It's bizarre for me to hear Ben Barnes described as "an older actor," since to me he'll always be associated w/ babyfaced Prince Caspian lol

One thing I am majorly excited about, but which I haven't seen anyone talking about, is that there is going to be an original soundtrack for the Shadow and Bone series. Like, there is going to be an 'Alina Embraces her Powers' track and a 'No Mourners No Funerals' theme and I CANNOT WAIT.

YES, I completely agree with Kaz being a younger version of Cillian Murphy from Peaky Blinders. That's how I've always envisioned him.

Also can we just talk about the fact that someone commented on one of the cast photos saying that they really want a Darklina makeout scene and Jessie Mei Li LIKED the comment. She's looking out for us fans already.

Inej is my favorite character and the actress they chose is exactly what I pictured I love it

You said Ben Barnes and I laughed because I only know him as Sirius.

"There's just a lot to work with here." - every fan artist when that picture got posted

i bet the soc side of season one is gonna be the backstories so future seasons can really hone in on the heist.... like nina and matthias surviving the shipwreck and kaz getting inej out of the menagerie and oh my god i’m not ready 💀💀💀

I was so happy w Inej and Kaz's casting. They are my Grishaverse OTP and they look exactly bow I pictured. I've been wondering if they were leaning more on finding an actor who is actually biracial for Jesper than they were on finding one who was dark-skinned. I'm sure he'll be a great Jesper, but I do wish they'd focused more on the latter than the former.

Kaz is my murder child and I was so nervous about his casting and now he's been cast and all I've been able to do is flail about it.

I don't like the Darkling but when I saw Ben Barnes cast for him, I was like... Is this LOVE?

Literally yelled, "YES!" when you mentioned Kaz being a younger Cillian Murphy. Scared the crap out of my husband. But YESSSSSS. Exactly.

I want to know who’s playing my baby Wylan 😭

So glad you also thought Cillian Murphy for Kaz (but obviously a older version). His character in Peaky Blinders is basically a older Kaz

I literally screeched and started pacing around my room when I saw it on Twitter. Bitch I am excited, and I cannot wait. On screen Darklina can wreck me.

I like that Jesper has hair...cuz it always bother me that he had a shaved head in the fan art. I was like “give Jesper an Afro you cowards 👏🏾” lol. But in all honesty as someone who is dark skin I was kind of disappointed with Kit playing Jesper, but now that I’ve sat on it I think Kit is good for the role. His mother is a dark skin women so I can totally see him really seeing himself in Jesper. I hope whoever they cast as Jesper’s mom, I hope she is at least dark skinned. Your comment about his hands is so funny to me cuz that’s the first thing I noticed about Kit in that photo lol. Also I’m with you on Freddy playing Kaz. He’s perfect for the role!

Your energy is contagious and I love it. "she's hanging on Ben Barnes and I'm like same girl I don't blame you." YAAASSS.

I was shook because the actress playing Inej went to my school. I couldnt believe it 😮⚔️

Can’t wait to see who gets casted as Nikolai in the future series!

Sam’s passion in this video is everything 😆

Ben Barnes is so good at playing baddies. Him as Billy Russo (The Punisher) is a really great example

Just how Danielle IS really embodies Nina's spirit and I think she's going to slay this role as our waffle loving girl. Despite how she looks, I think they chose her because she really has a similar energy to the character, so I really like their choice. Especially the chemistry between her and Matthias is spot on as well, at least from what I've seen🥰

I just got major flashbacks to watching you fangirl over The Grishaverse when I first started watching booktube and I immediately went out and bought them bc of your excitement!! Nostalgia! I'm loving the casting! The Darkling and Kaz are so gorgeous and the girls are beautiful!! Poor Mal! I actually really liked him in the books so I'm goping the actor brings Mal some more love bc he's not a bad guy at all! Now I need to reread this series. I've only read it once about 2 years ago and I think it's time for a refresher!!

I always pictured mal as a blond haired person. Dont ask me why haha

I love the casting. Also Daisy Head is Anthony Stewart Head’s daughter aka he is Giles from Buffy.

I really hope they keep a Russian aesthetic on the series.

"No one's really talking about him and neither will I.." Lmaooo

ALSO OMG ARCHIE IS ACTUALLY GOD SENT HES SO BEAUTIFUL

I don't know why I'm rewatching this but I am

Thank you for these videos!!! Your excitement (everyone’s excitement) is just awesome !!! I’m already in love with this cast and I’m excited to see behind the scenes videos of all of them hanging out and goofing off. I can’t wait for more of these videos and I’m glad that people are showing them a lot of love ❤️

I have been waiting for your reaction since the casting was announced! I had always pictured Ben Barnes as the Darkling!

I relate to this whole video 😂 I’m honestly very content with the cast......especially Ben freaking Barnes.

Dorian Gray is upgrading his evil ways

Omg this was the best. Your excitement is contagious... you just make me so much more excited for the show!

I haven’t been so excited for a cast announcement and I still can’t stop thinking about it

I haven´t read any of the Grisha books yet (emphasis on the yet :)) but upon seeing Ben Barnes being cast, I immediately put the books on my TBR and the show on my watchlist. I´m not sure how accurate his casting really is, but I freaking love him!!! He got me with Dorian Gray, and I remember just flat out rejecting Oscar Wilde´s description of Dorian in the books :-P

Was so ready for this video and you didn’t disappoint!! I was freaking out as well and just love love loveeeee kaz and inej’s casting! Also, jesper’s actor had a video on Instagram of him dancing/air playing drums over the weekend and I got soooo many Jesper vibes. He had like a serious face while doing it and at the end just grinned and I was like Oh My Gosh you are going to be so great as Jesper!!! Ahhhh!!!

"Do you understand how I feel?!" I believe I do haha

It's probably more than a year away from its premier, but I'm already SUPER excited for your reaction video to Shadow and Bone trailer. 🔥

MY SOUL NEEDED THIS VIDEO! I’m the only one in my friend group that has read and is obsessed with the grishaverse. 😫 I also found out about the casting at work. I had wait until I got to my car to inhumanly screech.

haha I was excited before but your excitement is making me SO EXCITED!!!!

Just want to know who is playing Wylan, Inej is perfect

Alright so I’ve just discovered your channel and adored you immediately but THIS 👏🏻VIDEO👏🏻. You are so fun to watch and every single thing you said, every movement, every freak out is totally how I reacted 😂🙌🏻

I just went through ALL your favorite books vids and added every book to my tbr

Daisy Head in season 3 of Harlots is amazing. I'm so excited for this whole casting!

I 1000% echo your excitement. I just want this to be out so I can watch it 50 times over and fangirl/cry/laugh each time.

Same! I’m so excited and I can’t wait to see the visual come alive from the books! I’m legit the happiest person ever cuz of this lol

This is such a happy video 🥰 needed that rn

I feel like i'm the only one that loves Mal, he was always there for Alina. Never asked for anything and always willing to give his all for her. Everyone else just wanted her for what she could give them.

I love the cast! I'm super excited to see how they mix Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows together...

I am bingeing cast announcement reaction videos and by far yours leveled mine. Haha

FREDDY CARTER IS SO FUCKING PERFECT AS KAZ AND I DIE.

I'm glad that you're so enthusiastic, but personally my expectations are below zero... I've been burned so many times before that I would rather be pleasantly surprised than hugely disappointed again.

Really becoming inspired to do a Six of crows reread because of this netflix news😁 I had a similar reaction when Vampire academy was adapted, and am one of few, it seems, that really enjoyed that film. I dident know Nina and Zoya had been casted cool. 😃

This video is everything. I am even more excited after watching Sam’s excitement

I just finished the book and am so excited for this !!

I am so excited for this and I love Ben Barnes but Inej is the best and the actress is beautiful and Kaz fits so well to what I had in my head!

I'm very excited about the cast we have so far but i want to know who's playing Wylan??

I didn't realize they were going to do Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows together. I guess I need to get onto reading the Six of Crows duology soon!

AGREE with the Ben Barnes part. He has been cast for Sirius, Baz, Kieran, and who knows who else. And he plays Caspian and Dorian?? But I love him so I am READY TO SIMP.

I can't wait to see who they cast as david and botkin and the creepy apparat. God I am just sooooo excited.

I WAS LEGIT JUST WAITING FOR YOUR VIDEO. ONE OF MY FIRST THOUGHTS AFTER AJDJWOSNJD AND OMGOMGOMG WAS I CANT WAIT FOR HER VIDEO.

I FEEL you. You literally speak my mind. My thoughts right now: OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL APRIL. Like, first of all, the Darkling: Ben Barnes is fine but OMG his voice in the teaser. That just gave me chills. Perfection. Then, obviously, KAZ. I guess I don't even need to say it. I couldn't picture him any better. I mean like, JUST LOOK AT HIM. I'm freaking out. Then, Inej. My beloved Inej. Amita Suman is the perfect cast and she and Freddy already have the chemistry 🤩 omg I'm so excited. Alina is also perfect. And I CAN'T WAIT to see her use her gifts 🤩🤩 I'll leave out Mal, cause I don't think he's the most important, but omg Jesper! On Instagram there's this one video of him, you've probably seen it, where you can only see his shadow flipping and (I'm guessing also) loading a gun and I can't believe we're actually getting to SEE HIM SHOOT ON TV. I just can't process it. Like, how incredibly AWESOME is this? They are freaking turning the damn world into a TV show. I am the luckiest person on earth. Ahhhhhhhh I'm so excited 🤩🤩🤩🤩

I am so excited!

i laught a lot about the "she destroys him" with the darkling and alina because, for me, it had always looked like every plan alina has is beaten to shit by the darkling. literally any plan, is a little bit ):.

I needed this video and yes so true I've seen Ben Barnes dream casted for so many YA books lol. Kaz is my baby so I'm excited to see how the actor portrays him

Alll the feels girl all the feels 💗💗💗

"Because I still have emotions" SO RELATABLE

I WAS WAITING FOR THIS!!! THANK YOU"

Sam, your reactions to things cracks me up! :D :D :D You're so hilarious!

I dont think I ever nodded this much to the video, yes yes and yessss!

this video instantly improved my mood!

Your Darkling is closer to what I would picture, even though I don't really fan cast and characters' looks are really blurry in my mind when reading.

Super exciting news.

Thoughts on tomes, I love your channel! They just released a short clip of Alina and Baghrah training in her hut and looks fantastic! Rumor has it we get another trailer tomorrow

Your eye makeup is always the bomb

You fangirling is ALL OF US !!!!

I also feel like you're the Emmmabooks of the Grishaverse! I can remember watching her reactions to The Shadowhunters and now I get to react to you reacting 😝

I'm actually really happy with the cast even though I haven't read the books yet. I especially love the actors for Kaz and Inej. I watched a fan video manip of these two actors and omg they look so cute together and I can sense chemistry. After I finish reading the Percyverse books, I'm going to read this series next followed by The Selection which is getting an adaptation by Netflix into movies.

⚠️a year later the show is almost here⚠️

BinBons is out here about to bless my black little heart and I can’t fucking wait. Also Alina and Inej? I MEAN IMMA HEAD OUT CRUEL WORLD UNTIL THESE QUEENS APPEAR ON MY SCREEN.

loved this video!!

Thank you for summing up all my Ben Barnes feelings. Well actually just all of my feelings on the casting, I agree with basically everything you said

i would kinda love if eva greene plays baghra, she does creepy but powerful very well

I remember the woman playing Nina from GOT. She had very small character but her eyes left an impression on me.

This video has pushed me to give the Grishaverse another chance. I’ve tried so hard to get into the first book but I keep putting it off and finding other things to read. I think I’m finally ready to give these books a try.

This is my first time viewing your videos...I have decided I like you! I love your down-to-earth, honest sassiness. I am also someone who can separate book-form from onscreen-form, so I really appreciate those two separate trains of thoughts you have. PS Freddy Carter is my favorite casting!!! Kaz is my book boyfriend if I can never have Nikolai...Kaz: "I'm going to get my money. And I'm going to get my girl." *swoon* I also like Mal more with each of my re-reads. "How they embody characters." YES! Hair, makeup, costumes can take care of the "book-look." Here's hoping there is a second season, so we get our Nikolai! *fingers crossed* *clutch the pearls* *deep breath*

I loved watching your reaction. It's making me extra excited. I would love for you to make a King of Scars 2 prediction video. If you think that is something you would like to do. I just would love to see what you think will happen. I myself am an Alina/Darkling shipper and I am hoping to get the dream ending you mentioned in this video.

Do you know how far they are, is there any news on a release? Love the video, BTW!

I wonder when they’re going to introduce Matthias? Not sure if they’re going to have him in the first season

I stopped reading the series in the middle of the second book, but now I wanna continue😍😍

I completely agree about the casting for the Darkling

Sam, who would you cast as Nikolai?

I have not been able to form a coherent thought since the cast was announced. I’m glad we can all Fangirl here with the best Grisha Fangirl!!!! I can not stop looking at the photo 😍😍😍

Yasss me too sis I can't wait for Alina and Darkling romance Can't wait for him to be destroying her WHILE HE *FUCKING HUGS* AND KISSES HER HAIR!!

Cillian (Murphy) pronounced not "Sillian" but "Killian"

Dose anyone know the release date?

The way I imagine book!Kaz is... not really a way in which any human man could be expected to look, but Freddy Carter's cheekbones have me sold. -i do wish they had cast a disabled actor since kaz canonically has a limp but that is neither here nor there- That being said, Inej, Genya, and Alina are literally perfect.

ahh im excited for this but im halfway done with the second book in this trilogy and idk half of these characters yet. do they introduce them by the last book?

I have never read anything by Leigh Bardugo but I really want to. Where should I start? Your excitement is contagious!