SERIES REVIEW – Netflix doesn’t skimp on the fantasy series, offering viewers a wide range of genres from The Witch to The Bridgertons. But can the Shadow and Bone adaptation stand out from the crowd? The first two seasons of the series, set in the Grishaverse world created by Leigh Bardugo, have divided critics and fans alike. Let’s take a closer look at why!

The story of Shadow and Bone is set in a world where a land of dark creatures (the Loop) divides the country of Ravka. The life of Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), an orphaned cartographer, is radically changed when she discovers that she is the only light-bending Grisha (mage) whose power may be able to eliminate the Loop. Then she takes control of General Kirigan (Ben Barnes), the warlord of the shadowbending Grisha leader (also known as the Darkling). Alina soon finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and lies, while her old friend Mal Oretsev (Archie Renaux) does his best to find her. Meanwhile, three criminals from Ketterdam – Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter), Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman) and Jesper Fahey (Kit Young) – are hired to kidnap Alina.

The virtues and flaws of world creation

Perhaps the greatest strength of Shadow and Bone is its staggeringly rich world-building. The series not only adapts Bardugo’s first trilogy, but also includes characters from his second duology, creating a diverse universe full of magic politics, romance humour and action. The visuals are stunning: fr every location is authentically rendered on screen from the Loop to the grandiose palaces of Ravka to the grimy alleyways of KetterdamThe Grishas’ abilities are also spectacularly on display: they can conjure light, shadow, fire or wind, or manipulate bodies or matter.

However, not everything is perfect in this world: it is often difficult to follow the relationship between countries or peoples or why they are fighting each other. The series does not explain enough of the history or culture of the Grishaverse, which would be important to understand the motivations or conflicts of the various characters. Instead, the series touches on these themes only superficially, focusing instead on spectacle and action.

Performance of the actors and character development

The series’ cast also deserves recognition: as Alina Starkov, Jessie Mei Li authentically portrays a young woman’s struggle with her identity and her power. And Ben Barnes as General Kirigan perfectly plays the charismatic but dangerous leader with dark secrets. And Archie Renaux as Mal Oretsev shows how strong friendship and love can be, surviving distance and obstacles. And the trio of Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter), Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman) and Jesper Fahey (Kit Young), who will join the show in season two, bring a great sense of humour and excitement, which is a great strength of Shadow and Bone.

In terms of character development, however, the series has been less successful: I often felt that Alina was too passive while everyone else was making decisions for her or influencing her. Kirigan’s motivations also remained rather unclear to me: it’s not clear why he wants to dominate or destroy Ravka, or why he’s attracted to Alina. And the criminals from Ketterdam, while amusing, did not really fit into the story of the first season: they often seemed to be a time-suck or fanservice.

We’ve seen it before…

The story of Shadow and Bone is not very original: many of its elements have been seen in other fantasy series or films. The Loop, for example, is very similar to the area called the Dark Lord in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is ruled by Sauron. The Grishas’ abilities are also reminiscent of the mages in the Song of Fire and Ice series of novels, who summon or control elements or other things in a similar way. And the Russian-style Ravka is not a very original idea in a fantasy world: we have already seen it in The Golden Compass, for example.

In terms of excitement, however, the series did better: there were twists and turns, surprising twists and spectacular fight scenes that kept my attention. The series is not afraid to put its characters in danger or kill them, which adds to the stakes and the drama. And by the end of the series, I was intrigued by the further developments: how Alina and Mal’s fate will unfold, how they will get rid of Kirigan and how they will meet the Kazes.

It was not a “boneless” success…

Shadow and Bone is a series that has a lot of potential, but doesn’t always make the most of it. The world-building and the performances of the actors are outstanding, but the originality of the story and the character development leave something to be desired. The first two seasons of the series are not bad, but they are not brilliant either: they are more like a mediocre fantasy with potential, but without it. Perhaps in the third season we will see more of this rich universe and its characters.

In the first season, for example, it was noticeable that, although the story sometimes moved forward slowly, and some characters were given less room for development than I would have liked to see. At the same time, it has to be acknowledged that the series had its strengths: the world-building and the acting were outstanding. The visuals were also fantastic, and you could often sense that the creators had put a lot of care and attention into it. Overall, I think that Shadow and Bone is a good fantasy series, but it has not yet reached the level that fans and critics alike would expect from it. Perhaps season three will manage to make even better use of the characters and the world and reach the level that the series is truly capable of.

-BadSector-