The Baztan Trilogy

The Baztan Trilogy - The Invisible Guardian, The Legacy of Bones, Offering to the Storms


The first movie 'The Invisible Guardian' begins with the killings of several teenage girls and elaborate staging of their bodies by the river in the damp valley of Elizondo. Amaia Salazar, our protagonist, returns there, her hometown, as the Chief Investigator for the case. She heads the homicide department. The serial killings seem aimed at young girls who don't uphold the traditional norms and have begun exploring their sexuality. Through the case, Amaia grapples with her own demons, her relationship issues and traumatic memories of abuse from her past. We get to know that her mother had abused her, being seemingly senile herself, and was then admitted to a facility.

The setting of the damp valley where it rains all hours of the day, the cloudy scenery, the fog covered thick forest maintain a sinister vibe throughout the movie. It is an apt backdrop for a crime thriller, with supernatural undertones. The mythical beast  basajaun, the big hairy beast of the forest, seems to be the Guardian angel or protector of the valley and its presence is evident throughout. The feel and theme kept me on the edge throughout.

The small town is associated with its own bakeries, the flavors of cakes and flour-made sweet delicacies. It adds so well to the setting. An off-map locale, a small township with its own secrets. The victims have a cookie like local cake on them, as a staging ritual by the killer. And Amaia seems to be sleepwalking to their family bakery in the middle of the night. She has bad memories in there. Her sister Flora runs it now. That spooks me a bit - that bakery. Amaia's aunt was such a delightful character. Her vibes were so homely. She read tarot cards to Amaia when she couldn't find an answer. 


The second movie, 'The Legacy of Bones' is even more sinister with the mystery of a hell lot of bones found in a cave, a long history of witchcraft in the valley, and suspected female infanticides. This is my favorite movie from the series.

We see that the psyche of the people in the valley is deep rooted in traditional beliefs- like burying a baby deceased after birth, unbaptized, beside the house for luck. The minor happenings from the first book are a part of something big in this one. Someone's provoking the convicts in the medical facility to kill themselves, leaving a one word message. Amaia discovers dark deeply buried secrets about her birth, her childhood and her mother. Something she had a hunch about through her dreams, but the truth was way darker, harder to digest. The mythical, the good and the evil coexist in the valley. The final scene was nerve-wracking- as the climax happens in the dead night in the cave with the entire town flooded with the river, due to incessant rains.


In the third movie, 'Offering to the Storms' there's a new discovery of secret sects, societies with damnable practices, who made offerings to the devil mythical being Inguma, for a life of prosperity. It connects all the loose ends slowly. All the deaths in the valley are connected in one way or the other. Amaia's friends are targeted, the one's unsuspected is the culprit. Personal relations take a toll. And the presence of a powerful evil spirit is felt vividly.


I can see why this is such a well received series, translated over 30+ languages. It's just so twisted and hard hitting. The supernatural elements. So mysterious. The best thing about this series is that it starts off with reality, crime thriller, slowly seeps some supernatural into it. And that builds up over the time, so much so that every criminal action, has an evil dark ulterior motive. The mythical and supernatural coexist with the reality. Side by side. They cannot be separated. The references to decades-old history, myths of the land, practices and rituals make it an interesting read. Religion coexists in the land with sectarianism, secret societies and black magic.

Thanks to some awesome bloggers' recommendations- I have enjoyed watching this series so much. So thrilling and unforgettable a story. Available on Netflix.


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Comments

  1. I didn't know anything about this series, thansk for the concise info

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    1. Me neither, at least before October. I got to know this from bloggers- as they recommended thrillers on a particular post. It was really worth it. I watched the entire series in a single day.

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  2. I am not into thrillers and I am afraid know nothing about them.I am sure those who watch them will be glued to their screens after reading your review :)

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    1. Haha, I can understand. As I am not into horror at all. Horror doesn't really suit me.

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  3. Never knew of this series, thanks for sharing the detailed review. Supernatural, mysterious elements, and crime thriller all these are words that will make sure I watch this.

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  4. This is my favourite trilogy of 2020 so far. I have saved the last movie to watch this week. Love the character of Amaia, all that she suffered since childhood and the amazing policewoman that she is. Thanks for writing!

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  5. This triology is so new for me, never heard about them, would check the movies before i read the book, I am sure it would be fun

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  6. Was not aware of the series and thanks for a good writeup. Will search for and try watching over the coming days

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  7. I was wanting to watch these movies. Your review helped me decide

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  8. You have shared detailed reviews and it was interesting to read its content

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  9. Sounds like a very interesting series! I may just have to cave in and get Netflix for a month or two! ;-)

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  10. you're the second person who has recommended this series, i'm totally intrigued and i'm going to watch it for sure.

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  11. Didnt know anything about this series till I read this. Will check it out now.

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  12. Wow! I wasn't aware of this movie series. Thank you for the brilliant review.

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  13. Actually i have taken a break from suspense and thrillers but this series looks really amazing. Thank you for your review. Will catch up soon.

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  14. I was looking forward for a nice suspence thriller, and this looks like best series. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. I love to watch superthriller and thriller but this would be too much for me. Thanks for sharing though.

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  16. Thanks for sharing the review of the trilogy. You received the recommendation from other bloggers and I got the recommendation from you. I would like to keep this on my watchlist. Thanks for sharing.

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  17. Hearing about this series for the first time. Will surely check out.

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  18. While I lovee thrillers I am not sure I would be able to watch this - it sounds quite spooky. I am a total coward. And I don’t know if I can handle supernatural elements. But you make it sound really interesting - maybe I will give it a try.

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Queeristan by Parmesh Sahani

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  Queeristan (Amazon Link) Thanks to Audible Free Trial I listened to this amazing non-fiction on LGBTQ inclusion in Indian workplaces. Author Parmesh Sahani identifies as gay Indian, working closely with Godrej higher management and employees for years to create an inclusive workplace, both legally and in spirit. This book is a result of those years of experience, research, collaboration with individuals from difference spectrum of the society and organizations who has successfully transitioned into a queer friendly one.   Indian history is inclusive. From the Khajuraho temple architectures, to Konark to the Rig Veda, there is existing proofs even 2000 years ago of Indian inclusiveness of queer. It’s the draconian British law that criminalised it, which was scraped in 2009, came into effect once again following a sad judgement in 2013 and eventually was scraped off for good in 2018. I am in awe of the lawyers who fought this legal battle- colleagues and partners – Arundhati Katju

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