Eterna

Great work by Trofimov in line with style of works done together with Bekmambetov decade or two earlier. Fresh setting in a universe that is not well known and very fun to discover (books are must read). Fresh new actors. The costumes and props works is superb.

Some downsides: In many ways the show seems to mimick GoT TV series flow but with some subtle changes, this is maybe too much, as it needs to find its own style success instead. Some scenes sequences and dialogues appear to be rushed and need more solid connection with eachother, as if on lack of budget or trying to fit too much book content storyline into too few episodes, which calls to mind seasons 1-2 of GoT. Hope the showrunners improve on this aspect in season 2 which otherwise is shaping to be an awesome fantasy show.

The one thing this show definitely deserves praise for is the production value. The budget clearly went into making it look stunning - on par with Amazon's Rings of Power. But everything else? Pretty underwhelming.

It honestly feels like it was made exclusively for people who've read the book - everyone else is left completely in the dark. The exposition is all over the place, there are an outrageous number of characters, and most of their motivations are still a mystery.

The plot feels like a patchwork of every fantasy you've ever seen. A bit of Game of Thrones here, a sprinkle of Harry Potter there, a sudden Wheel of Time vibe thrown in - but none of it really meshes together. After three episodes, the story hasn't really gone anywhere.

I'll stick around for the rest of the season, just in case it picks up. But honestly, aside from the budget, there's not much to recommend here so far.