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SYFY WIRE Shadow and Bone

Netflix wants you to know that Netflix's Shadow and Bone is a great adaptation

By Justin Carter

Netflix's recently released Shadow and Bone series is based on the young adult books by Leigh Bardugo. With any adaptation comes big expectations, especially in the YA genre, and it's a common fear that a new medium could drastically alter the source material to the point of becoming unrecognizable. (Look at how everyone reacted when the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender left the live action adaption last year, which is also being done by Netflix.)

To prove that they know what they're doing with the "Grishaverse," Netflix got three "booktubers" (a sect of Youtube that vlogs about books they read, from fantasy to romance) to watch some clips from Bardugo's Shadow and Bone series and cast their judgment.

Check out the new video below:

According to the booktubers -- diehard fans Jananie, Cindy, and Christine -- the adaptation does right by the universe. From the dynamics of the various characters to their respective introductions, all three consider the series a success, even if there are some issues with Ben Barnes' Darkling that boil down more to source material.

They also say that what changes the show has made aren't especially egregious, but a case of either being more diverse or fusing two stories together. (Six of Crows, a duology set after the events of the original trilogy, has its story lined up with the first book in the show.)

For those who don't even know what a Grisha or Alina Starkov are, the trio also helps explain some of the show's lore and character dynamics, so this video also functions as a soft guide to the show.

Of course, it must also be said: this is a video by Netflix, about Netflix doing a great job with a show they hope you watch and want more seasons of. And they really want you to know that they did their homework. Granted, the series has garnered largely solid reviews and has a 94% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes

Shadow and Bone's first season is now available in its entirety on Netflix.