You might not have heard of The Letter For The King until very recently, but Tonke Dragt’s book is a bonafide classic in the author's native Netherlands.
First released in 1962, the fantasy epic is often mentioned in the same breath as Lord of the Rings, so it was only a matter of time before someone like Netflix would come along and adapt the book, particularly now that people are crying out for a new Game of Thrones.
Unfortunately, The Letter For The King is not the new fantasy smash we were hoping for, so you can toss out any high expectations you might have like a coin to your Witcher. In fact, it's not even that great for fans of the book either.
Dragt's novel tells the story of a young knight-in-training called Tiuri, whose preparations are interrupted by a mysterious stranger. The night before his induction is to be completed, the squire of a dying knight asks Tiuri to deliver a letter of utmost importance to King Favian.
So starts an epic journey which has captured the hearts of YA readers for decades, except what makes this story so powerful is that it isn't particularly epic at all. Instead, Dragt's book is far more concerned with the personal journey Tiuri takes during this quest, sticking close by his side right up until the very last page.
Warring factions mostly remain distant from the action, which helps set The Letter For The King apart from other classics of its ilk. Presumably in a bid to attract modern-day audiences, Netflix has deviated significantly from the text in this regard, throwing in just about every fantasy trope – magic included – that you can imagine.
Rival kingdoms, chosen ones, ancient prophecies... The Letter For The King has it all, but unfortunately, there's not much here that even casual fantasy fans haven't seen before.
The key difference is how quaint this show feels in comparison to its peers, and that's a deliberate choice. After all, the book is aimed primarily at young adults and Netflix's version of The Letter For The King also focuses on the teenage experience within a fantasy setting.
In that regard, The Letter For The King was never supposed to be the new Witcher. The gore is kept to a minimum and sex is almost non-existent beyond casual teen romance, so don't expect meme-worthy bathtub scenes to appear if the show's renewed for a second season.
That's all understandable, but what we can't forgive is what's been lost in translation. Without the kind of shock value that Game of Thrones and The Witcher trade in, the storytelling is more important than ever, but The Letter For The King drags far more than you'd think given that season one is only six episodes long.
The younger actors who comprise Tiuri's circle bring some much-needed energy to the show, but most of them fail to transcend the briefest of character descriptions, transforming the show into a surprisingly flat experience which sometimes borders on cringe-worthy.
Unfortunately, not even established veterans like Omid Djalili and Andy Serkis have much to work with either. If we were to pick out one standout performance, that would probably be Tiuri's horse, but even his multiple rescues become ridiculous by the end.
That's not to say The Letter For The King is entirely unwatchable. Kids will get a kick out of seeing high-budget fantasy fare finally aimed at them, and the show must be commended for its diverse casting.
After all, in a genre where elves and dragons are commonplace, it's still far too rare to see non-white protagonists take the lead. Sure, Tiuri lacks agency at times, but Amir Wilson does an admirable job of fleshing out his character's personality on screen. It's just a shame that the show itself doesn't quite deliver in the same way.
Actor Thaddea Graham told Digital Spy that show runner Will Davies "had discussions" with the author regarding this adaptation of her work, but unfortunately, the spirit of the book is still lacking in key aspects of the show.
Without the goodwill this franchise has built up over time in the Netherlands, international audiences may struggle to stick with this occasionally enjoyable but ultimately generic adaptation.
Our advice? Return to sender and invest the money in a bigger budget for The Witcher season two instead.
The Letter for the King is available to stream now on Netflix, while The Witcher returns for its second season next year.
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After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
