You guys, can I start by saying something?
“No Mourners, No Funerals”.
Aaaahhh, got the chills even if I was just typing it!! Okay, now that I am done fangirling, onto the review…
Setting the Story
Shadow and Bone, the Netflix original series is based on the bestseller Shadow and Bone Series by Leigh Bardugo. From the moment this series was announced, I had been waiting with bated breath to see if they would do justice to the amazing Grishaverse created by Bardugo. And they delivered on the promise, you guys. It looks even better than what I had imagined and I. Am. Shook.
Shadow and Bone is set in an imaginary universe — The Grishaverse, mainly set in a country called Ravka. Grishaverse countries are loosely based on what is our world’s Tsarist Russia, China, Scandinavia, The Dutch Republic of 18th century and more. The show follows the story of Alina Starkov, a cartographer with the Ravkan First Army who is suddenly thrust into a whole different world as her previously hidden power comes to light (pun intended, hehe!!). Alina and her childhood friend Mal is separated by powers beyond their control and they now have to find their way back to each other. There are multiple sub-plots within the story, most important being the stories of the Crows - a gang of criminals from Ketterdam, and that of Mattias and Nina who find friendship even though they are on two sides of the ongoing war. General Kirigan, Commander of the Ravkan Armies also has an important story arc.
This universe also has really cool powerful people — The Grisha — who can control elements (called Summoners), the human body, metals and much more. The people of Ravka worship powerful Grisha as Saints, though it was not always so. Ravka is at war with… pretty much every other country by the look of it. Their major enemy though is Fjerda, who are looking to eliminate the Grisha on account of them being “witches”. I should clarify, in this world, the Grisha are not magicians; they simply summon or control what is already present. Magic ie., making something new from nothing, to them, is something unnatural and not to be trifled with. Long ago, a Shadow Summoner used such unnatural magic, merzost, creating a Shadow Fold filled with bloodthirsty creatures. This Fold isolates Ravka from other countries and they desperately want to see it destroyed. But how to accomplish this — is the question!
I can’t very well give out all the details here — but suffice it to say this is a brilliant show and I am so damn impressed with the showrunners for the efforts put in to stay authentic to the books! I would imagine bringing Leigh Bardugo into the picture helped with this, so cheers to that! Let’s appreciate the author who initially brought this world to reality (clap, clap, clap!!!). The readers, including yours truly, are over the moon that the show turned out well, and even gave us some unexpected moments we didn’t know we needed!! Yes, I am talking about the confrontation between Kaz and the Darkling — really cool scene!!
The Characters
Onto the characters — Jessie Mei Li is gorgeous and sweet and perfect as Alina. Archie Renaux as Mal Oretsev — gotta say, took me by surprise. I have read the novels before (obviously!!) but I wasn’t as invested in Alina and Mal in the books. The actors have given a fresh breath to the characters and I love it! BUT, let’s all admit that Ben Barnes embodies General Kirigan to perfection. This man is by far the most good looking antagonist I have ever seen. He’s so cunning and so manipulative I was truly afraid in some moments. Also, how is he even more handsome now than he was as Prince Caspian in the Narnia movie!? Ugggh… the man is beautiful!! Him in his black kefta and flowing cloak has my heart. Did I mention he was riding a black horse too???
Now, onto my favourite characters, both from the books and the series — the Crows. Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa and Jesper Fahey are criminals looking to make a quick buck kidnapping Alina. But trust me when I say this — you’ll fall in love with them. Freddy Carter and Amita Suman brings the dynamic of Kaz and Inej to life beautifully, and Jesper is a smol cinnamon roll who I want to hug and never let go of, fight me! Do not even get me started on the cuteness that is Mattias and Nina (*insert heart eyes*).
Final Thoughts
The show makes a very clear reference to racial divide — with explicit references to Asian ethnicity, POC being sold as indentured workers and slaves, even the class divide between the Grisha and normal people. I appreciate the show not hiding what is happening in the real world as well. The hate Asians receive is disturbing and it is nice to see the show taking efforts not just to include a diverse coloured cast — but also to acknowledge the rampant discrimination faced by people of colour in our world. Kind of sad when you realize differences are never celebrated, only scorned — be it in real world or fantasy.
I really do appreciate the show not being yet another YA trope glorifying toxic relationships. There is this moment where Alina calls General Kirigan out on his manipulation and blatant lying and he replies — “Fine, make me your villain” … I shivered and not in the good way.
The show does fall into the trap of the cliched love triangle, best friends to lovers, enemies to lovers and various other tropes. It is also pretty confusing to a complete newbie to the fandom, I would imagine — what with terminologies and unpronounceable location names being thrown around as if it is normal right from the first episode. And of course, there’s a prophecy and a young woman in the midst of a war she doesn’t want to fight in. For someone new to to the show, I’d recommend watching “Shadow and Bone | Building the World” first, to get an idea of the story.
But in the end, I loved the show and I can’t wait for a second season. I do hope there will be a second season, nothing is confirmed as of yet. For those of you who’ve already watched — you ain’t seen nothing yet. Season 1 established the storyline, but trust me when I say you’re not ready for what’s to come! And yes, I am speaking with the smug assurance of having already read all the books in the series, so what!
I’ll leave you with this quote from Crooked Kingdom — this I think applies to all the prominent relationships in the story!
