Shadow and Bone: The Fascinating World of the New Netflix Series Explained

On April 23, 2021 starts with “Shadow and Bone“an epic new fantasy series on the stream ing service Netflix

1. Ravka: The divided country
   

2. The Grisha: The magicians of Ravka
   

3. The crows also appear in season 1 of “Shadow and Bone”
   

Ravka: The divided country

The magical land of Ravka is the main location of the Netflix series “Shadow and Bone”. It is based on the tsarist Russia of 1800.

Writer Leigh Bardugo, who wrote the master novels for “Shadow and Bone”, describes her unique fantasy setting as more “imperial Russia, not medieval England, repeating rifles instead of broadswords.”

Netflix viewers can therefore look forward to a – for example in comparison to “Game of Thrones“- set a slightly different fantasy world.

Ravka is at war with its neighboring countries: in the north it borders on the Scandinavian-inspired Fjerda, in the south on the Asian-inspired Shu Han.

Ravka is also faced with an incredible problem: the land is divided by the so-called shadow corridor, a magical swath filled with darkness. In the shadow corridor, Volcra make monsters called (which also in the trailer can be seen) hunting for travelers.

The two-part country of Ravka suffers greatly from the shadowy corridor, as trade and transport are made considerably more difficult. Since Ravka is still at war with its northern and southern neighboring countries, it is not possible to bypass the shadowy corridor.

The Grisha: The magicians of Ravka

Ravka fights in the war with a so-called 1st Army of regular soldiers and the 2nd Army of Grisha. That’s the name of the magicians from “Shadow and Bone”.

Magic is called “Small Science” in the “GrishaVerse”.

The “Shadow and Bone” main character Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) turns out to be a sun warrior (Sun Summoner). She can conjure up the light and, according to legend, a sun warrior will one day make the shadowy corridor disappear.

Alina’s special talent makes General Kirigan (Ben Barnes) aware of her. The powerful leader of the Grisha 2nd Army can guide shadows and summon darkness.

However, there are many more types of grisha that have very different abilities.

Die Corporalki can change the human body. For example, they can slow a person’s heartbeat and thus harm him, but there are also healers among them.

Those Etherialki The elements mentioned under the Grisha can influence the elements water, fire and wind.

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The ultimate Netflix quiz

What was the first Netflix in-house production?

Die Materialki can change, create and shape materials such as metal, wood, stone and textiles. They are not so much warriors as craftsmen, hobbyists and tinkerers. Make a sub-category of them the Alchemy who are magical chemists who can make poisons and explosives.

Ravka is not a particularly industrialized country. Therefore, in war it is heavily dependent on the various magical abilities of its Grisha. Incidentally, magic is hated in the northern neighboring country of Fjerda. It sends witch hunters (Drüskelle) to hunt the Grisha.

The crows also appear in season 1 of “Shadow and Bone”

The “Shadow and Bone” universe by author Leigh Bardugo, called GrishaVerse, does not only consist of the trilogy “Legends of Grisha”. Bardugo also wrote other novels set in the same fantasy world. “The Song of the Crows” is also adapted by Netflix and immediately inserted into season 1 of “Shadow and Bone”.

Therefore, the epic Fanstasy story about the Grisha and the land of Ravka is immediately supplemented by a gang of thieves who are up to mischief in Ketterdam. This island nation is inspired by the Netherlands and lives from trade. A lively culture of thieves has also established itself in the rich country.

This is where Netflix viewers will get to know the gang of thieves called “crows” led by Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter). The crows commit raids, which adds another heist aspect to the fantasy world of “Shadow and Bone”, which is rather untypical for the fantasy setting.

The streaming service Netflix has also produced a YouTube video that introduces the world of “Shadow and Bone”. Watch the 5-minute English clip here:

Those: Entertainment Weekly.