TV series aren't like regular movie franchises. For instance, you can reasonably expect a new Fast & Furious, James Bond, or DC/Marvel banger every few years. There are also several thousand standalone movies that you can enjoy from start to satisfying finish (or not).
With TV series, you're at the mercy of the production networks, and there's no real guarantee that you'll be able to watch it to its conclusion. This is the exact plight that fans find themselves in with regard to Shadow and Bone season 3.
Unfortunately for fans, any hopes of a Shadow and Bone season 3 have been firmly dashed by Netflix, which announced the show's cancellation in November 2023.
The outrage and disappointment of fans is understandable, with the fantasy show racking up nearly 200 million views per official viewing figures from December 2023.
With Shadow and Bone season 2 ending on a massive cliffhanger, the decision not to renew the series for another season means an end to Jessie Mei Li's starring role as Alina Starkov, along with other members of the cast, including the imperious Ben Barnes, savvy Freddy Carter, and smooth operator Amita Suman who played the role of Inej Ghafa.
Based on the first book of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, season 1 of the Netflix show introduces us to Alina Starkov, a mapmaker living in a world divided by the Shadow Fold, a monstrous expanse of darkness filled with dangerous creatures.
Her life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a hidden power within herself that could be the key to defeating the Fold.
In season 2, Alina is thrust into the lavish yet treacherous court of the Grisha, a powerful order of magic users. As she navigates this new reality, she struggles with her new powers, complex relationships, and the growing threat posed by a mysterious and charismatic figure.
Season 2 draws story material from the final two books in the trilogy, Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising, the end of which diverges from the original story.
Leigh Bardugo has more books set in the same world as Shadow and Bone. The King of Scars duology features the familiar character of Nikolai Lantsov, while the more popular Six of Crows duology follows Kaz Brekker and his gifted band on new, exciting adventures.
There are other spinoff standalones and short stories written by the same, including The Too-Clever Fox, Little Knife, The Witch of Duva, and The Lives of Saints.
All the books are set within the fictional world of the "Grishaverse," in the nations of Ravka, Shu Han, the Wandering Isle, Novyi Zem, Kerch, and Fjerda.
