The Shadow and Bone official trailer is out now and well worth your attention

In just over three weeks, Shadow and Bone hits Netflix and the streamer has released a stunning trailer. The plot teaser under the video is an exercise in minimalism:

There are no others like her. And there never will be. Get ready to enter the Grishaverse

Even by Netflix standards, this says little, particular if you’ve no idea what they’re talking about! Help is as hand.

So, what’s the Grishaverse?

It’s from a series of (currently) seven books by Leigh Bardugo: the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows duology and the King of Scars duology. So, it’s a shared universe for the Grisha. What does that mean?

Well, the Grisha are humans with the power to influence matter, essentially they can do various forms of magic though controlling the world around them. It’s a hugely popular set of novels and aimed at a YA audience.

And who are the characters?

The Shadow and Bone trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising) tell the story of Alina Starkov (we quote from the official description):

… when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed. Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite—and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift. As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation. Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.

Most of these characters are in the trailer, and cast is: Ben Barnes (Westworld) as General Kirigan, Freddy Carter (Pennyworth) as Kaz Brekker , Jessie Mei Li (Last Night in SoHo) as Alina Starkov, Archie Renaux (Voyagers) as Malyen Oretsev, Amita Suman (The Outpost) as Inej, and Kit Young (Endeavour) as Jesper Fahey. We also spotted Zoë Wanamaker, who plays Baghra.

You can see the Shadow and Bone official trailer now and the series is out on Netflix April 23.