Netflix has announced that a second series of Shadow and Bone has officially been commissioned. Based on Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling Grishaverse novels, the streaming giant has ordered eight more one-hour episodes of the epic fantasy series, which covers both Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology.

Among the cast confirmed to be returning are Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov, Archie Renaux as Malyen Oretsev, and Ben Barnes as General Kirigan. Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, and Kit Young will also reprise their roles for the new season.

Eric Heisserer – the creator, writer, and executive producer of the show – will return for the new season. He will be joined by Stranger Things’ executive producer Shawn Levy.

Shadow and Bone follows a power struggle in the realms of  Ravka and beyond. Starkov is a member of a powerful group of magical soldiers known as Grisha, strong enough to free her world from the grip of a mysterious, dangerous shadow land known as The Fold. As she comes to realise the full scope of her powers, apparent allies become enemies and enemies become friends.

In a rare insight into Netflix’s viewership numbers, the studio has revealed that over 55 million households watched the series within the first 28 days. This equates to over a quarter of all Netflix subscribers worldwide.

The books, which have sold over 2.5 million copies in English alone, have experienced a boom in popularity following the success of the series. Both Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows both spent over a month at number one on the New York Times Bestseller List. 

Bardugo, who is also an executive producer on the series, said that “there are so many places we’ve barely gotten to visit and I can’t wait to introduce our audience to more of the saints, soldiers, thugs, thieves, princes, and privateers who make this world so much fun to explore. It’s going to be real magic to see our brilliant, talented cast expand.”

Shadow and Bone is currently streaming on Netflix. You can read our review of the first season here.

 

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