Shadow and Bone characters

Appears from the start

A slight, pale orphan who grew up alongside her friend Mal at a country estate and now serves as an assistant mapmaker in the First Army of Ravka, a nation split by a swath of magical darkness called the Shadow Fold. Plain, overlooked, and quietly unhappy, she discovers a dormant power in a moment of terror: she can summon light. That gift marks her as the legendary Sun Summoner, the one Grisha believed able to destroy the Fold, and it wrenches her out of her small life and into a world of soldiers, sorcery, and court intrigue she is unprepared for.

Also known as Mal

Appears from the start

Alina's oldest friend, an orphan raised with her, now a charming and gifted tracker in the First Army who can find almost anyone or anything. Popular and easygoing where Alina is unnoticed, he is the person she loves most, though he seems unaware of it. When Alina's power surfaces during a crossing of the Shadow Fold, it is Mal she saves, and their bond becomes the thread she clings to as her life is upended.

First appears in chapter 3

The powerful and ageless leader of the Grisha, Ravka's magic-wielders, and commander of the Second Army. He alone commands shadow, a rare and feared ability. Magnetic, controlled, and imposing, he recognizes Alina as the Sun Summoner and takes charge of her, promising that together they can heal the country by destroying the Shadow Fold. Alina is drawn to his attention and confidence, uncertain how much of him she truly understands.

First appears in chapter 6

A strikingly beautiful young Grisha with the rare gift of a Tailor, able to alter appearance, flesh, and beauty. She serves at the royal court and is assigned to attend Alina at the Little Palace, becoming her first real friend there. Warm and clever, Genya helps Alina navigate the unfamiliar customs and cruelties of Grisha society, though her position at court is more precarious than it appears.

First appears in chapter 7

A harsh, secretive old woman who lives apart at the Little Palace and is tasked with training Alina to control and unlock her power. Brutal in her methods and sparing with kindness, she has known the Grisha world far longer than anyone realizes. Alina resents her lessons until Baghra proves to understand the true nature of Alina's gift, and its dangers, better than anyone else.

First appears in chapter 7

A beautiful and haughty Grisha Squaller, able to command wind and air, who trains among the elite at the Little Palace. Proud and cutting, she resents the sudden attention lavished on the untrained Alina and treats her with open contempt, becoming an early rival in the competitive world of the Second Army.

First appears in chapter 9

A quiet, socially awkward Grisha Fabrikator, one of the makers who work steel and chemistry into remarkable devices. Far more comfortable with his craft than with people, he labors intently at the Little Palace, more interested in what he can build than in the court's politics and rivalries.

First appears in chapter 6

The king's strange, unsettling spiritual adviser, a priest who moves at the edges of the royal court. Watchful and hard to read, he takes a particular interest in Alina and the religious significance others attach to the Sun Summoner, hinting at loyalties and beliefs that do not align neatly with either the crown or the Grisha.