200 For Lunch: Shadow and Bone- Fantasy or Fail?

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Eavan Driscoll, Staff Reporter

The new Netflix tv show Shadow and Bone (released April 23)is this week’s must-watch. 

Loyal readers of Leigh Bardugo’s book trilogy have been awaiting this film since 2012 when the first book was released.

The show follows an orphaned girl named Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) as she manages a dangerous fantastical world after recently discovering she has rare powers. 

While the story line is a bit generic and all the character tropes were expected, the plot is intriguing and exciting to any fantasy lovers. 

The first three episodes begin at a very fast pace and, as someone who has never read the series, I was a bit lost. 

It felt like the producers tried to squeeze too many details from the book into a short period of time. 

Fueling the adventurous nature of the tv show is a group of hunters tracking the “sun summoner,” Alina. Their storyline was a bit dry and someone else should have been chosen to play the role of Kaz Breker (Freddy Carter), the lead huntsman. Carter just did not seem burly or intimidating enough for the role.

Where the hunting band was lacking, the slight love triangle between Alina, Mal, and Kirigan provides a distraction. Alina must choose between a powerful immortal and her oldest friend. Fortunately, the love triangle didn’t overwhelm the main story; there was just enough to keep me intrigued.

General Kirigan (Ben Barnes), the self-proclaimed “bad guy” does a good job in his controversial role, revealing more and more secrets as the series continues. 

Shadow and Bone also addresses various societal issues, such as race, sexuality, and enslavement. This aided in making the series more appealing to present-day society and social awareness. A plethora of diverse characters allows for a variety of people watching to relate to different people in the show.

In addition, if you like accents, the actors use a Croatian-ish dialect throughout the show, resulting in unique accents. 

No spoilers here, but the end of this eight-episode season leaves the audience aching for more. Season 2 will most likely focus on the second book in Bardugo’s series, Siege and Storm, though it will not be out anytime before 2022. 

The episodes are 50 minutes each which is perfect for binging. If you are in the mood for a little magic, mystery, action, or romance this is the show for you!

Shadow And Bone TV Show Link