We've been through this huge battle and so much has happened, Nikolai almost feels that sigh of relief, and things are starting to fall into place: Mal's gone off and taken the Sturmhond role; Nikolai has finally accepted that he can be himself; he's finally accepted that he's fallen in love with Alina.
As book fans know, that means Nikolai is set to grow closer to one Grisha soldier in particular. Nope, not Alina Starkov, but the talented squaller Zoya Nazyalensky. In the books, Zoya takes over for Alina as the general of the Second Army and becomes King Nikolai's most trusted advisor.
Nikolai asks Alina to return with him to Ravka and help him to defeat the Darkling. He also proposes marriage to her, suggesting that such an alliance would make both of them stronger and allow them to unite the First and Second Armies against the Darkling.
They both survive, and a few days later, Zoya admits to Nikolai that she loves him. The two begin a romantic relationship after that. It is implied that they intend to marry in the future.
Ultimately, though, Mal and Alina are endgame. After three books of will they or won't they, Alina's dalliance with the Darkling, and near-engagement to Nikolai, the pair end up together running the old orphanage where they grew up in Keramzin.
From there, Alina again refuses to marry Nikolai. She fakes her death, letting the legacy of Santka Alina stand on its own. She and Mal return to their hometown under aliases and rebuild the orphanage at Keramzin where they grew up—and live happily ever after.
During the season, Alina agrees to marry Nikolai, who is next in line for the Ravka throne. After the Darkling is defeated, unlike in the book, she still agrees to marry Nikolai, because she thinks Ravka needs help healing and protection (and, unlike in the book, she still has powers).
Anyway, when Nikolai proposes he kisses Zoya, professes his love for her, and gets down on one knee.
The differences in Mal
A big difference that is made in Mal's character from the beginning of the series is that Mal doesn't sleep with Zoya when they first meet, whereas in the book we are told that he does.
After a demonstration at the Grand Palace, in which Alina proves to the king that she is in fact the Sun Summoner, the Grisha embrace Alina with open arms, with the exception of Zoya, who whispers in Alina's ear that she a "half-breed" and that she "stinks of the orphanage."
Do Nikolai and Alina really become a couple according to the books? As per Bardugo's books, in Grishaverse, Alina is named Nikolai's love interest. Their relationship starts as purely political but changes eventually. The stoic front Nikolai maintained before Alina initially broke down as time passed.
Mal was oblivious to Alina's love from before book one even began. He slept with Zoya and countless others before he realised who was waiting by his back door.
The fate of Alina's powers in the show and in the books
It's not been explained yet, of course, but it's safe to assume that the price Alina had to pay for using merzost to bring Mal back was having her “original” Sun Summoner powers corrupted and turning into a Shadow Summoner, like the Darkling used to be.
Better known as the Sun Summoner, Alina is the protagonist of the series. As one of the most powerful Grisha, she is the only one capable of saving Ravka from the Fold.
Zoya, who despite being a bit player from the first book, is now the most powerful Grisha that ever lived and is likely immortal.
Yes, Zoya had feelings for the Darkling and I DO believe that her feelings and vanity would have been hurt to some extent by the intimacy in the way he approached Alina, but the primary problem was Zoya's sense of injustice.
While searching for the last amplifier, Mal and Alina find out the truth about Mal's heritage. He is descended from Baghra's sister, making him a great-nephew of the Darkling. It also makes him an amplifier. He accepts this fate, understanding and willing to die for Alina.
For context, practically everyone in the Shadow and Bone book trilogy is white, including the main character, Alina Starkov. “When [showrunner] Eric [Heisserer] and I first sat down together, one of the first things we decided was that we wanted Alina to be half Shu," Bardugo said.
During The Darkling's attack at Os Alta, he reveals that he has set nichevo'ya on Genya Safin for sparing Alina. Alina fights him and uses merzost, which causes her hair to turn white, and nearly drains her of her power, defeating them both. This leaves her almost dead and the Darkling, also, badly wounded.
At the end of Ruin and Rising, Tolya and Tamar Kir-Bataar bring Mal back to life and Alina loses her power. From there, Alina again refuses to marry Nikolai. She fakes her death, letting the legacy of Santka Alina stand on its own.
Kaz quickly grows to trust Inej more than anyone else; even willingly removing his gloves in her presence. Kaz slowly realizes his romantic feelings for Inej but tries to suppress them, viewing them as a weakness or a liability for both himself and Inej.
There is a lot of romance in Shadow and Bone. It is based on a YA series, after all. While there are a lot of other epic fantasy shows that have a lot of sexual entanglements, I found the romances in season two—which premieres March 16 on Netflix—to be some of the most compelling character arcs within the series.
While his desire for Alina is not a healthy one and is obsessive, he truly does develop feelings for her. She is the one person who can bring balance to his life. The one person who will understand the weight of eternity and never leave him behind.
Well, it turned out it would, but it still wasn't a love marriage. Alina kept her powers at the end of the season, unlike in the books, and Ravka needed a strong force in the wake of The Darkling and the removal of The Fold. It made the most sense for Alina and Nikolai to make the most of their alliance.
Alina would have had to go through some sort of head transplant to choose to be with that man. Instead, Alina chose Nikolai. She knew that Ravka needed stability and surety, and that was something a union between Nikolai and Alina would be able to offer. Shadow and Bone season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.