Shadow and Bone Review

Shadow and bone is a 2021 Original Netflix series. It is Based on the Grisha trilogy by leigh Bardugo , a fantasy novel. It is set in the mystical land of Ravka specically in the amazing world of Grishaverse. The series follows the story of Alina Starkov ( Jessie Mei Li ) who discovers that she possesses magical powers. She is the only one of her kind, a sun Summoner who is someone that can summon light . After this discovery her life changes from that point there on ..

Alina is introduced as a naive yet confident young woman who is thrown into the spotlight due to her newly found abilities. From that point on meets a lot of people that influence her life and most importantly General Kirigan ( Ben Barnes ) who controls the second army and is a shadow summoner. But a little note of warning here, kirigan is not all that he seems . She becomes very important because she is believed to be the cure or hope to tear down the fold and unite the kingdom. The fold is a mystical mystery of dark space which contains monsters called volcra who thrive on darkness and kill people. The fold divides the kingdom of Ravka into two.

Alina goes through lots of trials and tribulations in trying to find herself, her way and the truth. She has to search the past to find her future. She seeks guidance from different people, most of whom are not genuine and faces the consequences because of the people she trusted. This can be likened to a story of self searching as Alina is seen trying to find herself and who she represents in the world. And she like other female leads in a series goes through various troubles such as love, heartbreak, separation, betrayal, deceit until she eventually discovers herself.

In the land of Ravka, we encounter various conflicts because of power, hatred, discrimination as various people who are of different nature, ideologues, beliefs and system are supposed to be one. The Grishas have been terrorized years ago and are still being terrorized by a group of people because of who they are but Alina represents hope for them, General Zlatam who wishes to create a separate independent kingdom on the other side of the fold and The king who uses his authority to control the Grishas and the first army which features mortals who only believe they are the way. All the ingredients for a battle for the throne is also included in this series.

Some might liken this to Game of thrones as the series depicts a similar setting and a divided kingdom with many wanting power and to rule over the entire kingdom. That aside, the music, adventure, fantasy, storyline, special effects and wait for it, plot twists are so incredible that you will be glued to your seats. This is a series that you won’t want to end.

This series is a mixture of great friendships, betrayal, love, deceit, greed , lust for power and all the evils of the world. It is all merged in a young girls journey to find herself and her destiny. I mean who doesn’t enjoy a journey to find oneself. The supporting characters also give a different perspective into this land they live in and make it very enjoyable. I love everything about the series and I would rate this a solid 10/10.

Not to give it all away, Shadow and bone is all you are looking for in a fantasy series and with a hope for more seasons, this story will definitely continue to intrigue its audience. So do the next best thing and leave this page then head to Netflix to watch this incredible masterpiece. Till next time, “I’ll meet you at the meadow”

-Loyinmi Peace