Ben Barnes' Casting in Netflix's Shadow and Bone Series Is So Perfect It Hurts

Calling all Shadow and Bone fans! Netflix's adaptation of Leigh Bardugo's popular fantasy trilogy now has a full cast, and it's blowing us away.

Ben Barnes will play General Kirigan, more commonly known as the Darkling, in the eight-episode series, which tells the story of Alina Starkov, an orphaned girl who finds herself caught up in the machinations of a magical struggle to unite her divided country. Barnes is a perfect fit for the brooding and mysterious leader of the Second Army, who is equal parts alluring and intimidating.

The rest of the cast is made up of virtual unknowns, which, frankly, is exactly how we like our book-to-series adaptations. Jessie Mei Li will play our heroine, Alina Starkov, a solider with hidden gifts that end up whisking her away into the dangerous world of the Grisha -- the magic users who make up the Second Army. Archie Renaux has been cast in the role of Malyen Oretsev, otherwise known as Mal, Alina's childhood friend who she's been quietly in love with most of her life.

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Netflix has also cast Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker, Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa, and Kit Young as Jesper Fahey, three characters from Shadow and Bone's companion series Six of Crows. It seems this adaptation intends to merge the stories from both novels, which should make for an interesting, and perhaps a more diversified story, given that it won't all be told from Alina's point of view.

Shadow and Bone has also recruited Sujaya Dasguptato to play Zoya Nazyalensky, Danielle Galligan to take on the role of Nina Zenik, Daisy Head to star as Genya Safin, and Simon Sears to appear as Ivan. All will be recurring characters in the series.

Shadow and Bone does not yet have a premiere date attached.