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. What are some of the other changes? Here's a rundown.Shadow and Bone, Netflix’s new fantasy drama, is based on a series of best-selling YA fantasy books. In essence, their adventure on the show is an invented prequel to their story from the books. Instead, the threesome team up with Nina, who is working on getting Matthias out of prison. There's no mission to kidnap Alina, no trips across the Fold, etc. In the books, Kaz, Inej, and Jesper never cross paths with Alina, Mal, or anyone else from Shadow and Bone. To say the characters' experiences have changed from the book to the show is an understatement. Then there's the addition of Kaz, Jesper, Inej, Nina, and Matthias, all of whom are from a completely different series by Bardugo (but set in the same universe as Shadow and Bone), Six of Crows. That means some of the book sections, like Alina's experiences in the Little Palace, are heavily condensed for expediency's sake. So obviously, he went with fewer episodes so he could spend more per installment. Showrunner Eric Heisserer said Netflix gave him a set amount of money and told him he could make eight or 10 episodes, but the budget would be the same. The parameters of the Netflix show necessitated some changes. Warning: Spoilers for Netflix's Shadow and Bone Season 1, plus the novel series Shadow and Bone and Six Of Crows, follow. In fact, the differences between Netflix's Shadow and Bone and the book series (written by author Leigh Bardugo) are so vast, fans who haven't read the novels will be stunned. Case in point: Netflix's new Shadow and Bone adaptation, which starts changing things up from the first scene. But even so, sticking faithfully to the novel isn't easy. CGI has made it so fantasy series can create magic that was once limited to the page or animation.
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