Filled with adventure, mystery, and romance, Shadow and Bone is a new series airing on Netflix April 23rd. The show was based off of the book written by Leigh Bardugo which takes place in a fantasy world. The book was first released back in 2012 and became a must-read for many.
The series revolves around a girl named Alina Starkov. She eventually discovers she has a special gift which causes others to become interested in her, and changes the course of her life. In the first episode it starts off with introducing Alina Starkov, a mapmaker who lives in East Ravka. A flashback then happens of Alina when she is a little girl, and she has questions about the fold. It is revealed that the fold is extremely dangerous to cross, and ate her parents, causing her to be an orphan along with many others.
The character of Mal, Alina’s best friend, is then introduced in a flashback of when he and Alina are young children. In the flashback, he is showing her a bunny that he found and wants to save. A boy runs in bullying Mal, and Alina’s bravery is shown as she stands up against the boy and protects Mal. Alina and Mal are then shown together in the present with their friendship showing to still be very strong.
When a team is being selected for a supply run across the fold, Mal is picked as a tracker, which worries Alina. Alina does not wanting Mal to go across the dangerous fold without her. So Alina burns critical maps of the land across the fold, knowing they would need a mapmaker to cross the fold in order to redraw them. When the burnt maps are found Alina volunteers to cross the fold. But her whole unit ends up being assigned to cross it.
Both Alina and Mal end up on the boat crossing the fold together. But during the crossing, a lantern is lit drawing the attention of dangerous creatures called the Volcra. Many people are taken from the boat by the volcra, including Mal. But Alina manages to shoot the creature, finding Mal badly wounded. While Alina is helping Mal, she is attacked, but a light appears. It is then revealed that Alina is the Sun Summoner, leading into the rest of the season.
While watching Shadow and Bone, it is a reminder of how much fun fantasy is to see come to the screen. The series includes incredibly beautiful scenery and costumes throughout. Which really create a world for the characters in the show and to immerse the audience in it as well.
Shadow and the Bone is an extremely entertaining show. It does an amazing job at bringing the book to life. And to really bring the viewers into the wonderful world in which Leigh Bardugo had created within her books. It is also a show which many can watch even if they have not read the books, and still be able to enjoy.
