Shadow and Bone is a 2021 American fantasy television series developed by Eric Heisserer for Netflix, starring Jessie Mei Li, Ben Barnes and Archie Renaux, with Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, and Kit Young in supporting roles.

Based on the works of Leigh Bardugo, the series takes place in the Grishaverse fantasy setting and follows Alina Starkov (Li), an orphan and cartographer who discovers she is a Grisha, someone with magical abilities, and the key to saving her war-torn world.

Following its success, Netflix renewed the show for a second season, which premiered on March 16, 2023, and adapted Siege and Storm (2013), Ruin and Rising (2014), and parts of Crooked Kingdom (2016).

[4] In the series' first episode, Alina Starkov, a cartographer in Ravka's First Army, is revealed to be the long-prophesied Sun Summoner, which sets off a chain of events that affect the entire Grishaverse.

[5] In January 2019, Netflix announced a series order for an eight-episode first season of Shadow and Bone, with Eric Heisserer serving as showrunner, creator, head writer, and executive producer.

[11] By December 2022, it was reported that the second season would not only adapt Siege and Storm but also cover elements from Ruin and Rising, completing Leigh Bardugo's main Grishaverse trilogy.

[17] On October 2, 2019, it was officially announced that Jessie Mei Li would star as Alina, with Ben Barnes, Freddy Carter, Archie Renaux, Amita Suman and Kit Young joining as key supporting actors.

[22] On January 13, 2022, Lewis Tan, Patrick Gibson, Anna Leong Brophy and Jack Wolfe were officially added to the cast for the second season, with Daisy Head, Danielle Galligan, and Calahan Skogman promoted to series regulars.

Other filming locations included the Amadé–Bajzáth–Pappenheim Mansion (as the Keramzin orphanage), the town of Szentendre (depicting Ryevost), its open-air museum (as Chernast), and the Royal Palace of Gödöllő (used for the stable and chapel).

[24][25][26] In June 2020, Leigh Bardugo reported via Twitter that working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic had slowed down the post-production process, making the release date uncertain.

[42][43] In February 2021, Leigh Bardugo, Eric Heisserer, and the six main cast members participated in a panel at the IGN Fan Fest, where a teaser trailer was unveiled, along with additional stills.

[53] Shadow and Bone also ranked number two on the Nielsen charts in the week of its release, with over 1.14 billion minutes watched by subscribers, including episodes from season one.

He described some elements of the series as "overly confusing" but concluded that "Shadow and Bone will draw you into the Fold with its absorbing world-building and engaging lead duo.

"[61] Nicole Clark of IGN remarked that the season "captures much of the darker magic...while being unafraid to make smart changes to certain characters' origin stories and even the sequence of events—even if the storylines from the two series of books don't always easily mesh.

She wrote, "Eric Heisserer's adaptation transcends this familiarity thanks to the commitment of a pitch-perfect cast, well-stylized fight sequences, and intentional character development."

She concluded, "Shadow and Bone maintains a sense of interior place for the characters... and the well-balanced nature of this first season makes for a promising introduction into this franchise's fantastical universe.

However, he was critical of the lack of world-building, concluding that "a fair number of things are also left unexplained or unexplored in the series, which may leave viewers who have not read the books, confused.

The website's critics consensus states, "Shadow and Bone's sophomore season packs in too much story sinew to properly breathe, but this adventure remains great fun for fantasy fans.

"[68] Lacy Baugher Milas of Paste Magazine provided a critical review, describing the second season as "not only poorly paced but narratively overstuffed, crammed with new characters, superfluous side quests, and rapid-fire plot revelations that are rarely given enough time to breathe, let alone develop fully."

However, she praised the performances of Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux, Danielle Galligan, Kit Young, Jack Wolfe, Ben Barnes, and Zoë Wanamaker.

Cavenaugh attributed the crammed plotlines to the adaptation of material from six of Leigh Bardugo's novels: Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising, Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom, King of Scars, and The Lives of Saints.

She praised Ben Barnes' portrayal of the Darkling, likening it to Michael B. Jordan's performance of Erik Killmonger in Black Panther, while also commending newcomers Patrick Gibson, Lewis Tan, and Anna Leong Brophy.

[70] Samantha H. Chung of The Harvard Crimson gave a mixed review, praising the performances of Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, Patrick Gibson, and Daisy Head while criticizing the second season's pacing and cramming of multiple storylines.

[78] Eric Heisserer, the showrunner of Shadow and Bone, was part of the Negotiating Committee during the strike,[79] and several key cast and crew members, including Leigh Bardugo, Ben Barnes, Daeghan Fryklind, Shelley Meals, Christina Strain, Erin Conley, Stacy Milbourn, and Lilly Slaydon, also participated in the labor action.