Image from @goodyreads, my bookstagram account!

***Warning!! This Fancast/Dreamcast contains spoilers for the whole trilogy, so continue reading at your own risk! You’ve officially been warned!***

Hello readers!

I got another Fancast/Dreamcast to share with you guys, and this one is for a pretty popular YA Fantasy/Romance series: The Caraval series by Stephanie Garber! I’ll admit it’s been a fun and absolutely enchanting set of books with beautiful imagery, twists and turns in abundance, it’s like a fairytale with a scavenger hunt in Venice, Italy under the lights and the stars….

Here’s the synopsis of book #1:

A legendary competition.
A mesmerizing romance.
An unbreakable bond
between two sisters.

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.

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To see my review of book #1 – Caraval – Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – Legendary – Click HERE

My review of book #3 – Finale – is coming soon!

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Here is my official Fancast/Dreamcast for the Caraval Trilogy!

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Scarlett Dragna: Clara Alonso

This Spanish model came to mind when I was thinking of who would look the part of playing our protagonist of the first novel in this trilogy! She’s probably best known for working it down the runway of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show! Not sure about her acting personally, but hey, she certainly looks the part in my opinion!

Donatella Dragna: Ester Expósito

I’ve totally become obsessed with this actress, whose been in the Netflix Spanish drama, Elite. That show is full of unexpected twists and turns and extremely attractive people, so I know she’d be a great fit for this franchise. I think I read somewhere she speaks English along with Spanish, so that’s always a plus!

Governor Marcello Dragna: Jay Harrington

Image courtesy of the actor’s Twitter profile

Honestly, I don’t know much about this actor; his most recent work is being on the S.W.A.T. tv series, and someone else chose him as their fancast, so I googled him and nodded my head in agreement on this choosing. I only wish I remembered who’d picked him as their fancast, I’d totally credit them!

Julian Santos: Amadeo Leandro, or Ryan Guzman

Ryan Guzman, Image courtesy of maxim.com

Julian was a little difficult to cast because I had a hard time finding someone who I considered attractive enough to play him! These two were my final two choices whom I’d be happy with either way: Amadeo is a brazilian model I’d discovered on Instagram years ago, and Ryan Guzman is probably the more easily recognizable to most of you. He’s been in movies like Step Up Revolution, The Boy Next Door, Everybody Wants Some!!, and he’s currently on ABC’s 9-1-1 as firefighter Eddie Diaz!

Dante: Alex Badia, or Mariano Di Vaio

Alex Badia, Image courtesy of the model’s Instagram profile

Mariano Di Vaio, Image courtesy of fashionnewsmagazine.com

Dante was another hard character to fancast because I once again had to find someone who I thought was attractive enough to play this mysterious and charming character! Both models came to mind of Dante, who has some darker features, and looks hella good in formal wear or out of it, I’d take him either way!

Count Nicolas D’Arcy/Armando: Dominic Sherwood

He may seem like a really minor character, but he showed up enough times and caused enough drama for me to want to feature him, and as soon as the author revealed he had multi-colored eyes, Dominic immediately came to mind for obvious reasons! Some of you may recognize him as Cassandra Clare’s heartthrob, Jace Wayland, from the Shadowhunters tv series.

Valentina: Nathalie Kelley

Image courtesy of aconsciouscollection.com

Another minor character who doesn’t show up a whole lot, but I wanted to showcased her as well! Nathalie Kelley can be seen in both the CW Shows: Dynasty and The Vampire Diaries as the siren, Sybil. Actually, she was even in The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift if you want to go way back!

Jovan: Keke Palmer

Jovan was another minor character who’d made enough appearances that I thought she was worthy of getting fancasted by yours truly! I’ve followed Keke’s career all the way from Akeelah and the Bee to Nickelodeon’s tv series True Jackson VP to MTV’s tv series Scream Queens and Scream to the hit movie, Hustlers, and so on! Girls got mad talent!

Aiko: Brenda Song

Why wouldn’t I want my original Disney Channel Queen to be cast in this role?! Aiko was a minor character who made our two heroines make some pretty hard choices in order for them to both win the game of Caraval, and definitely deserved a spot on my Fancast/Dreamcast for these books!

Paloma Dragna: Amy Brenneman

I’ve really only watched Amy on the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff, Private Practice, but she’s exactly how I imagined Scarlett and Tella’s mysterious mother looking like!

Jacks: Dan Stevens

Image courtesy of the actor’s IMDB profile

I’ve really only seen Dan Stevens in the live action Beauty and the Beast, but with even just that movie, I feel like Dan would make an excellent choice to play this enigmatic and charming character! He’s got a handsome smile, but something tells me he’d make a dashing villain that we all secretly hate to love!

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The Fates:

Coming Soon…

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More will be added once I read Finale, so refer back her when I post my review of book #3

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fancasts/Dreamcasts

My Fancast/Dreamcast: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

July 27, 2020March 15, 2023 nicholasjgoodsell

Leigh Bardugo is one of the my favorite authors around even from just reading her Six of Crows duology, but once I’d learned that they were actually a spin-off from this trilogy that she’d written before, I of course HAD to check them out too because let’s be honest: there are a few instances where there was obviously information referenced that I missed by not reading them prior. Whether it was because of a certain character’s surprise appearance, a past event mentioned, or more background information on the Grisha in general, I could tell I was missing some vital information.

While I enjoyed Six of Crows much more than this trilogy for multiple reasons, I can still say that the Shadow and Bone trilogy is not to be skipped over! There are some very memorable characters and plenty of twists and turns that you’d expect from Leigh Bardugo’s mind even if you’re like me and read these books out of order!

Even though there’s a Netflix show out with official castings, I still had my own version of the cast list of who I thought would play these characters in my head. Some of my choices below are my own, but I can also admit there’s a few selections from the actual show I agreed with that were mixed in with the bunch to add a little variety. See for yourself what you think!

Here’s a link below to my official Fancast/Dreamcast of the Six of Crows duology for those interested:

Click HERE to see my Six of Crows Fancast/Dreamcast

**The Blurb of Shadow and Bone:**

Soldier.

Summoner.

Saint.

Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite—and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.

Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems…

To see my review of book #1 – Shadow and Bone – Click HERE!

To see my review of book #2 – Siege and Storm – Click HERE!

To see my review of book #3 – Ruin and Rising – Click HERE!

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Here’s my official Fancast/Dreamcast:

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Zoya Nazyalensky: Shay Mitchell

My first choice for this character was Megan Fox, which I had no problem with except for when I later learned that Zoya is actually a person of color. I mean, she was the token “mean girl” in the first book, and Leigh described her pretty much as being stupid hot, so c’mon, Megan Fox is an obvious choice for me! Shay is also such a beautiful woman! Her Filipino, Scottish, and Irish descent makes her a much more accurate choice.

Genya Safin: Miguelle Landry

Image courtesy of the model’s Instagram Profile

This Instagram model is like my go to face for whenever a book calls for a gorgeous redhead, so sorry not sorry, but you’re gonna see her on a few of my fancasts *shrugs*.

David Kostyk: Luke Pasqualino

I don’t know much about him as an actor; he was on Skins not that I ever watched it, but he’s an actual casting for the part on the Netflix show, so I can roll with this casting choice!

Baghra Morozova: Zoë Wanamaker

She is another actual casting from the Netflix show, but most of you may or may not recognize her from another popular YA Fantasy series? No? Here’s a hint: she was the broom flying instructor at a certain school for young witches and wizards!

Nikolai Lantsov: Lucas Bloms

A gorgeous male-model to play a gorgeous prince? Need I say more?

Botkin Yul-Erdene: Daniel Dae-Kim

Daniel may seem like a cliché go to character for these types of roles, but I can’t help but keep that way of thinking with him playing the role of Alina’s combat instructor at the small palace. I just think he’d make an excellent tutor!

Ivan: Simon Sears

He’s another actual casting choice for the Netflix show, and he’s not really described as well as I’d hoped in the books, so I’m happy to give my blessing for this choice! He looks rugged and rough around the edges, just like I’d imagined what one of the Darkling’s closest soldier’s would look like.

Fedyor Kaminksy: Julian Kostov

Image courtesy of the actor’s Instagram profile

Julian is actually casted to play this character for the show, so I thought I’d share him too and say I support this choice! I remember I liked Fedyor whenever he made an appearance in the books, sure he wasn’t afraid to viciously kill anyone who stood against him, but at least he killed a Fjerdan in order to protect Alina, right? Right…

Harshaw: Andrew Garfield

Harshaw is described as being tall and gangly with red hair, so for some reason I thought of Andrew Garfield. Not sure why; Harshaw’s a wackjob who talks to his cat too much and probably an arsonist who just also happens to be an inferni…so yeah…Most of you would recognize Andrew from The Amazing Spider-Man movies with Emma Stone, and The Social Network.

Marie: Nathalie Kelley

Marie was a conflicting character throughout the books…Sure, she tried to befriend Alina right away when the Sun Summoner first appeared at the small palace, but she was totally two-faced to Zoya and elitist with Genya, and flipped sides when her boyfriend, Sergei, spoke out against Alina in Siege and Storm. I just found her really catty, so I thought Nathalie, who’s been in The Vampire Diaries, and Dynasty (both CW shows), I thought she’d play the part well!

Nadia Zhabin: Gabrielle Brooks

Image courtesy of the actress’s IMDB Profile

Nadia is pretty much the same as Marie up above, but doesn’t really stick up for herself. Gabrielle is another actual casting choice for the show, which I just want to point out is great that they switched up her look because the books described her as kind of a mousy little blonde, so I’m happy with how Leigh wanted to make it a point to try and add more diversity amongst the cast!

Tamar Kir-Bataar: Lana Condor

I’m surprised it doesn’t seem like Tamar and her twin brother are going to be in the Netflix show! Like, they’re not even listed on the Netflix show’s IMDB page (check it out HERE)…Whatever I guess, their loss because she’s a badass! Lana may look small and fragile like she kind of is in the All the Boy’s I’ve Met Before Netflix movies, but check out other films she’s been in, and it’s obvious she can hold her own in more action-packed flicks.

Tolya Kir-Bataar: Ross Butler

Ross is on Netflix’s adaptation of 13 Reasons Why and DC’s “Shazam,” and he’s a tall guy who can also pull off the stoic, “tough guy” persona that I pictured Tolya constantly showed whenever he made an appearance. I’m still upset that him and his sister didn’t make it into the Netflix show apparently…

Ana Kuya: Amanda Donohue

Amanda just gives me more of how I pictured the owner of the orphanage where Alina and Mal grew up than who they casted for the show! I’m sure the actual actress will still do a great job though!

The Apparat: David Bradley

David Bradley is just so good at playing creepy, despicable old men in Fantasy settings! He was Argus Filch in the Harry Potter films and Walder Frey in Game of Thrones, and the Apparat gave me some weird vibes, so I immediately thought of David Bradley to play him.

Sergei Beznikov: Jack Falahee

Sergei was another one of those really conflicting characters in the books; I didn’t really have the greatest opinion of him, especially when he tries to oppose Alina in trying to take charge of the second army, but I felt for him at the end of Siege of Storm and what happened to him…there’s more to it, but I won’t spoil it! I loved Jack in How to Get Away with Murder, and thought he’d be a great choice!

Alina Starkov: Jessica Mei Li

Here’s another actual casting off the Netflix show, and I for one am happy with how Leigh made it more of a point to make the cast more diverse with more POC actors! She felt bad about how whitewashed she made the books, apologized, and has been making it a point to not do that ever again. Kudos to her, and I can’t wait to see how Jessica portrays our main protagonist of the Shadow and Bone trilogy!

Mal Oretsev: Christian Hogue

So, Mal gives me the whole “Golden Boy, Big Man on Campus, Star Quarterback, Homecoming King” kind of guy that we see all over YA fiction, but of course, this particular time in a Fantasy setting. Christian is an Instagram model I’ve known about for some time, and he’s just who came to mind for me when I pictured Alina’s childhood friend-turn-lover.

The Darkling: Nick Ayler

I’d also casted Nick Ayler as my Magnus Damora in the Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes, and I will admit him and the Darkling have some similarities in their aesthetics…they’re both the broody, dark haired bad boy who the golden, innocent protagonist has mixed feelings for…so why not have Nick play my favorite character in the whole trilogy. Besides being my favorite character, you’ve outta admit he’s got the coolest nicknames!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fancasts/Dreamcasts

My Fancast/Dreamcast: Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

December 7, 2019March 7, 2023 nicholasjgoodsell

When his mom became the President of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz was casted as the American equivalent of a young prince. He’s handsome, charismatic, genius, but there’s one problem: Alex has major beef with an actual prince, Henry, across the pond.

When the tabloids get ahold of a photo involving an Alex/Henry altercation with a wedding cake, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse. Heads of both families devise a plan for damage control: Stage a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instagram-worthy friendship grows much deeper, and soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret, romantic, sexy affair with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry.

Unfortunately, life ain’t easy like a Disney movie like they make us want to believe, and everything that weighs against the two of them begins to threaten their relationship. It raises the questions: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through?

See my full book review of Red, White, and Royal Blue HERE!

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Here’s my official Fancast/Dreamcast:

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Alex Claremont-Diaz: Alfonso Herrero, Tyler Posey, or Diego Boneta

Alfonso Herrero is an Instagram model I’d discovered, and I thought he definitely looked the part. Go follow him and see all the sweet, romantic photos of him and his (real) boyfriend, and tell me you don’t get Alex-vibes from him!

Tyler Posey is a young actor who’s best known for starring in the reboot of Teen Wolf on MTV, and I got to say, I feel like he’d absolutely nail the mischievous smirk Alex gets before he says something to absolutely piss someone off!

Diego Boneta is an actor with a wide variety of roles he’s played: he’s been in the musical Rock of Ages, MTV show Scream Queens, and even played Aaron Samuels 2.0 in Mean Girls 2 (Yes, such a thing exists, and I’m sorry to those that had managed to forget about it).

June Claremont-Diaz: Clara Alonso, Ana de Armas, or Nathalie Kelley

Clara Alonso is a Victoria’s Secret model with some Spanish flair, and is absolutely gorgeous, so I could see her playing Alex’s older sister, June!

Ana de Armas did an amazing job in the film Knives Out amongst the more well known names included, so I think it’d be interesting to see her play a different kind of role like June if they make this book into a movie!

She was in Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, she played a siren on The Vampire Diaries, and is on another CW Show, Dynasty; Nathalie has the confidence in any of her roles to nail the part of June.

Henry, Prince of Wales: Wyatt Nash, Jeremy Irvine, or William Moseley

Wyatt Nash is on a lot of shows I’m watching right now! He’s guest starring on Riverdale, GLOW, and can be seen on the show, Dear White People (All these shows can be found on Netflix). He’s not British, so I hope he could imitate the accent if he got casted!

This gorgeous specimen starred in the movie Warhorse, but most recently was seen in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Jeremy is in fact British, and is incredibly good looking, so I’d personally love to see him play Prince Henry of Wales!

Yes, who wouldn’t want Peter Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia movies to play another prince all these years later?! William, who I swear was a gay-awakening for me even when I had no idea what that even was, also already plays as Prince Liam on the TV show, The Royals, so why not continue his royal streak?

Nora Holleran: Hailee Steinfeld, Brenda Song, or Janel Parrish

Hailee Steinfeld has been a popular choice for mathematician Nora, and I can kind of see it; Hailee can definitely nail Nora’s quirkiness based off how she was in the Pitch Perfect sequels!

Anyone who is a millennial and grew up watching Disney Channel knows who Brenda Song is… London Tipton anyone? She has more recently been in The Social Network, guest starred on New Girl, and even starred in some thriller on Netflix. I don’t remember the title, but they pretty much spoiled the whole thing in the trailer…

Janel Parrish played Mona Vanderwall in Pretty Little Liars, and was in the romantic Netflix movie, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Zahra: Lesley Ann Brandt, Zoe Saldana, or Tessa Thompson

I’ve been watching Lucifer on Netflix, and my girl Lesley here plays a demon who is a master in the art of torture, so I know she’d be amazing at the role of hardass secret service agent, Zahra!

Zoe Saldana is so great at playing sexy, badass female characters! Maybe she can step away from her Marvel movies as Gamora and play the role of Zahra in the (hopefully) upcoming release of a movie!

Another Marvel lady, Tessa Thompson also nails the role of a badass, tough-as-nails woman in so many of her roles.

President Ellen Claremont: Connie Britton

Connie is an American Sweetheart ever since she was in the Friday Night Lights TV show, and everyone wants her to be their mom, or just get close to her luxurious, iconic hair…don’t pretend like you haven’t thought about it!

Rafael Luna: Oscar Isaac, Joey Gonzalez, or Adam Rodriguez

Perhaps my favorite aspect to have come out the new Star Wars Movies–other than Daisy Ridley–Oscar Isaac is a popular choice I’ve seen to play the role of Rafael Luna.

A gorgeous man I discovered on Instagram, he’s also the CEO of mega workout program, Barry’s Bootcamp, so I guess he’s kind of big deal? I honestly don’t know, I’m not big into fitness, but look at his face!

Adam Rodriguez melted hearts in CSI: Miami, the Magic Mike movies, and even played a lustful literary professor in Jane The Virgin; Adam would be an excellent choice!

Senator Oscar Diaz: Jaime Camil

I loved this man’s extra-ness as Rogelio De La Vega in Jane the Virgin, plus he’s an incredibly handsome Mexican actor, perfect for the role of the Senator, who is also Alex and June’s father!

Mary, Queen of England: Judi Dench, or Helen Mirren

No explanation needed.

She doesn’t need one either.

Percy “Pez” Okonjo: Ncuti Gatwa

I haven’t personally seen this actor in anything, but I looked at some images of him, and he can pull off the flamboyant and fabulous style of Fez, who is Prince Henry’s best friend back across the pond.

Shaan Srivastava: Marwan Kenzari, or Rahul Kohli

Both men’s names came up on who would be an excellent fancast option for Shaan, so I couldn’t decide between the two and let them both have the spotlight!

Philip, Prince of Wales: Freddie Stroma, Harris Dickinson, or Josh Dylan

Freddie Stroma is the most recognizable guy in this bunch for me, he played Cormac McClaggen in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but Harris Dickinson is in the newest Maleficent movie!

Catherine, Princess of Wales: Emma Thompson

I haven’t seen Emma Thompson in anything for quite some time besides playing the kooky Professor Trelawney in the Harry Potter movies, I think she’d be an excellent choice for Henry’s mother!

Beatrice, Princess of Wales: Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, or Lily James

Catch Florence in the movie, Fighting with my Family, where she plays the young but talented WWE Superstar Paige! She had an edginess to her, and we see the same thing every so often in Beatrice throughout the book, so it’d be interesting to see her in this role.

I absolutely adore Emma Watson! I’d love to see her take on this role thats so different than what she usually plays, much like Lily James, but I think she’d do amazing at it either way!

I loved Lily in Baby Driver and the live-action Cinderella movie! She’s cute as a button, but I’d be interested to see how she’d play Beatrice, who has a lot of heavy issues with royal fame and substance abuse that weigh her down.

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