Editor’s Note: The following are full spoilers from Season 2 of Shadow and Bone.The second season of the Netflix series Shadow and bone uses the opportunity to expand the world seen in the first season. With many more characters introduced, more frequent travel, and more myths explored, the new episodes couldn’t resist making the world even more exciting than before. The show explores the legends of the fantasy world through Morozov and his creatures, but he’s not the only ancient saint to have influenced history. In their quest to defeat the Darkling (Ben Barnes) Abomination-fueled army of Nothing, the heroes quickly discover that there is little that can harm the shadow monsters. Alina Starkova (Jessie May Lee) can blast them with light, but they only respawn. No other Grisha abilities or weapons work at all times, as they can only be hit when they harden to unleash their own attack. While they’re looking for a solution, MelArchie Renault) recalls an old Shu Han legend about Neyar Shrine, which might be the answer they need. Unable to travel to Shu Han on his own, Nikolai (Patrick Gibson) offers to hire old friends. So Tolya (Lewis Tan) and Zoya (Sujaya Dasgupta) contact Kaz Brekker (Freddie Carter) and his team of ravens, asking them to unravel the myth in the desperate hope of finding the legendary sword of Neyar. While they know it may be nothing more than a myth, the heroes have seen the legends ring true before, and if that legend exists, it could help them save the world.
Legend of Neyar
The characters find her story in a book of folklore. Neyar is the patron saint of blacksmiths, best known for forging the sword Neshainer, which means “relentless”. Nearly four hundred years before the events of the series, the village of Neyar was attacked by an unstoppable clockwork army. Neyar created weapons to fight them off. Neshiner has been described as “so sharp it could cut through the shadow”. Fighting for three days and three nights, Neyar defended her home from an indestructible army. She laid down her sword only when the last of the watch battalions had been defeated. The description of the sword’s ability to cut through the shadow and kill an unkillable army, in particular, catches the eye of heroes who find themselves in a similar situation.
Where do they find non-shineers?
Once they accept the job, the crows must decide where to go. The legend originated in Shuhang, so this is the beginning. Although the sword is supposed to be on display in the Shuhan capital of Amrat Jen, rumors have long circulated that it is just a fake. Kaz quickly confirms this and finds out that the real Neshainer was stolen years ago by a collector named the Apprentice, so they decide to find it instead. The student disappeared, but some items from his collection were sold through a contact named Oval Saran (Tuen Do) who has a tea shop in Shuhang, so the team is heading there. After using the code at the tea shop, Kaz encounters Oval, who refuses to answer questions. However, Kaz is too familiar with unreliable people and understands that she is hiding something. Believing Oval to be an Apprentice herself and in possession of a Neshainer, they follow her to her house and plan to sneak inside.
The plan goes awry when they encounter deadly security features. The house traps them and they can’t get out. The Ravens and company barely survive the break-in and their poisoned vision, but don’t get Neushiner. But this is not the last danger they face. Toila senses a faint heartbeat in the house, and Kaz assumes that Oval wanted to protect the man with poison, meaning there is another way out. However, Oval returns home after an unfortunate distraction. She fends off the crows with her honed Grisha abilities. As Durast, she manipulates metals and other substances, but is proficient in hand-to-hand combat. But in all the chaos, she doesn’t see that Kaz is missing.
Who is a student?
Kaz manages to get inside and find the owner of the heartbeat: an old man (Simon Armstrong), who is the husband of Oval. His presence stops the fight. They learn that the old man is the Apprentice and not the Oval. As it turns out, it is Neyar herself, which makes the saint Durast. But she hides her identity in order to lead a normal life. In the years following her battle with the Clockwork Battalion, Neyyar fell in love with the thief who stole her sword from Amrat Jen, although when he returned it to its rightful owner, it was hardly theft. Now the Apprentice is old and close to death, although Neyar is still relatively young. Despite Kaz’s words, Neyar insists that her love for her husband is not a weakness, but the impression of pain is part of what makes life worth living. Neyar does not want to participate in the battle, but after learning the situation, he agrees to lend Neshainer to Jesper (Keith Young) as she admits that they share their Durast abilities. However, she hopes that it will be returned. The crows leave Shu Khan one step closer to defeating Nichevo’ya and closer to each other than ever before.
Did Neyar appear in the book?
Neyar and her story do not appear in Shadow and bone book series Lee Bardugo. However, the series includes characters from other Grisha Universe series, which means that the characters who did not appear in the story being adapted need to do something. The show uses this opportunity to move on to more obscure stories from the world of Bardugo. And Neyar and Neshainer are one example of things that don’t belong in the original story. Neyar’s story can be found in the companion novel, the lives of the saints, which inspired the show’s storyline. However, the concept fits easily into the show. Upon learning of their powers, the religious people of Ravka named Alina a saint, and when she learns of Morozov, she discovers that he, too, was revered as a saint.
The idea that Grisha powers can be seen as holy is not new to this story and has played an important role. The legend of Neshainer fits into the story so well because of the Darkling Darkling’s army. The search for weapons to defeat the shadow creatures leads to desperate attempts, but they pay off and allow for a closer examination of what sainthood means in this world. Alina is not the first Grisha to be lauded, although she may feel lonely. The fact that there are other living saints in the world proves that Alina’s journey is not over yet.
Source: Collider
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