Shadow and Bone cast tease season 2 is 'very different from the books'

Shadow and Bone's first season alerted fans of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse fantasy novels that the show was going to be different, less a strict adaptation than an amalgamation. Season 2 now marks a bigger departure from the source material.

"Going into season 2, we knew it was gonna be very different from the books," Jessie Mei Li, who stars in Shadow and Bone as the Sun Summoner, Alina Starkhov, says in conversation with her costars for a new edition of EW's Around the Table. "For me, that was quite exciting because that's what I like about adaptations, taking what's really good in the books and changing it. So, yeah, I think there was a bit of pressure to please the fans but also show them something new, like a remixed version of all their favorite books."

courtesy netflix Archie Renaux as Mal and Jessie Mei Li as Alina in 'Shadow and Bone' season 2

While season 1 was inspired by the main events of Shadow and Bone, the first book in Bardugo's core trilogy that kickstarted the Grishaverse, it also folded in the Crows gang, which are characters that have a separate story in the author's Six of Crows duology.

Season 2 adapts two books across eight episodes, Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising, while continuing the Crows arc. Alina and Mal (Archie Renaux) are on the run across the True Sea. The Darkling (Ben Barnes) miraculously survived the battle within the Shadow Fold, and has only grown stronger. While he assembles his own forces to take over the country, the Sun Summoner, now framed as an enemy of Ravka, is determined to find Morozova's amplifiers to become strong enough to tear down the Fold.

"General Kirigan is without any of the friends' status or manners that he was abusing in the first season, and he is wrestling with his new shadow demons," Barnes says of the Darkling and the nichevo'ya, which are creatures of shadow that now accompany Kirigan. "He's not a happy bunny."

courtesy netflix Danielle Galligan's Nina joins the Crows gang in 'Shadow and Bone' season 2

Meanwhile, the Crows return to Ketterdam without the Sun Summoner they promised to kidnap for Dreesen, which is bound to cause some problems. "They've got their hackles up. They're ready for what's going to come next, and plenty gets thrown their way," says Freddy Carter, who plays the leader of the Crows gang, Kaz Brekker.

"Immediately," adds Kit Young, who plays gunslinger Jesper within the Crows. "No spoilers, but immediately we are in trouble from the first scene."

Amita Suman, who plays the "shade" Inej of the Crows, also joins Li, Barnes, Carter, and Young in the Around the Table discussion of the season. Watch video of the chat above.

Shadow and Bone season 2 premieres Thursday on Netflix.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Shadow and Bone star Patrick Gibson unpacks his dual 'Tony Stark–esque' season 2 role

• Shadow and Bone season 2 unleashes the Darkling's 'unkillable army' in heart-pounding trailer

• Shadow and Bone season 2 will adapt multiple Grishaverse books — and maybe not the ones you think