Cindy Pon | Movie Star Cast for SERPENTINE

SERPENTINE is a fantasy set in the fictitious Kingdom of Xia, inspired by ancient China. It is the first book in a series, and the sequel will come out Fall 2016. The main insprations behind the novel were my wanting to feature a strong female friendship, and the idea of monstrous beauties. The existence of beautiful women as temptress types who are dangerous and/or evil, often luring unsuspecting men to their deaths, can be found in lore across the world. As a writer, I wanted to play with these themes. I love fantasy as a genre because it allows me that freedom, as well as allows me to explore coming-of-age stories in new and interesting ways. These casting posts are always challenging, as not many Asian actors or models are featured in western media. Personally, I don't watch a lot of Asian dramas, so these actors I've chosen, though perfect, have been around for some time. But perhaps a few of them are new to you?

Gong Li

I would love to have a young Gong Li play my heroine Skybright. Besides being beautiful, Gong Li is also an amazing actress.

Zhang Ziyi

A young Zhang Ziyi would make the perfect actress for the role of Zhen Ni. I had written Zhen Ni to have very expressive eyes, and I think Zhang definitely does.

Takeshi Kaneshiro

I picture a young Takeshi Kaneshiro as my hero Kai Sen. I think the picture I've chosen says enough here. ha! Perfect.

Godfrey Gao

As for the devastatingly tall and handsome immortal Stone, I definitely had Godfrey Gao in mind for this role. I described Stone with features as if chiseled by the gods. Look at this photo and tell me if you could disagree?

GIVEAWAY

Tell me who you'd love to see cast? Leave a comment below and be entered for a chance to win a digital copy of SERPENTINE. 3 winners, open internationally.

About Cindy Pon

Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow, 2009), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association's Booklist, and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. The sequel to Silver Phoenix, titled Fury of the Phoenix, was released in April 2011. Serpentine, the first title in her next Xia duology, will be published by Month9Books in September 2015. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade. Visit her website at www.cindypon.com. Website | facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram | Goodreads

About SERPENTINE

Inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology, this sweeping fantasy is set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns 16, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell. When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.