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Ravka, the main setting of Shadow and Bone, is a monarchy located between Fjerda and Shu Han, and the three nations have long been at war along their constantly shifting borders. Ravka has two armies: the First Army, comprised of ordinary soldiers, and the Second Army, the Grisha forces led by General Kirigan. The Grisha are the series' equivalent of magic-users, though their abilities are rooted in science at the molecular level. The nation’s capital is Os Alta, where the royal family’s Grand Palace residence and the Second Army’s Little Palace residence and training ground is located. Leigh Bardugo drew upon 18th-century Tsarist Russia for many aspects of the politics, culture, language, and aesthetic of Ravka.

Ravka

Shu Han is the nation to the south of Ravka, a country devoted to scientific and technological advancement. Shu Han’s name is taken from a real historical Chinese state, and Bardugo drew upon China and Mongolia as an influence for the Shu. In the show, Alina Starkov is half-Shu, which brands her as the enemy in Ravka because of the war between the two countries.

Shu Han

Fjerda is the icy nation north of Ravka, based on Scandinavia. Fjerdans believe that the Grisha are dangerous witches and send their witch-hunting soldiers, called Drüskelle, to capture Grisha and deliver them to Fjerda for trial and execution. Many Drüskelle, like Matthias Helvar, came to hate the Grisha because of Fjerda’s bitter war with Ravka’s Second Army, but also due to generations of being told the Grisha are in league with demons and nothing but abominations. Fjerda’s capital is Djerholm, where the seat of nobility, the Ice Court, is located. The Ice Court is a major setting in Six of Crows, as Kaz Brekker and the Crows were hired to pull off a heist in the Fjerdan fortress.

Fjerda

The island nation of Kerch is home to Kaz Brekker and the Crows, who fight for control of the criminal underworld of its capital city, Ketterdam. Kerch has not taken sides in the war between Ravka, Fjerda, and Shu Han, as the culture of Kerch values money and trade above all else. The Southern Colonies, the land south of Novyi Zem, also currently belongs to Kerch.

The Kerch worship Ghezen, the god of commerce and trade, and they considered work and trade to be a form of worship. The main place of worship in Ketterdam is the Church of Barter, built in the shape of Ghezen’s hand. Although slavery is technically illegal in Kerch, slavers still sell people to the wealthy merchants of Kerch under predatory indentures that bind them to a merchant until their debt is paid off. An unindentured person can also offer their own indenture up for auction in Kerch. Kerch has several real-life historical parallels it draws from, including the 18th-century Dutch Republic, New York, Las Vegas, and Victorian London.

Kerch

The Wandering Isle is located north of Novyi Zem, across the treacherous Bone Road sea passage from Fjerda. It is based on Ireland, and its people, known as the Kaelish, are commonly pale and red-haired. Pekka Rollins, Kaz Brekker’s nemesis in the Ketterdam underworld, originally comes from the Wandering Isle, as does Jesper’s father. Little is known about the Wandering Isle compared to other locations in the Grishaverse, except that it's supposedly led by a military commander and the rumors that the Kaelish consider Grisha blood a medical cure-all and kill Grisha for their valuable blood. Shadow and Bone takes place in a wide and complex world, and any upcoming seasons will explore even more of the Grishaverse map.

The Wandering Isle

Novyi Zem is a large nation on the opposite side of the map from Ravka and Fjerda, set between Kerch’s Southern Colonies and the Wandering Isle. It is based on historical colonies like the United States and Australia. The separation of the expansive True Sea has kept Novyi Zem out of the conflict on the other side of the world, allowing it to prosper with a nation of rough but industrious people. As a young and vibrant country with an expansive frontier, Novyi Zem has become a refuge for those fleeing the war and persecuted people, including Grisha. The Zemeni are known for farming jurda, a harmless stimulant. Jesper Fahey, the Crows’ sharpshooter, comes from Novyi Zem.

Novyi Zem

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What Grishaverse Country Are You From?

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