Recently, I’ve found myself bored with the plethora of shows available on Netflix. Shows I previously enjoyed watching now fill me with boredom and can’t hold my attention for more than five minutes. 

Because of this, I have spent a very limited amount of time browsing Netflix or watching movies and shows. After hearing about Shadow and Bone, however, I decided to give Netflix another chance. 

I’m so glad I did. I found my favorite show and already have the books that the series originated from added to my cart. The show’s plot is amazing; it’s mystical and keeps you guessing what could possibly happen next. I was instantly entranced from the beginning of the show when an orphan mapmaker was first introduced. 

The story follows Alina Starkov—played by Jessie Mei Li—as she discovers that she is part of a rare line of magical beings named Grisha. Not only that, but Alina is the “Sun Summoner.” She is the only hope for the world to destroy the “Fold,” a large gash across the world that is filled with unimaginable horrors that are fatal to most who cross it. 

As seen in many shows, Alina’s power is quickly turned into a political tool, and those she trusts seek to use it to gain more power.

Throughout the whole show, her relationship with her childhood love, Mal, who is played by Archie Renaux, is highlighted, and the hopelessness and longing they feel for each other when they are separated is a crucial part of the plot. This relationship kept me on my toes throughout the whole season; I was wistfully hoping for a moment of truthfulness between them in which they would reveal their love for each other. 

This show was overall incredible. I am a huge fan of fictional movies and shows filled with incredible beings, but a lot of times I am left disappointed with the plot or portrayal of these beings. Shadow and Bone is a huge exception. 

I have yet to find any complaints about this masterpiece. My excitement for the future episodes is unbridled, and I am scrabbling to find time to read each of the books making up the show’s origins. 

I wish I had known that this show was based on a book series because then I would have read the books before I started watching the show; but, luckily, the show has not progressed very far for now, and I will be able to read ahead of the future episodes before they are released. 

Overall, I would recommend reading the book series before starting this show so that you are able to know the main details of the characters and the plot before starting this show. 

If you are not a reader or are not interested in spending that amount of time reading the books, you would still be able to enjoy the series; the details in the show do not depend on your previous knowledge of Shadow and Bone. 

This is the greatest show for fictional lovers and those looking for a show filled with magic, mystery, and espionage.