Shadow and Bone’s cancelation hurts—But there’s still a bright spot for Grishaverse fans

The cancellation of Shadow and Bone by Netflix was a tough blow for fans, especially after its second season, which was well-received. The season was promising as it also featured beloved characters from Six of Crows. Many were hoping for more adventures with Alina, the Darkling, and of course, Kaz and his crew.

The show was adapted from Leigh Bardugo’s books, which have a devoted global readership. Therefore, the release of Shadow and Bone merges two distinct fanbases, ones who loved the original Grisha trilogy and the ones who are loyal to the Six of Crows duology.

The cancellation hurts, but there is still a bright spot for Grishaverse fans. The show never diverges a lot from the story of the books and chooses to remain an authentic adaptation.

Here is how there is still a silver lining for Grishaverse fans despite the cancellation of Shadow and Bone

Netflix, with the unexpected decision, seems to have missed the rare opportunity to capitalise on a thriving, engaged audience, which most new series have to build from scratch. Moreover, Shadow and Bone had an amazing ensemble cast, with Freddy Carter’s Kaz, Amita Suman’s Inej, and Kit Young’s Jesper were universally praised. At the same time, most fans were really excited about the Six of Crows arc.

Imagine what Six of Crows as a standalone series could have been: a gritty heist fantasy, and less bound to the magic-heavy politics of Ravka. It could have become as popular as shows like Arcane and The Witcher in terms of tone and impact. According to reports, the situation is often likened to Game of Thrones, another book adaptation. Game of Thrones’ final seasons lost narrative depth and character logic once it passed George R.R. Martin’s roadmap. The Witcher began to drift from Sapkowski’s tone and story, leading to massive fan backlash, even before major cast changes.

It is interesting to note that Shadow and Bone is already diverging in significant ways by the end of Season 2. Alina's character ending, showcasing her abilities to summon shadows, was a departure from the book storyline. In addition to this, Darkling's premature death cut off his haunting presence and influence from the books. At the same time, Alina's crowning as queen suggests an entirely different storyline altogether.

Imagine how different it would be to see Alina heading into uncharted, unchartered territory without the lingering forces of Darlking. Therefore, this cancellation avoided the possibility of a disappointing act 3 that is invented more and adapted less. In that sense, the bright spot is that the show didn’t go too far beyond the books’ storyline—avoiding the kind of decline seen in Game of Thrones.

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Bardugo’s world remains intact and untarnished in the books. And now, those who discovered the book through the show and became a fan can now delve into books to know an unfiltered ending.

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