It’s been a while, but fans can finally rest easy: the Grishaverse is finally returning to screens this month.
If the new trailer is anything to go by, season two looks set to be just as action-packed as the first, with epic battles, a journey across the oceans and even the return of the Crows.
But if it’s been a while since you watched season one (or picked up a copy of Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling novels), here’s what you need to know ahead of Alina and Mal’s return to the screen.
What happened in season one?
In season one, we meet Alina and Mal (Jessie Mei Li and Archie Renaux): two new army conscripts brought up in a Ravkan orphanage. Ravka has been torn in two by the Fold, a swathe of darkness populated by monsters.
When Alina enters the Fold, it’s revealed that she is Grisha: a person with a magical ability, and hers is particularly rare. She can manipulate light, and she is quickly whisked away to the royal court to be trained.
While there, she meets the mysterious General Kirigan (Ben Barnes), who leads the Grisha. He has the ability to control darkness, and the two of them forge an immediate connection.
Ultimately, however, Kirigan proves to be the villainous Darkling: centuries old, he created the Shadow Fold in the first place and wants to use Alina’s power for his own ends.
By the end of the first season, Alina and Mal manage to reunite and foil the Darkling’s plan to expand the Fold, but he hasn’t been defeated yet (in fact, he’s stronger than ever and sporting some sexy new facial scars) and he’s already got new plans to recapture Alina and bend her to his will.
What can we expect from season two?
Similarly to season one – which followed the main plot points from Shadow and Bone, the first book in the series – the second season will likely follow the events of the second book, Storm and Siege.
In the first season, Alina acquired a powerful amplifier to increase her magic from a mythical stag in the Ravkan forests – but season two sees her set out on a quest to acquire the other two to defeat the Darkling once and for all. This means travelling across the world to find the magical Sea Whip and Fire Bird, ultimately to kill them and use the magical properties of their bones to boost her own power.
Fans of the books will also be pleased to see new characters making their appearance on the small screen: the dashing Prince Nikolai whom Alina enlists to help her find the amplifiers, sea captain Sturhmond, and Grisha fighters Tamar and Tolya.
As made clear by the trailer, Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter) and his group of Crows – who featured in season one’s subplot – will also be back for some hijinks. What those are exactly hasn’t yet been revealed, the synopsis says that “the Crows must forge new alliances as they contend with old rivals and even older grudges that threaten not only their place in the Barrel, but their very lives.
“When a chance at a deadly heist comes their way, the Crows will once again find themselves on a collision course with the legendary Sun Summoner.”
And to cap things off, it looks like the Darkling has managed to acquire an army of unkillable shadow monsters with which to pursue Alina and Mal. Sounds like season two is going to be packed.
What is the Grishaverse?
The Grishaverse is fans’ term for the universe created by Leigh Bardugo in her books. The first trilogy she published – starting with Shadow and Bone, in 2012 – told the story of Alina and Mal’s battle against the Darkling in the Russian-inspired land of Ravka.
Ravka is populated by Grisha: people with the magical ability to influence various elements and materials. This stretches from Corporalki, whose power influences the human body, to Etherealki, who can control the elements like wind or darkness.
Her follow-up duology, Six of Crows, told the story of Kaz Brekker and his group of thieves and opportunists across the sea in the trade hub of Ketterdam. Though the show doesn’t follow the events of Six of Crows (which takes place after the events of Shadow and Bone), the Crows make an appearance in the show as a kind of prequel series, telling the story of how the group came to be in the first place, and how their paths cross with Alina’s.
What was the reception like for season one?
Reviews for season one of Shadow and Bone were largely positive. The Guardian deemed it “perfectly competent, enjoyable stuff” (though ultimately not a contender for Game of Thrones), while IGN said the series “captures Bardugo’s talent for balancing large scale world-building with theatrical action sequences, sweeping romances, and elements of horror”.
The show also became the third-ever show on Netflix to reach number one for 12 days in a row. Unsurprisingly – given the book series’ huge fanbase – the show was quickly renewed for a second season.
When is season two out?
Season two will be launching on March 17 on Netflix.
