“Shadow and Bone”, written by author Leigh Bardugo, was very successful in the fantasy world as a hit book, and is now a hit show. It recently was adapted into a television series produced by Eric Heisserer who is best known for producing and writing big movies like ¨Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Lights Out” and “Bird Box”. This newest series goes down a different path with some people comparing it to the new “Game of Thrones”.  

“Shadow and Bone” is an eight episode television series that was released on April 23, 2021. The show stars Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov, Ben Barnes as the Darkling, and Archie Renaux as Maylen Oretsev. The show also stars Freddy Carter, Amita Summan, and Kit Young as side characters. Ben Barnes is the most known cast member having appeared in “Chronicles of Narnia” and “Dorian Gray”, as well as “Gold Digger”, in which his co-star Archie Renaux also starred.

The show follows main character Alina Starkov on her journey as she figures out she is a one-of-a-kind grisha with power. She must learn how to use her powers while also trying to destroy “the fold”, a shadowy place through which very few people can pass. She also meets a certain someone, The Darkling, who may or may not have a special interest in her, as well as her childhood best friend, Mal. While all of this is going on, the Crows, consisting of Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, and Jesper Fahoy are on a special mission, which is to kidnap Alina Starkov. This kidnapping is worth one million kruge– which in the grishaverse is a hefty pay. 

In my opinion, and to many others, the show was a hit. The storyline was amazing, and the characters were exactly how I imagined them when I read the books. The scenery was amazing and the show overall was incredible. “Shadow and Bone” was in the top spot on Netflix for 12 days, which is a rare accolade. The show follows storylines from not one, but two, series Leigh Bardugo has published. I think the mash between the two series gives a wonderful spin on the story and I’m super excited to watch more. No official date has been set for season swo, but we know it’s happening!

If you haven’t watched it already, I definitely suggest logging into Netflix and giving it a try!