Shadow and Bones Season 1 review

It's been a while since I last wrote a review here, but I liked this show enough to warrant one.

Shadow and Bones is based on the acclaimed book series of the same name by Leigh Bardugo. I have only ever heard of the author, but I know that when a book series is good, it almost instantly blows up. So when I first saw the teaser a month ago, even though I haven't read any of Bardugo's work before, I expected it was going to be good somehow.

After Netflix released this a week ago, reviews dubbing it the new "Game of Thrones" increased my excitement. However, after watching it, I wouldn't go as far as saying that.

SPOILERS AHEAD. Proceed with caution if you haven't watched it yet.

The first 3 episodes felt a bit scattered. There were too many characters, events and places all at once. The "Grishaverse," the world Bardugo created, follows the high-fantasy tradition with unique terms, maps, occupations, currencies, and languages. Unfortunately, the first three episodes didn't effectively introduce these elements gradually, making it potentially overwhelming. I'll break it down by character rather than focusing too much into the plot.

It starts off with Alina and Mal, childhood best friends and potential love interests.

Both orphans, they grew up together and joined the First Army—Alina as a cartographer, who maps out uncharted territories, and Mal as a tracker for the Army.

As a child, Alina was always protective of Mal, who was gentle, kind, and tended to avoid conflicts. Alina was the tough one, but Mal eventually grew up to be a fighter as well (though the show didn't depict how or why this transformation happened). The series also failed to illustrate this, but the two of them had only each other to rely on. They were as close as brothers and sisters, often escaping to the "meadow" whenever certain situations at the orphanage threatened to tear them apart.

Instead of showing these in one sequence, Netflix made these little moments as backstories instead and scattered them over the 1st 3 episodes, making it difficult for the audience to easily grasp just how much Alina and Mal are emotionally connected.

Now if you've seen the show, you'd understand how detrimental that is to the story, because Alina is separated from Mal after the events in episode 1. Regardless, I still love their dynamic. I appreciate Mal's character, especially the deviation from the books, where he is said to be portrayed differently. The series paints him as a kind character, and I've been rooting for him since I first saw him.

Moving on to the next characters, and my favorite in the entire series--The Crows.

Now, they don't call themselves "The Crows" immediately. However, these 3 characters were taken from Bardugo's separate trilogy, Six of Crows. Now, I believe, this is one of the main reasons why the first few episodes were overwhelming.

Shadow and Bone, the original storyline of Alina, is based only on the first three books shown below. However, Six of Crows is an entirely different series that centers on the Crows, taking place two years after the events in "Shadow and Bone." They do not share the same timeline or setting. Netflix has combined all six books and packaged them as one TV series, a change that I personally find to be great.

Below we have Kaz, Inej and Jesper. Kaz, the brains of the operation, is a thief; Inej, a spy who also works in a brothel; and Jesper, a sharpshooter with a mischievous personality.

Kaz is easily my favorite character in the whole series. He doesn't possess any special skills like the others, nor is he a fighter. Instead, he relies on his intelligence, and he knows how to use it. Referred to as the Bastard of the Barrel, he runs a casino called The Crow Club. Additionally, he is paying off the "indentures" of Inej from the brothel, allowing her to finally achieve freedom. Despite not displaying many emotions, he takes care of his people, a trait I appreciate.

He reminded me of Levi from Shingeki no Kyojin, both hailing from the barrels, characterized by their unsmiling faces and concealed emotions. It's worth noting that while Levi may not be the best strategist, Kaz excels in this aspect.

And he's also one of the few actors in the series who are almost on par with Kirigan's acting. There aren't many who can be in the same room as Ben Barnes (the actor who plays Kirigan) and not be seen as amateurs. The three of them in the gang are really great actors and are perfectly cast in their roles.

"and you." (Stupid boy who can't face his own emotions xD)

Lastly, we've got General Aleksander Kirigan, a.k.a Prince Caspian.

This man has played so many sinister characters in his career ever since Prince Caspian, and he is absolutely perfect for this role. I will repeat that I believe, he almost single-handedly carried this show. He's such a force of nature, that if it was anyone else who played his role, I might have abandoned the series altogether. Both he and Baghra (Madam Hooch xD) were exceptional in their roles.

Kirigan is the Shadow to Alina's Light, a Darkling who plays a significant role in the story and is likely a potential love interest. As much as Ben Barnes is attractive, I couldn't find any chemistry between him and Alina. I assume that in the books, there is a love triangle between Alina, Mal, and him. Because Mal is supposedly an unlikeable character in the books, it would be natural for Alina to fall in love with Kirigan instead.

The problem arises in the toxic dynamic between Kirigan and Alina, which the series rushed to portray. There wasn't even the slightest infatuation between the two, or perhaps there simply wasn't any chemistry between the two actors.

(would you look at that, even the fan art has better chemistry!)

I wouldn't blame this on Ben Barnes, as with every scene he has with Alina, her amateur acting skills become glaringly obvious (Sorry, Alina). I can't blame her either, given that Barnes is an industry veteran. However, I still believe they could have picked a different actress for the main character.

Moving on to the next seasons, especially after the encounter between Mal and Kirigan, I have a hunch that there is still a chance Netflix might decide Kirigan would end up with Alina. That's just my theory, and Netflix still might change the books altogether.

Throughout the season, I've been rooting for Mal and Alina. His kindness and loyalty to her are unmatched. He's protected her to the point of almost dying for her multiple times. However, after his confrontation in the tent with Kirigan, where Kirigan calls him a "child," I realized that what Kirigan said actually made sense. Alina is simply too powerful, and Mal didn't seem to appreciate that (I wouldn't have noticed if Kirigan didn't mention it). And whenever Alina's with him, she's always holding back.

(fanart by @ironmausu)

While Mal and Alina still make great friends, but I wouldn't put them together anymore. There's too much at play, and she has a huge responsibility. I know Mal will still be a significant part of the next seasons, but not in the way I'm expecting. General Kirigan is still too toxic of a partner to Alina, and I wouldn't ship her with him either, not in his current state of greed for power. At the moment, I just can't see her with either of the two guys.

But it is still a love story, after all. So, I'll read the books and make my own judgement after. I hope to god it's not another Twilight. And I also hope that Alina is more sensible and less insufferable in the books, as she should be.

Before ending this review, I would also like to mention these two side characters, Genya and Nina.

When I first saw Genya, I immediately thought she was lovely. I instantly fell in love with her character and her kindness to Alina. In the end, she betrayed her, and although she had her reasons, she's no longer my favorite female character.

Nina is gorgeous and fun, but she's not necessarily my favorite--her power is. Heartrenders are amazing. They are at the top of the Grisha tier, along with Healers. They can inflict and ease pain...how badass is that? If there were Mindrenders, though, I would rather be one.

P.S.: If you're interested in the Crows gang and their adventures, check out this fan-made trailer for Six of Crows. Be warned that reading the Six of Crows trilogy before Shadow and Bones is not advisable, because according to readers, there are major spoilers in SoC connected to SaB (since it is set 2 years after SaB).

~Dawn