Warning! Spoilers ahead for Shadow and Bone season 1.
In Shadow and Bone season 1, Ravka, the country at the center of the action, is perpetually at war with neighboring nations Shu Han and Fjerda. The conflicts between the countries dates back hundreds of years, even further back than when the Darkling created the Fold, a deadly shadow barrier separating the western part of Ravka from its eastern regions. So, what happened that led them to war with each other?
Shadow and Bone first introduces Ravka, which is the hotspot for everything that is happening in the series and the country where most of the main characters live, including Alina Starkov and best friend Mal Oretsev. Prior to being drafted into the army, Alina and Mal grew up in an orphanage in Keramzin, a southern city closer to the borders of Shu Han, which is separated from the country by mountains and is influenced by real-world East Asia (Japan, Korea, but most notably China). To the north of Ravka is Fjerda, which is inspired by the Scandinavian region (Norway, Denmark, Sweden). Alina is quick to point out that she's never felt at home in Ravka because she is part Shu, and her treatment by several characters is a reminder of which nation Ravka sees as the enemy.
The conflicts with Fjerda and Shu Han are indirectly presented through Alina and Nina Zenik, a Grisha who can manipulate organs like the heart. Alina is constantly reminded Shu Han is inferior and experiences racism because of it. This hatred is embedded into Ravkan culture and the imagery of Shu Han as angry antagonists is heavy, but limited. Meanwhile, Nina (and Mal, to an extent), have brushes with the Fjerdans, Ravka’s enemies to the north who enjoy hunting and kidnapping (or killing) Grisha. Why exactly the three nations have so much tension with each other is briefly touched upon in Shadow and Bone season 1, but there’s more to the story that can be gleaned from the books.
Ravka has been at war with Fjerda and Shu Han for centuries. Ravkan citizens are drafted into the First Army to fight and the conflict is so extensive that the king has a Second Army, which consists of Grisha, as a backup. Shadow and Bone suggests the wars are something even the Grisha, who are powerful in their manipulations of physical and chemical elements, cannot win on their own. When the Black Heretic created the Fold, Ravka was already in the throes of the war with the neighboring nations. One of the commonalities of Fjerda and Shu Han is the nations’ hatred for Grisha and they are increasingly hunted on each side.
However, the bloody wars go far beyond that — namely, it has to do with territory and border disputes. More land means more resources, control over the region and power. In this vein, the wars mirror real-world conflicts that have historically been about the same thing. Expansion into Ravkan territory provides the opportunity for Fjerda and Shu Han to seize control over the region, which is more than likely what they want. Ravka would give them better access to the True Sea and the island nation of Kerch, where Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, and Jesper Fahey reside, as well as strength in political matters. Aside from the border and territory disputes, author Leigh Bardugo doesn’t get into much detail about the war in the Shadow and Bone books. It’s unclear when the conflicts began happening, only that they’ve been ongoing with no signs of ending anytime soon.
Of course, there are insinuations that the Darkling is manipulating the king, whispering in his ear to continue the war. It’s possible he wants to continue the fight so as to maintain the status of the Grisha and the Second Army. This could be fueled by the fear that, if there’s no war to fight, the Grisha will go back to being hunted in Ravka as they were centuries prior. Similarly, the Darkling wanting to expand the Fold rather than destroy it would also uphold the power he has over Ravka and, by extension, the war. However, the Darkling’s involvement with the king’s decisions in the book is merely hinted at and never actually confirmed.
The creation of the Shadow Fold may not have extinguished the ongoing battles with Shu Han and Fjerda, but it did create a host of new problems that have not only affected Ravka, but the country’s status in the war as well. Suffice it to say Ravka is an incredibly fragile country in the present day. The Fold’s appearance has devastated the nation and things have only gotten worse over the centuries, with the east (where the king and queen reside) are forced to seek food and other resources from the west for the war effort.
What’s more, the physical barrier has also created tensions between the two sides of the nation that are on full display in Shadow and Bone. An uprising seems imminent, with Ravka on the brink of civil war and the west — led by the ambitious General Zlatan — wanting to secede from the east to become their own sovereign nation. This divide inherently weakens Ravka as a unified nation, which makes it easier for the other kingdoms to swoop in and take advantage of the situation. It’s likely Shu Han and Fjerda have been watching as Ravka unravels from the inside; they probably know about the tensions between the two sides and are likely waiting for the opportune moment to strike when Ravka is at its most vulnerable.
The Fold is effectively deteriorating Ravka on the inside, with much of the focus turned to tempering the rising tide of rebellion, destroying the pesky swath of darkness, and funding the war effort. In short, the nation is under a lot of strain and spread entirely too thin. With the Darkling having expanded the Fold into Novokribirsk and killing a dignitary from Kerch at the end of Shadow and Bone season 1, Ravka is facing an existential crisis and even more potential conflict with Shu Han, Fjerda, and other neighboring nations. While Shu Han and Fjerda remain relatively elusive for the time being, it’s possible Shadow and Bone season 2 could expand on their inner workings. The story may not be focused on either nation, but it would certainly help to solidify and develop the nature of the war and where it goes moving forward.
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