Alina Starkov

Image: NetflixThe main plot of the series takes cues from two books, but there are scenes, characters, and winks towards an additional four books, including Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom (which follows the Crows of Ketterdam), and the duology that follows Nikolai Lantsov; King of Scars and Rule of Wolves. To call the series rushed is an understatement. The characters were enough to keep me invested, but if Shadow and Bone had just slimmed down the plot and slowed the pacing,and it would have been a much better…

After Shadow and Bone fans went wild for Ben Barnes’ General Kirigan in season one, io9 famously asked the audience at large, “what do you see in this douchebag?” It remains a perfect article. However, I think regardless of people’s personal feelings toward the character, 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.Barnes sat down with io9 in a roundtable interview to support the season two Netflix release and…

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 Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse. While the pacing of the series is exceptionally fast and the three main plotlines feel cramped, the show still delivers an exciting-enough plot, successfully renders each of its (many) characters with brilliant and chaotic fury, and remains accessible without losing a sense of style.In this season, after Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) escapes the…

Image: Netflix | Dávid LukácsThe highly anticipated second season of Shadow and Bone is right around the corner (March 16!) and we’re finally getting some new footage. After the sneak preview images a few months ago and the excellent New York Comic Con panel, my hype for this fantasy series is at an all time high. Shadow and Bone, based on the trilogy by Leigh Bardugo (with a dash of the sequel duology Six of Crows), is easy to watch and understand, elevating its YA roots into a series that’s delightfully fun and full of…

My best/worst boy is back!Image: NetflixShadow and Bone, one of my favorite “no-thoughts, just-vibes” shows on Netflix, has finally dropped a season two sneak peek. The television adaption of the young adult series of the same name saw incredible success thanks to its approachable storytelling, charismatic leads, and exceptionally clever reworking of the original material. Now we’ve got a sneak peak at Ravka’s finest and worst magicians, and a few quick shots at the Crows of Ketterdam in the first teaser from Netflix.The…