What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedShadow and Bone
Eric Heisserer · Series · 2021
If you loved Shadow and Bone, start with Shadow and Bone (Leigh Bardugo, 2013) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Shadow and Bone across media.
If you loved Shadow and Bone, you will be drawn to these stories where reluctant heroes navigate destiny amidst crushing political conflict.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
The Shadowhunter Chronicles
Cassandra Clare · Book · 2007
Shares a thread with Shadow and Bone: Good vs Evil.
Like Shadow and Bone, this series centers on a protagonist thrust into a hidden world of magical warfare where friendship and forbidden love determine the fate of their reality.
Children of Blood and Bone
Tomi Adeyemi · Book · 2018
Shares a thread with Shadow and Bone: Power and Corruption.
You will recognize the struggle of a young hero finding her power in Shadow and Bone, mirrored here through Zľie’s fight against oppression and the reclamation of lost magic.
Mistborn
Brandon Sanderson · Book · 2010
Explores: Class struggle, Revolutionary overthrow, Found family.
The heist-driven complexity and high-stakes rebellion against a dark, established order in this story echo the dangerous political maneuvering found within the world of Shadow and Bone.
Shannara
Terry Brooks · Book · 1977
Shares 2 threads with Shadow and Bone: Good vs Evil, Chosen One.
This epic quest captures the same sense of destiny and the struggle between good and evil that defines the journey of the Sun Summoner in Shadow and Bone.
Films on the same thread
Dune
Denis Villeneuve · Film · 2021
Shares a thread with Shadow and Bone: Political Intrigue.
Paul Atreides shares the burden of a chosen one navigating a hostile, partitioned world, much like the protagonist’s experience with power and conflict in Shadow and Bone.
Bāhubali: The Beginning
S. S. Rajamouli · Film · 2015
Shares a thread with Shadow and Bone: Good vs Evil.
The grand scale of royal intrigue and the hero’s journey toward uncovering hidden gifts will feel intimately familiar to fans of the political drama in Shadow and Bone.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Peter Jackson · Film · 2001
Shares a thread with Shadow and Bone: Good vs Evil.
The central battle against an encroaching, corrupting darkness provides the same high-stakes intensity that makes the war for the Fold so compelling in Shadow and Bone.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Peter Jackson · Film · 2002
Shares a thread with Shadow and Bone: Good vs Evil.
As the fellowship faces war against overwhelming odds, you will find the same themes of hope in darkness that anchored the resistance efforts in Shadow and Bone.
Podcasts on the same thread
Dark History
Audioboom Studios · Podcast · 2026
Explores: untold narratives, institutional corruption, societal taboos.
If the dark, revisionist history of the Grishaverse fascinated you, this podcast provides a similar deep dive into the institutional corruption and hidden narratives that shape our world.
The Preamble
Sharon McMahon · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Critical thinking, Media literacy, Civic engagement.
Much like the complex political climate in Shadow and Bone, this show helps you parse through the complicated systems and ideas driving our current, shifting reality.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Shadow and Bone based on a book?
Yes, Shadow and Bone is based on the 2013 book of the same name. The television adaptation, created by Eric Heisserer, premiered in 2021 and depicts a world divided by a barrier of darkness where a young soldier discovers a power capable of uniting her country.
What is the premise of Shadow and Bone?
Shadow and Bone follows a young soldier who discovers a unique power after a massive barrier of darkness cleaves her world in two. As she attempts to hone her abilities, she must navigate a dangerous landscape involving thugs, thieves, assassins, and saints who are at war.
Who created the 2021 television version of Shadow and Bone?
The television adaptation of Shadow and Bone was created by Eric Heisserer. It brings the story of the 2013 book to the screen, focusing on the struggle of a young soldier to unite her country while facing dangerous forces and internal conflict within a divided world.
Does Shadow and Bone feature magical elements?
Yes, Shadow and Bone features magic as a central component of its plot. The story follows a soldier who uncovers a power that could unite her country, though she must struggle to master this ability while surviving a war involving various factions, including assassins and saints.