7 Fantasy TV Shows To Watch After Netflix's 'Shadow and Bone'
Magical, action-packed titles to stream now.
In April, Netflix premiered Shadow and Bone, a fantasy drama TV show adapted from the first book of Leigh Bardugo‘s bestselling Grisha novel trilogy. Set against a backdrop of the monstrous threat the Shadow Fold, created by an evil Shadow Summoner called The Darkling, the series follows soldier and orphan Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), who discovers she is a Grisha — humans who practice the Small Science. On top of that, she learns that her power is like no other and that it may be the answer to setting her country free from the Fold. Torn between being with her best friend Mal (Archie Renaux) and accepting her new responsibilities, Alina struggles to hone her skills despite being trained by General Kirigan (Ben Barnes), also known as the General of the Second Army and the Shadow Summoner. With dangerous forces at play, Alina must train quickly while trying to figure out who she can really trust within the Little Palace’s walls.
If you’ve already finished watching Shadow and Bone and are looking for new titles to binge on, we’ve gathered some of the best fantasy TV shows below. Read on for our top picks.
A Discovery of Witches (2018 – Present)
Director: Juan Carlos Medina, Alice Troughton, Sarah Walker
Cast: Teresa Palmer, Matthew Goode
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime, Sky One
Based on Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy, A Discovery of Witches follows the tale of Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer), a historian and witch who comes across a bewitched manuscript called the Ashmole 782 in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. She then learns that all species from her world desire to get their hands on the Ashmole 782. Diana then decides to uncover the manuscript’s secrets before anyone else alongside vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode).
Game of Thrones (2011 – 2019)
Director: Alan Taylor, Alex Graves, David Nutter, Mark Mylod, Jeremy Podeswa and more.
Cast: Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner
Where To Watch: Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime
Comprised of eight seasons, Game of Thrones is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novels titled A Song of Ice and Fire. The show highlights a number of storylines of different families, including the Starks, the Lannisters and the Targaryens, who all end up going to war against the White Walkers in the final season.
His Dark Materials (2019 – Present)
Director: Tom Hooper, Jamie Childs, Otto Bathurst and more.
Cast: Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Where To Watch: Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max
Another novel-based series, His Dark Materials takes place in a multi-world reality. Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen), a young orphan living with the scholars at Jordan College, must help free her world from the Magisterium, which is a religious and political body that prevents her people from practicing magic.
Merlin (2008 – 2012)
Director: Jeremy Webb, Alice Troughton, David Moore and more.
Cast: David Moore, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby
Where To Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
Reimagining the traditional legend, Merlin follows the young warlock (Colin Morgan) who moves to the kingdom of Camelot and becomes Prince Arthur’s (Bradley James) personal manservant. With magic banned in Camelot, Merlin must keep his powers a secret, but at the same time, protect Prince Arthur at all costs.
The Nevers (2021 – Present)
Director: Joss Whedon, David Semel, Zetna Fuentes
Cast: Laura Donnelly, Ann Skelly, Amy Manson, Eleanor Tomlinson
Where To Watch: Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max
Set in Victorian London in 1896, The Nevers is a science fiction drama about a group of Victorian women and men with special abilities. However, along with their powers comes the threat of dangerous enemies they have to fight in order to save the world.
The Shannara Chronicles (2016 – 2017)
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Cast: Austin Butler, Poppy Drayton, Ivana Baquero
Where To Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
Inspired by The Sword of Shannara trilogy by Terry Brooks, The Shannara Chronicles centers on three young heroes — Wil Ohmsford (Austin Butler), Amberle Elessedil (Poppy Drayton) and Eretria (Ivana Baquero) — who are Earth’s last protectors. The trio goes on a series of adventures where they fight off evil demons trying to threaten the planet.
The Witcher (2019 – Present)
Director: Alik Sakharov, Alex Garcia Lopez, Charlotte Brändström and more.
Cast: Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan
Where To Watch: Netflix
The Witcher explores the life of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), a magical monster hunter destined to be with Princess Ciri of Cintran (Freya Allan). However, after crossing paths with a quarter-elf sorceress named Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), Geralt finds himself in a difficult position: should he follow his destiny or his heart?
