Shadow and Bone is a delightful fantasy drama that gets everything right-from relatable characters to impeccable world-building, soul-stirring music, and eye-catching CGI. Shadow and Bone is a must-watch especially if you want to get a respite from the horrors of the real world as it is today and escape to a fantasy realm full of witches, warlocks, pirates, and thieves. So, here is my Shadow and Bone Review.

STORY AND CHARACTERS

The show uses a multiple-POV narrative, with the primary storyline involving an orphaned girl Alina (A wonderful Jessie Mei Li) coming to terms with her newfound powers as a Grisha (witch). Freddy Cher, Amita Suman, Archie Renaux, and Calaghan Stogman all shine in their respective roles, but it is the suave, sophisticated antagonist, played by Ben Barnes that truly stands out. Barnes carries forward his rich vein of form by delivering a stylish performance as the big bad, with the politics and motivations behind his machinations adding layers and depth to the character. The beauty and brutality are apparent in nearly every scene and bring a refreshing depth to the motivations. The characters for the most part are pleasantly derivative but there are a few surprise gems.

Most of the subplots are very well also. Although, Nina and Matthias’ felt like a huge exposition dump. Of course, they were setting up Season two, but you still have to play a part in the main plot. They did absolutely nothing to move the main conflict forward. As for the others, then I loved the relationships between Jesper, Kaz, and Inej which was very enjoyable and the characters only made it better with their respective performances.

CRITICISMS

Although, I do have some issues with it. The Fold is a great asset to the story, but it’s never scary in the series and the flying monsters look predictable. I also believe some scenes are really static when it’s supposed to tip you off your chair. A ship that runs on Grisha wind is a very weird choice to pass the Fold when there are wheels, metal, machine guns, and apparently, knowledge of how to build a train or tank. The Army knows what’s out there and they go in completely unprotected.

FINAL WORDS

Overall, it takes an episode or two for you to get glued but once you are in and know what’s going on, this world becomes your world and you are in for a thrilling ride. Binge-watching becomes the norm thereon. The world-building is very colorful and impressive. The plot is riveting and the characters have been fleshed out as superbly as they have been acted. And the cast is so diverse! It’s a gorgeous TV series to watch and absolutely love on days when you have nothing much to do thanks to the continuing stay-at-home order! Highly recommended!

K- Score: 87%

STW: 27/30, D: 22/25, E: 4/5, C: 6/8, PVD: 10/12, A: 10/10, S: 8/10