Does The Darkling die in the Shadow and Bone books?

The Shadow and Bone books are a great place to turn to for spoilers for season 2. Will The Darkling die in the season? What happens in the books?

Are you ready for Shadow and Bone season 2? Of course you are! The second season is set to follow the second book in the initial Grishaverse trilogy. We’ll take a look at how that book ends, as well as a sneak peek at the other books in the Grishaverse to see how The Darkling’s story could come to an end.

Of course, this means book spoilers. If you don’t want to know what happens in Ruin and Rising and beyond, you’ll want to avoid reading this post. And it’s worth noting that the series doesn’t have to follow the storyline from the books exactly, which means there could be changes to The Darkling’s tale.

Does The Darkling die in Seige and Storm?

Shadow and Bone season 2 will follow Seige and Storm, the second book in the story. This book follows Alina and Mal’s hunt for the Seawhip, the second amplifier after learning that The Darkling is still alive and seems a little more powerful.

While Alina and The Darkling end up coming face-to-face again, it’s not for too long. It also doesn’t end with The Darkling’s death or the end of the Fold. There wouldn’t be anything for the third book if that happened.

Does The Darkling die in the future Shadow and Bone books

At the end of the third book, Alina and The Darkling fight in the Fold. She does manage to stab and kill him while in the Fold, and then she’s able to take down the Fold completely.

If only that was the end of the story. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo continues Nikolai and Zoya’s story, and this is where we find out that The Darkling’s body wasn’t burned on the fire. Instead, Lizabeth preserves his body and finds another one to put on the pyre instead. She finds a way to bring The Darkling back, but it’s not with his powers.

Whether the series gets a chance to tell the continued story is unknown. By the end of Ruin and Rising, The Darkling is dead and it’s only with magic that he’s brought back to life. The series could end with the third book in the first Grishaverse trilogy, ending with The Darkling’s death.

Shadow and Bone season 2 is coming to Netflix on Thursday, March 16.