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The fantasy television series Shadow and Bone premiered its first season on April 23, 2021, on Netflix. However, the show was cancelled after two seasons by the streaming company on November 15, 2023. As per Deadline, the company cited the SAG-AFTRA strike and the Writers Guild of America strike, which caused a seven-month production shutdown, as the reason for the cancellation.
The series is based on the novels of Israeli–American author Leigh Bardugo. It takes place in the Grishaverse fantasy setting and follows Alina Starkov (played by Jessie Mei Li), an orphan and cartographer who discovers she is a Grisha. Alina discovers that she possesses magical abilities and the key to saving her war-torn world.
The lead star of the series, Jessie Mei Li, appeared in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in April 2025, following the release of her film Havoc. She also discussed the series' cancellation and what could have happened if Shadow and Bone season 3 had been produced. She expressed that the series ended on a high note following the success of its two installments among the viewers:
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"It was just the most amazing time. It’s obviously devastating that it was canceled, but also it felt like we ended it on a high. Sometimes these shows go on and on and on. We had two of the best years of my life. It was so good. And we’re all just super close still," Jessie answered the interviewer regarding the cancellation of the series.
Jessie also said that she would be ready to return for Shadow and Bone season 3 if Netflix ever greenlights the project in the future:
Jessie expressed that she would love to work on the series again, "Oh God, of course. To go back with all my mates to Budapest and just have a lovely time? Absolutely. It would be a dream. And we do talk about it. Sometimes a bunch of us say, “Well, should we go back to Budapest on holiday? Just pretend we’re back there?”
According to IMDb, Netflix's Shadow and Bone has received a positive approval rating of 7.5/10, based on over 120,000 user reviews so far.
What could happen if Netflix greenlit Shadow and Bone season 3?
The author Leigh Bardugo created a trilogy around his 2012 fantasy novel Shadow and Bone, which was published by Macmillan Publishers. The majority of the plot for the second installment of the series was adapted from the sequel novels, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising.
The series also explored parts from the spin-off novels, Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, across the two seasons. If Shadow and Bone season 3 were ever approved, more of the remaining storyline from the sequel and spin-off novels could be explored. After the cancellation, Netflix also decided not to proceed with the spin-off series based on Six of Crows.
At the end of the second season, the story differed from the books, as Li loses her powers after defeating the Darkling in the novel. In the series, Li is seen using shadow magic, which was exclusive to the Darkling. The series could further explore Li's dark side and the enemies it would attract in Shadow and Bone season 3.
Additionally, even though Prince Nikolai succeeds in becoming the king of Ravka, the series hints at a dangerous monster residing within him. If Netflix were to proceed with another season, they could explore his inner battles with the monster and also how it affected his ruling of the kingdom.
The series has multiple possibilities of storylines to explore if it were to be approved for another season by the streaming company.
What is the series all about?
The fantasy series Shadow and Bone premiered its first season on April 23, 2021, and the second season on March 16, 2023. The series was developed by Eric Heisserer for Netflix, starring Jessie Mei Li, Ben Barnes, and Archie Renaux in the lead roles. Each season consists of eight episodes with an approximate runtime of 1 hour for each episode.
The official synopsis, as per Netflix, reads:
Alina Starkov is on the run. A beacon of hope to some and a suspected traitor to others, she's determined to bring down the Shadow Fold and save Ravka from ruin. But General Kirigan has returned to finish what he started. Backed by a terrifying new army of seemingly indestructible shadow monsters and fearsome new Grisha recruits, Kirigan is more dangerous than ever. To stand a fighting chance against him, Alina and Mal rally their own powerful new allies and begin a continent-spanning journey to find two mythical creatures that will amplify her powers. Back in Ketterdam, 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.
The audience can subscribe to the streaming app, Netflix, to view the series.
Stay tuned with us for further updates.
