If darkness was a place
“In most fantasy, darkness is metaphorical; I wanted to take something figurative and make it literal.” Bardugo explains the conception of the Fold. “If darkness was a place.”
Fantasy as a literary genre is often overlooked because the narrative has often been criticised as being largely predictable. But where that stands true with most works, a unique piece, a long overdue commodity comes along, reaffirming the raw, elemental power of these tropes that any loyal reader will find themselves instantly drawn to and mesmerized by. In a world begging for that novel originality, Leigh Bardugo’s pen strokes hit all the right spots.
From its starting chapters, you can not help but feel that you are being ushered in to a universe worthy of your time and focus, under the umbrella of an incredibly potent fantasy benchmark; overcoming circumstantial hardships and discovering the strength within you!
Alina Starkov is a war time orphan who along with her best friend Mal has being raised on the generous, yet completely disassociated charity of a small time noble in the country of Ravka (consider it a fantasy version of imperial Russia; a gladdening detour from the medieval European motifs we have come to love and quite recently abhor). Completely inseparable, tooting their ‘us against the world’ ethos, Alina and Mal, when they were children, had been tested for dormant magical abilities that would have the secured their status as ‘Grisha’ – elite, elemental manipulators who make up the Ravkan kingdoms’ infamous “Second Army”. Having mitigated the test successfully, both the orphans find themselves drafted into the common army – Mal as a scout and Alina as a cartographer.
The protagonist, Alina is curated brilliantly by the author, as the textbook forgettable individual with ‘nothing special’ going for her, and thus is perfect to furthering many of the novel’s central themes. She is unremarkable in every sense of the word, safe for her friendship and unwavering loyalty to Mal – who unlike Alina, has grown up to be a suave, charming and debonair champion – warranting every bit of the proximate attention that he can garner, a circumstance that strikes a chord with the reader who might find themselves thinking back to friends who have drifted apart in real life through no personal fault or causes of their own making.
The stage is almost set and just a few chapters in, we are introduced to Ravka’s calamitous curse: the sinister Shadow Fold.
The Shadow Fold, otherwise known as the “Unsea” appeared 400 years before the start of the novel, a ‘swath of impenetrable darkness’ that has cleaved the nation of Ravka in half. Full of flesh eating ‘volcra’ and other innumerable nightmares, the bane of this country is otherwise only simply (ominously) referred to as the Fold, a mighty, pulsating embodiment of evil, growing larger every year and simply crawling with unspeakable horrors.
“In most fantasy, darkness is metaphorical; I wanted to take something figurative and make it literal.” Bardugo explains the conception of the Fold. “If darkness was a place, that is what the Shadow Fold would be.”
The Shadow Fold is a shameful remnant of a powerful Grisha’s power gone diabolical – a Shadow Summoner (a rare form of Grisha who can control the dark just like any other element) from centuries ago who unleashed the cataclysm on Ravka, splitting the country into two. Many years later, the country out of its need to survive, has perpetuated trade, even if only essential and a fledgling infrastructure has sprung up around the ‘natural impediment’; where the only way people can cross through the darkness is in a shiver inducingly, silent sand-skiff – boats laid on wooden pikes that glide over the barren wasteland of the Fold, armed to the brim with soldiers, both Grisha and common, incapable of making a sound or to display any form of light – lest they be mauled and have their bodies picked clean by ravenous terrors inhabiting the dark.
And it is in this very dark, that meek, brittle Alina’s destiny is turned on its head. When she is regimentally inducted to make the crossing with her best friend and other colleagues, the voyage is suddenly attacked by the savage, winged volcra, her comrades butchered in front of her very eyes, and only when she sees Mal facing death in the dark on account of protecting her, brings forth from within herself, a blinding burst of light – Alina manifests her ability to summon the Sun! Lighting up the Fold from the inside out; a feat of divine proportions that has never been seen, let alone done before.
Grisha manipulate the natural elements, better known ones like air, fire and water, but also metal, flesh and darkness. But light? Only ever previously mentioned in legends, the fabled Sun Summoner is nothing short of a living deity! There has never been one in Ravka’s recorded history, only to be found in story books and seldomly enough in Scripture – that is, until now! Finally, after so many years, there is a small, yet distinct ray of hope that the Fold might be destroyed. While Ravka justifiably begins to celebrate, there are many within the country who’s power and ill-gotten autonomy is immediately threatened by the appearance of the Lightbringer, particularly those who have made their fortunes in perfecting trade across the Shadow Fold. And let us not forget the power hierarchy that Alina’s new found power will now shake to its core, via the swift arrival and reprimand of the enigmatic commander and chief, leader of the Grisha led, Second Army, Aleksander Morozova!
Bardugo writes in the first person and her affectations conveyed through the endearingly tinted lens of Alina Starkov proves to be a literary confection of the utmost delectable variety. Honest, sincere and innocent, Leigh’s set up and execution based upon Alina, remind us about our resonance with the fantasy genre – becoming one with the characters, grappling with impossible abilities and the ominous threat of the unknown. But that is not the only reason Shadow and Bone will have you turning the page.
Shadow and Bone is merely the first part of a trilogy, affectionately dubbed the Grishaverse by its extensive fandom, grown in part due to its initial release back in 2012 and most recently due to its much-acclaimed television adaption now available to stream on Netflix. The physics of magic introduced in the series is unlike any that a fantasy junkie would otherwise be familiar with. The Grisha are a cross between magicians, scientists and soldiers all using their respective powers in the service of their realm. These abilities are innate and having been lucky enough to present them during the adolescent test, the Grisha are categorized into different castes – of course you have your Squallers, Tide Makers and Inferni (Grisha who manipulate air, water and fire), but you also have your Heartrenders (who can control blood, skin, muscle, bone) and Materialki (metal, glass, wood). The dominion of imagination grows with every new input but so are its very real (often sudden) limits. It is curious therefore to embark on this journey to figure out for yourself where the restraints to the Grisha’s powers lie. One case worthy of note is the plight of an extremely gifted Grisha, a secondary character and an accomplished Heartrender who despite the range of her powers is kept captive via a gilded collar by a vain queen who constantly needs her for “touch ups”. We can not help but wonder if this was a catharsis from the author against demanding celebrities from when she previously used to work as a Hollywood make up artist many years ago.
Then there is the world that Leigh crafts so beautifully. Ravka depicts the simmering magic and majesty of a fairy tale Russia, complete with soviet style uniforms, soldiers carrying rifled muskets and serrated daggers under their heavy pelts. Steam powered trains, oil fueled lanterns, and cobbled streets chock full of 17th century caricatures of a time long forgotten. Brothels, casinos, pubs punctuated with slums forming the outer rim of any urban populace becoming more and more wholesome as the traveler ventures inside. The ‘Little Palace’, home to the royalty of Ravka is characterized by Russian style architecture complete with satin lined furniture, grand fireplaces, gold crafted into the woodwork and imperialist garb.
Leigh Bardugo brings it all home, by adding the familiarly sincere touch of circumstantial separation, unrequited love, political intrigue and a sprinkling of delicious climaxes every few pages. It does not happen very often that I flit through the next few pages (just to check if people are still alive) but it is an aching reflex that one could just not shake off while reading the Grishaverse.
The most incredible element of Shadow and Bone is the fact that once you are done devouring it, basking in the glow of what you have just gratefully ingested, you can look forward to consuming its following series, Siege & Storm and Ruin & Rising.