Dreamcasting (8): From books to film

I am a very visual person and when I read a book I like to envision in my head what each book character would look like in actuality and who could play their roles if they ever adapted that particular book into a film.

What is a dreamcast? Well, it's the cast of actors that you think would be perfect to interpret a character on screen. Today I will dreamcast a popular book character and explain why I think the actor I chose for this dreamcast would be perfect for the role of said character.

Dreamcast for Gideon Lightwood

Benjamin Eidem as Gideon Lightwood from Clockwork Prince

 

 

So, Benjamin Eidem as Gideon Lightwood might not come as a surprise to many in the Infernal devices fandom (at least TID fans on tumblr). There is pretty much a general consensus on Benjamin being the perfect choice for Gideon. Mostly, I think its because Benjamin has the physical attributes (height, body, sandy blonde hair) that match up perfectly to the descriptions of Gideon Lightwood in Clockwork Prince (by Cassandra Clare). 

 

 

Benjamin Eidem is a very popular male model who is Swedish. Not only does he have an amazing look, but he has a really fierce and serious presence not only on the runway, but on screen and on print (pictures). There also is a versatility to him in the sense that he has a very vulnerable look to him sometimes, that is all in his eyes. And when he smiles, to quote a very good friend of mine "it's like the angels sing" - he has quite an adorable smile, with dimples and all, that you would never suspect from his really strong runway presence. 

 

 

Why do I mention all of this? Well, Gideon Lightwood, encompasses all the qualities that Benjamin has in his presence, as a character. Gideon is not only quite the Victorian gentleman, but he is a character who has depth to him, honesty, strength, and charm (he loves to talk spanish when he is happy). He is just this amazing character that came onto the Infernal Devices scene in book 2 of that series (Clockwork Prince) - who made a tremendous impression on all TID fans because he fell in love with Sophie (a maid with a scar) despite that being taboo in the Victorian world and shadowhunter world that he lives in, in the book. 

 

 

 

 

 Have you ever dreamcasted your favorite book characters? If you have, let me know about it. Also, if any of you have a different dreamcasting idea for the character I mentioned in this post, I would love to hear about it, as well. Thanks for reading :) 

 

 
 

 

Dreamcasting (7): From books to film

I am a very visual person and when I read a book I like to envision in my head what each book character would look like in actuality and who could play their roles if they ever adapted that particular book into a film.

What is a dreamcast? Well, it's the cast of actors that you think would be perfect to interpret a character on screen. Today I will dreamcast a popular book character and explain why I think the actor I chose for this dreamcast would be perfect for the role of said character.

Dreamcast for Sophie Collins, Warner & Adam Kent

Astrid Berges-Frisbey as Sophie Collins from Clockwork Angel

I originally learned of Astrid because she is an Spanish/French actress who appeared in the last Pirates of the Caribbean film (On Stranger Tides) as a mermaid named Syrena. Her character in that film really stood out to me because on the surface, she was part of a group of very vicious mermaids who attacked men at sea, but when you got to know more of her, she showed that she was not as violent as the rest of the mermaids. Astrid was incredibly fierce yet gentle in Pirates of the Caribbean and also caring and full of character. 

Sophie Collins who is a secondary character in the historical urban fantasy novel named Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, holds all of the qualities that Astrid displayed so well in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Sophie is a very strong character who carries a scar on her face because when she was a parlor maid (a maid chosen for her beauty in the Victorian era) - she refused the advances of the younger man who was her boss and he later proceeded to cut her face to 'ruin' her physical beauty. Sophie definitely is insecure about her scar but she is described as being incredibly beautiful, loyal, shy but determined to do the right thing and smart. I definitely feel like Astrid could portray the beauty, vulnerability & fierce strength that characterizes Sophie to the T.

Sebastian Sauve as Warner from Shatter Me

Warner is the resident villain in the incredibly poetic and powerful dystopian novel named Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. He is a unique villain in that he is incredibly young, he is not the older Voldemort-esque villain that tends to be prevalent in young adult literature. He is described as being very fit, handsome, perfectionistic and obsessed with power. He runs an army on behalf of the reestablishment which is lead by his father and controls the society at large in Shatter Me. Warner is a very cold villain, who will shoot and kill anyone on the spot to inspire terror and fear at large with his soldiers. He also, as evil as he is, has a certain charm and hidden vulnerability that makes him all the more dangerous because here is this young man who is incredibly physically beautiful, who at first glance people would not suspect to be so murderous and dangerous, who nevertheless is incredibly corrupted and murderous.

I decided to pick Sebastian Sauve as my Warner because he is an incredibly popular male model in the fashion world, who has the build, height and look for Warner - blond hair, height, angular face, strength to his presence. Also Sebastian seems to be in his personality, very light hearted and charming and Warner - though incredibly cold and calculating- is a charmer, despite his psychopathic tendencies and I think Sebastian could embody that on screen and as a model, he can bring that silent/strong energy that he uses on the runway to Warner's calculating & villainous personality as the head of an army for his dad.

Michael Fjordbak as Adam Kent from Shatter Me 


Adam Kent is the male lead in the dystopian novel Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. He is a soldier in the army of the Reestablishment (that is the government and system in place that controls society in Shatter Me). The only reason why Adam joined the army was to learn of Juliette (the female lead in Shatter Me who has been locked up for years because she can't touch people due to having special powers). Adam is incredibly caring, strong, and an amazing support system to Juliette and his little brother, and he is a character that tugs on the heartstrings because of how ill he was treated by his father. Adam is described as being tall, with incredibly piercing blue eyes and dark hair. So, when I saw Michael Fjordbak on Teen Wolf one day, I was, like, "that is so Adam Kent" - since Michael has the height and physical appearance of Adam and also because I feel like he could portray the goodness, determination, strength that so defines Adam in Shatter Me from what I saw from his character on Teen Wolf (the young Peter Hale).






 Have you ever dreamcasted your favorite book characters? If you have, let me know about it. Also, if any of you have a different dreamcasting idea for the character I mentioned in this post, I would love to hear about it, as well. Thanks for reading :) 

 

Dreamcasting (5): From books to film

I am a very visual person and when I read a book I like to envision in my head what each book character would look like in actuality and who could play their roles if they ever adapted that particular book into a film.

What is a dreamcast? Well, it's the cast of actors that you think would be perfect to interpret a character on screen. Today I will dreamcast a popular book character and explain why I think the actor I chose for this dreamcast would be perfect for the role of said character.

Dreamcast for Adrian Ivashkov & Will Herondale

 Mathias Lauridsen as Adrian Ivashkov from The Golden Lily

 

So, I actually have dreamcasted Adrian before but reading The Golden Lily (book #2 in the Bloodlines series) really changed my whole view of him. And this time, with the help of a friend, ladies and gents, I have found my new Adrian. Adrian Ivashkov is a character who originally appeared in The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. In Bloodlines (the spin off series to Vampire Academy) Adrian becomes the male lead. Adrian is a stylish and witty vampire royal, a moroi, and in his twenties. The Moroi have distinct features amongst the different types of vampires in the Vampire Academy world. They usually are very tall and lean and often described as resembling human models. Hence, why Mathias Lauridsen, a Danish male model, would make an amazing Adrian Ivashkov. 

 

There is even a quote in the Golden Lily that describes Adrian as looking like a "pensive European model" at some point and Mathias is European and a top male model in the fashion world. Adrian also has always been described as being quite handsome and in my head, I've always felt like Adrian probably had a certain mystique to him, in his look. And Mathias is, like, the epitome of that. This man could be wearing pastels and still look intriguing and pensive. There is just something about the structure of his face and his look, that screams that. And Mathias has that height and lean structure. The precise height and lean look that characterizes moroi, especially Adrian. Also, Mathias on camera, has this natural charisma to him. So, yes, Mathias Lauridsen = Adrian Ivashkov for me!

Nicholas Hoult as Will Herondale from Clocwork Angel & Clockwork Prince

Nicholas Hoult made quite the impression on me in the films A Single Man and Xmen: First Class. I thought he was highly compelling with a very powerful glance. In Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Will Herondale, is an English young man that lives in Victorian England as a shadowhunter (a warrior of angel blood who fights demons). He is described as being tall, handsome, with extremely striking blue eyes and black hair. Nicholas is tall, handsome, with very beautiful blue eyes, black hair and he has an English accent. I don't know about you guys, but I think he would be a perfect Will Herondale. Will in Clockwork Angel comes off as sarcastic, determined, and a fighter and in Clockwork Prince we get to know the softer side of him and get to uncover some of the layers to his character. I think Nicholas could portray those array of emotions perfectly and he just looks like Will. He really does match the Will I pictured in my head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Have you ever dreamcasted your favorite book characters? If you have, let me know about it. Also, if any of you have a different dreamcasting idea for the character I mentioned in this post, I would love to hear about it, as well. Thanks for reading :)

 

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: McElderry Books

Release Date: December 6th 2011

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends. 

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.


  
My Review:
Clockwork Prince which is the second installment in The Infernal Devices series has to be one of the best sequels I've read in quite a while. It really blows Clockwork Angel out of the water and that is a lot to say because Clockwork Angel was such an amazing beginning to this Infernal Devices series. What I really loved about Clockwork Prince is that it has a lot of intensity. It's mysterious, dark, and incredibly profound. And the author really does an amazing job at going to the heart of things and at peeling away the layers to each character and the hidden world of the Shadowhunters. Shadowhunters being humans who hunt demons and have angel blood in their veins.

What I love the most about The Infernal Devices books and especially Clockwork Prince is that the character development is astounding. I truly felt that every single character is explored deeply in this book and every single one of them is of extreme importance, including the new characters that are introduced, as well. And for me it something very unique because with most books it is easy for the author to focus only on the main characters and to ignore the character history of the secondary characters but not in Clockwork Prince. In this book, The secondary characters are incredibly special and captivate you immediately because the author of this book makes sure to give each character a unique history, a special charm, and nuanced personality. In short words, yes the focus on the book is Tessa, Will, and Jem but their journey never overwhelms the rest of the characters and I loved that. And the main villain in this book is so incredibly complex and methodical, even when he isn't present in a scene, his schemes and plotting never cease to amaze. Which I think is the mark of truly great villain development.

I also feel that in this book Cassandra Clare does an amazing job at exploring the social customs/gender roles of the Victorian era. Through the poetry, the literature references, and character challenges you can tell that the author of this book truly researched Victorian society heavily and she truly does captivate it's essence in this book. You literally feel like you are walking the streets of Victorian London and that danger can be awaiting you at every corner. The constraints, the extreme concern with propriety, the self-consciousness of each character depending on their social standing in Victorian society, the reader catches a glimpse of all of it in this book. And when you add to that, a secret underground world of magic, shadowhunter politics, fantastical creatures, demons; the world building really gets taken to a new level, I think. It was really fun to read about and beyond intriguing.

The romance in Clockwork Prince. Holy cow. And when I say romance, I don't only mean romantic love but romance in all its forms. This book is full of it. There is a constant air of nostalgia, and wanting, of desire for what is good, and true, and beautiful amongst an incredibly dark and mysterious environment. To say that this book tugs on the heartstrings is not enough. This book is a roller coaster of emotions. It  takes your heart, shreds it up in its blender, returns it to you in tattered pieces and then always adds a dash of hope in the end, just to leave you even more hopeful and confused and on the edge of your seat. And the level of misunderstanding and secrecy is just so elevated in this book. It was amazing. 

The stakes are high in Clockwork Prince and the emotional journey of the main characters: Will, Tessa, and Jem is raw, painful, beautiful, and haunting. There is just so much profoundness in this book and so many of the characters are so good at feeling things deeply, it really leaves a mark on the reader and I cannot wait to see how everything turns out in Clockwork Princess. I need to know. For, like, my sanity. I fell in love with this book, the world in it and it's characters and I need to know how it will all end.


My Rating: 5/5

In Her Shoes (4): Sophie from Clockwork Prince

In Her Shoes is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Vanya at YA Story Teller. To participate, simply put yourself in the shoes of a heroine you've recently read about, and then talk about what you would do in her place, or what you've learned from her.

Featuring this week:

  Sophie Collins from Clockwork Prince

 Sophie Collins is a character from the series The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. I originally read about her in Clockwork Angel, the 1st installment in The Infernal Devices and really found her character interesting from the start. Sophie is a maid in the London Institute for shadowhunters in Victorian London. She herself is not a shadowhunter and for those who have not read the series yet, Shadowhunters are humans who hunt demons and have angel blood in their veins.

Personality wise, Sophie is really dynamic as a character. She is kinda of shy but at the same time if she feels like she has to speak up because of an injustice and be direct, she will do so. She is also very considerate, hardworking, loyal, and in my opinion, a total fighter/survivor. As a heroine I think Sophie is at the top of my list as one of my all time favorites. When she was younger, she was chosen to be a parlor maid in a wealthy home, parlor maids being young women who posses a lot of physical beauty. Sadly the son of her boss tried to make advances on her, she denied him and he decided to take a knife to her face, to scar her and to make her less beautiful. 

What really is compelling about Sophie is that she is an incredibly strong character who has survived surmountable adversity, but doesn't always see herself that way because of her social status as a maid in Victorian society, the scar on her face, and the fact that she is human (while everyone around her is not). If I was in her place, I would not change a thing. I think that she is slowly coming to understand how amazing she is, that she is special, and has so much to offer those she comes into contact with. I love that she is learning how to fight and that in dangerous situations, she takes action. She may not be as trained as some of the other characters around her but it doesn't stop her from doing what she needs to do in order to help those in the institute.

My favorite quality about Sophie and what makes her unique for me as a character is that she is never an envious character. She has empathy and she never lets her self-consciousness cloud her judgement, which is not easy to find. Sometimes when people have been faced with a lot of turmoil or affected or scarred by an event, it's easy for them to harbor resentment towards those who are around them, who they perceive to be in a better situation than they are in. Sophie is smart and though at times she may feel like she has had bad luck, she still recognizes the struggles that others are going through, even if she dislikes them or thinks that they have it better than she does. And I really admire her for that. She is really smart and has sound judgement. Overall, she is definitely my favorite female character from Clockwork Prince and a great heroine.

In Her Shoes (3): Charlotte from Clockwork Prince

In Her Shoes is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Vanya at YA Story Teller. To participate, simply put yourself in the shoes of a heroine you've recently read about, and then talk about what you would do in her place, or what you've learned from her.

Featuring this week:

 Charlotte Branwell from Clockwork Prince

Charlotte Branwell is a character from the series The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. I originally read about her in Clockwork Angel, the 1st installment in The Infernal Devices and loved her character from the start. Charlotte is a shadowhunter in Victorian London. Shadowhunters are humans who hunt demons and have angel blood in their veins. She is also the head of the shadowhunter Institute in London. 

Personality wise, Charlotte is a very strong character and her main challenge throughout the Infernal Devices books - especially in Clockwork Prince - is that her authority as the head of the London Institute of shadowhunters is constantly being challenged and called into question because she is a woman and young (in her early 20s) in the Victorian Era.

I have to say that I really like how Charlotte handles herself. She has tremendous responsibility as the head of the London Institute and has a lot of people in her charge. I don't think that I would change a thing about her. She is a fighter, she is intelligent, and she likes to take action. Instead of succumbing to pressure and crumbling under the prejudices bestowed upon her by elder council members and other characters in the books because of her age, gender, and the era she lives in - she stays strong and always rises to the occasion, especially in battle. She is also very good hearted and very thoughtful. Definitely one of my favorite characters in the series and a great heroine.

In Her Shoes (1): Tessa Gray from Clockwork Prince

In Her Shoes is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Vanya at YA Story Teller. To participate, simply put yourself in the shoes of a heroine you've recently read about, and then talk about what you would do in her place, or what you've learned from her.

Featuring this week:

 Tessa Gray from Clockwork Prince 

Theresa "Tessa" Gray is a character from the series The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. I originally read about her in Clockwork Angel, the 1st installment in The Infernal Devices and loved her immediately. I am now reading more about her in Clockwork Prince, the sequel to Clockwork Angel. Tessa is a shapeshifter who is originally from America and goes to Victorian England to meet up with her brother after her aunt and only guardian dies. Would I change something if I was in Tessa's place? no. The girl has suffered through all kinds of hardships and betrayals and she didn't know she was a shapeshifter but I love that she gets to live with the shadowhunters in London's institute. I also love that she is very willful and doesn't give up easily no matter how dangerous the situation is. In the case you haven't read this series yet, shadowhunters are humans who hunt demons and have angel blood in their veins. In Clockwork Prince, Tessa gets to be around Jem and Will, who are both shadowhunters and two of the best male lead characters I have ever had the pleasure to read about. And it doesn't hurt that they are gorgeous and well read, strong and good hearted and everything you want in a guy character, basically.

Have I learned something from Tessa? Yes, I have. I love that she is so true to herself. The girl is a bookaholic/avid reader and it doesn't matter what situation she is placed in, she carries her love for books and her passion for the things she loves, with her at all times. It's admirable because when some people get stuck in a difficult situation they can sometimes lose sight of their hobbies and loves. She doesn't. I've also learned from Tessa that being kind and honest is not something you should be ashamed of. This girl is not afraid to show her feelings or her thoughts. She has a pure heart and is very honorable as a person. And I love it.