Shadow and Bone

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.

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 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.

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.

The Netflix series based on the Grishaverse series by Leigh Bardugo is back for season 2 with a vengeance and a brutal villain arc.

“But he discovers that he’s not going to be able to get her back”—although Barnes does say that Kirigan “believes in his agenda, and is willing to suffer the consequences of chasing it.” “When it comes to Alina, he feels the magnetism and connection and sees something of himself in her,” Barnes adds. In addition to losing control of his power and a lot of the masks that previously protected him, Kirigan also loses a lot of his allies. But it also this power card affords him the opportunity to just tell the truth, how he sees it and sort of really let rip and kind of go full dark on everything because he’s got nothing left to lose.” After stating that his job in season one was to “utilize his charm and manipulation” to establish the social hierarchies of the world, he said “this season, I was excited because those masks have all dropped. However, I think regardless of people’s personal feelings [toward the character](https://gizmodo.com/shadow-and-bone-netflix-season-2-interview-six-of-crows-1850228343), we can all agree: Barnes has an absolute blast chewing on the scenery—and he’s back in season two, ready to look fine as hell doing it all over again.

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.)

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 showrunner Eric Heisserer talks adapting storylines from across Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse in Season 2.

[translating in an adaptation](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-book-changes/)." [Shadow and Bone](https://collider.com/tag/shadow-and-bone/) Season 2 is here after months of anticipation from fans. While the first season remained faithful to its source material the book of the same name and [Six of Crows](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-spin-off-six-of-crows/), by Leigh Bardugo, [the new season is a mix of multiple storylines](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-book-changes/) from across her Grisha-verse works.

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.

Whilst there are multiple storylines in the show, the major one follows Alina Starkov's (Jessie Mei Li) journey to defeat the Darkling (Ben Barnes) through ...

[Season 2 follows her journey to obtain the next two amplifiers](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-review/), as she finds herself on Sturmhond's (Patrick Gibson) ship on the way to the sea whip. The three Morozova amplifiers were connected to each other and yearned to be whole. Perhaps, that is why Alina was able to obtain more than one amplifier, as Morozova's amplifiers seemed to be incomplete when they were separated and have now found their rightful place together. However, the Darkling manages to kill it first and uses its antlers to form a collar around Alina's neck which painfully embeds into her skin. Baghra recalls a clay swan he had gifted her and that he had loved her sister as much as she had loved that clay swan. It was rumored that he had created three powerful amplifiers - the stag, the sea whip, and the firebird - but as we find out in Season 1 of the show, the myth was proven true. Morozova's amplifiers are key contributors to eradicating the Fold and uniting Ravka. However, it is his family tree is mainly dealt with in Season 2, and it plays an integral role in the show's most iconic plot twist. That being said, "living amplifiers" also exist and are humans (usually Grisha) that can amplify other Grisha's powers through touch and identify other Grisha the same way. Amplifiers are the bones, scales, or claws of particular animals that can increase a Grisha's power, and they are incredibly hard and rare to find. [Shadow and Bone](https://collider.com/tag/shadow-and-bone/) is officially out, delving further into the intricate Grishaverse and its complicated history. Whilst there are multiple storylines in the show, the major one follows Alina Starkov's (Jessie Mei Li) journey to defeat the Darkling ( [Ben Barnes](https://collider.com/tag/ben-barnes/)) through searching for the powerful Morozova amplifiers.

Leigh Bardugo's Shadow & Bone is one of the biggest and most beloved fantasy book series out there, and when a screen adaptation was finally announced to be ...

The Darkling is definitely the true name and identity of the character in books — in fact, he is not known by any other in Ravka. In the show, though, it is almost as if he is disguised to come off as more likable and approachable in the earliest episodes. While book Mal (Archie Renaux) is far from a fan favorite, many people seemed to really like him in the show. [played by Ben Barnes](http://collider.com/ben-barnes-movies-tv-shows-before-shadow-and-bones-season-2-rotten-tomatoes/)) in the show, but this is not exactly what happens in the books; instead, he catches her off-guard and kisses her first. Meanwhile, in the books, the manipulative character chooses to do so out of ambition and desire for power. The reasoning behind Alina's scar on her hand may not be the biggest difference in the show, but it is nonetheless worth mentioning. It conveys the message of this, what is a very brutal and dominating act." Seemingly, these changes were made in order to give Alina more control over the narrative and send out an important message to younger folks in the audience. In the books, the character isn't described as half Shu — an ancient nation in the south of Ravka influenced by China and Mongolia, which Ravka sees as the enemy for their inhumane treatment of Grisha. Shadow & Bone is followed by Seige & Storm and Ruin & Rising, in which neither of the characters appears. Instead, these beloved personalities are only introduced to readers in the first book of the Six of Crows duology. While the fan-favorite gang of criminals is only introduced later in the book series, they step on-screen very early during the series in what feels like a prequel that tackles the Six of Crow's origins.

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.

It's time for the Ice Court Heist, the King of Scars, and a certain someone's resurrection. Ben Barnes as The Darkling and Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov in ...

The King of Scars/Rule of Wolves duology covers Nikolai's time on the throne as he tries to balance the political intrigue of healing Ravka by day and transforming into a flesh-craving beast at night. Bardugo's world is brutal, beautiful, and mesmerizing enough that little needs altering from here, especially since Six of Crows is the definitive fan favorite. Shadow and Bone has Nikolai stabbed by one of the shadow monsters in Episode 7, presumably the cause of his future change, whereas Bardugo's vengeful Darkling poisons Nikolai with merzost. Nikolai seeing a nichevo'ya in the mirror in Episode 8 foreshadows his nightly transformations into a nichevo'ya-like monster with wings, claws, and an unrelenting hunger for human flesh. Many revelations about the Crows were already disclosed in Season 2, but there's plenty of material to mine thanks to [Bardugo's flawless character building](http://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-kaz-brekker-intelligence-strength/) and the Crows' interconnective relationships. After such a large divergence from the books, predicting Alina's future is something of a crap shoot. A masterfully intense thrill ride with brain-melting surprises, ruthless stakes, and immaculate characterization, the Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom duology is [widely considered the author's best work](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-books-six-of-crows-ranked/#six-of-crows) prior to her adult novels Ninth House and Hell Bent. [result in a rushed, less coherent,](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-review/) and less effective story compared to Season 1. [Shadow and Bone](https://collider.com/tag/shadow-and-bone/) delivered a whirlwind of adventure, romance, and heartbreak, not to mention shocks aplenty. This concept forms the basis of the Six of Crows novel. Along the way they'll free Nina Zenik's (Danielle Galligan) lover Matthias Helvar (Calahan Skogman) from Hellgate prison, hence the Six of Crows title.

Allowing fans to see both the world-saving mission of Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) in the Grisha trilogy as well as the scrappy adventures of the thieving ...

Having them show up for the finale is cool, and It's exciting to see everyone all together, but you can’t help but notice how out of place the Crows feel among the ranks of Alina and Nikolai’s people. At the end of the day, this has been Alina’s story and the Crows are just circling around it and being handed boons to keep them relevant, so they can continue to delight audiences. With the Crows' fight in Ketterdam finished halfway through the season, they needed a way to keep the characters relevant and get them involved with the main plot. This is fitting going up against the Darkling, but this diversion keeps them busy all the way until the finale where finally Inej can come in with the blade and save Alina’s life a few times. Matthias’ (Calahan Skogman) imprisonment takes place before Six Of Crows even begins, and the Crows are hoping to break him out not just because they made a deal with This extends to other couples as well with the choice to keep Matthias in Hellgate most of the season showcasing the lowest part of his relationship with Nina, something we only hear discussed afterward in the books. This isn’t to say the characters don’t feel like themselves or that the scenes we do get aren’t fun and interesting. What we see from them is a mix of events pulled from both books in their duology and [things created wholesale for this new version](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-book-changes/) of the story. We finally have all six crows (well, the sixth is in a cage) but what they’re allowed to do is still very much dictated by the plot of Shadow and Bone rather than their own narrative forces. It’s not glamorous, it’s not grand, and it leaves the Crows in Shadow and Bone feeling somewhat out of place. It’s [Alina on all the posters](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-images-jessie-mei-li/) at the end of the day.

Netflix phenomenon Shadow and Bone is back for season 2, and fans are already asking what's next for season 3 of this fantasy series.

[Entertainment Weekly ](https://ew.com/tv/shadow-and-bone-season-2-ending-expanded-grishaverse/)that while working on season two, he opened a separate writers’ room to develop a Six of Crows spinoff series. In the books, this is discovered towards the end of the final novel Ruin and Rising, alongside the death of the Darkling, Alina once again refuses Nikolai’s proposal and eventually returns to her hometown with Mal, where they rebuild the orphanage and school. However, when Shadow and Bone writer Christina Strain was asked about the Six of Crows’ spinoff, she, [tweeted](https://twitter.com/christinastrain/status/1571564669294477313?s=20&t=6SRloIHSWIeL2ZlJAKTMMw) “I seriously can not stress enough just how important it’ll be for people to watch Season 2 of Shadow and Bone.” Strain’s comments make sense after watching season two and seeing the arrival of Prince Nikolai (Patrick Gibson) also known as the sea captain Sturhmond, and Grisha fighters Tamar (Anna Leong Brophy) and Tolya (Lewis Tan). Each amplifier gets its own book in the series by Bardugo, as the first book focuses on the Stag, while books two and three center around the hunt for the Sea Whip and Firebird, respectively. However, it wasn’t plain sailing for the series from there, as showrunner Heisserer almost left the series when Netflix revealed they didn’t have the rights to Bardugo’s second series, Six of Crows. Heisserer got the gig as showrunner because his friend gave him a copy of Bardugo’s books and he loved them so much that he tweeted the author to tell her how much he enjoyed them. That tweet led to Netflix calling him: “it was a year later that I got a call out of the blue from Netflix and they said, ‘Hey, we know you tweeted the author a year ago.’ You know, so I got past like the Big Brother paranoia and Leigh just remembered that. The two series are part of a universe known as “the Grishaverse.” [Netflix](https://www.denofgeek.com/netflix/) show nowadays, they want to know whether the show will have another season or whether they’ll be stuck with another cliffhanger ending that will never be continued. Mapmaker and orphan Alina discovers she is one of the most powerful Grisha, a Sun Summoner, whose power has the potential to destroy the Fold and free her country. [have forgotten the premise since season one](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/shadow-and-bone-recap/), Shadow and Bone is Alina Starkov’s (Jessie Mei Li) story based on a book series of the same name by Leigh Bardugo.