TV Review: Shadow and Bone Season 1 Episode 1

"A Searing Burst of Light"

Netflix's long-awaited adaptation of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is finally here and I think it's been long enough for me to start writing my reviews of each individual episode. And, as with any book being adapted to a television series, space has been given to introduce the audience to the world and the characters before diving into the story. With the first season bringing in characters from the Six of Crows duology earlier than the book's chronology, Imperial Russia inspired Ravka is not the only place we're introduced to.

Of course, the war in Ravka is where the story of the Grishaverse starts with Alina Starkov, a soldier of the First Army. Immediately the friendship between Alina and her childhood best friend, Malyen Oretsev (Mal), is obvious, Archie Renaux and Jessie Mei Li bounce off each other really well. Being able to feel that friendship from the two so quickly makes you care about them being split up so soon into their military service with Mal being part of the regiment to cross the Fold. Signs towards what made the two close growing up appear easily enough when Alina is discriminated against at the army's food tent due to her obvious Shu heritage, Shu Han being one of Ravka's worst enemies. Looking out for each other seems to be second nature with Mal even stealing from a Grisha tent to get some food for his friend - the tent of one Zoya Nazyalensky. This whole beginning before going through the Shadow Fold serves well to show how strong the bond between Mal and Alina is. Considering how much of the first book the two spend apart, it's quite good to have established early on.

During the night before the Fold crossing, Alina desperately searches for maps that she eventually burns in order to be on the skiff with Mal, to redraw the maps of West Ravka. This is one of those changes to the events of the books that works a lot better than the source material - rather than having both been assigned to the crossing straight away, Alina finds a way to go with Mal even when he tells her to go back to keep her safe. The Fold is a terrifying place, quiet and completely dark with the occasional sound of a volcra flying by. When the crossing goes awry with a recklessly lit lantern, there is complete and utter carnage with both First Army and Grisha Second Army soldiers being killed. It's Mal being in danger that spurs Alina to action but it's fear when a volcra pulls her away from him that unleashes a burst of blinding light coming from her. The turn of events has made them late in turning up in West Ravka with the supplies that were meant to pass. The only person that turns up is Alexei, who managed to run from the skiff after the volcra attacked.

Once the skiff returns to East Ravka rather than completing its journey, everyone who survived seems to be on board and scrambling to get Healers and take care of the mess - all except Mal and Alina who lay unconscious onboard with what looks like sunbeams surrounding them burned into the wood. I think Zoya, being one of the people to see the event and the aftermath, understands more than anyone what it may mean. There is genuine concern in her eyes when she sees the two unconscious but I believe it is her concern for what it means for Ravka and its Grisha.

Alongside scenes from Ravka, we are transported to Dutch Republic-era inspired Ketterdam, home to merchants, gangs, and the Crow Club at the centre of it. We get an introduction to the 3 main cast Dregs for the season - sharpshooter Jesper Fahey, criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker, and the deadly Inej Ghafa. Each of their opening scenes is a definitive aspect of their characters, Jesper at a gambling table, Kaz's stern demeanour with his crew providing information to him and Inej quietly slipping through Kaz's window to deliver information she has gathered. These three have been so perfectly cast both in the way they embody their characters and physically it's as if they came right off the pages of the books. And we get the first inkling of their story arc for the season too - a high paying job to cross the Fold and bring something back from East Ravka. And as they search for anyone who might know how to cross it and survive, there is a natural and perfectly timed history lesson central to this world - the Black Heretic's creation of the Fold and the belief in a prophecy about a Sun Summoner to destroy it. Amita Suman displays Inej's belief with such sincerity I believe that it's Inej sitting there defending the eventual existence of a Sun Saint, one of the last things she has complete and utter faith in.

The scene that follows shows that the events in Ketterdam aren't exactly taking place at the same time as Alina's crossing of the Fold as when the Crows go to find out what the job in East Ravka is, the information comes from someone we've just seen leaving it - Alexei. They need a Heartrender, a type of Grisha that can control people's heart rate but not the one readers hope for as she isn't in Kerch just yet. With the Heartrender to help calm Alexei, the information they desire from him steadily comes from him, about what happened in the Fold and that it could only be explained as a Sun Summoner. Though it doesn't make sense that Alexei was able to identify Alina as the Sun Summoner because he had run hundreds of yards before her power was unleashed. Of course, as soon as he does reveal the valuable information, the merchant Dreesen shoots him as part of his promise to free him. I remembered Alexei as being one of the people who died aboard the skiff during that crossing in the book, but he survives and dies in Ketterdam here. It is the first death the show has altered for the layers they have added to the story but it is not the last. And now we have the thing that will tie these two very different sets of characters from different parts of the Grishaverse - the Crows' first heist is to kidnap Alina Starkov for a large reward.

Reasons to Recommend:

• A new fantasy series in a setting inspired by real-world places and history
• Elements of the story that are both faithful to the books and have been changed for the purpose of the adaptation
• Tying characters from Six of Crows to those in Shadow and Bone
• It seems to be a fantasy series you don't necessarily have to read the books to enjoy and be able to follow the story

I'd rate this episode a 9.5/10. It's a strong start to get immersed into the world that the books inhabit, maybe took a little bit too long and could have gone further along in the story. But otherwise a really good introduction to the world and its characters. I do understand now why Ben Barnes was unsure about signing onto the show after only reading the first episode script but it did well to create the idea of how formidable a character General Kirigan. It makes me think of American television writer Sera Gamble's "rock star entrance" formula when introducing a character like Kirigan, only hearing what other people say about him creating a legend before officially being introduced to the audience and the rest of the cast.