What is the Shadow Fold in Shadow and Bone?

26 April 2021, 08:20

Shadow and Bone | Official Trailer | Netflix

What is the Fold in Shadow and Bone? Find out what the Shadow Fold means in the new Netflix series...

Shadow and Bone dropped on Netflix over the weekend, and many newcomers to the story may be wondering what the 'Fold' is.

The series is based on a set of novels written by Leigh Bardugo - the Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology - so many fans of the book will already be well-versed in how the fictional Grishaverse world works.

If you are just getting to know the story for the first time, however, here's your need-to-know on what the 'Shadow Fold' is.

What is the 'Fold'?

The Shadow Fold is a huge expanse of shadows of land filled with darkness and monsters that is located in Ravka, the country where Alina Starkov lives.

Ravka is split in two by the Fold, meaning that the people who live there are prisoners in their own country - as travelling within this dark fold is very dangerous.

Describing the Shadow Fold, Jessie Mei Li - who plays Alina - told Heart.co.uk: "The people of east Ravka are essentially imprisoned on all sides by the fold, and the neighbouring countries. So they’re prisoners in their own country, and in order to save themselves they need to destroy this Shadow Fold."

Alina Starkov becomes the key to destroying the Fold. Picture: Netflix

The need to destroy the Shadow Fold is the entire premise of the story, therefore, as Alina becomes to possible key to doing so when she discovers she has the mythical power to summon sunlight.

She finds this out in the first episode during a mission into the fold. She tries to save her best friend Malyen Oretsev (played by Archie Renaux) and accidentally summons sunlight while doing so.

Alina is then drafted into the Grisha Army to hone her skills and attempt to destroy the Fold.

The Grisha people are those with magical powers, and they include General Kirigan (played by Ben Barnes) - who can manipulate darkness.