The Demon King

The Demon King is young adult high fantasy at it's best. There's not a lot out there these days in this specific genre and classification (most high fantasy is pretty political and violent and aimed squarely at adults, and most young adult stuff is decidedly more love-triangles, paranormal and dystopia), but Chima does it very, very well, and I would D.I.E. if these ever made it to the big screen.


Princess Raisa is the princess heir to the Seven Realms. She's just reaching her "naming" (coming of age, in our world) and is entering the ready-for-marriage arena. She's of a multi-racial; her mother is fair skinned from the "vale" and her father is a dark-skinned man, leader of the clans. Raisa is  stubborn and impulsive, but intelligent and hardworking, too. She wants to be a more benevolent leader than her mother has been, but also wants to be a more involved head of state. She wants to get involved in military matters, as well as philanthropy. I think a pretty but spit-fire-y girl would do well, somebody like  Raquel Castro

Amon Byrne is the head of Raisa's personal guard. He is the good-to-the-core, honorable, dedicated guy you expect to be leading the princess' personal bodyguards. He's sweet and strong and steady and just the nicest stand up guy you can imagine. Oh, and he loves Princess Raisa madly, but can't do anything about it because he's not nobility. I saw Lucas Till

But, you know. Without his hair combed all stupid on his face like that.

Queen Marianna is Raisa's mother. She's this renowned beauty and is very, very young. She married very soon after her naming, and had her oldest daughter very quickly. That would make her somewhere in her very early thirties, with a sixteen year old. We think she's being controlled by her High Wizard, but we're not sure. She could very well be the conniving one, and we won't know until the very end of this story (which won't be completed for two more years- ugh. Series.) So she has to look mysterious, weak, strong, beautiful, powerful, intelligent and manipulative. Piece. Of. Cake. Somebody like Vera Farmiga

Han Alister is a street-gang-leader. He is also distantly descended from the most powerful evil wizard of all time. Not Voldemort, but the wizard in this story. Only he doesn't know it. He is also completely poverty-stricken. He is smart, but uneducated; powerful, but unable to harness his power. He's handsome, but downtrodden. He's suspicious of everybody, and almost always completely dishonest. I saw  Jamie Campbell Bower and I don't care how old he is. He is the perfect Han Alister. If they ever make these movies, they'll have to come up with a total surprise casting choice, or go with an unknown.

Dancer is Han's best friend, a member of the clans that Raisa is related to through her father. Dancer is also of mixed heritage, though he doesn't learn it until later on. He's a moody-broody kind of guy, and he needs to be cast well because he does a lot more in the second book. Somebody like Kiowa Gordon

Micah Bayar is a wizard that Raisa has been having little dalliances with in the back corridors of the palace. She cannot marry a wizard, the laws of the land strictly forbid it (for good reason), but she's having some fun. Micah is charming, bordering on smarmy. He's handsome and arrogant. He's manipulative, selfish, but a really, really good kisser. Hey, she's sixteen. What do you expect her priorities to be? A mysterious looking guy like Taylor Boggan would do well here.

Gavin Bayar is the High Wizard. He's the guy who may or may not be controlling the Queen, may or may not be manipulating his son and may or may not want to kill Raisa. Seriously, we don't actually know the answers to any of these questions, not even at the end of the second book. (I told you this series was awesome- how's that for some serious intrigue?) He's shrewd and calculating and devious. He's powerful and handsome. Who else could it be besides  Jason Isaacs?

You can read my review of this book on Goodreads

Sword of Truth: Faith of the Fallen

Please check out my fantasy casts for the first five books in this series: Wizard's First Rule, Stone of Tears, Blood of the Fold, Temple of the Winds and Soul of the Fire. 

In Faith of the Fallen, Richard visits the Old World and sees the end result of the Imperial Order's "work." He sees how the redistribution of wealth really "helps" everybody be equal. Because the setting of the book has changed so drastically, we see a lot of new characters.

First up are some of the men that Richard counts as friends in the Old World, Victor and Ishaq. These men work in hard labor and live under the thumb of the oppressive Order. Both of them, though, yearn for their freedom and for the chance to live their own lives as they see fit. Both of them want to be a part of the rebellion, although neither of them has any idea what a rebellion means, at least not in any real sense. I would like to see men that can come across as downtrodden, as common men, but also have a spark of innocence smoldering somewhere beneath the surface, a spark that the Order hasn't been able to entirely extinguish.

For Victor Casella, the man that we see stick by Richard for the rest of the story, I want Adrian Grenier

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And for Ishaq I want somebody like Stephen Graham.

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Gadi and Kamil are a couple of punk kids that live in Richard's apartment building (not that they call it an apartment building, but you know what I mean). Richard lives his life and these young men have very, very different reactions to him and his ideas of freedom and entrepreneurialism. Gadi reacts in spite and anger; he doesn't want to believe that any man could be wealthy if he exerted enough effort and self-control. Gadi eventually leaves and joins the Imperial soldiers in the north where he meets Cara, among others. For Gadi, I see a kid like Thomas Dekker, somebody with a bit of a darker edge lurking just beneath his surface.

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Kamil instead sees the wisdom behind Richard's efforts. Kamil understands that to live in a beautiful home, a man must work to beautify it. In order to have a happy marriage, a man must love his wife and work to take care of her. He sees that the outcome is almost always worth the effort, and even when it isn't, self respect is its own reward. For Kamil, I see somebody like Conor Paolo.

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Brother Narev is the head of the Imperial Order. Where Jagang is the muscle, Narev is the spirit of the movement. Brother Narev is an incredibly impassioned theological political leader. A hypocrite, of course, but impassioned he is. He preaches that no man should hold riches, all riches belong to the Order, to be redistributed out to the poor and the needy. But, while his people starve while living in squalor, Brother Narev enjoys a life with servants and plenty in what can only be described as a palace. This man is evil, through and through, for he knows the deception behind his proselytizing, but continues to preach. I see a man like Keith Carradine.

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Benjamin Meiffert is a character we actually met briefly in Blood of the Fold. We meet him in Faith of the Fallen again as Captain of the D'Haran troops. By the end of the story, he has been promoted to General and has fallen in love with a Mord Sith. Brave man, that General Meiffert. He's a military man, though one whose stock boasts as much brain as brawn. He's the proverbial nice guy; the patriot. He serves in the military out of altruistic reasons- he is the guy who sees what is doing as protecting those who could otherwise not protect themselves, bringing freedom to those in bondage. I saw a guy like Sam Worthington.

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Agree? Disagree? Post your thoughts in the comments!
You can read my review of this book on GoodReads.com

Gunslinger

I finally finished The Gunslinger, the first book in Stephen King's magnum opus, The Dark Tower. I have to admit... I was underwhelmed.

However, I have heard excellent things about the series as a whole, so if you have it in you to convince me to keep reading, I'm all ears. This was my first King novel ever, and at this point, I've given up on the man, honestly. Color me unimpressed.

Anyway, this book is being made into a movie, or rather, the whole series has been sold to the Hollywood powers that be, and this book is the first one up. I actually think this will make a decent movie- the 264 page book had what I thought amounted to about 180 pages of genuine story, so nothing worthwhile will get cut. There's a lot of chance for action, and we all know that enough action can make you forget that there's no substance to the story, right?

There's really only a handful of characters, and all but one we only see briefly. Before we get started let me set the tone for you: this books is basically a post-apocalyptic western fantasy horror story. So... creepy. Creepy is the vibe you should be getting.

First, Alice. Or Allie. Depending on what page we're on, she's referred to by both names an equal number of times (like that's not confusing...). She's a barmaid in a dusty old town, and she's willing to sleep with a customer she just met. I sort of get the feeling that life's handed her a difficult hand, and that's she's "past her prime" if you know what I mean. I cannot get Catherine O'Hara out of my head.

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In a set of flashbacks, we see the Gunslinger's instructor. He's a small, angry man who teaches all the potential gunslingers how to be ruthless warriors. We don't really know what they're warring against, but they're preparing and training nonetheless. This man is ruthless and calculating; I mean he's training pubescent boys to be cold killers for crying out loud! There's something... I don't know? Malicious? around Michael Sheen's eyes that makes me think he could do something like this.

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 We also meet Jake. Jake is a 10 (ish) year old boy who accompanies the Gunslinger. For what purpose, I know not, but he's there. He's incredibly innocent and weird. He comes from another point in the time space continuum/ parallel dimension/ world/ universe... we don't really know at this point. The point is: he's in an alien environment for an unknown reason to accompany a stranger on an unknown and mysterious task. Got it? It's such a heavy role and the kid is so young, that this would go to an unknown. Somebody like Haley Joel Osment in Sixth Sense... but HJO is way to old now (you wanna feel old- he's 22. Old enough to be out of college) But somebody like that.

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The Man in Black is being pursued throughout the story. He pops up occasionally and shows his face from time to time. He's the villain, I guess, although I think the Gunslinger is fighting his personal demons more so than any outside force. This Man in Black is curt, brazen and ought to strike you as villainous. Alfred Molina. 

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Now for the Gunslinger himself. Since he really is the only character in the story, and he's in every single scene, this can go to a really big name, heavyweight type of actor. He's gotta be rugged and tough and (let's face it) handsome. He's struggling with who he is and what he's doing. He is filled with self-loathing for the things he's done and he's been responsible for. At the same time, he is filled with a disarming sense of purpose; he will reach the Dark Tower, no matter who he has to hurt or kill or destroy or leave behind in the process. The dichotomy of his psyche will be difficult to play, and needs to go to somebody with some serious chops. I have three choices, all of which I think are viable in their own way.

First, my top choice, is Brad Pitt. He would be a sympathetic Gunslinger; focusing on the self-loathing side. He knows that what he is doing is for the greater good (whatever that means in this story) but he hates that he has to do it this way. He's capable of love and affection, but barges on regardless in pursuit of his goals.

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Second, is Leonardo DiCaprio. You might hate to admit this, but the man has come a long, long way since the Romeo + Juliet and Titanic days. He's burgeoning into one of the greatest actors of this generation, and he's shown his grit more than once, to great effect. I think DiCaprio's Gunslinger would be more ruthless, more cold. There would be little remorse for his despicable actions, and it would be fleeting. He's single minded in his pursuit, and nothing and nobody else matters.

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And my third pick, Johnny Depp. Depp's Gunslinger would be the more psychotic version. In the book, you get the sense that he may not even know why he's pursuing the man in black; he knows he wants to find the Dark Tower, but he's not even certain of that. He definitely changes his MO more than once, and he's proven his ability to react on pure, self-preserving instinct. His pursuit is a mindless one; he pursues because he must.

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All three of these men are heralded as being fantastic actors, and I genuinely believe that any one of them could pull off this role and do it with panache. It all depends on the direction the director wants to go with it, and any of these portrayals would be entertaining and intriguing. I really did picture all three of them at different times, depending on what the story was doing at the time. The Gunslinger's face in my head changed a lot :) I also pictured Dennis Quaid from time to time... but I think he's too much of a "nice guy" to take on something so dark and sinister as this.



Please post your ideas in the comments- whether you agree with me or not!
You can read my review of this book on Goodreads.com

Weekend Showdown: Harry Potter Movies

For all my non-Harry Potter fan readers, this is the last Harry Potter post, for The Deathly Hallows has arrived! I will not be seeing it until tomorrow afternoon... babysitters are hard to come by. Boo.

First, we start with the Sorcerer's Stone- or, for my non-US readers, the Philosopher's Stone. This first movie keeps very close to the book. The book is short, the shortest of the series, so there isn't much to cut. We lose a few minor details, but just about everybody and everything is in there. Story authenticity: 9/10

The worst thing I can think of about this movie is the inevitable: they're just kids, and they're in every scene. Kids are... well, kids. They aren't Oscar winning geniuses (the adults in the movie are though... 13 Oscar nominations between them. Yowza.), heck none of them were even professionals when they started. They were 10, 11 and 12 years old. If you have kids anywhere near that age, think about their ability to focus and take direction every day for months at a time... yeaaahhhh... that's what I thought. Acting: 5/10

I should also mention the CGI in this film is horrendous. It's ridiculous, really. I know this came out before HDTVs, before HD cameras, and before BluRay had even been imagined, but, yikes. There are some scenes where they (particularly Neville and Harry) look just like their Lego-video-game counterparts. Special Effects: 4/10

Total for SS/PS: 18/30

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Next up, we have the Chamber of Secrets. For all of you who are not entirely obsessed, this book is the book J.K. Rowling suggested readers should scour if they wanted clues as to Snape's true character and intentions, and if you haven't read it with that frame of mind, I suggest you do; that little exercise cemented my correct assumptions about Snape ;)

Again, the movie stays pretty close to the book, the only thing I can think of that got cut is the subplot about Filch being a squib (non-magical person born to magical parents), and that's not really all that important; in the films he's just a jerkwagon, and we all hate him an appropriate amount as a result. Story Authenticity: 8/10

The kids are better in this one, and we see a lot more of the adults, particularly Snape, and Gilderoy Lockhart, the only character to be based on a real person. Acting: 6/10

The CGI is measurably improved, mostly because they had to make Dobby. The first movie made money, so Warner Brothers was willing to shell out a little bit more, but more importantly, Lord of the Rings had been released. The public had seen Gollum and knew what was possible in the world of fully-CGI characters (Gollum was done differently, yes, but the standard was set- nobody was going to settle for Lego-men anymore). Special Effects: 7/10

Total for CoS: 21/30

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Next, we have the Prisoner of Azkaban. People were finally starting to realize that these were not just kids books, and adults were falling love too, and this is where I was actually introduced to Harry, when this movie came out. Which is a shame, really, because I think this movie is the worst of the bunch. The book is considerably longer, and much more of it gets cut. By the time you get to the end, there is a litany of questions unanswered, so many that I felt the film didn't even make sense. Story Authenticity: 3/10

The kids are better, but still not great. Plus, they started tying their ties really, really stupidly in this film. Acting: 7/10

The special effects backslid tremendously, in my opinion, too. The tilting camera stuff in the Shrieking Shack? Nauseating. The "werewolf?" More like a stretched out prairie dog. Maybe they just put all their time and money into the dementors, which were truly terrifying. Special Effects: 5/10

Total for PoA: 15/30

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For the Goblet of Fire, we move into what has undoubtedly become darker territory. The villainy is more dangerous than ever and we see the death of a character for the first time. The kids are unquestionably much better in this one. Harry especially turns it on, and the kid who plays Ron has entirely perfected the "I'm so scared/upset I might vomit" face. Acting: 7/10

This book is much longer, and thus more of it needed to be cut. Aside from the death of S.P.E.W. and the houselves altogether, I don't think they cut anything necessary to the main story. The screenwriting/editing team did a better job of paring down the story while staying true to the intent and the overall story arch. Story Authenticity: 7/10

The special effects are also improved. The dragon? Totally awesome. The mermaids? Vicious and completely scary. Special Effects: 9/10

Total for GoF: 25/30

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Order of the Phoenix is the most condensed of the series. First off, it is the longest book with the US hardcover version boasting over 850 pages. But, it is the shortest film to date, at only 138 minutes, nearly 20 minutes shorter than the first film (based on the shortest book). As such, there is a huge amount of stuff cut from the story. Subplots, almost all of the romance and lots of nearly overwhelming tension got dropped. They stuck to the theme and the overall arch, but a lot of the complex details and relationships are missing. Story Authenticity: 6/10

The acting is better yet again, considering the fact that most of this film is more understated. The tension comes not from violence but from political oppression, and we see real personal loss for the first time. But Hermione's nostril flares have got to go. Acting: 7/10

The special effects are more subtle, simpler, to fit the feel of the movie. They're spot on, but not too technically impressive. Special Effects: 8/10


Total for OotP: 21/30

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And, lastly we come to the Half Blood Prince. This is the Snape-iest book of them all, and therefor my favorite. It's shorter than the other "later" books, and is barely longer than Prisoner of Azkaban. This one actually serves as a launching pad for number seven, and is the only book that I don't feel can stand on its own two feet; the end is completely untied-up and leaves you literally scrabbling over a cliff's edge. The movie adapted most of this very well, and actually did a good job lightening the mood and playing up the relationships, both romantic and otherwise, that we hadn't seen previously. Story Authenticity: 8/10

The acting is yet again better, and since we see even more of the amazing adults in this one, we get even more support. Cormac McLaggen is the douchiest kid ever, and the creep factor is exquisitely painful all through this movie. Acting: 9/10

The special effects are stunning. The inferi (animated corpses... zombies dedicated to a master, I guess) are terrifying. The whole "feel" of the film is brilliant, right from the get go. This one is perfectly nailed, right on the head. Special Effects: 10/10


Total for HBP: 27/30

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Final Tally: 
PS/SS 18
CoS 21
PoA 15
GoF 25
OotP 21
HBP 27

Half Blood Prince, number 6, wins this weekend showdown!

Enjoy your Harry Potter weekend, and we will return to regularly scheduled posts on Monday, folks!
Please post your ideas in the comments- whether you agree with me or not!
*Was anybody else surprised to see that AOL.com still existed? Just me? 

The Belgariad: Queen of Sorcery

Make sure you read my fantasy cast for book one in this series, Pawn of Prophecy before diving in here. It's OK, I'll wait till you're back :: whistling :: Ready? Let's start...

Pawn of Prophecy introduces us to some more characters, as all good sequels do. First to come across our (dare I call it this?) fellowship is the knight, Mandorallen. He is huge, dreadfully formal, incredibly ferocious in battle and holds his honor and status with great pride. He comes across at first as a big, pompous twit, but he's really very genuine and kind underneath it all. He also has some serious emotional baggage that he keeps on the down-low. I actually would love to see somebody like Alfred Molina.

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Next is Lelldorin, the archer. This young man in impulsive and headstrong, a combination that often gets him into trouble. He lacks common sense, but makes up for it with sheer strength of will and devotion to... everything; his friends, his comrades, his cause, his nation, his woman, etc. I guess "passionate" is probably the best way to describe him. Jamie Campbell Bower, all. the. way.

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The next warrior to join the group is Hettar, a royal clansman of a nomadic group. Oh, and he can talk to horses. Neat trick. He's the most violent of the warriors on this quest; bloodthirsty and vengeful don't even quite cover it. I sort of picture the strong and silent type. Somebody the can just set you on edge, right from the start. A man who would take some getting used to. Like Cillian Murphy.

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The companionship spends a fair bit of time in Tolnedra with Ran Borune, the first king that we see alone for such an extended period of time. And since we're going to see a lot of him over the coming novels, I thought I'd go ahead and throw a name in the ring. I know he's a little on the old side, but for a blow-hard old king, I see Timothy West.

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Probably the most important character to be introduced outside the first chapter is CeNedra. Part Dryad, part Imperial Princess, she is a little fireball. She's everything that an Imperial Princess ought to be; haughty, spoiled, self-centered, intelligent, flirtatious, manipulative and demonstrative. Don't worry, you grow to love her eventually. Eventually. This is one of those parts that would likely go to an unknown, but maybe this girl: Emily Osment. I know, I know "Ack! A Hannah Montana girl!" But, really, she's cute and I think she could be kind of a handful, no?

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Please post your ideas in the comments- whether you agree with me or not!

The Belgariad: Pawn of Prophecy

The Belgariad was suggested to me by a reader, and I am so sorry to say that I haven't the foggiest clue who. If you are the woman who said you whittle away the hours in the car with your husband trying to pick the perfect cast for The Belgariad and The Mallorean, drop me a line so I can link to you and give you credit for this one.

The Belgariad is a fantasy epic spanning five books, plus a series-sequel of five more books with yet another three tacked on for good measure. That's a lot of reading. I've read the first four of The Belgariad, because the back cover of Castle of Wizardry says it's the "end of the quest." End of the Quest, indeed. If by "end" you mean "number 4 out of 13", then, yeah, I guess it's the end. Stupid marketing department.

What was I talking about?

Oh, yes a Fantasy Cast for Pawn of Prophecy, the first book in the series. I am so very, very excited to present you with my ideas for who in Hollywood can personify these amazing characters.

First and foremost, Garion. The farm boy around whom the prophecies and stories revolve around. He starts the story at about 14 years old and is just over 16 at the end of book 4, although he has matured so much that people who knew him two years earlier do no even recognize him, so he can be played by the same actor all the way through, allowing the actor to age naturally as filming progresses through the books. I think Garion would be played by an unknown. It's just that kind of a role. However, I pictured somebody like Sterling Knight or William Moseley. Kind of unsure of himself, but could grow into a powerful man.

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Next is Aunt Pol, who we very, very quickly find out if Polgara, the ancient sorceress. She has apparently held nearly every title of nobility in the history of the western world, and must therefore be played by somebody with a very regal, commanding presence. Mysterious and beautiful; I like Claire Forlani. There's something in her eyes that holds a secret- very Mona Lisa-esque.

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Old Wolf, the Storyteller, Mr. Wolf, the man we find out quite soon is actually Belgarath, the immortal and ancient sorcerer who helped to save and protect the Orb in the first place, over 7000 year ago. He's the typical "old wise man with a beard" character, but I think he comes of rather impishly at times, so I pictured Ian Holm (this is actually a Fifth Element-inspired choice, not Lord of the Rings... oddly enough.)

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Durnik, the blacksmith from Faldor's farm, who joins the quest out of solidarity, or maybe just the sheer desire to be around Pol (somebody please tell me she falls in love with him eventually?! No, wait, don't tell me! But, PLEASE, I hope she finally takes him in!) One face sprung to mind, and I couldn't shake it no matter what. I don't even know why, but Josh Duhammel. This guy is strong, smart and practical. He's also desperately in love with Pol, but has the sense of decency and privacy to try keeping that fact to himself.

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Brill is the one-eyed, disgusting guy who is... well, he's too involved in things for anybody's comfort. I will admit, Escape From New York is coloring this choice a bit, but Kurt Russell is who I pictured. And, later on, the more we know about him, the more I think this works. (yes, I know Brill never wears a patch, but in movies, guys with one eye either wear a patch, or they are played for laughs. See here and here and here and here for proof.)

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Silk is a difficult character to pin down. He's technically a Prince, but spends most of his time away from the Royal Court because he's dreadfully in love with the woman married to his uncle, the king. While he's away, he takes on a number of aliases, most of which are highly disreputable. So, we need a man that can appear noble but also blend in with the rabble. Silk is one of the funniest literary characters I've read in a very long time, and if the movies ever get made, he'll have lots and lots of screen time, so I don't feel bad asking for Orlando Bloom. Oh come on, there are swords in this book, you know Orlando Bloom will be attached to it somehow, bow to the inevitable.

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Barak is the bear-man. He's a ferocious warrior-type of man, who also has royal ties. The man in a combination of hugeness, pent up emotions and bravery. One man, and one man only embodies this: Eric Allan Kramer.

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Please post your ideas in the comments- whether you agree with me or not!