Synopsis:
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…
Review:
Until picking this up I had completely forgotten that I’d read this story before. I actually enjoyed the graphic novel a lot more as the visuals were so beautiful. Reading this has really made me want graphic novel adaptations of every book in the grishaverse. Especially Shadow and Bone as I feel like the grisha powers would look so cool.
The art style is absolutely gorgeous and the colour work was incredible. Every page was interesting to look at and I could spend hours focusing on every little detail. The character designs had just the right amount of realism to them, I liked that they looked like actual people but still had a slight cartoony style. I’m not a fan of realistic art styles in graphic novels.
I really enjoyed the story of Demon in the Wood but it definitely isn’t something you could pick up if you haven’t read the Shadow and Bone trilogy first. It’s a little too fast paced and uses terminology that I don’t think you could understand unless you have prior knowledge of the world.
The Darkling’s origin story really adds to his already interesting and complex character but it will never make me sympathise with him. I find him interesting because he is pure evil, but I’d never say he’s a good person. He did have a couple of nice moments in this story, but it is also what lead him to be who we know and hate in the original trilogy.
If you’ve read the original trilogy, then Demon in the Wood is an excellent companion novel. It adds more depth to the grishaverse and gives you insight into why the Darkling acts how he does. The art style is absolutely gorgeous and it’s a super quick read. I’d definitely recommend it.
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Like this post? Why not read this one too: To Be Read: ARC Update – May 2023