Demon in the Wood Review

My Review

Rating: 4/5

Updated: 7/2/2024

Demon in the Wood

By Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA, fantasy, graphic novel, backstory

Published: 2022

Origin stories. The tales that make you learn more about the hero or sympathize with the villain. Demon in the Wood, the newest addition to the Grishaverse series, is the Darkling's origin story. But what kind: a hero's or a villain's?

The author alluded to this in the afterword, and it started me thinking. In Shadow and Bone, the Darkling was the main villain. He created the Fold, and when he had the chance to destroy it, he swept it further. He brought ruin to Ravka, and caused all sorts of problems for our main characters. Yet, why did the Darkling do all this? Wasn't he the one to lead (and even help build up) the Second Army. Well, this story, and some of the books as well, give a little glimpse into what was going on in his head and what started him down the path that he went on, of not being purely one or the other, a hero or a villain, but somewhere in the dark, blurry area in the middle.

Demon in the Wood was set up perfectly! I had no idea how it would be written: when, where, and with whom around him, but I think it fit the Darkling very well. While it was a really short read, the beautiful illustrations really added to the story! It was nice to see the characters come alive on the page.

I actually really liked seeing the Darkling's background and I wish there was more out there about him and from his perspective...maybe he could get his own graphic novel series? I would love to see that!

It might be a short read, but I would highly recommend Demon in the Wood for those who (like me), always look forward to more Grishaverse books!