the physical state of a living being, either to heal them (Healers) or incapacitate them (Heartrenders).

Materlialkis are Grishas who have the ability to transform materials such as iron.

Etherealkis are Grishas who have the ability to manipulate the elements.

THE PREMICE

The nation of Ravka is divided in two, from east to west, by the Shadow Fold (also known as the Unsea), a region plunged into darkness and filled with beasts created centuries ago by a Grisha known as the Black Heretic. Ravka is also at war with Fjerda, which is seeking its independence from the king of Ravka. General Kirigan -played by Ben Barnes- leads Ravka's Second Army in these conflicts, which threaten the lives not only of the people of Ravka but of the whole world. To ensure the survival of his people, he searches in vain for the Summoner of Light, who, according to legend, is the only one who can destroy the Shadow Fold.

When the series begins, we meet the various protagonists:

* ARC GRISHA

Alina Starkov -played by Jessie Mei Li- is a young woman, half Shu, who grew up in an orphanage with her best friend Malyen "Mal" Oretsev -played by Archie Renaux. In the first episode, we discover that she is a cartographer in Ravka's army and that Mal has been enlisted as a tracker. But when, during an expedition, she reveals herself to be the Sun Summoner -an Etherealki with the rare power to summon light-, her destiny eludes her. Mal does everything in his power to protect her, but General Kirigan takes her to the Little Palace. He wants her to learn about her power there, but also to give hope to the Ravkan people that the Fold can be destroyed. We discover in the first episode that he is an Etherealki capable of summoning darkness, which is why he has been nicknamed "The Darkling". It's a very rare ability, like that of the Sun Summoner, which is why he is admired and feared by many. At the Little Palace, Alina meets Genya Safin - played by Daisy Head -a Healer known for her great beauty. Genya, initially sent to train her in the customs of the Little Palace, becomes Alina's confidante. During her stay at the Little Palace, Alina also meets Baghra Morosova -played by Zoë Wanamaker. She is introduced as one of Alina's instructors at the Little Palace, the Second Army's training facility. She is strict in her teaching of Alina's mastery of light summoning.

* ARC CROWS

Kaz "Dirtyhands" Brekker -played by Freddy Carter- is an experienced thief with a reputation for completing any mission if the price is right. He is the de facto leader of the Crows and has a personal vendetta against Pekka Rollins. Severely haptophobic -a rare phobia involving the fear of touching or being touched, an acute exaggeration of normal protective tendencies in personal space- and suffering from osteonecrosis in his right leg which causes him to limp, he has to use a cane with a pommel shaped like a crow's skull to help him get around and sometimes in combat as a weapon. Together with Inej Ghafa known as "The Wraith" -played by Amita Suman- and Jesper Fahey, a Baelish-Zemini sharpshooter -played by Kit Young- Kaz embarks on a new mission for a mysterious sponsor: they must find, kidnap and bring back to Ketterdam the Sun Summoner. If their mission is successful, Kaz will have the means to take revenge on Pekka and save those closest to him.

* ARC NINA / MATTHIAS

While Nina Zenik -played by Danielle Galligan- was on Wandering Isle on a mission for the Second Army with Zoya Nazyalensky, she found herself trapped in a Fjerdan drüskelle camp amongst whom was Matthias Helvar -played by Callahan Skogman. As Fjerdans consider Grishas to be evil, Nina was taken prisoner, interrogated and tortured. The ship on which she was held prisoner was caught in a storm and destroyed. Matthias survived the shipwreck thanks to Nina's powers which kept their bodies warm long enough to reach the shore, and so they survived together for three weeks in the wilds of Fjerda.

CASTING

It took me a couple of episodes to realise that I shouldn't see season 1 of Shadow and Bone as an adaptation of the first Six of Crows novel but rather as a mission carried out by Jesper, Kaz and Inej before the first Six of Crows book. While this may be uninteresting for readers of the novels, I find the idea of allowing us to learn more about the characters we love before the adventures in which we discover them quite interesting. It includes us even more in the evolution of the characters, and allows readers to discover a new adventure. And I'm thinking that, if I hadn't read the books, this isn't a detail I would have dwelt on. I actually loved discovering the characters I love so much in this adventure, before they were them, before they all met each other too.

I particularly enjoyed that they developed the meeting between Nina and Matthias in season 1, which makes sense as their meeting happens long before the adventures of Six of Crows. To me, it is far more interesting to have it as a story spun throughout a season than as a 5 minute flashback told by a character in a later season. It was always with the greatest relish that I relearned to love their meeting and I must salute once again the quality of the casting, particularly for these two characters who for me have the most beautiful chemistry this first season.

I must also applaud the casting of Jesper and Inej. I hadn't imagined Jesper to be exactly the same physically (in truth, I saw him with his hair shaved like in the illustrations), but Kit Young won me over from the first minutes he appeared on screen. His carefree energy, empathy, humour and ego immediately struck a chord with me and restored the image of Jesper I had in my memory from reading the books. As for Inej, Amita Suman is perfect in the role. Perfect casting. Whether in her appearance, her posture, her uprightness or her facial expressions, her performance gave me the impression of seeing the character straight out of the book come to life before my very eyes. It was magic.

I was a little less enthralled by Kaz in season 1. Mind you, Freddy Carter is very good, but for me there was an essential element missing from Kaz's story that we didn't get until season 2, and, for me, that's what makes all the difference in the way I feel about the character between the two seasons. But he's still Kaz, with all his faults and a few qualities too, and Freddy Carter brought this complex character to life perfectly.

As far as the Grisha novels are concerned, this first season follows the first book of the series rather well, although there have inevitably been a few adaptations, particularly in terms of the characters present. Yet, it's nothing too different from the events of the first book of the saga. The various performances by the actors and actresses fill out the characters rather well and the range of emotions portrayed is interesting but, and this is a personal opinion, some of the chemistry is unfortunately not there and that's a shame because it's a crucial part of the story…

I'd still like to make a special mention of three characters who, although they barely appeared in season 1, are developed in season 2 and whose actors deserve to be praised for their performances. I won't go into detail about the characters, but I'd like to thank Suzanne Smith for casting Jack Wolfe, Patrick Gibson and Sujaya Dasgupta in the major roles they play. They perfectly complemented the expected chemistry with the first-season characters and I was delighted to discover them in these roles.

REPRESENTATIONS

I'd also like to say a few words about the respect for different representations, whether racial -respecting the different characteristics of each nation, Novyi Zem and Shu-Han in particular- but also the representations of the LGBT+ community with different homosexual relationships. Of course, these aspects were already present in the novels but, given the current international climate, I think it's important that, during production, these aspects were not smoothed over or exaggerated. Whatever our origins, sexual orientation or gender identity, we're all the same, we're all human, and that's what should come first. To be honest, this is one of the subjects I enjoyed most when reading the novels: tolerance and acceptance. Beyond anything that might set us apart from one another, instead of pitting us against one another, let's stand together, let's be united.

SETTINGS

I'd now like to talk a little about the filming locations. The main shooting location for the first season was in and around Budapest and Keszthely in Hungary. Various locations were used to symbolise Ravka, such as the Ethnographic Museum, which served as the throne room of the Grand Palace, Buda Castle for the exterior of the Royal Archives, the exterior of the same castle and in particular its medieval roundel as Grisha's training grounds and Os Alta's gates, the old Stock Exchange for the interior of the Royal Archives and finally the main square for the Novokribirsk city set.

Outside Budapest, the exterior and interior of the Festetics Palace were used to create the Little Palace, and the Winter Festival was held in its concert hall. There's also the Amadé-Bajzáth-Pappenheim mansion that gave birth to the Keramzin orphanage, the town of Szentendre gave birth to that of Ryevost, and the royal palace of Gödöllő for the stable and chapel. A flashback scene was filmed in the ruined Széch��nyi-Wenckheim manor house in Békéscsaba.

Other shootings took place in Vancouver such as the scenes taking place in Ketterdam that were entirely built in the studio.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Speaking of studio-built sets, I'd like to focus on the series' special effects. Under the artistic direction of Attila Digi Kövári, Francesc Masso and Zoltán Sárdi, the series' special effects were meticulously created. Whether it's the rendering of the Grishas' spells -particularly those of the Etherealki, which are the most visual- or the creation of the Shadow Fold using a green background, the care that has gone into these effects is extremely meticulous. I'm not saying that at certain rare moments you can't see the use of the green screen, because that would be a lie, but on the whole I'm quite impressed by the visual rendering that has been given to this magical universe.

COSTUMES

Before my last stop, I'd like to talk a little about the artistic direction of the costumes. Supervised by Wendy Partridge, the costumes I'm going to talk about can be divided into three categories.

First of all, the first costumes we see are those of the soldiers of the First Army. They have influences reminiscent of the dress worn by Russian soldiers during the first half of the 20th century.

This Russian influence is reinforced later in the season when we attend the festivities at the Little Palace. The outfits of the Ravkane royalty and the Grishas soldiers present remind me of the visuals in Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace -particularly the adaptation made into a mini-series in 2016.

The second aspect that the costumes inspire in me would be a more Western influence with the costumes in Ketterdam. Kaz's in particular, with his greatcoat, hat and walking stick, reminds me a lot of Peaky Blinders with Cillian Murphy.

Finally, and this is something I've already mentioned, I appreciate that the various cultural influences brought by each nation are visible. I'm thinking in particular of Inej's outfits, which, as a Suli, have South Asian influences in them, or the outfits of the Shu people - mainly visible in season 2- which are more reminiscent of traditional Asian outfits. It's important in costume to show the diversity of the world -whether real or imagined- but above all to do so in a way that respects the cultures from which we draw our inspiration.

MUSIC

Last stop before the end of this very long article: the series' soundtrack. I really enjoyed the work on the soundtrack created by Joseph Trapanese -who is behind the soundtracks for The Greatest Showman, Quantico and The Witcher amongst others- and in particular the different themes written for the characters over the two seasons of Shadow and Bone. The diversity of the instruments used also reflects the multicultural nature of this rich universe and contributes to a varied representation in the same way as the work on the costumes, the different languages and the casting of the actors themselves. In an interview with AwardsDaily.com, Joseph Trapanese explained that the music for season 1 was composed over 11 months during the pandemic and how he conducted an orchestra through meetings on Zoom. He also explained that Russian and Slavic influences were incorporated as a basis for his compositions, as Leigh Bardugo -the author of the novels- had cited Sergei Prokofiev and folk music as examples of inspiration when she was writing. Joseph Trapanese cited other musical traditions such as gamelan- the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese peoples of Indonesia consisting mainly of percussion instruments, being inspirations for certain pieces.

CONCLUSION

And that's it, I think I've gone on long enough with this review of Shadow and Bone. I hope you've enjoyed it and that I've managed to make you want to get involved in this adventure, despite its cancellation by Netflix before season 3 due to "the writers' strikes in 2023" as Netflix explained.

Personally, I had high expectations having read the books, and I have to admit that never before has a series adaptation of a work I've read won me over so much. Whether you've read the books or not, if this type of adventure appeals to you, I can only warmly advise you to go for it! And if you want to, why not read the novels!

In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful week, enjoy your viewings and see you soon!

Eli

[bookishwords]

“This is my home, I won't be chased out of it”

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

So, I finished re-reading the trilogy. I think I liked it better this time around. I wonder if that's because I already knew what was happening and was going into it with a certain expectation of not having the most fun? My memory is bad, so I did forget a lot of details that made the series still exciting to read.

This book. During my first read I absolutely hated it. I was forcing myself to rush through it because I wanted to finish it before the New Years. Obviously because of that I wasn't paying attention and reduced the book to just Alina and Mal wandering around Ravka looking for the Firebird and not much else happening.

However, there is so much more to this book. During the underground part in the White Chapel when the squad arranged that escape against the AppaRAT I genuinely believed for a second that Tolya and Tamar went against Alina and the Squad. Oh, how happy I was to read that it was all planned.

And then above ground when they get caught and Nikolai appears to save the day! I love Nikolai with my whole heart, and I was so happy to see him. During the part where he gave Alina the emerald ring I was thinking if I were Alina, I'd say yes to marrying him without thinking. He's hot, rich, strong, smart AND funny. And you want to stick with MAL?? Girl, give me a break. He's so stale and you already acknowledge you were not meant to be. Just let it go.

I have BEEF with the Darkling! How dare he turn Nikolai into a monster! I will personally go and cut him up myself! I've had it! And him saying Sergei betrayed them. I don't believe anything the Darkling has to say. I don't know why Alina was questioning that when we all know that all he does is LIE. Alina, please turn on your brain. Sergei was most likely threatened into spilling the tea.

(this is how i imagined poor monster nikolai (but shadowy lmao))

God, I love Misha. He is just too cute. And I feel like he was there as a reminder to the squad. For them to remind themselves what they were fighting for. Misha represents Ravka's future and if the Darkling survives there is none. It was so adorable how Misha helped everyone with little tasks an oh, when he was given his practise sword so he could 'fight' too. I know he is staying behind with Genya and David (who are also very cute, and I love them). And in the end Malina lowkey adopted him. He was at their wedding and all.

The scene with Mal and Alina right before the final battle when they were imagining how their lives would be if Alina's powers were discovered earlier was actually really cute. I would like them a lot more if they were just friends that were loyal to each other. This whole romance sub plot was so unnecessary, and it just made both of them extremely annoying.

It was kind of hard to believe Alina was able to keep all those soldiers invisible for that long. Especially with everyone moving around and doing stuff. So, I'm not really surprised the plan didn't work. Dark!Nikolai had to save the day, yet again. But I was glad to see that he was able to fight the darkness inside him and control his body enough to help the squad.

I was happy to see the Darkling die. He deserved it. Good on Alina for having some empathy for him and saying his name while their bodies were being burnt but that would never be me.

I was so sad reading all the names of the people who had fallen during the war. I think I was most sad for Harshaw. He only first appeared in this book, but I liked him and Oncat. And I also really liked Zoya. I am so elated that Nikolai survived. Even with all the scars and trauma I'm positive he will be an amazing king.

I still don't know how to feel about Mal surviving. I'm happy for Alina to have him back, especially now that she has no powers, but I don't know.

I do have to say the epilogue got me in the feels. I may have shed a tear when Genya, Zoya and David visited and gave Alina a blue kefta with that message. I'm glad it was a happy ending.

[elfstearssociety]

Review: Siege and Storm (Leigh Bardugo)

Very intense in my opinion. A lot of new characters, drama, you can feel how lonely and tired the main characters are, it’s great written. Also with more funny sentences because they break the intense atmosphere easier. You know, because the story is SO intense. More diverse Charakters, but I misunderstood some reviews about queer folx being in the story I guess… I have some guesses but I feel like I see queer Charakters just because I want them to be queer, not because they might be. Looking forward for the third book of the trilogy, but will read something else first because yeah. Intense.