Shadow and Bone

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.

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.

The highly anticipated “Shadow and Bone” season two premieres on Netflix on Thursday after a sizzling first season that left fans of the show yearning for ...

The Black Heretic was a special type of wizard who could summon shadows and darkness. This move eventually revealed the sun summoner as Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li). It’s set in a fantasy world where monsters and wizards exist.

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.

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.

Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov; Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker; Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa; Kit Young as Jesper Fahey; Archie Renaux as Mal Oretsev; Danielle ...

The series was first released in 2021 and season two aired on Netflix on 16th March. Is there a trailer for Shadow and Bone season 3? The fantasy series follows Alina Starkov (played by Jessie Mei Li) who discovers she has special gifts and has to fight against dark powers in order to unite her world.

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).

With the Crows and Alina (Jessie Mei Li), Nikolai (Paddy Gibson), Mal (Archie Renaux), and all their allies fighting against General Kirigan aka The ...

The Apparat and Nikolai look shocked, and the camera closes in on Alina whose face turns from shocked to a small smile. Because a Fjerdan woman, a Heartrender, is clearly under the influence of Jurda Parem and uses her abilities to attack the king and his guests. Plagued by steamy dreams of Nina and struggling with the emotions he feels for the woman who sent him to prison, he goes to Pekka Rollins (Dean Lennox Kelly) in Hellgate and asks him to put him into a fight even though Kaz has paid to keep him out of them. Zoya (Sujaya Dasgupta) and Genya come to visit her and the three of them form a Triumvirate together. And when the Apparat leaves, we see Nikolai undress and see that when he was attacked by the nichevo'ya, and the attack left him scarred with merzost. Nikolai gives him the title of Sturmhond, knowing that Mal wants to be a privateer, and Alina encourages him to take it. In the final episode, we cut to the Fjerdans who see that the Fold is gone in Ravka. Knowing that he is about to die, Mal pleads with Alina to kill him and claim him as the third amplifier, and after a tearful and emotional goodbye, she does so. And when Alina shoves him to the ground, his shadow monster attacks Alina even when he orders it not to. When the whole group is reunited, Alina goes to speak to Mal who reveals that the feeling he had, the connection he felt toward Alina, is gone. She tells him that the world will remember that she and Mal tore down the Fold, but he warns her that what she's done has solved nothing. In the penultimate episode, we see Alina and The Darkling face off, with the two of them using the cut against each other (with Alina's made of light).

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.

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 (

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.

Netflix's Shadow and Bone is a hit, but showrunner Eric Heisserer has his eyes set on a different story.

[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. Although if we were being honest with ourselves, the Crows have always been a high point of the series. 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://gizmodo.com/netflix-shadow-and-bone-patrick-gibson-nikolai-sturmhon-1850223814) was absolutely essential for him to sign onto the show. [Shadow and Bone](https://gizmodo.com/shadow-and-bone-season-two-review-netflix-six-of-crows-1850229320) series, he had one condition. Netflix had to get the rights to [Six of Crows](https://gizmodo.com/shadow-and-bone-netflix-season-2-interview-six-of-crows-1850228343) for him too.

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.

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.

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.

Shadow and Bone. Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov Archie Renaux as Malyen Oretsev in. DÁVID LUKÁCS/NETFLIX. Culture ...

“What I really like is that Alina is a woman, but her gender isn't actually that important. “In season two, we've settled into knowing her a little bit better and then watching as she grows throughout the season.” Played by Jessie Mei Li, Alina’s journey in the sophomore season is very much a continuation of a Grisha coming into her identity and power.

Based on the best-selling books by Leigh Bardugo, it follows the young Alina Starkov, who after years of toiling away as a soldier, finds out that she's not ...

Alina and Mal approach him to help her take down the Fold in her fight against the Darkling. [Amita Suman](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-netflix-kaz-inej-relationship-freddy-carter-amita-suman-kit-young-interview/) can also be seen in The Outpost and Netflix's The Sandman. Tamar is the other half of the mercenary twins and a Heartrender like her brother, but she's far more inclined to use her abilities than her combat-oriented brother. She poisons the King of Ravka in order to not only further the Grisha cause but exact her revenge after enduring years of abuse at the hands of the King and Queen. He's instrumental in smuggling Alina Starkov from the Little Palace and the fight for her freedom against the revenge-consumed Darkling. At the end of the first season, he decides to help Alina Starkov in her fight against the Darkling. In the first season, he crosses the Fold with his band of thieves to capture the Sun Summoner for a big payout. Barnes can be seen on HBO's Westworld, Netflix's The Punisher and is widely known for his breakout role as the titular Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. And of course, the series is adding more characters to the large ensemble and adapting more events from the Grishaverse novels. A gang of thieves from across the fold called The Crows aim to capture her for a handsome price, and her connection to The Darkling might not be what it seems. Separating her from her best friend Mal, the army commander General Kirigan, the most powerful of all Grisha, takes Alina to the Little Palace to train her and present her to the nation. [Shadow and Bone](https://collider.com/tag/shadow-and-bone/) returns to the small screen on March 16, 2023, two years after the smash hit success of the first season.

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.

Jessie Mei Li on Shadow and Bone Season 2, shooting the finale, crazy moments on set, possibilities for Season 3, and what she'd like to do next.

So, that last moment was really interesting because it’s that mix of pure horror over what she’s just done, but also, “Oh, shit, I’m really powerful.” What was important to me was that Alina holds a lot of tension, a lot of fear, and a lot of anxiety, and in that last moment, I actually wanted that to fade away. I just really hope people watch it and enjoy it because I would love to go again and finish that story to see what happens to Alina. They’ve left it in a really exciting place, and I think it would be such a shame to finish the story there. So, I hope it’s a story that appeals and that people can relate to it because one of my favorite parts of it was that that love story. That was a heavy day, but it’s such a great scene and it was so exciting. Also, it was rare that we were all in a scene together, so spirits were high, everyone was in hysterics, and we were all a bit delirious. When we were shooting that scene, the dress was incredibly heavy and, in order to hold it on the day, I wore a corset. It diverts so much from the original storyline in books two and three, but I had used a lot of that from the book to color in her core personality and the things that really make her tick. I was complaining about the heat and really struggling, and I was like, “Mate, I actually don’t know how you’re holding it together. Alina and Mal are such a unit that it was quite nice to have a little angst between Alina and Nikolai. I love that there’s a bit of a swashbuckling feel to some of the episodes this season. And then, on a physical level, holding the kind of tension in my body that Alina holds in her body was so tiring.

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.

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.”

With secrets revealed, Alina is forced to make an impossible sacrifice. Mal tangles with his new identity. The final battle begins.

[Shadow and Bone is](https://gamerant.com/netflix-shadow-and-bone-similar-fantasy-shows-recommendations/) right on track for another excellent finale. [If Shadow and Bone had](https://gamerant.com/shadow-and-bone-netflix-season-2-renewed/) dropped weekly, it'd be a great candidate for social media word-of-mouth growth. Fans of the novels are divided on this season of Shadow and Bone. [tainted by The Darkling](https://gamerant.com/shadow-bone-darkling-redeemed/). There is still a lot to take in as Shadow and Bone nears its finale. The most controversial choice in adaptation is the decision to combine two [novels of the Grishaverse](https://gamerant.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-possibilities/) series into one season of TV. If it isn't moving the narrative, it's an action scene. Unfortunately, Kirigan knows [Mal's secret as well](https://gamerant.com/shadow-bone-mal-better-show-book/). It's always been juggling that weight and the only new challenge is figuring out the chemistry each well-established character might have. Her work began with Smallville and has since included much of the best genre entertainment on TV. The drama is at its peak and the stakes have never been higher as this conclusion proves too big for just one episode.

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.

The second season of Netflix's Shadow and Bone packs in a ton of twists and dramatic moments. We try to break down what it all means.

Could a spin-off be in the works that might allow more space for the stories of Kaz and his crew? Nina Zenik’s sole mission in Shadow and Bone Season 2 is to figure out a way to get her lover Matthias Helvar out of the Kerch prison known as Hellgate. And while the Season 2 finale did introduce the drug jurda parem that plays such a key role in the Six of Crows books, it does so in a way that feels as though it may be a problem that Alina and Nikolai are meant to solve. As Season 2 concludes, Alina not only prepares to stand next to Nikolai at his coronation—the two are still fake engaged—but to stay in Os Alta to help him rebuild a divided Ravka. Nina makes deals with everyone from Kaz to Nikolai in the hopes of helping the man she loves, but when she finally secures a royal pardon, it turns out to be too late. He removes his shirt to reveal shadows spreading across his back from the site of the injury, and when he looks in the mirror, he sees a nichevo’ya as his reflection. As Nikolai prepares for his coronation, it’s clear that not everything is as rosy as it appears in the newly reunited Kingdom of Ravka. Alina finally manages to perform a light-based version of the Darkling’s favorite magical attack—known as the Cut—and deal a damaging blow to her former mentor/potential love interest when he tries to kill Mal and claim his Firebird power for himself. It’s Nikolai, for clearly self-interested reasons since he is also clearly crushing on Alina himself, who offers Mal a solution—take on his former fake identity of the famous privateer Sturmhond, which will allow him to serve Ravka, see the world, and maybe get some perspective on what he wants out of his second chance at life along the way. (In Bardugo’s novels, the two retire to a quiet life of anonymity and open an orphanage together.) (Morozova resurrected the girl in the same way he did the Stag and the Sea Whip, after Baghra lost control of her powers and killed her as a child.) That bloodline, she says, has passed to Mal—it’s the reason he’s always been able to track animals so well and to always find his way back to Alina. Though the Sun Summoner tracks down and slays the Sea Whip within Season 2’s first two episodes, her search for the third creature takes much longer—or, at least it does until the Darkling’s mother Baghra informs her that the Firebird isn’t an animal so much as a bloodline, passed down through the offspring of Morozova’s children.

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.

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.

Based on the popular young adult fantasy novel of the same name by Leigh Bardugo, the fantasy drama follows Alina Starkov, an orphaned mapmaker who discovers ...

As of now, plans for the [spin-off](https://www.augustman.com/my/culture/film-tv/stranger-things-may-soon-get-an-anime-spin-off/) are in the early stages and it remains to be seen if Netflix actually picks it up. Additionally, there are four spin-off novels, Six of Crows (2015) Crooked Kingdom (2016), King of Scars (2019) and Rule of Wolves (2021). He went on to confirm that a part of the spin-off would take place during the events of Shadow and Bone‘s season 2 finale. As of now, no details about the plot for the third season have been released. Published in 2014, the final novel shows Alina Starkov continuing on her quest to defeat the Darkling and bring peace to the land of Ravka. After waiting for two years, fans are finally getting to experience the second season of the series.

These liberties will come as no surprise to fans of Season 1, which combined the plots of Bardugo's Shadow and Bone trilogy and her Six of Crows duology with ...

This is a show-only development for Mal, but there is precedent for a non-Nikolai Sturmhond in the books. In the show, Alina tells Zoya and Genya that the three of them can be their own Triumvirate, meaning she'll take over from David's spot in the books. Shadow and Bone once again reunites the Crows with Alina and friends, giving us a whole new plotline to enjoy. Key parts of the battle remain the same: Alina sacrifices Mal and destroys the Fold, then kills a bereaved Darkling. For the first half of Season 2, the Crows are fighting to regain their place in Ketterdam, since Pekka Rollins has taken over the old Crow Club and framed them for murder. There's a lot less actual touching and romance between the two in the show than the books, except for one show-only scene that sees Alina attempt to trick him with seduction — again, giving her more agency and power in the relationship. This way, Baghra is able to reveal that Mal is the third amplifier, a moment that hits harder in the show than in the books as it allows Mal to reckon with his ancestry and gives him the hard task of telling Alina the truth. In the show, he understands that it's important the two of them present a united front, and he ends up much friendlier with Nikolai. The books also see her reject his marriage proposal, while she accepts it in the show in an attempt to consolidate power and present a better path forward for Grisha in Ravka. The show pairs Mal and Alina with Baghra (Zoë Wanamaker) as they search for the Firebird instead of Zoya (Sujaya Dasgupta), Genya (Daisy Head), and David (Luke Pasqualino). She creates nichevo'ya creatures of her own and nearly kills herself and the Darkling in the process, but her allies help her escape before she can finish the job. In the show, Alina gains more agency by choosing to seek out the Sea Whip instead of getting kidnapped and being forced to do so on the Darkling's behalf.

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.