Leigh Bardugo, author of the bestselling Grishaverse novels that inspired the Netflix series Shadow and Bone, has reacted to news of the series cancellation after two seasons. The series had developed a devoted fan following and also spawned a video game franchise for the streamer, but disappointed in viewership.
In an Instagram post, Bardugo wrote that she was “heartbroken and deeply disappointed” after learning that there would be no Season 3 for Shadow and Bone, and no Six of Crows spinoff, “but I’m also trying to hold on to my very real gratitude.” She went on to say, “Most authors never get to see their work adapted. Many who do end up regretting the experience. I’m one of the very few who can look at an adaptation with pride and tremendous joy.”
“I am so grateful to our writers, our crew and our extraordinary cast who are not just wildly talented, but genuinely good people,” she continued. “Most of all I want to say how grateful I am to the folks reading this — whether you found your way to the books first or discovered them through the show. The Grishaverse is a better place because of you and I am so grateful for every tweet, post, comment, review, artwork, fic, tattoo, and cosplay that helped to make all of this possible.
We’re book people and that means we never stop imagining that magic can be made real. You are proof of that. Now I’m going to go have a cry, and then maybe a drink, and see where the story takes us next.”
You can read it in full below.
Shadow and Bone, from creator, writer and executive producer Eric Heisserer, is set in a war-torn world where lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. Jessie Mei Li starred as Alina Starkov, along with Archi Renaux, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young and Ben Barnes.