Netflix's 2-Season Steampunk Fantasy Adaptation Was Cancelled Too Soon

Published Aug 31, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel. Netflix's two-season steampunk fantasy adaptation was canceled too soon. More than ever, epic high fantasy is one of the most dominant genres in the streaming industry. Netflix has One Piece, The Witcher, and Avatar: The Last Airbender and is working on Callie Hart's Quicksilver. Prime Video has The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and is developing Rebecca Yarros' mega-selling Fourth Wing. HBO has everything related to George R.R. Martin's Westeros. Even the usually sci-fi-focused Apple TV is getting into the fantasy game, with Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere universe. And yet, before this most recent onslaught of fantasy adaptations, many other like-minded shows failed to fulfill their promise — or were prevented from doing so. Some unfortunately premiered too soon, unable to ride the current fantasy wave, while others couldn't amass a big enough audience to justify their production costs. One such show is Netflix's two-season adaptation of Leigh Bardugo's bestselling Grishaverse novels, Shadow and Bone. Unfortunately, Shadow and Bone's third-season renewal was struck down by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 Hollywood strikes; it was a clear-cut case of being in the right place at the wrong time. Netflix's adaptation of Bardugo's Russian- and Dutch-inspired steampunk world, or "Tsarpunk," as the author herself once described it (via Steamed) — there are flying ships, guns are used in battle, and magic wielders known as Fabrikators literally bend composite materials to create new inventions — was, and remains, one of Netflix's best fantasy adaptations, and likely would have thrived in the current publishing and streaming market. Shadow And Bone Is One Of Netflix's Smartest Fantasy Book Adaptations Shadow and Bone's primary storyline followed Jessie Mei Li's Alina Starkov, a wartime cartographer who discovers that she wields one of the rarest powers of all: the light of the sun, the only force strong enough to break through the mysterious dark shadow wall known as The Fold. As a result, the orphaned Alina is thrust into a world of royal intrigue and politics, guided by the cunning and malevolent Darkling (Ben Barnes). Of course, danger lurks around every corner of the shiny palace, and Alina soon fights for her freedom from the Darkling's seductive clutches. Normally, this narrative arc would have been enough for any major fantasy show. And yet, creator and showrunner Eric Heisserer saw the series' franchise potential and decided to build out Bardugo's world early on. Rather than focusing solely on Bardugo's first Grishaverse trilogy, Netflix's adaptation cleverly combined it with the author's even more popular YA duology, Six of Crows, introducing Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter) and his band of thieves before their daring Ice Court heist. The show wove the Crows' stories with Alina's, setting Shadow and Bone up as the start of a multi-series franchise. Before Shadow and Bone was canceled, Heisserer confirmed that eight scripts for the Six of Crows spinoff had already been written, but Netflix never gave them a chance to be realized on-screen. It's a genuine shame; Bardugo's steampunk, high-fantasy world is unlike anything else available to stream today, and the cast did an incredible job portraying the characters. Few could have played the Darkling like Ben Barnes, effortlessly switching between a romantic, alluring "shadow daddy" and a terrifying villain. Shadow And Bone Would Have Thrived In Streaming's New Romantasy Era The last few years have seen the steady, even explosive rise of the "romantasy" subgenre, both in publishing and in Hollywood. When Bardugo's debut novel, Shadow and Bone, was published in 2012, romantic fantasy had always existed, of course, but the rise of BookTok since the pandemic has changed everything. Bardugo's stories are full of romance, whether it's Alina's friends-to-lovers dynamic with Mal, the incredible slow-burn relationship between the closed-off Kaz and the silent acrobat Inej, or the heartwarming love story between sharpshooter Jesper and explosives expert Wylan. Her books are the perfect balance of gripping romance and strong fantasy storytelling. Essentially, Netflix had an already-established romantasy hit on its hands. It was ahead of the curve; streamers are now falling over themselves to grab the rights to publishing's biggest fantasy romance bestsellers. Netflix reportedly paid a massive, seven-figure sum for the rights to Callie Hart's Quicksilver, while Prime Video is working on Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing and Lauren Roberts' Powerless. Several major film studios are also working on romantasy adaptations, including Amazon MGM, which has the rights to Devney Perry's Shield of Sparrows, Universal, which is working on Alex Aster's Lightlark, and Paramount, which is developing Rebecca Ross' Divine Rivals. No one could have seen the COVID-19 pandemic or the Hollywood strikes coming when Shadow and Bone was first greenlit by Netflix, of course. Still, it's unfortunate that it missed out on the current romantasy trend. It might have helped elevate the show to new heights. It certainly deserved to find a bigger audience, as it's still one of the most creative and inventive fantasy shows Netflix has ever produced. All episodes of Shadow and Bone are streaming now, only on Netflix. Release Date 2021 - 2023 Network Netflix Showrunner Eric Heisserer Cast Jessie Mei Li Alina Starkov Directors Mairzee Almas, Karen Gaviola, Laura Belsey, Jeremy Webb, Lee Toland Krieger, Bola Ogun Writers Eric Heisserer, Vanya Asher, Daegan Fryklind, Shelley Meals, Christina Strain, M. Scott Veach, Donna Thorland, Erin Conley, Nick Culbertson Creator(s) Eric Heisserer