The Wheel of Time
2021
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84% Avg. Tomatometer 112 Reviews 84% Avg. Audience Score 2,500+ Ratings Sinister forces plot against a young soldier after she reveals a magical power that may unite her world. Read More Read...
- (112)
- Jessie Mei Li
- TV-14
- 2
Watch Shadow and Bone — Season 1 with a subscription on Netflix. From gorgeous costumes to impressive -- if intimidating -- world-building, Shadow and Bone is an exciting adventure for...
- (82)
- April 23, 2021
- Jessie Mei Li
Magic, monsters, strong women in fresh but violent fantasy. Read Common Sense Media's Shadow and Bone review, age rating, and parents guide.
- Jessie Mei Li, Ben Barnes, Archie Renaux
- Joyce Slaton
- A welcoming return to the Shadow Fold.
- What We Said About Shadow and Bone Season 1
- Score: 8
- Who's the best love interest for Alina?
- Shadow and Bone Season 2 Images
- Verdict
- More Reviews by Laura Sirikul
- IGN Recommends
By Laura Sirikul
Updated: Mar 16, 2023 4:44 pm
Posted: Mar 16, 2023 4:43 pm
Shadow and Bone season 2 is now on Netflix.
The first season of Shadow and Bone pulled off a near-impossible task: it successfully combined two separate stories and sets of characters (from the novels Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows) into one cohesive series of episodes. With the second season, the writers had to do it again with an even larger cast to play with, this time pullIng from several of Leigh Bardugo’s books, including the companion series The Lives of Saints. Several of the stories and characters have been scattered, tweaked, and expanded within the season but, somehow, remain fluid and entertaining in the storytelling.
Overall, the writing remains strong, despite struggling a bit to merge so many characters and storylines into eight episodes. The main focus has always been Alina and Mal’s journey to destroy the Shadow Fold, but they know they cannot do it alone. They seek help from privateer/pirate named Sturmhond (Patrick Gibson) and his crew, which includes mixed-Shu-Ravkan twins Tamar (Anna Leong Brophy) and Tolya (Lewis Tan). Newcomer Gibson, who probably faced the most pressure from book fans playing Sturmhond knocks it out of the park with his ability to shift his performance from cocky and stubborn to endearing and sensitive as the character demands. Although he doesn’t serve as a love interest, there is definitely potential there, and he is shown to be worthy of Alina’s affection because of his righteous magnetism – and it doesn’t hurt that he’s equally as handsome as he is charming.
Netflix maintains its great track record of adapting fantasy action books to screen with Shadow and Bone, a fun, action-packed series based on Leigh Bardugo’s best-selling Grishaverse books. The first season manages to capture much of the darker magic of young-adult fantasy while being unafraid to make smart changes to certain characters’ origin st...
Read the full Shadow and Bone Season 1 review
The Crows’ and Alina’s storylines eventually do merge, leading to another exciting team-up to take down Kirigan. It does become overwhelming trying to keep track of all of the characters in the battle sequences, though. An attempt to add some emotional weight to the scene didn’t end up adding much value, as we’re introduced to so many people that we don’t have enough time to get attached to any of them.
It does become overwhelming trying to keep track of all of the characters.
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Mal
Nikolai
Kirigan
Other - tell us in the comments
It’s also disappointing that, even though he’s given ample time to expand on his role as the main villain in the series, Kirigan’s personality seems to have shifted from an empathetic and tormented soul to a one-dimensional bad guy who just wants Grisha domination, no matter the cost. It becomes almost irritating when he appears to Alina, attempting to win her over as if he had some sort of redeeming quality to him, but Barnes is never afforded the opportunity to create a sense of compassion for his character. Instead, he just remains bitter and angry the entire time.
Alina and Mal’s relationship remains the strongest and most infectious.
The action and romance is set against a beautiful backdrop, as Shadow and Bone excels at bringing the fantasy world with their gorgeous production and costume design. That’s especially noticeable when the characters travel to new parts of the Grishaverse that aren’t presented in the book, such as Shu Han, which is inspired by ancient China and Mong...
Shadow and Bone season 2 remains as action-packed and enjoyable as the last, but the plot sometimes gets lost among the plethora of characters and storylines. The new characters introduced are welcome, particularly Nikolai as a new ally for Alina’s quest to destroy the Fold. But it is The Crows who steal the show with their adventurous heist, which...
Apr 21, 2021 · Polygon praises the Netflix series for adding depth and nuance to the Chosen One fantasy story, especially in the characters and relationships. The show expands on the first novel and integrates new stories from the Grishaverse books, while staying faithful to the source material.
- Petrana Radulovic
Shadow and Bone is a solid, interesting fantasy series that will keep you entertained throughout each episode. While it's not the best fantasy shows to come out in the last few years, it's still a very good one that's worth your to time to watch.
Apr 23, 2021 · Review: 'Shadow And Bone' Moves So Fast It's Practically Russian Netflix's new fantasy series contains many familiar elements, but a twisty, fast-moving plot and smart storytelling decisions...
