After more than five long years of anticipation, fans of Leigh Bardugo are finally getting what they’ve been waiting for; a television series based on two of Bardugo’s famed books, “Shadow and Bone” and “Six of Crows.” The show was commissioned by Netflix in 2019, with Eric Heisserer as its primary showrunner. Heisserer has written screenplays for “Arrival” and “Birdbox,” two Oscar nominated films.
“Still can’t quite believe this is real. Shadow and Bone AND Six of Crows are coming to Netflix in a glorious Grishaverse adaption… ” Leigh Bardugo said in her Instagram post.
This new series will take place in the Grishaverse, a fictional universe created by Bardugo. In the Grishaverse lies Ravka, a Russian-inspired country torn apart by seemingly eternal darkness. Young Ravkan soldier Alina Starkov is set on her first deployment across the Shadow Fold; a section of impenetrable darkness swarming with monsters who feast on human flesh. During this time, Alina discovers magical powers that could rid Ravka of the Shadow Fold and unite her war-ravaged country.
“Shadow and Bone,” the first book in the “Shadow and Bone” trilogy was published on Jun. 5, 2012, followed in the next two years by “Siege and Storm” and “Ruin and Rising.” While readers had mixed opinions about the trilogy, there was nothing short of praise for Bardugo’s duology, “Six of Crows.”
“I really loved the characters in the Six of Crows duology and I’m really excited to see how [the actors] portray them on screen. It will be interesting to see how they compare to what I envisioned them as,” Katelyn Wildes (11) said.
The novel “Six of Crows” takes place two years after the “Shadow and Bone” trilogy, but in Bardugo’s fictional city of Ketterdam, a hub of gangs, drinking, and doing whatever it takes to stay alive. The first season will set in motion Alina Starkov’s journey, but then will transition into Ketterdam for the second season.
While many aspects of the show are still uncertain, fans of the Grishaverse are sure of one thing; the characters in the show have a lot on their shoulders. With Bardugo’s intimate descriptions of each character, especially Alina Starkov and Kaz Brekker from “Six of Crows,” bookworms and TV aficionados alike are anxious to see how it all plays out. Judging by the success of the two series, the anticipation will only grow as the show inches closer to its release date.