Netflix ‘Shadow and Bone’ Season 2 Review - The Battle Doesn’t End Here

Shadow and Bone is a Netflix series adaptation of the books written by Leigh Bardugo. The series starts with Alina imagining herself in a village where people suddenly start running after they see the fold growing, and she finds that her powers are useless there. It was a nightmare and she soon realises that these are real events and not just dreams. The visions she’s been having are happening in reality as well. Mal has been her supporter and lover on this journey. In the end, his role is much bigger than we could have imagined. 

Kirigan is presumed to be dead by the world when in reality he’s been lurking in the shadows, forming his army by reuniting with Grisha, and is accompanied by two dark shadows at all times. The dark shadows are causing the worsening of his health, and even if no one kills him, his evil side will take him eventually. 

Kaz Brekker, Jesper Fahey, and Inej Ghafa are shown heading to the Crow Club where they get surrounded by Police with charges of murder. The trio just got back to Ketterdam and received a good welcome. Dreesen, the same man who gave one million Kruger to the Crows to find Alina, bribed the Police to spend some time with them. Kaz discovers that the real man behind the whole mission wasn’t Dreesen but the man who dressed up as his bodyguard, Sturmhond (he’s a privateer). Alina has a bounty on her head and Fjerdan wants her desperately, and so does the King.

After Kirigan took the advantage of Alina’s powers in Season 1, people misunderstand her to be evil just like the Darkling. Alina and Mal are seen getting closer and from friends, they become lovers. The Crows want revenge on Perkin Rollins and for that, they’ve even put their lives on the line. Jesper, Inej, Wylam (the bomb expert), and Nina (the heart render) didn’t even know the reason behind Kaz’s obsession with Rollins. It is in the later episodes that the real reason has been revealed. Throughout the four episodes i.e, half the length of the series, we see that Kaz is haunted by his memories.

Baghra, Kirigan’s mother plays the role of a game changer. Her character had strength and commitment to do things the right way, unlike her evil son. Many other strong women like Saint Neyar prove to be helpful in this war of evil against good. Some other characters haven’t been fully developed yet like Pekka Rollins and Matthias. There’s a story left untold and I’m eager to know what’ll happen with them. 

The series just like the first season operates in two parts, the first one is about Alisha and Nikolai, and the second story that runs parallelly is that of the Crows. And, also like we saw in season 1, they both reunite in the end to fight the monster together. The war ends, but the evil remains and many hints have been left for the third season of the show. A potential romance between Inej and Kaz is also shown and I am rooting for this couple. It also seems like Alina and Nikolai will form a good pair, let's see what the future has in store for this power couple. Wylam and Jesper are seen sharing romantic moments in season 2. 

The audience who have read the books might compare it to the narrative written in it and if the details matched exactly. In my opinion, the audience will not at all be disappointed by the second season of Shadow and Bone. It is everything that one expected from the makers. There wasn’t any dull or disappointing moment in the series. While watching season 1, I was a bit disappointed because the plot was too little for an entire season, but the character growth in season 2 was appreciable. The way Alina’s character is seen growing, from being a map maker to leading the Second army, she makes a good impression on the audience. There are many unexpected details revealed in this season. The show had action, emotional aspects, and power. In all, it is the perfect second season that one could expect. There are a total of eight episodes with a duration of an hour each. 

Final Score – [7.5/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
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Publisher at Midgard Times