Shadow and Bone season 2

 Half of march saw the return of the Shadow and Bone fantasy series, based on the books of the same name, and I must say which was a fun first season.

So Noshi and me sat down and binged through the series in a few evenings.

The Sun Summoner, Alina Starkov, is still looking for ways to end the Fold, a massive, monster ridden area that splits their world in two.  While she defeated the Darkling at the end of season 1, there are still many obstacles to overcome.  One of those is that she must increase her light channeling power, and to that end she and her boyfriend Mal set out to look for the second of three mythical amplifiers.

The rest of their band has returned to the Barrel to face off against crimelord Pekka, as Kaz wants to bring back his life and that of his companions back to the way it was, but in the meantime he also uses them as his vendetta is personal, Pekka being the killer of his older brother in their youth.

New alliances are forged, as Alina and Mal join the crew of the excentric inventor / privateer Sturmhound to get to the amplifier and to travel the fold, while Nina, in an effort to free her lover Matthias from the best guarded prison in Ravka, joins Kaz and his crows in his quest in exchange for a visit to Matthias.

But the Darkling was not defeated, and he returns at the Ravkan borders where Grisha, the spellcasters of this world, are about to be sacrificed to the Fold, prosecuted once again like they where in the old days.  He plans to overthrow the lands once and for all, and with the powers of the Fold rule over them with the Grisha as the upper class.

As Kaz retakes his city with a glorious scheme, Alina enters an engagement of sorts with Nikolai, to gain command of the second army and protect the Grisha.  But the first prince Vasily, a gambler and hater of Grisha who sees the throne as a toy, unknowingly reveals their location to the Darkling who comes after them.  Bekker and his Crows go out to search for a sword of legend, that should be able to hurt the shadowy creatures as Alina tries to sever the mental link between her and the Darkling.  But this results in her falling out with Mal...

 

Alina, Mal and Baghra, the "mother of all Grisha" go out and look for the magical firebird to obtain the third amplifier.  Baghra reveals to Mal that he is actually the firebird, while she is the daughter of the crazed mage that created the fold.  His destiny is written for him, as Alina is once more approached by her link with the Darkling, but Baghra interferes.  She sacrifices herself in order to sever the link by cutting of his hand, at the expense of her own life.

 

Back in Shu, Bekker and his Crows manage to obtain the sword, as they overcome the trial set by a master thief, who turns out to be a hundreds of years old saint that originally forged the blade, and she grants it to them to overcome the shadow creatures.

Mal is approached by the Darkling who tries to lure him away from Alina's side, so he doesn`t need to lay down his life for her as detinied, but is rebutted by him.  Th army splits, Nicolas and his soldiers being ambushed as they get to the front.  Alina and Mal travel to the Fold, but the Darkling is there waiting for them after he moves the Fold over the fort her allies are holding out.  When the Shadow Monsters grab Alina, she is saved by Inej wielding the magical sword.

The Crows have arrived just in time, saving Nicolai and the last troops holding out from a Grisha assault, as Alina and Mal face off a final time against the Darkling.  Alina wounds him, but in return Mal is seriously injured.  He fullfills his destiny, and the empowered Alina blasts the Fold away, but the Shadow Monsters remain only to be struck down by the sword.  In order to save Mal, Alina, after killing the Darkling, uses his forbidden merszost magic to bring him back.  

The group recovers and counts their wounded, before splitting up and pursuing their own paths and fates.  But when Nicolai is about to be crowned, a new threat emerges as a Grisha, powered up by a mysterious drug, wants to assassinate those present.  Alina uses a cut to take her out, but the power is twisted to a darker version...

Another good and amusing season of this series, and the foundations have been laid down for a possible third one.  I personally look forward to it, as I`m enjoying it (in a different way) as much as the books I read from the series.  

And Kaz Bekker remains such a fantastic figure...