Shadow and Bone
Main Executive producers; Lee Toland Krieger, Leigh Bardugo, Pouya Shahbazian, Josh Barry, Dan Cohen, Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Eric Heisserer
Producers; Christina Strain, Thane Watkins, Rand Geiger
Production locations; Budapest, Hungary; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Cinematography; David Lanzenberg, Owen McPolin, Aaron Morton
Cast:
Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov, an orphan former assistant cartographer of the Royal Corps of Surveyors in the First Army and the Sun Summoner
Kaylan Teague as Young Alina
Archie Renaux as Malyen “Mal” Oretsev, an orphan tracker in the First Army and Alina’s childhood best friend
Cody Molko as Young Mal
Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker, leader of the Dregs, known as Dirtyhands
Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa, member of the Dregs, known as the Wraith
Kit Young as Jesper Fahey, member of the Dregs, a skilled sharp shooter
Ben Barnes as General Kirigan / Aleksander / The Darkling, General of the Second Army and the Shadow Summoner
Zoë Wanamaker as Baghra, Alina’s Grisha trainer
Recurring
Tom Weston-Jones as Zlatan, general of the First Army
Sujaya Dasgupta as Zoya, a Squaller
Simon Sears as Ivan, a Heartrender
Howard Charles as Arken, the Conductor
Julian Kostov as Fedyor, a Heartrender
Danielle Galligan as Nina Zenik, a Heartrender
Calahan Skogman as Matthias, a Fjerdan Drüskelle
Daisy Head as Genya Safin, the only known Tailor
Kevin Eldon as The Apparat, spiritual advisor of the King of Ravka
Jasmine Blackborow as Marie, an Inferni
Gabrielle Brooks as Nadia, a Squaller
Luke Pasqualino as David Kostyk, a Durast
Netflix has been hoping for some time to come up with a fantasy series that could rival the popularity and fame of HBO’s Game of Thrones. While they’ve had several worthy efforts, it’s only now, with Shadow and Bone, where they might actually accomplish that feat.
Shadow and Bone is a smart, stylish combination of supernatural, political and action/adventure that takes place in a world that somewhat resembles late Czarist Russia. (The use of Budapest and environs is essential to the mood and tone). Not unexpectedly, costuming is front and center.
The land of Ravka is riven by war, but with sides forcibly separated by “the shadow fold”, a long tall wall of grey smoke filled with flying creatures (Volcra) inimical to all living things. Few dare cross this barrier, and those that do mark the occasion with a scar on their right forearm. Few have more than two or three such scars. The fold was created hundreds of years earlier by a master of darkness, and it is believed that only a Sun Summoner, a type of Grisha considered mythical, has the power to disperse the fold.
Grisha are a semi-magical elite, somewhat like benders in the Avatar series, who have various powers of healing, mind control, telekinesis, flame, and even tailoring. Grisha are widely disliked and mistrusted by the general population and for the most part reside in the “little palace”, home to the King and Queen of Ravka. The Grisha are led by General Kirigan, a dark and foreboding entity who is the true political power in the land.
Alina and Mal are two children who are to be tested to see if they are Grisha. However, Mal hurts his hand, making it impossible to test him, and rather than risk being separated from her friend, Alina hides with him in a nearby field and so neither are tested.
Years later, as adults, they reuinite in the First Army, where he is a tracker and she is a cartographer.
I’m told that the original books for this series had some bodice-ripper elements, where various main characters spend inordinate amounts of time mooning and pining over one another. I’m happy to report that while there are romantic elements in the TV series (which add to the considerable charm of the characters) it is held in check. Alina doesn’t serve as a PSA on why you should get your cat spayed.
The production values are breathtaking. They had to have used half the castles in Hungary for the interior shots, and a good portion of the woods of Hungary and British Columbia for the exterior shots. The cast is solid, with all the characters, even the baddies, being sympathetic and even likable. The interrelationships, both personal and political, are plausible and follow reasonably coherent lines. Standout performances from Alina ( Jessie Mei Li), Mal (Archie Renaux) and the Dregs (Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa and Kit Young) make this must-watch television. Kit Young as sharpshooter Jesper, feckless and narcissistic, would be purrfect in the role of Cat if they ever bring back Red Dwarf. And yes, I already thought about the candy bar. Let’s not go there, he said, going there.
This is a beautifully produced, engaging and intelligent story, and yes, it has a solid chance of being the next Game of Thrones. Hopefully with a less rushed ending.
Now on Netflix.