SHADOW AND BONE SERIES REVIEW

In the war-torn kingdom of Ravka, people are divided by political issues such as class, race, and magical powers. And then there’s that literal black wall of smoke and death that separates the land. A young orphan map-maker named Alina Starkov (played by Jessie Mei Li) is caught in the middle of a conspiracy when a dormant power explodes from within her. Kings, killers, friends, foes, vagabonds, and bureaucrats lust after Alina’s power but it will be Alina herself who decides if her magic is to be a light unto the world or a path into darkness. A very colorful array of characters alternately help and hurt her on her journey. “Shadow and Bone” is a Netflix series adapted from the beloved young adult novels of the Grisha novel trilogy. Bradly, Robert, Harmoni, and Eliot discuss the real-world politics subtextually addressed, the diverse cast, and the whimsical magic of support animals.

**This review is available in a longer, uncut, video version for TIME LORD subscribers and above right here**

WATCH HERE

CREATED BY: Eric Heisserer

STARRING: Jesse Mei Li, Kaylan Teague, Archie Renaux, Cody Molko, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young, Ben Barnes, Zoë Wanamaker, Sujaya Dasgupta, Simon Sears, Howard Charles, Julian Kostov, Danielle Galligan, Calahan Skogman, Daisy Head, Kevin Eldon, Jasmine Blackborow, Gabrielle Brooks, Luke Pasqualino

 

YOUR REVIEWERS

 

Bradly Martin (Screener Squad, Eye on the Prize, Breakfast Pub)

Bradly Martin was born in the united states and grew up on a healthy diet of sports, films, and books. A rather shy lad who kept to himself, Bradly soon discovered the best way to know a person was to know what people liked. Through out the years Bradly became a fan of many things and a fanatic of none. From Doctor Dre, to Doctor Strange and the who’s who of Whos. From Playstation to the Dreamcast and Marvel to DC. From LeBron James to James Bond and Lord of the Rings to Lord Palmerston (or Pitt the Elder if you agree with Wade Boggs) and is a huge fan of dad jokes and randomly obscure Simpsons references. Armed with a vast knowledge of comics, films, and pop culture. Bradly traveled the world making friends and sharing takes. As a young man Bradly married the love of his life young and grew older every year with each new child brought into the brood. If trends continue, Scientists predict that .2% of Canada (where Bradly and family reside) will be populated by Bradly’s children by the year 2029. You can hear him leading and listening to his favorite critics on the Screener Squad and Eye on the prize and maybe even provide some comments of his own.

 

 

Robert Garza (Screener Squad)

If it weren’t for sad music and scary stories I wouldn’t be as well-adjusted and cheerful as I am today. Moonlighting as a musician off and on since adolescence, I am as big a fan of scores and needle drops as I am of slow zooms, production design, and third act exposition. Just about all of my screen time is spent on international horror, drama, and hour long episodic. Big fan of genre, and the biggest fan of supernatural horror and dark sci-fi with meaningful representation and narratives that use trauma, grief, and grace as more than surface-level content. Also, I read a ton of modern horror novels/comics and stan Matt Berry. In the before times I worked music and film festivals across the US and will hopefully return to that sometime in the future.

 

 

Harmoni Anderson (Screener Squad, Highly Suspect Reviews, Unstabletop Gaming)

Harmoni is a mermaid-haired, millennial, rum drinking, Section 31, Slytherin (who’s divorced J.K. Rowling) preschool/nursery teacher and multi genre geek who also loves ...