Leigh Bardugo’s intriguing world is populated by fascinating characters and gorgeous locations, but it is also incredibly vast, filled with characters that are not only situated across many kingdoms but also constantly travelling from one to the other, and dense with unfamiliar vocabulary whose meaning is likely to get lost if you haven’t been initiated to this universe. So why am I telling you all this? Because, if you’re not familiar with the books, you’re going to need a quick crash course to the Grishaverse if you want to appreciate Netflix‘s Shadow and Bone for the remarkable adaptation it is. The map of the Grishaverse ( The Grishaverse) And then there are Kerch, whose capital, Ketterdam, is a hub of international trade filled with criminals, and Novyi Zem, the safest place in the Grishaverse, home to many non-magical people (the otkazat’sya) who managed to flee Ravka. Many are the neighbouring kingdoms threatening the order: to the North, the nation of Fjerda trains holy soldiers ( drüskelle) to become witchhunters and fight the Second Order to the South, Shu Han, a country of mercenaries, intends to steal Grisha powers. And, if the kingom itself is divided in more than one way - with its capital, Os Alta, located East of the Fold, its main trade port, Os Kervo, west of the Fold, and entire cities, such as Kribirsk and Novokribirsk, divided in two by the Fold - the Unsea is not the only threat to the Grishas’ survival. But The Shadow Fold, or The Unsea, isn’t just a terrifying tear of darkness whose origins are unclear and that not many dare cross: it’s also constantly growing, erasing entire cities, and slowly but inexorably threatening Ravka’s future. Not only is Ravka torn apart by civil unrest, but it is also quite literally split into two by a “bleak and shapeless cloud” of darkness populated by disfigured, deadly monsters, the volcra. The Grisha serve the kingdom of Ravka, a nation that is held together by a very delicate balance. He’s a Shadow Summoner, but we’ll get to that later. And then there’s the Head of the Second Army, and the only one who’s permitted to wear black: General Kirigan, played by Ben Barnes in the series. The blue-clothed Etherealki have the ability to either summon fire (“Inferni”), create storms (“Squallers”), or control water (“Tidemakers”), while the purple-clothed Materialki either craft armors (“Durasts”) or concuct poisons (“Alkemi”). There’s the Corporalki, the highest ranking Grisha, who wear red uniforms (or, as they call them, keftas) and can do anything from stopping your heart (“Heartrenders”) to healing you (“Healers”) and changing your appearance (“Tailors”). If you’ve read Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology, you already know that the elite in question is the Grisha, also known as the “Soldiers of the Second Army”, and their Orders take on the most unusual, intriguing names.
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