“No safe place. No haven. But there will be. I will make one.”
Demon In The Wood expands on the original short story with the same title that Leigh Bardugo published back in 2014 and which is part of the beloved long-running series written by the award winning author. With it being a graphic novel, we can see a whole new slide of the original story as well as the Grishaverse.
Aleksander—the boy who will grow up to be the Darkling—and his mother Lena are on the run from the witch-hunters, the drüskelle, because they are a special type of Grisha that have the ability to summon shadows and darkness. They’ve been moving from one place to another, changing names so often that Aleksander (now Eryk) does not remember his real name anymore. But it’s winter and they need a place for shelter; so, they try to settle in a Fjerda camp of Grisha, as they’ve been welcomed by their leader. However, the rest of the Grisha in the camp are not as welcoming, they are wary of the mother-son duo because of their strong powers.
The storyline follows this short period in Eryk/Aleksander’s life. He is excited to live in the same place for a long period of time for the first time. He’s so desperate to have friends and have brand new experiences. This is why he befriends Annika and her little sister who is non-Grisha. The girls are bullied by other kids at the camp and so they bond with Eryk/Aleksander who is the outsider and spend time together with him. However, since this is all new for him, we see how he struggles to know how much of him to share with others and what to keep to himself. As the story progresses we see what would bring Eryk/Aleksander to be the Darkling in the future when we meet him in the Shadow and Bone series. Here we see his ambition grow, his desire to seek safety and stability, the desire to just have a home for him and his people to leave in peace. But, of course, things don’t always go to plan and Eryk/Aleksander will also face betrayals and disappointment that will shape him and taint his pure ambitions. Knowing what the future holds for him surely makes things all the more emotional.
The illustrations by Dani Pendergast are simple yet filled with so much emotion. They did such a great job at adding a whole new layer of depth to the Darkling and his story. The contrast between cool and warm colours also helps bringing the characters and their differences to life as well as the settings where the action takes place.
With Demon In The Wood, Bardugo and Pendergast painted a poignant and tragic little story that will tug at the heart of those who love the Grishaverse series—and especially those who love the Darkling. All in all, Demon In The Wood is a great addition to the Grishaverse. Perfect for those who can’t get enough of the Darkling and want to get to know him and his past a bit more and understand where he is coming from alongside beautiful and vivid illustrations that bring this magical universe to life in a whole new way.
Demon In The Wood is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Before he led Ravka’s Second Army, before he created the Fold, and long before he became the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy burdened by an extraordinary power.
Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha —they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by those who would exploit their gifts, they must hide their true abilities wherever they go. But sometimes deadly secrets have a way of revealing themselves…
Discover the start of a grand and sinister destiny in this must-have graphic novel prequel to the bestselling series and international Netflix sensation Shadow and Bone from spectacular new talent Dani Pendergast and #1 New York Times bestseller Leigh Bardugo.
