I came into this series not knowing much of anything about the series it’s based on – I think I’d heard the names of maybe a few of the books, and that was it. But the trailer and images looked really cool, not to mention different from a lot of the more usual fantasy aesthetic, and I was incredibly attracted to the thought of a fantasy series where half the main characters were BIPOC (not to mention, the info that accompanied those first looks included the fact that there was at least one LGBTQ character in the main cast, another plus.) I decided to give it a look, and I’m very glad I did (premise spoilers.)
The country of Ravka is split in two, in more ways than one. Society is divided between ordinary humans and Grisha, an elite class of people who possess different varieties of innate magical abilities. What’s more, the land itself is divided down the middle by the Fold, a shadowy miasma populated by deadly monsters, which was created hundreds of years ago by an especially rare type of Grisha called a Shadow Summoner. Alina Starkhov, war orphan and military mapmaker, avoided being tested for Grisha powers as a child, but an instinctual release of magic against an attack during a perilous journey through the Fold reveals that she may be the Grisha the country has long been waiting for: the Sun Summoner, the only one with the the power to destroy the Fold and reunite Ravka.
While I still love the sort of fantasy worlds that typify what a lot of people think of when we think of fantasy – Middle-earth, Westeros, etc. – one thing I really enjoy about Ravka is that it takes its influences from a different locale and era. Much of the style and details of Ravka are inspired by tsarist Russia, giving the world of this series a very different look and feel that’s wonderfully realized by the incredible costumes and production design. I adore the look of the color-coded Grisha uniforms, it’s fun to see a society that mixes magic, monsters, and guns, and the world as a whole feels interesting and well-built.
The main plot isn’t nearly as inventive. I don’t particularly mind it, but there are some really familiar beats here. Alina is 100% a prototypical Reluctant Young Savior who’s been low-key running from her destiny and doesn’t want to be the super-special Promised One who will save us all. I do enjoy the added wrinkle of Alina being half-Ravkan, half-Shu – Ravka has long been at war with Shu Han, and Alina’s mixed status has always made her a target of racism and suspicion, giving her extra incentive to not want to stand out. This aspect of her character was apparently added for the TV series, and I’m a definite fan of it. Meanwhile, the love triangle between Alina, her childhood best friend Mal, and the dark but alluring Grisha General Kirigan, shakes out along pretty predictable lines, along an enemies-to-lovers dynamic between two supporting characters. The Crows, an engaging band of low-level crooks who stand to throw a potential wrench into all the elevated Prophesied Savior stuff, are certainly a type that we’ve seen before, but they still entertain through a strong execution that adds a lot of action, humor, and unpredictability to the proceedings.
Some fine acting on display here. Leading the pack is Ben Barnes (oh Caspian, my Caspian!) as General Kirigan, imbuing a shadowy character with dimension and complexity in a way that doesn’t woobify or excuse any of his actions, and the always-reliable Zoë Wanamaker is very good as Grisha trainer Baghra. All three of the Crows are awesome, and even though I haven’t read the books, I come away with the feeling that they’re all perfectly cast because I understand their characters so well. We’ve got Freddy Carter as Kaz, Amita Suman (who played the young Umbreen in Doctor Who’s “Demons of the Punjab”) as Inej, and my favorite, Kit Young (I recognized him from the fantastic production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream aired by National Theatre Live, where he played Lysander) as Jesper. For my money, Jessie Mei Li and Archie Renaux as Alina and Mal don’t pop quite as much, but they’re also the characters saddled with the blandest tropes; when they’re given something more interesting to play, both acquit themselves well.
Warnings
Violence, light sexual content, smoking, language, and thematic elements (including racism and references to sexual abuse.)
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