One of the best things about being a bookworm is watching a TV or film adaptation of you favorite book. You can say cheeky things like, âI read it before it was popular,â or spend hours on end discussing all the ways the TV/movie diverges from the original plot (just donât point out these minute differences while watching it with friends).
No book-to-series adaptation can follow the original storyline perfectly. Sometimes these differences are welcomed by the fandom and others are disregarded as ânot canon,â but the truth is we all have different opinions. And thatâs okay. Thatâs what makes reinterpretations such as Netflixâs Shadow and Bone fun to watch and discuss.
If you read the Shadow and Bone Trilogy or simply want to know what the major differences are, stick around. We’re going to go over the biggest and most impactful changes between Leigh Bardugoâs and the giant streaming companyâs versions of this epic tale.
Alina Isnât Half Shu in the Books
The book describes Alina as a brunette who is ugly, frail, and thin with skin that is âpale and sour, like a glass of milk that’s turned.â As The Sun Summoner gains control of her powers she morphs into a *beautiful* hero. For anyone who has read a lot of YA, you can see how trope-y this kind of description can be. But if you arenât well-read on adolescent fiction, think of â90s rom-coms where the brunette in glasses gets a makeover (aka switches to contacts) and transforms into a baddie. Thatâs similar to Alinaâs âawkwardâ background, which causes her to be picked on for most of her life.
However, Netflix chose to go in another direction that avoids the clichĂ© altogether. In the TV series, Alina is half Shu from her motherâs side. The Shu Han nation, inspired by Mongolia and China, borders south Ravka and is largely feared and hatedâthe country is an enemy to Alinaâs homeland. This makes for a more interesting backstory for her character. It gives a realistic cause for her bullying, one that many viewers can understand: sheâs disliked for her association with her countryâs enemy, not just because sheâs an ugly duckling.
Itâs Actually The Darkling in the Books
Itâs General Kirigan/Aleksander in the show and The Darkling for most of the books. If you havenât read the Grishaverse trilogy, youâd think this was a tiny, irrelevant change. But, boy, it isnât.
*Spoiler alert for the books*
Bardugoâs version of the character goes by The Darkling only. Heâs cool, respected, and feared. Having him go by the alias associated with the power that instills so much awe and terror from people is equally awesome and terrifying. But it doesnât just make him cooler. It packs a punch when he finally reveals his name to his former love interest turned enemy, Alina, as he dies. Thatâs right. Itâs only after Alina stabs her old beau with a Grisha steel dagger that she finally learns his name:
âWill you say it?â
âAleksanderâ
His grin faded and his grey eyes seemed to flicker.
âAgain.â
âAleksanderâ
I donât know about you, but this hits me right in the feels. RIP, Aleksander.
The Netflix Series Includes Six of Crows Characters
Itâs hard to imagine the show without Kaz, Inej, and Jesper, but these three oozing with charisma arenât in the Shadow and Bone Trilogyâat all. But in all my internet perusing I have yet to see anyone complain about the Six of Crows characters being included in the Netflix Series. Who would? The Crows are fan-favorite characters, more than most of the original characters from the Shadow and Bone Trilogy.
Showrunner Eric Heisserer decided to include the trio to expand the world, giving viewers a chance to see more of it and not just through Grisha lens, through morally gray criminals. How fun!
But the whole letâs-steal-the-Sun-Summoner heist is originalâit never happened in the books! Crossing the fold with Arken Visser, aka The Conductor, didnât happen either. The Crows duology actually takes place two years after Alinaâs story. Most of the trioâs plot you see in the show is entirely original.
Malina and Darklina Dynamics
Like any good fandom, Shadow and Bone isnât without its ships. We have Mal and Alina (Malina) and The Darkling and Alina (Darklina). Luckily, each ship has its time to shine in the books and show.
Take Malina for example. If you want to see Alina pining for best friend, Mal, read the books. Bardugo makes it a point to highlight Alinaâs feelings for her friend and longtime crush. However, this version doesnât offer a lot of Mal time and for most of the first book, heâs not really in it. Instead, we feel his presence in Alina’s longing.
Netflixâs version does a better job of interweaving Malâs storyline so viewers get to see his journey toward Alina, too. We see as he worries for his friend and devises a plan to see herâsomething we donât know heâs doing in the books.
If youâre team Darklina, youâll also find differences to enjoy between the books and show. If youâre craving a more manipulating villain, you will want to bury yourself in the books. The Darkling does have some feelings for the Grisha, but more than anything, he wants to use her to save Ravka . . . at any cost.
For a softer Aleksander, Netflix has you covered. Its series highlights his romantic feelings for his equal. Heâs jealous of Mal, not wanting to allow the two friends to meet. But he also offers Alina a home, someplace the orphan can feel a part of. A place he also belongs in.
His feelings for her and her powers, which he can use to help his country, are equal on the show. Book-version Darkling cares more about his power than anything else. Not Ben Barnes’ Kirigan.
Have you read Shadow and Bone? What differences did you notice in the Netflix series? Let Your Geek Sideshow and let us know in the comments below!