Dark Genesis Reviews

Some new awesome reviews have been posted for Dark Genesis.  Check out what they had to say!

Lili Lost in a Book

A TiffyFit's Reading Corner

Tome Tender

HOTD Casting Call: Damien

Alright, it's time to get down to business.  Damien, the hot vampire that Shanna is in lust with, should be played in the movie/TV show by someone with smoldering good looks...

Runners Up to play Damien

Ian Somerhalder (The Vampire Diaries, Lost)

Jason Behr (Roswell, The Grudge)

 

My Choice for Damien

Dave Franco (21 Jump Street, Warm Bodies)



Damien, while immortal, is still a little older than Shanna in terms of appearance, but still needs to be uber-hot.  Like, the hottest of all the hotties in the production.  And since he's a rocker, he needs to have a little edge to him.  Somerhalder certainly fits the bill, but again, I hate to typecast, and since he plays a sexy vampire on The Vampire Diaries, I would be more likely to look at the other two guys.  Behr is delicious, but perhaps a bit too serious for the role, although I do love the edge he has in a movie like The Tattooist...  But I'm going to go with Dave Franco here.  He's young, gorgeous, and while he's known primarily for being a funny guy, I could totally see him rocking it as Damien.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

I'm a big fan of Rick Yancey's Monstrumologist series, which is a fantastic, and actually scary, YA horror series.  So I was very happy to see the big marketing push behind Yancey's new book, The 5th Wave, which people are singing the praises of.  I was lucky enough to get my hands on an ARC and I'm excited to report to you that it is stunning!  Believe the hype!  It looks like this could be the big one to read this summer, so get your hands on it ASAP.  The 5th Wave is a book that takes place during an alien apocalypse.  They have come, they have landed, they are not friendly.  They have bombarded humanity with four waves of destruction to weed people out, with perhaps a fifth on the horizon.

Cassie is a teenager lucky enough to have survived the first four brutal waves, which include an electro-magnetic pulse that cuts off the world's power, earthquakes that create tsunamis, and a plague.  Those not killed by those threats have to face silencers, aliens who are hunting down the remaining humans with great skill.  This book is epic, but it's also really grounded, focusing on a small group of survivors.  I was a little skeptical when I realized that each new "part" in this book switches characters, but I found myself really enjoying the story revolving around each character.  When I was finished with one part and was like, I need to find out what happens next, I was equally drawn in to the new part that I was beginning.  Yancey just has a way of making these characters and their circumstances, which were very different from one another, all really relatable and exciting.

I really liked that as far-fetched as this concept is, it's grounded in a stark reality, and it's very emotional.  The material can be a little heavy at times, but is lightened by humor throughout.  It's very well-balanced, with things that haunt the characters running through the course of their character arcs.  I could definitely guess that some things were coming, but even though you kind of know, you second guess yourself, and then, it's just so interesting seeing things play out that you don't mind.

The 5th Wave is very different than The Monstrumologist series, and proves Yancey's versatility as a writer.  But even though this is very different for him from his Printz Award Honored book, it's still a really well-written, thoughtful piece of writing that's every bit as riveting and suspenseful as anything he's written.  In fact, I could barely tear myself away from this book, and eagerly sat down for hours at a time to tear through it.  I would recommend this for anyone who loves a good action title, and it will satisfy hardcore science fiction and dystopian fans.

HOTD Casting Call: Rocquele

Alright, let's cast a villain.  Rocquele the witch appears in the first two Hunters of the Dark books, and here's who I would have play her...

Runners Up to play Rocquele

 

Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The King's Speech)

Tara Summers (Ringer, Hitchcock)

My Choice for Rocquele

 

Olivia Williams (Dollhouse, The Ghost Writer)

 

Rocquele is a wicked witch in the Hunters of the Dark series, and someone who could play crazy, but also haughty and arrogant, would be necessary for the part.  These three actresses could certainly slip into the role with ease, but I would hate to typecast Helena, and any other witch she played aside from Bellatrix would probably pale in comparison.  Of the remaining two, I just have to go with Olivia Williams, who can be cool as a cucumber and can play the snobby beauty like she was born to do it.

HOTD Casting Call: Brett

The next Hunters of the Dark character I'm going to cast my dream actor for is Brett Starr, the team's giant hunter and alpha male.  Differing opinions?  Leave them in the comments!

Runners Up to play Brett

 

 

Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games, The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising)

 

 

Kellan Lutz (Twilight, Immortals)

 

My Choice for Brett

 

 

Freddie Stroma (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Pitch Perfect)

 

Brett is a lovable dopey guy, enthusiastic and pretty full of himself.  He does have a soft side however, and a cutting past that later books will explore.  All of these actors have the goods to play him, although Kellan is perhaps getting a bit old for the role.  Between Alexander and Freddie, it was kind of a toss-up, but I just think Freddie is prettier, and he seems like more of a ladies' man, which suits Brett.

HOTD Casting Call: Cheitan

Continuing my dream cast for a Hunters of the Dark movie/TV show, let's move on to some minor characters for a moment.  Cheitan appeared in the first book of the series, and will be returning to the series in book five, along with a few other familiar faces who have been absent lately.  He will have a bigger role as the series continues (you heard it here first)!

Runners Up to play Cheitan

 

 

Steven Strait (The Covenant, 10,000 B.C.)

 

Booboo Stewart (Twilight: Eclipse, X-Men: Days of Future Past)

 

My Choice for Cheitan

 

 

Jacob Artist (Glee, The Philosophers)

 

Cheitan is a young, cute demon, and the actor who plays him has to be in shape because he's rock-hard.  Because he's basically made out of rock.  Get your mind out of the gutter, guys.  ;)  All of these guys have certainly proved they have the abs and chiseled physiques needed for the role, but Jacob Artist just seems like the right personality for it.  And he's smoking hot, which doesn't hurt!