Netflix's newest fantasy series Shadow and Bone arrives in less than a month, and for many, that won't be enough time to take a deep dive into the books of Leigh Bardugo's expansive Grishaverse. The show will tell the story of Alina Starkov, a mapmaker who discovers she has rare powers that could set her country free from a swath of darkness called the Shadow Fold. The Grishaverse spans one trilogy and two duologies, each covering a different set of characters and somehow perfectly connecting every story to leave readers wanting more.

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Shadow and Bone will merge together the Grisha Trilogy and the Six of Crows duology, which means that there's plenty to know about the characters, the world they reside in, and the detailed magic system called the Grisha Order. If you're planning on watching Shadow and Bone when it drops on Netflix, here's an introduction to the Grishaverse.

The World & Its Inspiration

Grishaverse map

The Grishaverse is huge, and each of its major nations and cities is inspired by different countries and cultures. Ravka is inspired by Tsarist Russia, Ketterdam is loosely based on Amsterdam and Dutch culture, while Shu Han is based on Mongolia and China and Fjerda is based on Scandinavian culture. This makes for an extremely enriching book world, and it will be really cool to see how the Grishaverse is explored in Shadow and Bone.

Corporalki

Corporalki

Grisha are divided into three orders; Coporalki, Etherealki, and Materialki. Corporalki make up the Order of the Living and the Dead and includes Healers, Heartrenders, and Tailors. While Healers are pretty self-explanatory, Heartrenders have the ability to slow a pulse, take the air from a body, and even crush a heart. They're extremely powerful, and no one would want to cross them. Tailors have the ability to change their appearance or someone else's, whether that be a small change or changing someone's appearance permanently.

Etherealki

Etherialki

Etherealki are the Order of Summoners, and that basically means that they can manipulate the elements. The order of summoners consists of Inferni, Tidemakers, and Squallers; Inferni can summon gases that are combustible and they use flints to turn those gases into flames, Tidemakers can manipulate water and Squallers are able to control air pressure, which gives them the ability to create storms. Both Alina and The Darkling (a.k.a General Kirigan) are considered Etherealki, although they are an extremely rare kind known as Summoners since Alina can summon light while The Darkling summons the shadows.

Materialki

Materialki are the Order of Fabrikators, and they are made of up Durasts and Alkemi. Durasts can manipulate materials like glass, steel, stone, and basically anything that's solid, while Alkemi specialise in chemicals and poisons.

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Fabrikators are the scientists of the Grisha Order, and while they are sometimes considered the lowest ranking order, they are extremely useful and talented.

Six of Crows

The Crows gang from Shadow And Bone.

Shadow and Bone will also include characters from the Six of Crows duology, which is about six criminals, Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, Matthias, and Wylan, who attempt to pull off a massive heist. It's a great expansion of the Grishaverse, and most of the speculation from fans has been how they'll be linked to Alina's story, and from the latest trailer, it seems as though Kaz, Jesper, and Inej venture to Ravka to abduct Alina while Nina and Matthias have their own subplot, which should make for a very exciting plot for book fans and new fans alike.

The Dregs

The Dregs

The Dregs are a gang residing in Ketterdam led by Kaz Brekker, who's a rising star in the city's criminal underworld. Other members of the Dregs include Inej Ghafa and Jesper Fahey. Inej is also known as the Wraith because she can slip in and out of any place without being seen or heard, making her an extremely valuable investment as a spy for the Dregs. Jesper is an extremely skilled sharpshooter, and the three of them will likely bring chaos to Alina Starkov's world.

The Timeline

Three of the Six of Crows

The timeline in the show will be quite different from what it's like in books. Chronologically, Six of Crows is set two years after the events of Shadow and Bone. It's worth knowing that a lot of the material in Six of Crows won't appear in the show just yet and that a lot of their plot in the first season is prequel material that has been modified to connect to Shadow and Bone without having any timeline confusion.

The Shadow Fold

Horse running into the shadow fold

A lot of the action and conflict in Shadow and Bone stems from the Shadow Fold, which is essentially a huge wall of shadow and darkness that has split Ravka in two, cutting off half of its population and making them more vulnerable.

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It's full of terrifying winged creatures called Volcra, and in the show, General Kirigan hopes that with Alina Starkov's help, they can destroy it from the inside. Alina first discovers her powers in the Fold, when Mal is injured and she tries to save him, producing a huge burst of light.

Ravka and Ketterdam

ravka and ketterdam

From what we know so far about the adaptation, Shadow and Bone is primarily set in two places; Ravka and Ketterdam. Ravka is war-torn, split in two by the Shadow Fold, and home to the Darkling, Alina Starkov, and Mal Oretsev. Ketterdam is the capital city of Kerch and is home to the characters of Six of Crows. While many areas of it are owned by multiple criminal gangs like the Dregs and the Dime Lions, it's also a large hub for trade. It might be that a lot of the Six of Crows elements of the show will start in Ketterdam and move over to Ravka, where the Grisha Trilogy takes place.

Kefta Colours

Kefta uniforms in blue

There are extensive hidden details in the Grishaverse, and almost everything has some kind of meaning. Keftas are the outfits that the Grisha wear, and this is usually how you can tell what Grisha order they are part of. Most keftas are split into block colors; Etherialki wear blue, Materialki wear purple, and Corporalki wear red, but the color of their embroidery differs depending on what kind of Grisha they are. The Darkling wears a black kefta, while Alina chooses to wear a blue Kefta with gold embroidery since she's technically Etherialki.

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