Editor's Note: The following contains full spoilers from Shadow and Bone Season 2 and spoilers for the Grishaverse novels.Season 2 of Netflix's hit fantasy series Shadow and Bone delivered a whirlwind of adventure, romance, and heartbreak, not to mention shocks aplenty. The season finale ended with our characters scattered to the four winds in various predicaments: Nikolai Lantsov's (Patrick Gibson) coronation was interrupted by a Fjerdan assassin, Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) has gone from Sun Summoner to Shadow Summoner, the Darkling (Ben Barnes) is dead and burned to a crisp, Mal Oretsev (Archie Renaux) sailed off with the Sturmhond moniker alongside Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman), who parted from the Crows in search of her kidnapped brother, and the Crows stand ready to launch their most pivotal heist to date.
Shadow and Bone didn't hesitate to take creative liberties with Bardugo's seven-novel saga, especially in Season 2: it condensed two books into one season while incorporating plot beats from at least two others. Those are odd creative choices for a narrative structure and result in a rushed, less coherent, and less effective story compared to Season 1. Some substantial deviations are also undeniably disappointing, or at least baffling, for fans of Bardugo's books. Nevertheless, Episode 8 foreshadows some of the Grishaverse's best literary moments, so Season 3 has the potential to be Shadow and Bone's best if it hews closer to the source material.
Four Words: The Ice Court Heist
Season 2's dramatic, and very bloody, finale sets up the Crows' next mission: rescuing the Grisha scientist who invented a highly addictive drug called jurda parem. Before causing the massacre at Nikolai's coronation, the Fjerdan agent responsible took jurda parem; it enhances a Grisha's powers to unimaginable heights. This concept forms the basis of the Six of Crows novel. Netflix's Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter) has already assembled his team to infiltrate enemy territory and break Shu scientist Bo Yul-Bayur out of a notoriously impregnable Fjerdan castle called the Ice Court. 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.
Six of Crows was Bardugo's fourth book in the Grishaverse and the first to introduce the Crows. 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 prior to her adult novels Ninth House and Hell Bent. 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 and the Crows' interconnective relationships. Without question, the showrunners must reunite Inej with her crew for the Ice Court heist, but more on Kaz's beloved Wraith later.
What Happened to Alina, and What Lies Ahead?
Episode 8 also leaves audiences with the stunner of the century, that Alina is a Sun Summoner no more. The living saint now calls shadows, just like the deceased Darkling. The change is likely because the Summoner uses merzost, the same forbidden magic the Darkling channeled to create the Fold, to resurrect Mal from the dead. Merzost always demands a sacrifice from the practicing Grisha, hence why it's considered a dangerous abomination of the Small Science. In the novels, events play out differently: Alina channels merzost in an attempt to drain the Darkling of his power, and the act almost kills both parties. In their final confrontation, using three amplifiers leaves Alina bereft of her powers altogether. Even though Alina initially sought the amplifiers with good intentions, wielding more than one left her craving power for power's sake. Becoming "ordinary" is the cost of her corrupted ambition. With Ravka saved, she breaks off her engagement with Nikolai and lives a quiet life with Mal.
Alina in the series doesn't show signs of the amplifiers' negative influence or her merzost backfiring until the final scene: after using the Cut successfully for the first time, and with shadows, Alina looks malevolently satisfied. If the Darkling were still alive, he'd be proudly smirking. Like calls to like, after all.
As it stands, Alina's set to be an important figure in Ravka, standing alongside Nikolai during his coronation, although the Fjerdan assassin throwing the opening salvo of the looming Revkan-Fjedran war might put future plans on hold. And if anyone saw Alina call shadows, that might put her position in jeopardy. After such a large divergence from the books, predicting Alina's future is something of a crap shoot.
The Darkling Is Too Stubborn To Stay Dead
Having said that, part two of Bardugo's Nikolai-focused duology, Rule of Wolves, brings Alina back into the main narrative alongside none other than that handsome and angsty Darkling. Rule of Wolves reveals how an imprisoned saint named Lizabeta tricks Nikolai and Zoya Nazyalensky (Sujaya Dasgupta) into performing a ritual intended to resurrect the Darkling, who aims to join the war against Fjerda and rule Ravka.
Despite the Darkling indulging in his typical machinations (who would he be if he didn't?), Rule of Wolves ends with Aleksander semi-sacrificing himself to save the world (it's too complicated to explain; in short, he's alive but in eternal agony). Such a move is no surprise to Bardugo fans, as she's one of the best writers alive when it comes to crafting morally gray individuals. The Darkling doesn't repent for his past deeds, however, so whether this action counts as his redemption is up to interpretation. This is material Ben Barnes could truly sink his teeth into; you can't remove an actor that talented from the cast.
What Did Nikolai See in the Mirror? (It’s Not Good)
And let's not forget the dashing Nikolai: Ravka's king has a hell of a journey ahead of him. 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. 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.
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. Zoya becomes his closest confidante and helps him look for a cure (and both stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the romantic tension between them). Nikolai learns to control the monster at will but not a way to eradicate its presence entirely. Zoya, meanwhile, becomes a Saint in her own right. Episode 8's mirror reflection makes it pretty clear the Netflix series intends to play with this plot in some form.
Where Did Mal and Inej Sail off To?
When it comes to Mal, Inej, and the rest of Sturmhond's group, that's another guessing game. The Tracker and the Wraith's stories must converge with Alina and Kaz once more, but their journeys to that point will be new territory. Book Mal did graciously offer to step aside and let Alina marry Nikolai, and Inej leaves the Crows at the end of Crooked Kingdom to reunite with her parents. These two are taking a side trip and doing things out of narrative order, it seems. With Kaz planning the Ice Court heist, Inej might reunite with her Crows sooner than Mal does with Alina; or Mal may not be the new Sturmhond for long. Either way, the situation's rife with possibilities.
Regardless of how much fidelity Shadow and Bone Season 3 shows its source material, it's safe to assume every character will be put through the wringer on their journeys, known or new. 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. Let's hope the showrunners pace the story appropriately when the best is yet to come: like the Ice Court Heist, the King of Scars, and the return of the Starless Saint.
Season 2 of Shadow and Bone is now available to stream on Netflix.