The First Army as a whole distrust the Second Army, while the Second Army views the First Army as weaker. There is a lot of tension between the two armies. The Second Army is made up of Grisha soldiers. The First Army is Ravka’s regular, non-magical army made up of normal soldiers with rifles and what not. Photo: Netflix Wait, wait - go back to the part about the two armies: what’s up with that? West Ravka, however, where the port city of Os Kervo lies, is able to connect with the rest of the world. East Ravka, which includes the capital city of Os Alta, is basically cut off from the rest of the world. To evade the monsters, most travellers go around it - either through Fjerda or Shu Han, both countries warring with Ravka. Crossing it is nearly impossible because it is full of monsters, including the Volcra, which like to eat human flesh. All that’s really known about its origin is that some very powerful Grisha created it hundreds of years ago. The Shadow Fold (also known as the Unsea or the Fold) is a swath of misty darkness that splits Ravka in two. What the heck is the Shadow Fold and why is it such a big problem? The scenes with Alina and Mal start off in Ravka, but the scenes with Kaz, Inej, and Jesper take place in Kerch (more on that later). All of Ravka’s troubles can basically be boiled down to the Shadow Fold splitting the country in two. It is notable for being one of the few countries where the typically persecuted class known as the Grisha, the world’s magic-users, enjoy a certain elevated status in society, though they’re all forced to serve the king’s army.Īt the start of the show, Ravka has been in turmoil for some decades, with the First and Second Armies protecting the nation. Ruled by a monarchy, Ravka sits in the middle of the continent, bordered by Fjerda to the north and Shu Han to the south (more on them later). Inspired by Imperial Russia, Ravka is the country where most of the action takes place - at least in the first three books. Photo: David Appleby/Netflix And Ravka is…? While the book series spans across multiple countries, the Netflix show adapts the first book in the Grishaverse saga, which primarily focuses on Ravka. The setting doesn’t have a specific canonical name, but fans know it as the Grishaverse. Shadow and Bone takes place in a fantasy world with six core countries - Ravka, Fjerda, Shu Han, Novyi Zem, Kerch, and the Wandering Isle - roughly going through similar technological advancements as our mid-19th century (i.e., this is a fantasy world where they use guns). OK, so what is going on in Shadow and Bone? So, for those who can’t tell Ravka from Fjerda (or those who simply want a refresher on the worldbuilding lingo that’s grown over the past ten years or so), here’s a handy-dandy guide to the inner workings of Shadow and Bone’s world politics. But the pilot for Shadow and Bone prioritizes action over hand-holding viewers through the exposition, and there’s no nifty map in the front pages to help someone understand it all. Immediately, the show drops viewers into an alternate universe where each country in this world has its own culture, some more relevant in the grand scheme of the story than others. Shadow and Bone, Netflix’s new fantasy drama, is based on a series of best-selling YA fantasy books.
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