One Line Review: Shadow and Bone is a tedious start to a possibly great series
Youtube Trailer Shadow and Bone
Starring: Ben Barnes, Jessi Li
Director: Lee Toland
Release Date: 23 April 2021
Introduction
The new Netflix series Shadow and Bone (2021– ) is a film adaptation of the first book in the so-called Grisha trilogy. This trilogy, written by Leigh Bardugo, is set in a magical version of Tsarist Russia. The series follows four storylines: first, that of the main character Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) and General Kirigan (Ben Barnes); second, that of her best friend Malyen Oretsev (Archie Renaux); third, the story surrounding a gang called ‘The Crows’; and finally that of Nina Zenik (Danielle Galligan) and Matthias Helvar (Calahan Skogman).
Plot Analysis
In Shadow and Bone, we follow the two friends Alina and Mal who are currently serving in the army. The army they are in is currently stationed at ‘The Fold’: an area of darkness where monsters live. When they’re on a mission through The Fold, something happens that turns Alina and Mal’s lives upside down. In addition, the series pays attention to The Crows who forge their business in the commercial city of Ketterdam. This gang consists of three members named Kaz, Jesper, and Inej. One day they learn that someone in town has a big job with a lot of money to be made, something The Crows can’t let go of.
A difficult start
A disadvantage of Shadow and Bone is that it is quite difficult to get off the ground. The main reason is that the series assumes that you have read or at least know about the books. In the first part of the series, you get so many features, historical events, and places thrown at your head that it is difficult to follow. For example, you have a group of people with magical powers called the Grisha. But within the Grisha, you have heart renders, inferno, et cetera. A number of things are explained in conversations, but almost most of it, you have to figure out for yourself by seeing what happens. It does help that you are in the story in the second half of Shadow and Bone and can follow it well, but that does require some patience.
Setting up the story
What’s unfortunate about Shadow and Bone is that it’s clearly a set-up for a bigger story. This makes some storylines quite boring as the conclusion is clearly yet to come. An example is the story of Matthias from Fjerda and Grisha Nina. The people of Florida see Grisha as witches and hunt them. In the story, Nina is captured by Matthias, but during the crossing things go wrong and they are dependent on each other. This story feels boring and disconnected from the other three storylines that flow well together.
Conclusion
It is difficult to pass judgment on Shadow and Bone, as there are nice elements in it, such as the storyline of The Crows. But there are also many boring moments, such as Alina’s training. The series is also clearly a set-up for a bigger story, so it remains to be seen how and in what way everything ends.
