Demon in the Wood is a graphic novel adaptation of the short story The Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo, with art by Dani Pendergast. The original story is expanded in the graphic novel.[1]
Blurb[]
Witness the origin story of the Darkling come alive in this exquisitely illustrated graphic novel prequel to Shadow and Bone, the hit Netflix original series.
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.[2]
Summary[]
The story opens in an otkazat'sya village in the borderlands south of Fjerda. A man tells his children not to fear Grisha, unware that a young Darkling is watching the village from the nearby woods. He travels with his mother to the Grisha camp. On the way there, she has him rehearse his new alias, Eryk, and hers, Lena. They constantly have to disguise themselves and move around to stay safe, as their unique powers have endangered their lives.
Lena leaves Eryk at a hideout while she scouts ahead. She takes their only lantern, leaving him alone and afraid of the dark. The next morning, they arrive at the camp, and Eryk is pleased with the thought of staying in one place for the winter. The Ulle—a powerful Squaller and the chieftan—greets them and invites Lena to a council meeting. However, Lena sees through his lies of the elders welcoming her and shows him her Grisha abilities. The Ulle also mentions a bear amplifier that has been spotted nearby, but Lena refuses additional power, demonstrating the Cut.
The Ulle shows them their new hut, and Eryk questions him about security. However, the Ulle reassures him, also mentioning white tigers he could see in the spring. After the Ulle leaves, Lena asks Eryk what he observed about the camp. She praises the way Eryk can read the flow of power, saying this will make him a great leader. Before Lena leaves for the council meeting, she reminds Eryk to be careful.
When exploring, Eryk meets Annika, a Tidemaker, and Sylvi, her younger sister, who asks to see his power. Eryk summons shadows to surround Sylvi. Annika becomes distressed when her sister disappears into the darkness, then embarrassed when she emerges unharmed. Lev, the Ulle's son and a strong Squaller like his father, then appears with two friends. When Annika and Sylvi turn to leave, Lev summons a tornado at Sylvi's feet. Annika can only create a weak wave when she tries to retaliate with her own powers. Lev then insults Sylvi, calling her an otkazat'sya. He goes to drown her, but Eryk blinds Lev and his friends with his own power, stopping the attack.
Later, Eryk eats dinner with his mother. Lena once again warns him to be cautious about his powers, reminding him of his failure with the Cut. Outside, Annika finds Eryk trying to split wood with his power, and invites him to help her hunt the bear amplifier so she can use it for herself. They walk into the woods and encounter Sylvi's hat lying near a patch of blood. Panicked, they continue to the okazat'sya village, where Eryk summons darkness to conceal him and Annika. They soon find Sylvi, who had tried to track the bear to help her sister, then gotten lost and taken to the village. She shows them that the okazat'sya had killed the bear themselves, and Annika is upset that the amplifier was lost. She takes Sylvi away from the village despite her sister's protests.
While walking back to the Grisha camp, Eryk and Annika bond over their experiences. However, Sylvi is still mad at leaving the village and stamps her foot. The snow gives way and Sylvi falls down the mountain. Annika reaches out a hand to help her but slips as well, and Eryk grabs her. Instantly, a tree made of ice extends from the side of the mountain, catching Sylvi in its branches. Sylvi slides down safely and believes that Annika created the tree on her own.
However, through Eryk's touch, Annika has discovered that her new friend is an amplifier. Back at the Grisha camp, Sylvi tells her father about Annika's power, although Annika downplays what happened—she had promised to keep Eryk's secret. At dinner, Eryk sits with the girls as they make small talk. He agrees to go swimming with Annika late that night.
After Lena falls asleep, Eryk sneaks into the woods and finds Annika alone in the hot spring. Annika tells him about her mother, then climbs on a rock to dive. She raises her arms, and Eryk is confused until he realizes that the water around him has turned to ice, pinning him in place. Annika walks toward him with a rock. She apologizes, saying that she needs an amplifier.
Lev then appears, looking for revenge. Annika tells him to leave, but Eryk loudly tells her to kill him, revealing that he is an amplifier. This spurs Lev to run towards him as well. Before he reaches them, Annika strikes him with the rock. She prepares to hit him again when Lev's power shoves her aside. Eryk takes his chance and cracks the ice, pushing himself underwater. When both Annika and Lev are directly above him, Eryk remembers his mother telling him to never stop fighting. He successfully uses the Cut for the first time, instantly killing Lev and leaving Annika begging for his help before she dies from a deep wound. Next, Eryk rises. He realizes that he and his mother will be blamed and killed, so he uses the Cut on his own leg and passes out.
Eryk later awakens in a hut and tells the Ulle that the okazat'sya had attacked them. Lena is left alone with him, and Eryk apologizes before falling asleep. At dawn, the two of them prepare to leave. Lena praises Eryk for his quick thinking and tells him that the Ulle had led an attack to kill everybody in the okazat'sya village, believing them responsible. She also mentions the sacrifices she would make for her son and says that there are no safe places for Grisha, who become desperate. Upon hearing this, Eryk resolves to make a safe haven for them himself.
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Trivia[]
- The story is briefly referenced in episode 5, Ni Weh Sesh (I Have No Heart) of the Shadow and Bone TV series.