Image is my own off my bookstagram @goodyreads, with dustjackets from nerdy.ink

In Sarah J. Maas’s second bestselling series, a mortal young woman named Feyre Archeron is thrust into the world of the High Fae: a world full of mystique, beauty, political intrigue, and danger. the shadow of War is brewing upon the horizon, and with her newly found allies and inner circle, she must defeat a powerful enemy in order to save the world she already knows comes to love…

This has been such a popular series amongst SJM fans, it seems to be more popular than even her first series, Throne of Glass! I personally prefer TOG, but that doesn’t detract from ACOTAR; I still consider A Court of Mist and Fury to be the author’s best book to date!

Below, I’ve included an image of the main cast created by the extraordinary artist, Charlie Bowater! Her work is simply breathtaking and she is some of my all time favorite digital artists!

To see my book review for book #1 – A Court of Thorns and Roses – Click HERE!

To see my book review for book #2 – A Court of Mist and Fury – Click HERE!

To see my book review for book #3 – A Court of Wings and Ruin – Click HERE!

To see my review of book #3.5 – A Court of Frost and Starlight – Click HERE!

To see my review of book #4 – A Court of Silver Flames – Click HERE!

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Here is my official Fancast/Dreamcast:

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Feyre Archeron: Barbara Palvin, or Josephine Skriver

One thing that grinds my gears with a lot of the other fancasts/fanart I’ve seen is that they make Feyre out to be blonde….um nope, that’s cancelled because she’s brunette! Both of these models have delicate & feminine features, gorgeous smiles, and have a particular look that I believe is the essence of our heroine of this whole series!

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Elaine Archeron: Minka Kelly

Minka Kelly has such a soft voice, similar to Vanessa Hudgens’ but much less annoying. You may remember her from Friday Night Lights, the TV Show and the college thriller flick, The Roommate.

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Nesta Archeron: Bar Refaeli

Nesta was a hard character to cast, but I believe this supermodel has a look that’s very similar to the cold, intimidating, and oldest Archeron sister. She’s not an actress, but has been on the cover of the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated magazine, and dated Leo DiCaprio at one point!

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High Lord Tamlin: Nick Nemeth

That jawline though…..as a WWE wrestling fan who also is an avid reader–ESPECIALLY with SJM series–I thought of Nick here who goes under the stage name “Dolph Ziggler” –I wish I was kidding–and has the physical appearance of how I picture the High Lord of the Spring Court.

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Lucien Vanserra: Tom Busson

A lot of other fans say that Outlander male lead, Sam Heughan, is their choice for Lucien. I had him too for quite some time too, but now I believe he’d be just too old to play the part. Maybe he’d be better suited for Eris or his father Lord Beron, but I believe this Instagram model has a look much more suited to our beloved Lucien Vanserra!

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Alis: Octavia Spencer

Octavia Spencer is just so adorable! She’s cute as a button, but can also go into a serious mom mode in her characters, and I thought she’d be perfect to play the part of Alis, the attendant who looks after Feyre when she’s brought to the Spring Court. It also makes sense considering Alis is from the Summer Court, and if we’re going to talk about Representation, the people from there are typically of African descent!

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The Suriel: Bill Skarsgård

Okay, after his triumph that is absolutely nailing the iconic role of Pennywise from Stephen King’s IT, we all know Bill can nail the creepy roles…no one can deny that. I would love to see him play our ghoulish, gossip loving, pot stirring, tea sipping Suriel in these books. He would add so much to the character and steal every scene he was in!

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High Lord Rhysand: Ian Somerhalder, or Sahib Faber

One’s an actor while the other is a model, but both could so easily play the coveted role of the High Lord of the Night Court. If anyone has watched The Vampire Diaries, Ian portraying Damon Salvatore is a dead ringer for Rhysand: same personality, same swagger, same inner turmoil hidden by smirks and wisecracks, and of course the same devilish good looks. I couldn’t help but imagine the High Lord looking like Damon because of all this. Sahib is a more unknown choice, but why not have some more choices? Plus…just look at him! Would you just look at him? Just look at him!

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Amarantha: Eva Green, or Deborah Ann Woll

I admit both actresses have such different looks when compared to each other, so as for who might be a better choice? I guess it depends on who you ask…Eva has such a nefarious, villainess look to her, but Deborah matches a lot of the fanart I’ve seen of Amarantha and is known for being in HBO’s True Blood, so either choice works for me!

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Morrigan: Maryse Ouellet-Mizanin

Mor was another hard choice! Everyone seems to be going for Margot Robbie for some reason, but there’s two things wrong with that casting: she doesn’t even have brown eyes like Mor is described as having. That may sound picky, but whatevs…it’s my fancast, so get over it… I personally envisioned this former WWE Women’s wrestler who is undeniably gorgeous, and physically fits the description of Mor much more effectively!

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Azriel: Nick Bateman, or Joao Lima

Joao Lima, image courtesy of brazillianmalemodel.com

Both of these male actors are tall, lanky and can pull off the moody, brooding look: so for me, both of them could be excellent choices for our Lord of Shadows, Azriel! Nick does small acting jobs but is mostly an Instagram model, and was who I originally pictured as Az, but once it became apparent that Illyrians were POC, I also picked this male model Joao Lima, especially when he’s more clean shaven! Or I guess he doesn’t have to be…I’m cool with Azriel rockin’ some facial hair!

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Amren: Jamie Chung

Jamie is a fan favorite among others who’ve shared their fancast for this series, and I agree with it! She’s given her voice acting chops for Big Hero 6, and was also a wonderful Mulan in the show, Once Upon A Time, and if I don’t have you convinced yet, check out this image of her below with total Amren eyes:

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Cassian: Santiago Loker

This guy is probably unknown to a lot of you, but oh my goodness, is he easy on the eyes! He’s an Instagram model, and looks great with a manbun which was a must to play our favorite charming, cocky general for the Night Court’s army.

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High Lord Tarquin: Michael Ealy

I loved this man in Think Like A Man, and seriously…look at those eyes! They’re so hypnotic and I could so easily get lost in them for days! He never does anything even remotely close to Fantasy-genre, so it’d be cool to see him broaden his horizons and play the High Lord of the Summer Court!

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Ianthe: Laura Vandervoort

Ianthe needs to be played by an actress who’s obviously attractive, but also looks like she could have a stick up her ass the entire time, and Laura looks the part 😂…She was in the show Bitten and was even Supergirl back when Smallville was still a thing!

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The Bone Carver: Iain Armitage

I mean…if this 14 year old (as I’m typing this in 2023) actor can star in a tv show like Young Sheldon, why not have him go for this creepy role of playing a death god? Personally, I’d be all for going back in time to 2009 and getting a much younger Hero Fiennes Tiffin, who played an 11 year old Tom Riddle/Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but it don’t work like that unfortunately…

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The Weaver of the Woods/ Stryga: Bonnie Aarons

Image courtesy of the actress’s IMDB page

You may or may not recognize this actress, but she’s actually one of the most famous figures in modern horror movies! Or at least she plays them. Take a closer look, and you may agree with me when you remember she plays the creepy AF nun demon named Valak in the Conjuring and The Nun movies. That alone makes me think she’d make an AMAZING Weaver too!

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King of Hybern: Jason Isaacs

I mean…Do I really need to justify casting the man who magnificently played the evil and elitist Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies? Nope, I didn’t think so either!

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Queen Briallyn (Young/Old): Anna Popplewell and Imelda Staunton

Whether or not anyone agrees with me on this pairing, it’s my fancast so it’s my final say, but I think this would just be fun to watch! Anna, or Queen Susan from Narnia, played a mean-girl, bitchy queen…and then freakin’ Dolores Umbridge played her evil old Fae crone form after she ends up in the Cauldron!! C’mon…..you gotta see that, right?!

High Lord of the Autumn Court, Beron: Mads Mikkelsen

He’s so great at playing villains! I’ve known this ever since he starred opposite Daniel Craig in 007: Casino Royale, and the guy played Hannibal Lector too! He’d also be another great choice to play the part of Big Boss Villain, the King of Hybern…It’s funny how Maas literally has her villainous kings just named “King of _______” from her books.

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Lady of the Autumn Court: Sarah Rafferty

Sarah matches the description of Lord Beron’s wife very well in my opinion, even if it sounds like this role is a far cry from her character on the USA network show, Suits. I couldn’t tell ya since I haven’t seen the show!

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High Lord of the Day Court, Helion: Joel Wieneke

Image courtesy of the model/personal trainer’s Instagram profile: @green.joel

Another harder one to cast; most of the actors that would be eligible—or were fancasted by many others—were either too old or too young or just not what I imagined at all. Not knocking anyone’s choices, but it made it harder to find someone that fit MY vision…I ran across Joel on Instagram and he is a gorgeous model and personal trainer who definitely looks the part in my opinion! Just stick a wig on him and a toga, and he could totally look like Helion!

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High Lord of the Winter Court Kallias: Heath Hutchins

Kallias, High Lord of the Winter Court, is a character I liked but him and and his mate, Vivianne, were barely in the dang books! I wished we got to see more of the other high lords, but maybe that’ll happen in later books; according to Goodreads, there are supposed to be, like, three more titles for the series!

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High Lord Thesan: Hamid Fadaei

He’s an actor and model, even if I haven’t seen him in anything. He’s a pretty gorgeous Persian man, so I thought he was an excellent choice for playing the role of the High Lord of the Dawn Court!

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Eris Vanserra: Ryan Cooper

He’s an actor who’s actually played a corpse in Rough Night, starring Scarlett Johansson, but also starred in a Colleen Hoover novel-turned-movie Confess. Dye his hair red, and with that wicked gleam in his eye, he could definitely be an option to play Lucien’s devious older brother!

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Prince Varian: Jesse Williams

This man is in Grey’s Anatomy while it goes into its 15000th season, and I like casting him in Fantasy roles, so I’d like it if he played Lord Tarquin’s younger brother and subtle love-interest to Amren.

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Princess Cresseida: Logan Browning

She has the similar features of other actors I’ve casted for the Summer Court’s royal family. She’s got gorgeous darker skin and mesmerizing eyes, so she’d look great playing the young princess! She’s most known for starring in the Netflix show, Dear White People.

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Jurian: Taylor Kitsch

I’ve been a fan of his since he played Tim Riggins on the TV Show, Friday Night Lights, and he was decent in Vince Flynn’s movie adaptation of American Assassin, so he’d be my pick to play the interesting role of Jurian!

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Vassa: Erika Postnikova

Image courtesy of Aleksandr Vinogradov on Flickr

Erika is a beauty influencer and model whom I found on Pinterest when looking into redheads for this character. She is EXACTLY how Vassa is described and I’d even say she’d make an excellent in the From Blood and Ash series by Jennifer Armentrout too!

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Priestess Gwyneth Berdara: Sophie Turner

As soon as I read that Gwyn had red hair, for some reason I just really pictured Emma Stone, BUT now Sophie Turner as a redhead really does it for me! She’s an amazing actress from Game of Thrones, and would portray Gwyn amazingly in my opinion!

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Emerie: Lindsey Morgan

I don’t know much about this actress, but she’s in the CW show, The 100, and that seems to be really popular, so her face popped up and I thought she looked like how I imagined the Illyrian shop-owner turned Valkyrie warrior looking like!

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Koschei: Sephiroth? Or Lee Pace or Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Lee Pace as Thanduin, Image courtesy of Georgia Strait

Jonathan, Image courtesy of the New York Post

So Koschei is another Death God from the ancient world, he’s the older brother of the Bone Carver and the Weaver of the Woods. He’s the evil sorcerer who’s trapped in that lake who also cursed Vassa. He does make a brief appearance in the latest book I believe, it’s been like two years since I’ve read it already WOW so this makes me feel like a reread is due! But he gave me vibes that he’s the next big baddie boss villain to defeat for this world…He’s described as having black eyes and white hair….okay. I pictured my favorite Smash Bro’s character to plau, OR to be a little more realistic, I also picture Lee Pace straight out of The Hobbit movies for this role then based off that alone…but JRM could make an excellent villain too! This one is more up in the air and could change when we get more content of this god, but that would mean SJM needs to release more books too so……………………

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There you have it for now! The series is still ongoing, so more characters will be added and fancasted by myself as it goes on and they are introduced. That means to be sure to check back to this page when new books come out and I’ll add as soon as I get caught up and find a face to the name!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fancasts/Dreamcasts

My Fancast/Dreamcast: The Folk of the Air Series by Holly Black

October 5, 2019March 7, 2023 nicholasjgoodsell

Image from @goodyreads, my bookstagram account!

In Holly Black’s enchanting and twisted trilogy, Jude Duarte is a young mortal girl when Madoc comes and kills her parents. He takes her and her sisters back with him to the High Courts of Faerie, and ten years later wants nothing more than to belong amongst the folk despite their hatred for humans. Among the worst is Cardan Greenbriar, the youngest and most sadistic prince of the royal court, and Jude must evade him and his threats in order to secure her place.

As she gets herself caught up within the many twisted webs of courtly intrigue, she discovers her own skills and willingness to shed blood and tell lies, and discovers not only a shocking betrayal in the works but a scandal that could rock the whole future of Faerie. Jude must make some deadly deals and align herself with some dangerous players in order to secure not only her own safety, but everyone else she loves too.

My book review for The Cruel Prince (Folk of the Air #1) is here!

My book review for The Wicked King (Folk of the Air #2) is here!

My book review for The Queen of Nothing (Folk of the Air #3) is here!

My book review for How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (Folk of the Air #3.5) is here!

The Folk of the Air trilogy is full of twists, deadly surprises, and enchanting romance that entranced me into Holly Black’s world of Faerie, and has been a vastly popular series for fans of YA-Fantasy everywhere!

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Here is my official Fancast/Dreamcast:

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Jude Duarte/Taryn Duarte: Daisy Ridley, or Sofia Carson

Who I really need as is a young Natalie Portman, but Daisy is an awesome choice to play the twins if I do say so myself! Based of her portrayal of Rey in the new “Star Wars” movies along with her role in “Murder on the Orient Express”, she’d be great at capturing both Jude and Taryn’s split personalities.

Daisy was my original choice, but once Holly Black confirmed that the Duarte’s are Latina, I had to update that! Sofia Carson is probably a more fitting choice for the role of the twins in this twisty series!

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Prince Cardan Greenbriar: Mitchell Wick, or Raphael Say

Raphael Say, Image courtesy of vanityteen.com

He’s got the flow, he’s got the smoldering gaze, and the sexy body! My pick for the wicked king of Elfhame is none other than this gorgeous male model.

I recently discovered Raphael, who’s an international French model, and is NOT afraid to show off in the camp get ups that we all know Cardan absolutely wears, so he’s a younger, maybe even more accurate choice!

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Vivianne Duarte: Ana de Armas

Ana de Armas, who stared in Rian Johnson’s whodunnit film, Knives Out, definitely has a certain look that I believe is quite similar to Jude and Taryn’s older half-fae sister.

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Locke: Jamie Campbell Bower

Just dye his hair a fiery orange, and you’ve got yourself my version of Locke! This British actor has been in the ultra-intense-popular latest season of “Stranger Things” and also is known from “Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” and even a small but notable appearance in Harry Potter as a young Grindelwald!

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Balekin Greenbriar: Aidan Turner

The older, more sinister of the Greenbriar siblings needed to be played by someone who is able to play a villain and look good doing it. I think I was watching The Hobbit movies when I came up with Aiden Turner as my choice, who was also in the And Then There Were None mini-series, but it worked!

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Eldred Greenbriar: Anthony Hopkins

If these books were turned into a film franchise, it’s something that no one would expect Hannibal Lector to be a part of, so I thought it’d be fun to see Anthony as the elderly king of Elfhame and get him all campy and fairy-like.

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Madoc: Keifer Sutherland

Kind of a random/filler answer to who would play the role of Madoc, but from what little I’ve seen on his old show, 24, Keifer would hold his own as the General.

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Nicasia: Aja Naomi King

I love her in ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, and for some reason I pictured Nicasia being black—why not?—so Aja Naomi King would excel at the role of the elitist princess of the deep!

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Dain Greenbriar: Tyler Hoechlin

Another Mr. tall, dark, and handsome to play a Greenbriar sibling! Catch him from the Teen Wolf TV show that used to be on MTV (if you feel up to it, I know that sentence makes it really tempting).

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Heather: Kat Graham

Kat Graham has been a favorite of mine ever since her witchy days back on The Vampire Diaries, and she’s always switching up her look, so I thought she’d be a good fit for the alternative, artistic character named Heather.

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Valerian: Dan Stevens, or Dacre Montgomery

Dacre Montgomery, image courtesy of dacre-montgomery.net

Dan Stevens was pretty decent in the recent live-action Disney film, Beauty and the Beast, alongside Emma Watson, so he’s familiar with playing in fantasy settings for projects. After seeing him in “Stranger Things” as Billy, Dacre should be getting roles left and right now! He certainly knows how to play a sadistic and cruel fae highborn like Valerian!

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The Ghost: Matthew Noszka

Matthew Noszka kind of makes me feel like he’s the gen-z version of Chad Michael Murray…he’s got the golden-boy-next-door all american good looks, a total heartthrob that both girls and guys can all collectively have crushes on! Or is that just me?……..

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The Bomb: Melvnin

This instagram model has such a beautiful, unique look; she looks like a faerie in real life!

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Oriana: Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow is an actress who hardly needs any introductions or reminders of what films she’s done. Oriana always seems like she has a cloud hanging over her head, but she still pulls it off with such grace and splendor…Our girl Gwynie would rock this part!

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Queen Orlagh: Viola Davis

Since she works with Aja (above) in “HTGAWM,” why not have her play Nicasia’s mother, the Queen of the ocean?

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Asha (Cardan’s Mother): Sarah Paulson

Say what you will about American Horror Story, but there’s no denying that Sarah Paulson is an absolutely brilliant actress! Asha seems like an incredibly complex character, and I would love Sara to bring her character to life!

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Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fancasts/Dreamcasts

My Fancast/Dreamcast: An Ember In The Ashes Series by Sabaa Tahir

September 7, 2019February 5, 2021 nicholasjgoodsell

Image courtesy of Sabaa Tahir’s Instagram profile

In Sabaa Tahir’s debut YA Fantasy series, Laia is a young girl living in poverty under the Martial Rule of the Empire in a world reminiscent of Ancient Rome, and must become a spy for a covert rebellion group her parents were a part of in order to get answers and secrets from the most dangerous and cruel general in Serra, but discovers more than she could’ve ever imagined….

Elias, the son of the very same general and star pupil at military training camp, secretly wants a life of freedom and to run away from the scrutiny and expectations that have weighed him down for as long as he remembers, but unexpected events leads to a tournament where he must compete against his fellow classmates in order for a new emperor to be crowned puts everything on pause…

Meanwhile, dark forces are at work, and a malicious shadow known as the Nightbringer is developing a sinister plot that could mean the end of life as we know it…

Check out my review of book #1: An Ember in the Ashes – Click HERE

Check out my review of book #2: A Torch Against the Night – Click HERE

Check out my review of book #3: A Reaper at the Gates – Click HERE

Check out my review of book #4: A Sky Beyond the Storm – Click HERE

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Here’s my official Fancast/Dreamcast:

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Laia of Serra: Sophia Ali, or Shiva Negar

Sophia Ali, image courtesy of the actress’s IMDB profile

Shiva Negar, image courtesy of gemmamagazine.com

This one was a little harder to do because there aren’t a whole lot of well known, Middle-Eastern/Pakistani/Muslim actresses out there that I felt would be fitting of the role. However I did remember these two women; Sophia has been on the more recent seasons of Grey’s Anatomy playing a young intern, and Shiva was in American Assassin.

Elias Veturius: Eliran Biton, or Jorge Del Rio

Eliran Bitan, image courtesy of the model’s Instagram profile

Elias was incredibly hard to cast! A lot of other fancasts that I’ve looked at have made him caucasian, but I remember reading somewhere that Sabaa Tahir said he wasn’t. Toni Mahfud has been a popular choice to fancast him since, but for me, something about him just didn’t fit the bill. I found this guy on Instagram, found out he’s of Israeli descent, and so I thought he looked much more like what I imagined Elias to appear as. Jorge is another choice based off his hypnotic eyes, but he may not fit the ethnic background that Elias may fall under.

Helene Aguilla: Claire Holt

I’ve loved her ever since her days as Original Vampire Rebekah Mikaelson in the CW’s The Vampire Diaries. Like Rebekah, Helene doesn’t seem like much more than an a spoiled, elitist brat, but develops into a strong, brave & admirable young woman, so I believe that Claire would successfully showcase that if they cast her into the role.

Cain: Paul Bettany

Image courtesy of starwars.com

Paul has basically been my go-to guy for casting in strange, otherworldly male roles. He’s a terrific actor, has a unique look to him, and has a soft, yet powerful presence like his role as Vision in Marvel’s Avengers movies, so I believe he’d be absolutely wonderful as the mysterious Augur, Cain.

Marcus Ferrar: Willy Monfret

I also would’ve cast Jesse Williams possibly, but I always cast him into roles and he seemed a little too old to play Marcus, but this model (who is seen in several Nicki Minaj music videos) would also serve to play the egocentric, crazed, power-hungry antagonist, Marcus.

Darin (Laia’s Brother): Deniz Akdeniz

Image courtesy of the actor’s IMDB profile

I’ve seen this guy play Aladdin on ABC’s Once Upon A Time, he’s also been on Jane the Virgin, and Agents of the S.H.I.E.L.D. He’s got a look that reminds me of Darrin, and seems good at playing the older brother of our Heroine, Laia.

Avitas Harper: Sean Sarantos

Avitas Harper was also a hard one to cast; not too much is given to us as to what he looked like. Sean is known more in the fitness world than Hollywood, but this half korean/ half greek model has a perfect look I had in mind for Avitas Harper, since the character is of Eastern Asian descent, according to the author!

Afya Ara-Nur: Priyaka Chopra Jonas

For some reason, I originally cast Angela Bassett as the role…I think I was riding a high from her iconic-ness from American Horror Story, but after looking into it and realizing that she didn’t look anything like the role, and was way too old to play this Tribal-woman! I thought Priya would be able to harness the power that Afya possesses as being the leader of the tribe that takes in Elias and Laia in the second title, A Torch Against the Night.

Keris Veturius (The Commandant): Cate Blanchett

I mean…do I really have to explain myself with this one?

Keenan: Ken Bek

Image courtesy of the model’s Instagram profile

There aren’t a whole lot of ginger men in Hollywood, at least younger ones. Most people would probably cast Eddie Redmayne or Sam Claflin, but neither felt right for this role. He’s not an actor, but this male model has a bit of danger in his eyes, a bit of swagger that I imagine Keenan had as he prowled the streets of Serra in search of causing a little chaos as he helps the rebellion cause.

Izzi: Scarlett Leithold

Image courtesy of fashionmodeldirectory.com

This model has what I imagine the similar features as our kitchen maid, Izzi. There’s no eyepatch, but she has young features, is absolutely gorgeous but not too prominent about it, and has a little more on an innocent vibe than other young blonde actresses that I could find.

Cook: Bahar Soomekh

Image courtesy of the actress’s IMDB profile

So the cook is such an interesting character…I really can’t say why, but this actress who I know from movies like Crash and Mission: Impossible 3 kind of, sort of fits my bill for what the Cook could possibly look like, especially as we get to know her character more and more.

Spiro Teluman: Nuufloeau Joel Seanoa

This guy is actually a WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Superstar with his ring name being “Samoa Joe.” He fits the bill for what I imagined Spiro Teluman to look like; a big, brutish man who secretly makes weapons to aid the rebellion.

Zacharias Ferrar: Kendrick Sampson

Another go-to of mine when it comes to POC male characters with lighter eyes, but I thought he’d still be able to pull off the quieter, more softer brother to Marcus.

Shaeva: Sabaa Tahir

Image courtesy of the author’s Twitter account

Why not have the author of the dang series make an appearance if they ever make it a cinematic adaptation? I think if she ever wanted to go into acting, why not have her play the role of the Soul Catcher we meet in the second title?

Musa of Adisa: Sam Asghari

I could be WAY off base with this one, but based off my impression of Musa (aka “The Beekeeper), he’s this model-esque hunk of dream boat, and the man who’s dating Britney Spears seemed to physically fit what I imagined the smug, charismatic prince consort who has the magical ability to control lesser fey creatures.

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Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fancasts/Dreamcasts

My Fancast/Dreamcast: The Six Of Crows Series by Leigh Bardugo

June 29, 2019March 7, 2023 nicholasjgoodsell

In Bardugo’s fantasy realm of the Grisha, supernatural beings with the ability to manipulate different elements, are in danger as a drug has been developed that means deadly consequences, and the only person who knows the cure has been taken prisoner inside the impenetrable fortress, the Ice Court, in the Frozen northern land of Fjerda. Can Kaz Brekker and his recruits of thieves, assassins, and runaways pull off the biggest heist in history?

To see my review of book #1: Six of Crows – Click here!

To see my review of book #2: Crooked Kingdom – Click here!

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Here’s my official Fancast/Dreamcast:

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Kaz Brekker: Ben Barnes

I mean, does this image alone NOT give you Kaz Brekker vibes? Sure, Ben Barnes seems older for this role and he’s officially casted as the Darkling on the Netflix show, but I’d made this casting choice before the show was even a thought, and I think he could perfectly exude that dark and twisty vibe that Kaz constantly exudes as he plots against his enemies. The former Prince Caspian, Westworld, & The Punisher actor, in my mind is perfect for this role!

Inej Ghafa: Kelly Gale

I know this won’t be a popular choice, but imagined Inej with a really particular look, and this Indian/Australian model looked very much like what I imagined “The Wraith” to appear as.

Wylan Van Eck: Daniel Sharman

I know this may also not be a popular choice, but I’ve always seen Daniel play the arrogant bad-boy in The Originals, and Teen Wolf, but I’m curious to see him play a role thats the total opposite of that! Let’s stop typecasting, yeah?

Jasper Fahey: Kendrick Sampson

Image courtesy of the actor’s Twitter profile

He’s a go-to POC guy for me, I know…but I imagined what him and Daniel Sharman looked like together and I couldn’t help but ship it! See him make appearances in shows like How to Get Away with Murder, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural to name a few!

Matthias Helvar: Wyatt Nash

This guy sneaks around and becomes a side character for SO many shows that I watch! Catch him in Netflix’s Dear White People, GLOW, and he also was recently added to Riverdale! Others may go for a Kellan Lutz type of guy, but remember that Matthias has been in prison for some time when we meet him, the dude isn’t going to be shredded or jacked, he’s going to have thinned out a bit, but still be just as blond and handsome as we believe!

Nina Zenik: Robyn Lawley

Nina was the hardest character to cast for this group! There aren’t a whole lot of plus-sized actresses or models that I felt matched Nina’s physical description and also could possibly exude her sensual confidence! I initially had plus-size model Tara Lynn as a casting choice, but now I’ve updated to this other plus-sized model. She’s Australia’s top plus-sized model, and has even been featured in Ralph Lauren ads!

Pekka Rollins: Aidan Gillen

Leader of the Den Lions, an enemy gang to the Dregs lead by Kaz; he’s an overall douche-wad with some serious power in Ketterdam, so I thought the man who played the slimiest character in Game of Thrones, Littlefinger, would be perfect for this role!

Jan Van Eck: Martin Henderson

Another powerful man in Ketterdam, he’s Wylan’s father and one of the most influential merchants in this series. While being a complete asshole, the man is still described as being pretty easy on the eyes, and after watching him in Grey’s Anatomy, I thought this Kiwi actor from New Zealand would be a good choice!

Tante Heleen: Betty Gilpin

After enjoying her in the Women’s wrestling show on Netflix GLOW, I thought she’d be a great person to cast as the despicable brothel owner who used to physically torment Inej back when she was a sex slave.

Per Haskell: Skeet Ulrich

The former leader of the Dregs before Kaz took over; he’s a moody, drunken, greedy man who’s a shell of his former glory. Watching him in play Southside Serpent Gang Leader FP Jones in the CW’s Riverdale, Skeet seemed like a safe choice. I’d just ask him to turn it down on the rugged charm and endearing fatherly moments!

Jarl Brum: Tom Hardy

Leader of the Drüskelle (the Fjerdan organization formed to eradicate Grisha), and Mathias’s former mentor, he’s a ruthless witch hunter who’s extremely dangerous! Tom Hardy is an incredibly versatile actor, and I think he’d be great with playing this military general.

Kuwei Yul-Bo: BooBoo Stewart

Jordie Rietvold: Ben Schnetzer

He was the overall favorite to play Kaz’s older brother in almost EVERY other fancast I found, So I thought I’d continue the bandwagon because I do see it immensely.

Dunyasha Lazareva: Alyssa Campanella

She’s a gorgeous, scarlet-haired assassin who’s known as “The White Blade.” Pekka Rollins and Jan Van Eck hired personally as a lethal contender to go up against Inej, who believes her to be her shadow; her other half, the flip side of the coin, the ying to her yang, you get the picture. She’s not an actress, but the former Miss USA winner sure looks the part!

Genya Safin: Miguelle Landry

Another gorgeous redhead, this Tailor Grisha makes a surprise appearance in Crooked Kingdom along with some other noteworthy characters from the Shadow and Bone trilogy! Again, not an actual actress, but give this model some ember colored contacts, and she’d for sure look the part!

Nikolai Lantsov: Lucas Bloms

Oh Nikolai…one of Leigh Bardugo’s masterpieces, besides the Six of Crows duology in general, and this male model could definitely take on the role of Sturmhond!

Zoya Nazyalenksy: Shay Mitchell

Shay Mitchell is a personal favorite of mine since I’d first seen her in Pretty Little Liars, and she wowed me too when she was in the first season of You on Netflix. She’s so absolutely gorgeous, and just throw on a pair of blue eye contacts and she’d be a perfect Zoya!

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Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fancasts/Dreamcasts

My Fancast/Dreamcast: Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

May 26, 2019March 7, 2023 nicholasjgoodsell

This series is about a young assassin named Calaena Sardothien, who’s been trapped at a concentration camp for over a year before she’s hand selected by the crown prince, Dorian Havilliard, to be his champion in a tournament in order to be the king’s royal assassin and eventually gain her freedom. Without giving too much away for those that haven’t read it yet, SO much more happens in this series, and we’re introduced to a lot of memorable characters:

My review of book #1 –Throne of Glass – Click here!

My review of book #2 – Crown of Midnight – Click here!

My review of The prequel – The Assassin’s Blade -Click here!

My review of book #3 – Heir of Fire – Click here!

My review of book #4 – Queen of Shadows – Click here!

My review of Book #5 – Empire of Storms – Click here!

My review of book #6 – Tower of Dawn – Click here!

My review of book #7 – Kingdom of Ash – Click here!

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Here’s my official Fancast/Dreamcast:

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Calaena Sardothien: Amber Heard, or Samara Weaving

Samara Weaving, image courtesy of celebmafia.com

Both these blonde bombshells have that little fire in their eyes that perfectly encompass our main protagonist, Calaena! Amber Heard has been in Pineapple Express and Aquaman, and Samara was in the Netflix Halloween flick, The Babysitter. Amber was my original choice when I read the series over the years since while they were published, but I discovered Samara recently and thought she’d also make an excellent Aelin!

Dorian Havilliard: Chace Crawford, or Karl Kugelmann

Chace Crawford, image courtesy of stars-arena.com

So ever since I watched him be pretty boy Nate Archibald in the CW’s Gossip Girl back in the day, Chace has been a favorite of mine! he’s got the charm, he’s got the smile, and to help further my justification, it was the image of him below that had me sold on him being my Dorian!

Karl (below) is a model/Tik-Tok creator/influencer (I also can’t believe that’s a thing), and he is so stunning that I actually tear up a little if I look at him for too long! He’s like if Ian Somerhalder and Matthew Bomer had a baby together, and a lot of people are also fancasting him as Rhysand from SJM’s other series, A Court of Thorns and Roses. I see that, but personally, I think he encompasses our dashing Dorian Havilliard just a tad more.

Chaol Westfall: Steve Boyd

The guys no actor; he’s a model I found on Instagram, but he’s my version of the proud and stoic Chaol Westfall. You don’t see it in the first image I selected, but Steve has that smoldering gaze that made it easy for me to select him as another one of my favorite male SJM characters. To further prove my point, here are some more images below to enjoy for your own eyes, and maybe see where I’m coming from…you can thank me later 😉

Nehemia Ytger: Antoinette Robertson

Image courtesy of actress’s Instagram account

I love her portrayal of Coco Connors in Netflix’s TV show Dear White People, so I know she’s not afraid to play a strong woman of color. She’s absolutely gorgeous, and has such a glamorous presence on screen; she’d be perfect to to play Princess Nehemia!

Kaltain Rompier: Camilla Luddington

She’s tough and spunky Jo Wilson on the later seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, but I feel like she’d also be able to play the catty and brash Kaltain. Her character starts off as the basic, interchangeable mean girl trope, but becomes much more compelling as you read Queen of Shadows, and that is where I think Camilla will excel at this role.

The King of Adarlan: Alan Van Sprang

He’s played a brutal king on the CW’s Reign, plus other titles too, so I know he’d be great at playing the sadistic King of Adarlan! Not the most original casting, I know, but the guy plays corrupt men on the thrown so well, I felt like some of us would be disappointed if he didn’t get the role!

Nox Owen: Bernardo Velasco

Image courtesy of the model’s Facebook page

I’d hoped Nox would play a bigger role in the whole series because I really liked the time we had with him, short and brief as it was, but I could totally see this handsome model play the part of Nox.

Sam Cortland: Sam Claflin, or Cameron Cuffe

Cameron Cuffe, image courtesy of gettyimages.com

Both actors just fit the description I had pegged for the one character who everyone loves but only a few actually meet (At least those who read The Assassin’s Blade), and both actors have the ability to teach me love, teach me patience, and teach me pain with Sam’s terrible fate.

Archer Finn: Armie Hammer

Archer is a total pretty boy, plain and simple. He’s a male escort in Rifthold, and Armie is just so delicious to look at, and he’s surprisingly not as old as he actually looks! I’ve seen him in The Social Network, The Lone Ranger, and Call Me By Your Name.

Queen Elena: Amanda Seyfried

A lot of people have fancasted her as Calaena and/or Aelin, but I always thought she seemed too old for that part. With her being put into the list of possible names, I just came up with the idea of the actress from Mean Girls, In Time, Mamma Mia, Jennifer’s Body, and Red Riding Hood would be better suited to play the first queen of Adarlan!

Duke Perrington: Stellan Skarsgård

Stellan is a terrific actor, even if he’s never been an actor who I seek out whenever finding a movie to watch. I imagine Duke Perrington to be this more portly nobleman who just has foot soldiers do all his dirty work, but actually has SO MUCH GOING ON BENEATH THE SURFACE, I”M NOT SPOILING IT BUT OH MY GOD, please appreciate the meaning of that sentence!

Sorscha: Kelsey Asbille

I loved her as Gigi in One Tree Hill, and immediately thought of her as the healer we meet in Heir of Fire who also becomes a love interest to our favorite Prince, Dorian.

Rowan Whitethorn: Chris Hemsworth

Watching him play the god of thunder, Thor, in the MCU movies was what really gave this idea to me. I mean, he had such gorgeous long locks of hair that were so similar to Rowan’s when we initially met him in Heir of Fire, and I’d hoped he’d have kept it a little longer than he did, but nonetheless, he’s beautiful no matter what length it is! But since everyone is so NOT for this choice, here’s a visual of Thor’s hair both long like Rowan’s in Heir of Fire, and shorter like it is in Queen of Shadows and further on:

Aedion Ashryver: Josh Upshaw, or Christopher Mason, or Mike Piek

Both highly agreeable options to play Aedion, I feel no need to further justify!

Lysandra Ennar: Megan Fox, or Phoebe Tonkin

Megan Fox, image courtesy of cosmopolitan.com

Despite people not seeming to be big of fans of Megan Fox, I’ve always liked her in whatever film I’ve seen her in. She’s type-casted as the bitchy hot girl, and Lysandra definitely starts off as that, but it’d be a great bridge for Megan, who has more ability than just being the same role! Phoebe is another great choice; catch her in the CW’s The Vampire Diaries and its spinoff, The Originals.

Manon Blackbeak: Catherine Joy Perry

Image courtesy of the WWE Superstar/model’s Instagram profile

So I follow SJMaas on Pinterest, and she’d pinned images of caucasian girls playing Manon, and not east asian actresses like others are casting her as. I won’t knock anyone who chooses their own fancasts, but I’m just personally going with the author based on her own visual cues.

Asterin Blackbeak: Teresa Palmer

Another fancast option that’s been mentioned for Calaena and Aelin, so I had her included in my casting as the Second-in-Command for the Thirteen in the Blackbeak clan.

Lorcan Salvaterre: Henry Cavill

I love this man…with his Netflix show, The Witcher, showing him in his white wig as the main character, Geralt, and EVERYONE was instantly like “IT’S ROWAN!!!!“… Not me, I’d already had him casted as my Lorcan!

Fenrys Moonbeam: Jason Momoa

Fenrys was by far the hardest character to cast! First, not enough artists have commissioned fanart of him, and no one else has given me satisfying fancast options of him either! Jason Momoa came up because he’s a person of color, he’s can show the cockiness to match, and Aquaman here is also just plain gorgeous! I like him being my Fenrys; give me a better actor’s name, I dare you!

Gavriel: Charlie Hunnam

He’s been in the show Sons of Anarchy and the Guy Ritchie directed flick, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. He’s got a more mature look, so I thought he was an actor of proper age to play our calmer member of the Cadre, Gavriel.

Blackbeak Patron: Jessica Lange

She’s an icon, plain and simple. Jessica usually plays homophobic old women in her roles, but I can look past that for the sake of having her play an ancient, but powerful Ironteeth Witch and patron of the Blackbeak Clan. I’m literally getting chills just thinking about it!

Elide Lochan: Nina Dobrev

Everyone knows her as Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on The Vampire Diaries, but now you can also picture her as the resourceful and courageous Elide Lochan! Both characters know they aren’t the strongest players in the game, but that doesn’t stop them from sticking it to the big male alphaholes who continuously underestimate them.

Nesryn Faliq: Liza Soberano

Liza has beautiful Filipino features, and she was someone who I thought of to play the master archer, Nesryn. It’s up for debate what ethnicity she technically falls under, but I’ve always pictured her having more eastern Asian features in her appearance, plus there’s plenty of fanart to back me up, so I’m sticking with my choice!

Ren Allsbrook: Alex Libby

Ren isn’t described a whole lot in the books, so I feel like it can be pretty up in the air with whoever would portray him. I had a major crush on this model around the time we met this character in the books, so I just put a face to the name at that time. This choice could really be anyone!

Ansel of Briarcliff: Rose Leslie

If not Sophie Turner, I believe the role of Ansel should go to the other fiery redhead in Game of Thrones, Rose Leslie! I loved her portrayal of Ygritte in the hit HBO series, and even though Ansel is a little more refined and less rough around the edges, their spunk and confidence is what made this choice for me!

Queen Maeve: Kate Beckinsale

When her most famous roles include movies like the Underworld films and the Van Helsing flick with Hugh Jackman, It’s no surprise that this gorgeous, British bombshell should play the High Queen, and one of Aelin’s biggest enemies!

Erawan: Alexander Skarsgård

Image courtesy of the actor’s official Facebook page

This is more for when we physically meet (one of) the King of the Valg, and big villain of the series, in Empire of Storms. I believe the host he took over was described as statuesque and blond and beautiful…um, so basically Alexander Skarsgård then! I find it funny that I have two Skarsgård brothers to play the big boss villain!

Captain Rolfe: Theo Theodoridis

Theo is a model I found on Pinterest of all places, plus I do believe digital artist @morgana0anagrom kind of based her commission the character off him too, so he’s a choice for me to play the Pirate Lord who we first meet in both The Assassin’s Blade, and then later on in Empire of Storms!

King Gavin Havilliard: Wes Brown

This was just kind of random choice to be completely honest, I believe I was watching Private Practice on Netflix around the time I met him in the books, as Wes was a guest star on it, and he had similar features to Dorian, so that’s how I made the choice!

King Brannon: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Love, Love, Love him as Jaime Lannister! I think by the time we get a surprise appearance of this character in the series, I was just looking for any character I could have Nikolaj play. If not King Brannon, he could also play a good Gavriel too I think!

Galan Ashryver: Jay Byars

Another character who really anyone could play I feel like…Jay was another model I discovered on Instagram around the time I met Galan in Heir of Fire, so that’s how I made this choice!

Ilias of the Silent Assassins: Kendrick Sampson

I wish Ilias was around more in the whole series! I really liked the whole Silent Assassins thread when you meet them in The Assassin’s Blade!

Yrene Towers: Kat Graham, or Tina Kunakey

Kat Graham, image courtesy of instyle.com

Yrene Towers is one of the harder characters to fancast, just below Fenrys to be honest! There are so many different names thrown out there as to who everyone believes should play the healer that escapes to the Southern Continent, and becomes such a huge role in how the whole series wraps up! Kat Graham is a choice for me so long as she has her hair longer and lighter like in the image above, but someone on Tumblr mentioned Tina as their choice, and with her long curly hair, I do see her as a choice too!

Prince Arghun: Godfrey Gao, or Alex Landi

Godfrey Gao, image courtesy of showpo.com

Alex Landi, image courtesy of mattsimpkinsphotography.com

Godfrey Gao, who was in the Mortal Instruments movie, was my first choice to play the pompous high prince of the Southern Continent, but I was so sad to hear about his unfortunate death…the story behind it is just so tragic too! He died way too early. I have to include him, but Alex Landi is a newer choice, and you can see him on the most recent seasons of Grey’s Anatomy.

Prince Sartaq: Sam Asghari

Image courtesy of the actor/model’s Instagram profile

Mr. Britney Spears is my choice for Sartaq, who is by far the best new character to come out of Tower of Dawn (You meet Yrene in The Assassin’s Blade first!) Obviously, put a wig on top of Sam’s head, but wouldn’t you swoon if you saw him flying by on the back of his noble steed, Kadara? Can Ruk’s (Giant Eagles) be referred to as noble steeds?…

Princess Hasar: Constance Wu

Image courtesy of Entertainment Weekly Magazine

I first saw Constance star in Crazy, Rich Asians, and crazy enough, I also pictured her playing the exact opposite of a character as the the vicious, sharp-tongued princess and eldest daughter to Khagan, Urus. Some other fans see Hasar as more Middle Eastern, Egyptian, or Indian, but Constance really resembles how I pictured this character.

Prince Kashin: Sean Sarrantos

The handsome middle son of the Khagan, I’d found this Greek/Korean fitness model on Pinterest and it was love at first sight! Someone said he looked like an asian Ryan Reynolds, so do with what you wish with that information…I hope that’s not offensive to anyone!

Borte: Naomi Scott

Image courtesy of the actress’s Instagram account

Borte is one of the Ruk riders alongside Sartaq and his clan, and is described as having golden-brown skin and onyx hair, and I know Naomi is a credible actress, so I thought she’d make a great addition to my stacked cast!

Yeren: Ariel Ben Attar

In my opinion, Yeren could really be casted as anyone…for anyone who needs a reminder, he’s engaged to be married to Borte despite the fact that they can hardly stand each other, even though they’re both in the same clan of Ruk riders in Tower of Dawn.

Falkan: Aiden Gillen

We meet him in Tower of Dawn, and he’s incredibly worth mentioning based off what you learn about him later on in that book–not that I’m spoiling it in this post for anyone who possibly hasn’t read that far–and I want Aiden to play a role where I don’t hate the character too!

Bronwen: Elizabeth Blackmore

Katherine played Heretic Valerie Tulle in the seventh season of The Vampire Diaries, and I think she’d play this role very well. Not much was told about this character’s appearance, so I think it’s a little more up in the air, but since she played a notable role in Kingdom of Ash, I thought “why not?” and included her.

Arobynn Hamel: Tom Hiddleston

I had to end this fancast on a high note, and why not have the Master of the Assassins–and Aelin’s former mentor–to end it with? My first choice was originally Michael Fassbender, who’s also a lot of other fans’ choice, but I believe Tom as Loki in the MCU movies changed my mind, as Arobynn and Loki are very similar in personality and demeanor, at least in my opinion!

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