If you are a fan of fantasy, adventure, and romance, you might have already watched Shadow and Bone, Netflix's adaptation of Leigh Bardugo's bestselling novels. The show premiered in April 2021 and became an instant hit, with millions of viewers tuning in to watch the story of Alina Starkov, a young mapmaker who discovers she has a rare power that could change the fate of her war-torn world.
But if you haven't watched it yet, or if you need a refresher before diving into season 2 (which is set to premiere on March 16), here is everything you need to know about Shadow and Bone season 1.
The World
Shadow and Bone take place in a fictional world inspired by Tsarist Russia, where magic exists but is feared and persecuted by many. The world is divided into several countries, but the main focus is on Ravka, a land that has been split in two by a massive swath of darkness called the Shadow Fold. The Fold is inhabited by terrifying creatures called velcro that prey on anyone who tries to cross it.
The people who can use magic are called Grisha, and they are divided into three orders based on their abilities: Corporalki (who can manipulate the body), Etherealki (who can manipulate natural elements), and Materialki (who can manipulate materials). The Grisha are led by General Kirigan, also known as the Darkling, who is the only one who can summon darkness.
The Plot
The main plot follows Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), an orphaned mapmaker who grew up with her best friend Mal Oretsev (Archie Renaux) in an army camp. When they are assigned to cross the Fold on a skiff, they are attacked by velcro. Alina unleashes a burst of light that repels them and reveals herself as a Sun Summoner, a rare type of Grisha who can control light.
Alina is taken away by Kirigan (Ben Barnes) to train at his palace with other Grisha. He tells her that she is the only one who can destroy the Fold and unite Ravka. He also develops romantic feelings for her. However, Alina struggles to fit in with her new life and misses Mal terribly. She also learns that Kirigan has many enemies who want to capture or kill her for her power.
One of these enemies is Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter), a cunning criminal mastermind from Ketterdam, a city in another country called Kerch. Kaz runs a gang called the Crows with his sharpshooter friend Jesper Fahey (Kit Young) and his spy friend Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman). They are hired by a wealthy merchant named Dreesen to kidnap Alina for one million krige.
Kaz devises a plan to infiltrate Ravka with fake identities and get close to Alina during an annual ball at Kirigan's palace. However, things go wrong when they encounter another group of mercenaries sent by Dreesen's rival Pekka Rollins. They also run into Nina Zenik (Danielle Galligan), a Heartrender Grisha who works for Kirigan but was captured by Matthias Helvar (Calahan Skogman), a Fjerdan witch hunter.
Meanwhile, Mal escapes from his army camp after learning that Alina needs him. He tracks down Morozova's Stag, an ancient creature whose antlers can amplify Grisha's power. He hopes to bring it to Alina as proof of his love for her. However, he is followed by Kirigan's men who kill the stag and take its antlers.
At the ball, Kaz's plan fails when he realizes that Alina has already left with Kirigan on his skiff. He decides to follow them with Jesper and Inej on another skiff. Mal also manages to sneak onto Kirigan's skiff after fighting off some soldiers.
Kirigan reveals his true plan: he wants to use Alina's power combined with the stag's antlers to create more Folds across Ravka's borders and conquer other lands. He also reveals that he created the original Fold centuries ago when he tried to use his power against his enemies but lost control of it. He admits that he is actually Alexander Morozova,
the son of Ilya Morozova,
a legendary Grisha scholar
who discovered
the amplifiers
and died trying