Rise of the Raven

First of all, if you are not familiar with the late medieval history of Central- and Eastern Europe, you should know that it was very complex and diverse, with many nations, factions, religions, full of heroes and battles, intrigue and treason. The most serious threat to this part of the world was the Ottoman Empire, the strongest military power of that time occupying countries, massacring and enslaving whole provinces. So choosing the proper allies (or even betraying them in the right moment) was a question of life or death.

All of these offer a great basis for 'Game of Thrones'-like TV series, but with real historical background.

The Hunyadi (Rise of the Raven) TV series is set into this context.

The title character, John Hunyadi (1407-1456) was a nobleman later becoming the regent of the Hungarian Kingdom. He served two years in the army of the Duke of Milan upon King Sigismund's order, he fought the Hussites and adopted their tactics. All these experiences helped him to build up a well organised army, and gain success against the Ottomans. His ultimate victory was at the siege of Belgrade in 1456, which stopped the Ottomans' western expansion for about 70 years.

One of the greatest pros in this series is using many languages altogether, most of the characters speaking their mother tongue. Which is not just very unique in the whole film industry, but gives a lot of authenticity, and it is highly respectful toward the diverse cultural heritage of Europe.

This TV series is based on a long and quite popular historical novel series, "Hunyadi" by Mór Bán, with 12 already published books and 2 more to come later.

And yes, unfortunately this leads to the downside. The Hunyadi TV series was perfect if one season would just treat one or two books of the novel series. But I suppose there was no chance for that, and they rather put it altogether into a 10-episode-long, single season series. And that's sad, because this leaves not much time to get to know all the characters, or understand the exact political and military situation of those times.

Of course there are fictitious parts in the series, but most of the story line is based on real historical events, most of the characters are based on real historical figures, and there are many small details which are actually historically correct.

This series is not without errors, but the subject and the multi-language approach makes it very unique and a "must-see" to anyone interested in medieval history.

A roughly historically accurate series from the 15th century Hungary with monumental battle scenes and traditional male image. During the Osman-Turkish invasion of the Balkan, the vaivode of Transylvania, János Hunyadi tries to expel the muslim conquerors from Europe. Although he has Christian enemies as well (the Habsburgs and their vassal, the sly Count, Ulrik Cillei, who is the "Littlefinger" of the series and Vlad "Dracul" Tepes, the orthodox vaivode of Wallachia), he achieves many legendary victories on the Turks and as the elected Governor of Hungary, he becomes the saviour of Christian Europe and the father of the mightiest Hungarian king, Matthias Corvinus. The castle of János Hunyadi is watchable in Transylvania in our days as well: the Vajdahunyad castle is the most beautiful Gothic fortification in Central Europe.

Although the plot is not perfect it worths to watch. In the beginning the story starts pretty slow, but as the show progresses and we get to know the characters and their background it becomes much more interesting and almost impossible to stop watching. I think the fight scenes and the action part is well made and the political lines are just as complicated as needed but beside all this I still have strange feeling as if this would have been better with more seasons. The only thing I would like to ask from all the showrunners: we neked a seques with King Matthias in the main role. We need that!

I've only seen the first three episodes so far.

The film series is an attempt to show the struggle of a people against a conquering enemy.

The period when the Turkish Empire tried to conquer the Kingdom of Hungary.

The action takes place from the late 1420s to 1456, when a Hungarian nobleman, János Hunyadi, takes up arms against the Turkish armies besieging the southern border of the country.

He defends not only his own land but the whole country at a time when the country is in turmoil.

The film follows the life of this man.

I am not a film expert, I cannot tell you about the direction, lighting, cinematography, etc.

But I would recommend it to anyone who loves history and wants to learn about the medieval history of Central Europe, and especially of Hungary.

What makes the film special is that the characters in the series speak in their own anglophone languages, Hungarian, Serbian, Turkish, German, etc., giving a sense of the multilingual world that characterised this part of Europe at the time.

As a fan of historical films and series, and as a Hungarian, I've been waiting a long time for a series that finally brings our history to the screen in a similar fashion -so I'm genuinely thrilled about Rise of the Raven.

While it's not a perfect show, it has plenty of strengths that make it well worth watching, especially for those interested in Central and Eastern European history. The pilot may be the weakest episode, but the finale - Episode 10 - is easily the strongest. That's why I recommend that if the trailer or the premise caught your interest, but the first couple of episodes leave you unsure, give it at least until Episode 4 before making up your mind.

The first three episodes focus more on the private lives of the main characters, while the political and military conflicts unfold slowly in the background. But from the middle of the season onward, the story truly finds its stride - with richer political intrigue, battles, and unexpected twists.

The show's biggest weakness might be its pacing, which likely stems from the challenge the writers faced: compressing John Hunyadi's eventful life and the era's political complexity into just 10 episodes due to budget constraints. (Fans of similar historical dramas - imagine trying to tell the full life stories of Ragnar Lothbrok, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Henry VIII, or King Taejong in just 10 episodes... You get the idea!)

There are a few other minor flaws as well: some weaker dialogue here and there, occasional theatrical overacting, and a handful of historical inaccuracies. (One of the most notable is the use of a German translator for Sigismund of Luxembourg, despite the well-known fact that German was his native language - a detail that drew criticism from Hungarian viewers.)

That said, I honestly can't stay mad at the show for its imperfections, because the effort behind it really shines through. And its strengths - like the strong performances, the visual production, well-crafted story moments, and professionally executed action scenes - more than balance things out.

If I had to rate the episodes individually, most would be either a 7 or an 8, but I wouldn't hesitate to give the final episode a solid 9. Overall, I'd give the series a confident 8 out of 10.

On a personal note, I'm genuinely happy that a Hungarian historical series of this quality has finally been made. So thank you to everyone involved in its creation! :)

I'm really rooting for a second season-hopefully centered around King Matthias, who led an equally eventful life like his father - ideally told over even more episodes. :)