In Season 2 of “Shadow and Bone,” Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) and Malyen Oretsev (Archie Renaux) get to experience a fraction of the events detailed in “Siege and Storm.” The pair meet Sturmhond (Patrick Gibson), a pirate who aids in their hunt for the Sea Whip, a magical creature Alina needs to kill to gain its power. Then Sturmhond reveals himself to be Nikolai Lantsov, the second-born prince of Ravka. Nikolai promises to make Ravka better, then offers Alina his hand as part of a strategic marriage to soothe the aches between Grisha and Otkazat’sya (read: Russian wizards and Russian muggles). Almost immediately thereafter is the wedding ceremony, where General Kirigan (Ben Barnes) murders most of the royal family.
Readers will note that these three events in the book are separated by many, many chapters. The excursion with Sturmhond is essentially in the right place, but the proposal is somewhere in the center of the book, and the wedding massacre is at the very end. What’s missing is Ravka and its people. In “Siege and Storm,” Alina slowly comes to terms with her newfound authority. Yes, she still becomes general of the Second Army but the Grisha are slow to trust her. She gets to forge that bond through trial and error.
She also has to contend with the citizens of Ravka, who consider her a living saint; the royal family, who consider her a parasite; and the Apparat, who considers her a puppet. Through everything, Nikolai guides her, and Alina transforms into an experienced leader. Someone fit to face the Darkling. Someone fit to be a queen.
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