Shadow and Bone

Season two finds protagonists Mal and Alina (Archie Renaux and Jessie Mei Li) fleeing the shores of Ravka after season one's showdown with the Darkling. Alina ...

His Darkling is a delight to watch: over the top evil, relentless in his pursuit of Alina, and absolutely irredeemable. As with season one, the show sometimes struggles to balance its competing plot lines – this time around, Ketterdam feels like the more exciting place to be, rather than Ravka – which leads to rather an unevenness of tone. Long story short: towards the end of season one, Alina bonded with a magical amplifier cut from the horns of a mythical stag (look, just go with it). The Darkling is alternately scheming and making ominous pronouncements, as per usual. Alina and Mal are on the run, as per usual. This makes her a Grisha (ie a magically gifted person) and, in season one, brought her to the attention of Ben Barnes’ Darkling.

Good things come to those who wait. And in this case, the sentiment certainly rings true. Nearly two years after the premiere of the first season, ...

Alina, on the other hand, has begun to find her voice and her footing as a Grisha, and Mei Li is truly a force to be reckoned with as the Sun Summoner grows exponentially more powerful. This season finds Alina Starkov on the run, determined to bring down the Fold once and for all, while the Darkling is now more dangerous than ever. Nearly two years after the premiere of the first season, the highly anticipated second season of Shadow and Bone has finally arrived on Netflix.

Our Sun Summoner Alina had a lot on her plate this season, forced to protect Ravka from further chaos by attempting to bring down the Fold and Kirigan's reign ...

"Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives. "The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now that would be epic. Shadow and Bone season 3 plot: What will the third season be about? (With some new allies in tow, of course.)

Showrunners Eric Heisserer and Daegan Fryklind unpack the season 2 finale, as well as their plans for King of Scars, brand-new Grishaverse stories, ...

"We did that a little bit with the prequel story for the Crows in season 1," he says. "We were really struggling to figure out how to build out the conflict between Kaz and Pekka in the early weeks of our season 2 writers' room." "It is, for the book fans, a very pointed Easter egg that hopefully they notice and hopefully there's a squeal moment when they see it," Fryklind says of the bee on Zoya in the show. When he gazes into the mirror, he freaks upon seeing himself as a nichevo'ya — which links to the main plot of King of Scars. Season 2's other big element that points to King of Scars is what Nikolai sees in the mirror as he readies for his coronation. For inspiration, Fryklind turned to The Live of Saints, one of Bardugo's companion books that acts as a compendium of the triumphant tales of many saints of the Grishaverse. The bees and rose flowers are a nod to Sankta Lizabeta of the Roses, who is famous in the world of Ravka for saving her town from raiders by using prayer to summon swarms of bees. Part of the reason is that the showrunners needed to find a way to incorporate the Crows back into the main storyline. "That inclusion of the two groups together was a huge deal to them, it was a priority." In terms of a timeline, the spin-off would line up with the ending of season 2. Heisserer confirms to EW that while the television scribes were developing Shadow and Bone season 2, he opened a separate writers' room to develop a Six of Crows spin-off series. We learn from the season 2 finale that jurda parem is a highly addictive drug with the side effect of boosting a Grisha's power a thousand times over.

The endearing Netflix show, starring Jessie Mei Li as Alina, returns with an even more sprawling ensemble. Shadow and Bone Season 2 premieres March 16.

Not only does he get to showcase that charisma and wit, but he's a major player in several of the season's best fight scenes (and there are some really great fight scenes this season), and thanks to a trip down memory lane and a major character reveal, Jesper has some poignant dramatic moments throughout the second season as well. The show is also unafraid to nudge Kaz and Inej's ( [Amita Suman](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/amita-suman/3030681271/)) relationship forward, giving it a new layer of complexity. And they are especially the best in Season 2, not just because their time in Ketterdam, and then in Shu Han is where the show seems to be having the most fun with its premise, but also because we get some much-needed illumination of Kaz Brekker's ( Yet it remains a series that's so easy to root for, thanks to its bevy of compelling main characters, a charming cast, and its willingness to go on an adventure with its premise (and source material!). I wanted to spend time with Alina and Mal (who get some juicier scenes to chew on this season) as they dealt with amplifiers and Kirigan and the Fold just as much as I wanted to spend time with the Crows in their two mini story arcs, if you will. He oozes charisma and warmth, and it seems like the creative team behind the show know it, too: Jesper (and Young) is given much more to do this season. The problem with tossing in new characters without enough room to really develop them is that they are instantly compared to the treasure trove of characters Shadow and Bone already has at its disposal. [Lewis Tan](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lewis-tan/3030233961/)) and Tamar (Anna Leong Brophy), who are a hoot. It deviates wildly from the source material, and the reason is twofold: The show is condensing and combining the plot of the two final books in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising, while still biding time until it gets to the actual Six of Crows plot. The same goes for a gaggle of "evil" Grisha brought in to battle the good guys. Last we left our favorite Grisha and non-Grisha (otkazat'sya, as they're called in the series), Sun Summoner Alina ( Honestly, that should've been obvious the moment it was announced ahead of Season 1's premiere that the Netflix series would bringing the Crows characters into the Shadow and Bone story.

Season 2 puts one particular aspect of Grisha culture at the heart of things, as Alina (Jessie Mei Li) and Mal (Archie Renaux) take on the mission of tracking ...

The creature is considered the symbol of Ravka and tied tightly to its history. According to legends, the firebird’s flight path is what drew Ravka’s original borders and the Lantsov family is even said to be descended from the creature. Though Mal gets his life back, he loses his abilities as an amplifier, and with it his tracking abilities and innate sense of his “true north.” Alina also must pay the cost of using merzost. This total slay is what earned Vasilka the title of Saint of Unwed Women. The stag played a prominent role in the first season of Shadow and Bone. But the firebird isn’t the third amplifier; Mal is. Alina gives the order to capture it alive, confident that the sea whip will choose to bestow its power on her the same way the stag did. In the books, we’re given a bit more backstory on the sea whip. However, some residue of the stag remains in Kirigan’s hand, creating a psychic link between him and Alina that persists until Baghra cuts off his hand in her dying moments in season 2. When Mal and Alina find the stag, Alina discovers she doesn’t need to kill it, since the stag chooses to share its power with her. Season 2 puts one particular aspect of Grisha culture at the heart of things, as Alina (Jessie Mei Li) and Mal (Archie Renaux) take on the mission of tracking down amplifiers in order to destroy [the Fold](https://www.polygon.com/22397995/shadow-and-bone-map-ravka-grishaverse). Hundreds of years ago, Morozova set out to create a way of increasing Grisha power to help them better protect themselves from persecution — which is the same line of faux altruism Kirigan hides his own hunt for power behind.

"Shadow and Bone" is based on Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse novels, but Season 2 of the Netflix show does a lot that will come as a surprise to book fans.

Firstly she is inside her father's workshop as it burns down, and then she enters the mental connection shared between the Darkling and Alina to face her son. The first creature she finds in Siege and Storm, but she learns the Firebird is not actually a third amplifier after discovering the creature in Ruin and Rising. Given David's body is not shown in the TV show, though, it is unclear if he is really dead. The Crows' plot to take down Pekka Rollins is part of the narrative in the second book in the Six of Crows duology, named Crooked Kingdom. During the final battle the Darkling's Grisha, and his shadow monsters, known as Nichevoya, fight against our heroes. Neyar became one after forging the blade Neshyenyer, which she used to save Shu Han by defeating an unkillable army of clockwork soldiers. At the end of the season Alina asks Genya and Zoya to work with her to help make Ravka a better country, and Zoya comments that they are a "Triumvirate." One of the Darkling's Nichevoya attacks her when it believes she is going to attack her son, and in her dying moments she severs the connection between him and Alina by cutting off his hand. Baghra's death in the TV show is similar in that she chooses to sacrifice herself to give Alina and Mal the opportunity to escape, but the circumstances are different. Kaz decides to take on Pekka Rollins (Dean Lennox Kelly), with whom he shares a tragic past. Sankta Neyar never appears in Bardugo's books. After Alina loses her powers and Mal is brought back to life at the end of the Shadow and Bone trilogy they leave to capital to live an ordinary life, they get married and re-open the orphanage that they were raised in.

Netflix hit Shadow and Bone's second season follows up the heists and twists of season one, offering another glimpse inside the magical world of.

Regardless, there is something about the style of Shadow and Bone that is deeply admirable; certain shots and direction feel like deliberate choices to achieve maximum flair and show off a sense of humour. But ultimately, I want to state that Shadow and Bone rushes through the plot points of the original trilogy — almost as if it’s eager to be rid of Alina’s story — and have set up the Crows and Nikolai to take centre stage in the third season, should one be announced. With their bizarre psychic connection taking centre stage as a way to keep Alina and Kirigan interacting, some of the magic in the series becomes less grounded and less attached to the already pretty soft explanations. The biggest cause of this extremely rushed storytelling is the fact that the showrunners have attempted to cram two and a half books into an eight-episode season, discarding a lot of slow burn plot points in favour of opportunities where people can flashily fight each other with magic. Sadly, much like in season one, Alina’s agency dwindles in the later half of the season, a symptom of a show overly stuffed with twists, turns, reveals, and love confessions. The show does a ton of work to pack in as much plot as possible into every episode, often at the expense of providing the connective tissue between fights and backstabbing.

The beginning of a new adventure for this well-received adaptation of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse novels continues its high standard of quality.

This culminates in a fun [Pirates of the Caribbean-esque](https://gamerant.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-best-movies/) chase sequence, buffeted by plenty of slapstick and sight gags, before Alina and Mal charter a ship to a new adventure. The second season continues to raise the bar, helped along by the expectation of understanding that one earns with a second season. Shadow and Bone season 2 is off to a great start. [the conclusion of the first](https://gamerant.com/shadow-and-bone-netflix-season-2-renewed/). The interesting thing about Shadow and Bone is that it really does have something for everyone. For the uninitiated, or those who don't remember, Shadow and Bone takes place in a fantasy world in which a percentage of the population is born with supernatural gifts.

Although few know how many exist, the amplifiers Grisha can make and use are important in Shadow and Bone, and become even more so in season 2.

[amplifiers in Shadow and Bone](https://screenrant.com/shadow-bone-morozova-creatures-amplifiers-powers-explained/), there is some debate about which is most powerful. This is what makes the search for the Sea Whip and the Firebird so critical in Shadow and Bone season 2. Throughout Shadow and Bone season 1, the only human amplifiers in the series were Ben Barnes' General Kirigan and his mother, Baghra, played by Zoë Wanamaker. Shadow and Bone season 2 reveals a critical twist that the third of Morozova’s amplifiers, the Firebird, was not a magical creature at all, but a person. Each of these creatures is said to have been made from one of the powerful Grisha’s bones, and each can bequeath their power to one that they choose upon their death. The first sect of these is Morozova’s creatures: the Morozovan Stag, the Sea Whip Rusalye, and the fabled Firebird.

For the second season, the show dispenses with filler and clichés in favor of more characters, settings, plot, danger, fighting, and horniness.

If the power dynamics explored in season one were along ethnic divides—shown through the racism Alina was frequently the target of—then season two is more focused on the power of bad men and the struggle of women to triumph in a patriarchal society. (Showrunner Eric Heisserer famously refused to come on board unless Netflix acquired the rights to Bardugo’s duology Six Of Crows in addition to the Shadow And Bone series.) For all the powers and heists and fights, at heart Shadow And Bone is about people trying to figure out what matters enough to fight for. The latter is meaningful and compelling, but in comparison to Alina’s quest, it feels a little light, and the first few episodes of season two occasionally come off as two separate shows. He’s much more in the background this time around, initially focused on trying to (again) get Alina to partner up with him so they can rule together and then, when she rejects him, turning to the incel playbook and deciding to destroy everything. It’s a vast cast, and the show sometimes struggles to juggle everyone. Our introductions to new characters are also quick, although the acting is generally so good that it’s easy to get a handle on everyone. This season is supersized: more characters, more settings, more plot, more danger, and more fighting—which is partly because it combines the second two books of Bardugo’s trilogy (Ruin And Rising and Siege And Storm). (Those scenes of young Mal and Alina in a field wore out their welcome fast.) Matthias, in particular, suffers and he’s so absent for such large swaths that it’s easy to forget he exists. Oh, and General Kirigan/The Darkling (Ben Barnes) was presumed dead—but in fact walked out of the Fold scarred and followed by some gigantic shadow monsters. Is the fight with others or with ourselves?

It's not just our hero Alina Starkov's love triangle, or mercenaries Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa's “will they, won't they”; this season, it seems that no one's ...

The rapport Alina and Nikolai develop becomes somewhat transformative for both of them; Nikolai, like Alina, is driven by a desire to change the world for the better, but he’s also got a sense of humor that grants Alina the levity she’ll need at times if she’s really going to save the world. That’s not to say that Alina is all doom and gloom this season; while there might not be any baby goats this season (bring back Milo!!!), we do meet a few new players who help to lighten the mood. It turns out, he used a dark kind of magic to create those shadow monsters that stepped out of the Fold with him last season, after Mal and Alina thought they’d left him for dead. Called the Sun Summoner, she must find and harness the power of three magical amplifiers (she found one last season) and use her powers to summon an incandescent burst of light that can cut through the shadows. For those of us who watched the series when it first premiered, jumping back into Season 2 feels a lot like the first; there might be questions like “Where is Ravka, again?” and “What the hell is merzost?” ( [An explainer](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/shadow-and-bone-season-2-all-the-backstory-you-need-to-know) never hurts.) When we first reunite with our central heroes, Alina (Jessie Mei Li) and her best friend (slash longtime crush) Malyen “Mal” Oretsev (Archie Renaux), they are on the run and working to keep Alina’s identity a secret.

In "Shadow and Bone," which is now on Netflix, Barnes plays the baddest of villains. He told Polygon that he just wants to be in a rom-com.

"Who you are as a person will always seep through in the tiniest ways," Barnes said. [Barnes as the Darkling,](https://www.insider.com/shadow-and-bone-creator-explain-darkling-kirigin-fold-backstory-scene-2021-4) a morally-gray man who is willing to destroy the world in order to protect his people. "I keep asking my agents, 'I just want to do a rom-com,'" the 41-year-old actor said. Barnes agreed, saying: "A nice rom-com in a nice cardie." or just kind of douchey characters." Even if they're not the one you're rooting for."

After not hearing from Mal, Alina falls for General Aleksander Kirigan (Ben Barnes), the leader of the Grisha army and a shadow summoner himself. In episode ...

The sun and shadow summoners are also in this group. However, the entire time Nina has been keeping the secret that she is a spy for the Ravkan army. On the ship, she meets Matthias and the two butt heads. It is worth noting that many people see Alina as a saint since she was prophesied, meaning it may be hard to travel the world without being recognized. In the books, they are created using merzost magic and can reform after attacks from swords and guns. Kirigan then manages to find a way to control Alina using the Stag's antlers. Alina is then taken in by the Grisha and separated from Mal. The Morozovas were the only family able to shadow summon and, in fact, Kirigan's grandfather created creatures, such as the Stag, as amplifiers for all Grisha out of his own bones. But he then reveals his true plan: expanding the Fold to attack West Ravka, whose people have been fighting for its independence from the rest of Ravka. [It is prophesied that only the sun summoner](https://www.insider.com/tv-series-that-are-similar-to-shadow-and-bone), who can summon light, can destroy the darkness called the Shadow Fold. [In season two of the Netflix series](https://www.insider.com/shadow-and-bone-author-leigh-bardugo-interview-2021-4), Alina is still on her mission to destroy the Fold. It was created hundreds of years ago by a Grisha, the name for wizards in this world,

Season 2 of this solid adaptation is cleverly blending multiple Grishaverse stories into an engaging and expansive series.

Episode 2 "Rusalye" is packed with some of the best action in the series so far. Fans will just have to wait and see how the show pays off all the fuses it's been lighting. General Kirigan was presumed dead after the events of the first season finale, but he returns with some nasty scars and a thirst for vengeance. People who enjoyed the unique take on fantasy action will find even more to love. [two new members of](https://gamerant.com/shadow-and-bone-new-characters-season-2/) the Crows already have great chemistry with the existing trio. Fans familiar with the Six of Crows novel will likely be giddy to see the series take more of its source material to the screen. With the help of There's a greater emphasis on playing with new cultures as the show continues to expand its reach. [Shadow and Bone's second season](https://gamerant.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-trailer-prince-ravka-wylan-hendriks/) are directed by Bola Ogun. Mal's talents as a tracker make him invaluable among the crew, while Alina makes new connections with people who are less likely to burn her at the stake. Alina is convinced she'll need a second boost in power if she wants to unfold the Fold before it consumes all mankind. Its supernatural elements don't clash with its more dystopian dramatic ones, and that's part of its success.

With its sprawling second season, Netflix series may be growing up, but it's leaning heavily on its YA roots.

Shadow and Bone may be growing up, but it’s not in a go-to-college-do-your-taxes way. In a post-YA franchise world, this sophomore season may be the closest thing we have to a successor, and it couldn’t be better equipped for 2023 audiences. It’s also clear there’s still room to turn things up to 11 — the series ends with a terrifying cliffhanger that changes everything. That’s not even mentioning the strange psychic bond between Alina and the Darkling that screams Rey and Kylo. It established the world of Ravka, torn in two by a mystical dark cloud full of terrifying creatures. Season 1 of the series did all the hard work.

Binge-friendly show spins traditional tropes into intriguing new directions that could be called “Romanov-chic”

These have made her a person of interest to the Darkling, a Ravka general and magic user. Her talents are highly sought after – especially by Six of Crows gang leader Kaz (Freddy Carter) However, she will help only if they agree to spring a loved one free from a maximum-security prison. But knowledge of books is not necessary. Their home is Ketterdam – a riff on mercantile Amsterdam, full of cutthroats, thieves and corrupt officials. Its denizens also include Nina Zelik, a magical “heartrender”, whose sorcery can flense an enemy’s internal organs and who is played by Dublin actor Danielle Galligan. The look is what might be called “Romanov-chic”, with the kingdom of Ravka explicitly modelled on Imperial Russia.

It turns out, Heisserer is already hard at work on a Six of Crows spinoff for the series' misfit band of thieves. Heisserer confirmed the potential spinoff in ...

During Shadow and Bone season 2, Heisserer worked with Deagan Fryklind as a co-showrunner, in part because Heisserer was also working to develop the Six of Crows spinoff, and the two hoped they could share the responsibilities of the two series going forward. For the [Netflix version of Shadow and Bone](https://www.polygon.com/23638754/shadow-bone-season-1-ending-explained), Heisserer decided to bring the Crows in as a major part of the story earlier, essentially combining elements of the Six of Crows books and the first book of the Shadow and Bone main series. [main Shadow and Bone series](https://www.polygon.com/23641219/shadow-bone-amplifiers-firebird-explained).

The Netflix Shadow and Bone series is based on the Grishaverse books by Leigh Bardugo, but how closely does Season 2 stick to the books?

He’s transformed by the Darkling aka Kirigan in the third book of the series, Ruin and Rising, and is used by the Darkling as a weapon against Alina and her allies. This is true for the Crows as well with Inej (Amita Suman) taking off with a pirate crew to hunt slavers similar to what she ends up doing after the Six of Crows duology finishes, only the rest of the Crows are shaping up to take on the job that kicks off their story in the books in the first place. In the books, in the aftermath of the fall of the Darkling and Alina losing her powers, Alina refuses Nikolai’s proposal and she and Mal return to her hometown. With so many departures from the book but the show clearly setting up a Season 3 we can only wait to see Mathias is still in prison and the rest of the Crows are in Ketterdam, but the pieces are just slightly off from where they ought to be if we’re jumping right into the parem heist in Fjerda next season. In the books, Mal doesn’t get Baghra to lead him through the discovery of his Morozova blood. It’s a plot made up entirely for the show, seemingly just to give some characters more to do and to show us more of the world. She’s able to use her shadow powers to distract and destroy the shadows that are following their group, allowing the rest of them to escape. Not only do they change the circumstances under which Mal finds out he’s an amplifier, they change the meaning of his death as well. Everything involving Pekka Rollins and Kaz (Freddy Carter) seeking revenge comes in Crooked Kingdom as the result of him helping to double-cross them at the end of the first book. Still, in either version of the story she believes her son is beyond redemption. While Season 1 certainly made some changes, with Season 2 we pull in even more from the books written by Leigh Bardugo, spanning content from four different titles, and with it comes some major changes to the story.

After two long years, season 2 of Shadow and Bone debuted on Netflix and we finally learned where Alina Starkov, Mal Oretsev, the Crows, and the others ran ...

Shadow and Bone season 1 premiered on April 21, 2021, and was renewed in June 2021. Season 2 premiered on March 16, 2023, and although its future is unknown, it’s possible that a renewal announcement could come within the next month or two. No word on this just yet, as Netflix still needs to confirm that season 3 is happening. The show is based on not one, but *two* series by author Leigh Bardugo: the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. All eight episodes of Shadow and Bone season 2 are now available to stream, but ofc, fans are already wondering when season 3 might drop — or if it’s even happening. I want to spend more time in their world.” Fingers crossed.

When Eric Heisserer agreed to act as the showrunner for Netflix's Shadow and Bone series, he had one condition. Netflix had to get the rights to Six.

[Entertainment Weekly](https://ew.com/tv/shadow-and-bone-spin-off-six-of-crows/), the show is in “early stages” and does not currently have the go-ahead from Netflix. Heisserer said that he stepped back into a co-showrunner role in season two because “I was busy with the writers’ room for Six of Crows. According to [Variety](https://variety.com/2021/tv/features/shadow-and-bone-how-they-made-it-1234969633/), he stated that having access to [those characters](https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2023/03/shadow-and-bones-patrick-gibson-on-prince-nikolais-debut/) was absolutely essential for him to sign onto the show. Although if we were being honest with ourselves, the Crows have always been a high point of the series. Netflix had to get the rights to [Six of Crows](https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2023/03/shadow-and-bones-crows-are-back-for-vengeance-and-a-little-romance/) for him too. [Shadow and Bone](https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2023/03/shadow-and-bones-second-season-is-full-of-delicious-melodrama/) series, he had one condition.

In the season 1 finale, Alina wielded her newfound powers as a Sun Summoner to defeat General Kirigan, a.k.a. the Darkling, in battle in the depths of the Fold.

The second season of Shadow and Bone will see the Darkling emerge from his near-death experience in the Fold with a terrifying new power, the ability to create and control shadow monsters known as nichevo’ya using merzost, the power of creation. Meanwhile, the Crows were headed back to Ketterdam to deal with the fallout of failing to kidnap Alina and hand her over to Dreesen (Sean Gilder), the wealthy merchant who hired them to do the job. However, the final scene of the season revealed the Darkling was still alive and had managed to make his way out of the Fold accompanied by some menacing new shadow figures. The Darkling had captured Alina after killing Morozova’s stag, an ancient mythical creature whose antlers have the power to amplify Grisha abilities, and cementing a connection between himself and Alina by welding an antler collar around her neck and embedding another piece of antler in his own hand. [according to showrunners Eric Heisserer and Daegan Fryklind](https://ew.com/tv/shadow-and-bone-season-2-adapt-siege-and-storm-ruin-and-rising/). Season 2 will also once again incorporate characters and plot points from [Six of Crows](https://time.com/collection/100-best-fantasy-books/5898504/six-of-crows/), the debut entry in a subsequent duology from Bardugo set in the same world.

Though the series is centered on Alina's story, the Crows are the most engrossing to watch. Kaz (Freddy Carter), Inej (Amita Suman), and Jesper (Kit Young) ...

As for the romance, which is a staple of the books, Alina and Mal’s relationship remains the strongest and most infectious in Shadow and Bone, all due to Li and Renaux’s palpable chemistry. John Wick: Chapter 4 will be available in theaters and IMAX on March 24, 2023 (or March 23rd in Australia/NZ).](/videos/john-wick-chapter-4-official-final-trailer) [The Little Mermaid - Official Trailer“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. “The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar® nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”)with a screenplay by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”). In fact, many of the characters aren’t really given any time for development, which is a shame since so many seem quite interesting at first glance. Though the series is centered on Alina’s story, the Crows are the most engrossing to watch. Several of the stories and characters have been scattered, tweaked, and expanded within the season but, somehow, remain fluid and entertaining in the storytelling.

The news comes just as the second season of the fantasy adaptation became available to stream on Netflix. Kit Young as Jesper Fahey and Jack Wolfe as Wylan ...

[Freddy Carter](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-kit-young-freddy-carter-interview-netflix/)), Inej Ghafa ( [Amita Suman](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-character-poster-inej/)) and Jesper Fahey ( [Kit Young](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-jesper-kit-young-stunt-training-video/)). [Leigh Bardugo](https://collider.com/leigh-bardugo-ninth-house-grishaverse-hell-bent-interview/) are a wonderful source of romance, action and mystery, and the new installment of the television series won't be an exception. [Six of Crows](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-what-to-expect/). In this new adventure, Alina and Mal ( [Archie Renaux](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-archie-renaux-interview/)) will continue their quest to upgrade their powers in order to defeat the evil Darkling ( [Ben Barnes](https://collider.com/tag/ben-barnes/)). [Netflix](https://collider.com/netflix/) has released the second season of [Shadow and Bone](https://collider.com/tag/shadow-and-bone/) has gotten even more exciting for the Grishaverse fans, as apparently the showrunners behind the fantasy adaptation have been secretly working on a Six of Crows spin-off. In the television adaptation, the Crows are represented by Kaz Brekker (

The Netflix show makes a sharp departure when it comes to Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) and Mal (Archie Renaux) and how the season ends.

In a season that is quite literally bookended by this all-encompassing romantic love, it feels like a lost opportunity for the show to say something about the friction between power and the intimacy of a simple life. Petrana: I guess the one thing that can be said of this ending is that it at least keeps Alina and Mal in play for a hypothetical third season. But a quick stab to the chest and he realized that Alina never meant anything to him to begin with. That would have felt substantial, were that section of the story extended so that his loss was felt, or if the season emphasized the tenuousness of the insurgency and how it put Alina at a major disadvantage, but it didn’t! Everything just happened so fast, which I guess is what happens when you’re stuffing in two books’ worth of plot and trying to set up the fan-favorite book in the next season. I understand that impulse to keep the main characters in play, and I do think they made some interesting changes, at least in the abstract. In the books, I was more into the idea of the love triangle, and the notion that maybe one of Alina’s other suitors could be a better fit for her. But by the time we met them in season 1 there was so much flirting that I was genuinely confused about them for a while. But it’s a funny contrast against the plot points that the season does choose to replicate on screen, and how it metabolizes them into the Malina relationship. It’s always been a very romance-forward plot, but I think there’s something beautiful to the idea that you’d chase your best friend — your chosen family — to the ends of the Earth too. But the first season of the show completely eliminates that jealousy and weird petty tension. [Alina](https://www.polygon.com/tv/22371843/shadow-and-bone-casting-diversity-alina-leigh-bardugo) that we got in season 1 — and how much better it was than the books.

Characters and plots from Bardugo's Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology blend together in the Netflix adaptation. While it's been exciting to see ...

The Six of Crows spinoff is still in early stages. A Six of Crows spinoff would put the spotlight on the Crows of Ketterdam. As the Shadow and Bone series is mostly focused on Alina Starkov’s story, a Six of Crows spinoff would pull directly from that duology.

The Shadow and Bone plot follows Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), a Grisha (a.k.a. person who can do magic) who can summon light, also known as a "Sun Summoner." ...

[Emily Burack](https://www.emilyburack.com/) (she/her) is the news writer for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at [Hey Alma](https://www.heyalma.com/), a Jewish culture site. Thanks to Alina's powers, the ship reaches safety outside of the Fold, and Alina, Mal, Kaz, Inej, and Jasper convene in a field, where Inej swears her loyalty to Alina and Kaz promises not to reveal her identity. Nina is taken captive by Düskelle, or witch-hunters, from Fjerda, but when their ship sinks, she is abandoned with one of the Drüskelle, Matthias (Calahan Skogman). The Crows are hired to kidnap Alina, which does not happen in the books—it's a new plot that allows the Crows characters to overlap with Alina and her story. At first, she works with General Aleksander Kirigan (Ben Barnes), the general of the Second Army, which consists entirely of Grishas.

Shadow and Bone follows Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) as she discovers powers she didn't know existed and learns that she might be the key to reuniting the ...

Alina and Mal set off together, with Alina hoping to learn how to control her powers with the amplifier so that she can take down the Fold on her own. Alina offers the Crows some of the jewels she was forced to wear, hoping to buy their silence and loyalty, and they agree to keep her plans secret. Mal successfully finds the Stag, and offers the information to Kirigan in exchange for letting him talk to Alina. Once Kirigan and Alina reach East Ravka’s army base at the edge of the Fold, he recruits Durast David Kostyk (Luke Pasqualino) to fabricate the stag’s antlers into amplifiers for him and Alina. Baghra knows that her son doesn’t really want to help Alina destroy the Fold, and that he wants to instead use her abilities to make himself and the Fold more powerful. General Kirigan arrives just in time to save her, and personally escorts her for the remainder of the journey. In the years since, it’s been foretold that a Grisha with the ability to summon the power of the sun would appear to take down The Fold and bring peace to the land. Things go wrong, however, when Arken betrays them and tries to kill Alina for the ruler of West Ravka. While Mal recovers from his wounds, Alina is whisked to the tent of Second Army leader General Kirigan (Ben Barnes), a Grisha who is thought to be a descendant of the Darkling, to test her power. Once Inej is freed, the three meet The Conductor, Arken (Howard Charles), and prepare to cross the Fold in his unique coal-powered vehicle. As Mal is about to be carried off in the winged creature’s talons, Alina begins to glow, unleashing a force of light only told of in legends. [Shadow and Bone](https://www.denofgeek.com/shadow-and-bone/) is set in a world where a shadowy vale full of monsters known as The Fold divides the land.

Will there be a season 3 of Shadow and Bone? Netflix's Grishaverse series season 2 is out, and while it hasn't been renewed yet, we do know a few things ...

The Crows themselves are already fan-favorite characters, and now it seems at least some of them will be embarking with Mal on some Here’s everything we know about Shadow and Bone season 3 so far. If we’re judging by the first and second seasons, then we’re probably looking at a two-year gap between seasons. While season 2 is already packed with action and [bursting at the seams](https://www.polygon.com/e/22170223) with plot, that doesn’t mean there [isn’t room for a third season](https://www.polygon.com/e/23405828) — as long as Netflix gives it the green light, that is. [Shadow and Bone](https://www.polygon.com/22394023/shadow-and-bone-review-netflix), but that’s not particularly surprising. They’re amazing human beings, like Jessie just brings a brightness to the set every time she shows up.”

The crows are just getting started, lbr! By Leah Marilla Thomas Published: Mar 16, 2023. Save Article.

The first season dropped in April of 2021, and now we're getting the second season in March 2023. So there are plenty of ways for the story to continue. So, the first two seasons more or less cover the events of the three Shadow & Bone books. There are the two Six of Crow books. [Shadow and Bone season 2](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a36191336/shadow-and-bone-season-2-news-date-cast-spoilers/) and eager to know if the show is returning for another season. If you're like me, Shadow and Bone is one of those shows that you absolutely tear through the second it hits Netflix.

Lewis Tan has signed on as Tolya Yul-Bataar; Anna Leong Brophy as Tamar Kir-Bataar; Patrick Gibson as Nikolai Lantsov; and Jack Wolfe as Wylan Hendriks. They ...

So to find out who "We are going to get to see some incredible new characters," she said. "We're going to see characters interacting with each other, questing with each other, fighting and laughing with each other, who we never got to see together in the books — and I think that's a unique thing about this show." The Grishaverse also expands in this season, both in mythology and in characters." "There's a lot of potential for them this season. They join original cast members Jessie Mei Li (Alina Starkov), Ben Barnes (General Kirigan), Freddy Carter (Kaz Brekker), Amita Suman (Inej Ghafa), Kit Young (Jesper Fahey), Archie Renaux (Malyen "Mal" Oretsev), Danielle Galligan (Nina Zenik), Sujaya Dasgupta (Zoya Nazyalensky), and Calahan Skogman (Matthias Helvar).

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers from Season 2 of Shadow and Bone and also from the Nikolai Lanstov Duology by Leigh Bardugo.Shadow and Bone ...

We saw that when the group was fighting the shadow monsters in the chapel at the end of the season, Nikolai was attacked by one of them and his shoulder was pierced through. It seems like the show is leaving an open possibility there with The Darkling, and we will just have to wait and see if this is a hint at the future or merely an Easter egg! She is the patron saint of gardeners and was trapped in the Shadow Fold along with two other saints, Sankta Grigori and Sankta Juris. In King of Scars, Elizaveta steals the remains of The Darkling's body and preserves it in order to try and resurrect him. What was not surprising was the death of The Darkling (Ben Barnes), which occurred at the end of Ruin and Rising, the third and final book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy. The second season of Shadow and Bone ended with our heroes attending the funeral of General Kirigan aka The Darkling.