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The fantasy novels that inspired Critical Role's Thimble, according to Laura Bailey

Bailey's Campaign 4 pixie, Thimble, owes at least some creative DNA to a longstanding pixie warrior character created by Kim Harrison

Those nerdy-ass voice actors over at Critical Role continue to prove that their incredible success has not dampened the nerd in them at all. Take, for example, Laura Bailey. Arguably one of the most popular names in the voice acting game these days, Bailey still holds a special place in her heart for all things fantasy... so much so that that passion comes through in the characters she plays. Travis Willingham Laura Bailey

The Legend of Vox Machina star Bailey was recently on an episode of Critical Role's Fan Q&A talkback series Fireside Chat, during which a Beacon.tv subscriber asked Bailey about her extensive fantasy reading list. As you might recall Popverse reporting on, Bailey is currently reading Dungeon Crawler Carl, which she praises as both "excellent" and the "first non-smut series I have read in a very long time." Bailey's co-host, The Mighty Nein star and life-partner Travis Willingham, tried to recall another fantasy series that Bailey had been reading before that, and after a little bit of joint recollection, Bailey remembered it as well. 

"I reread all of the books from the Rachel Morgan series," the voice actor said, "That I was such a huge fan of. When I decided to make Thimble, I wanted to reread that series, because it has a really fucking awesome pixie character in it. I wanted to just get ideas and stuff, and I love that character so much."

Stepping in to clarify - it appears that Bailey is talking about author Kim Harrison's Hollows series, also known as the 'Rachel Morgan series' after the primary character. Getting even more specific, the pixie character Bailey seems to be referring to is called Jenks, who is indeed a tiny assassin/spy not dissimilar to Bailey's Thimble.

Asked by  Willingham if Jenks had a "smutty backstory," Bailey said no but that, due to his many offspring, he "participated in a lot of smuttiness." Willingham followed up by asking if that's entirely necessary for a magical species like pixies, to which Bailey responded:

"In that case, the fairies bone."

You heard it here first, folks.


With two animated series on Prime Video, Campaign 4 in full swing, and so much more Exandrian lore to come, Critical Role is showing no signs of slowing down. That's why the adventuring party at Popverse are here to bring you everything we can from those nerdy-ass voice actors & Bo., including:

...and much, much more. Roll initiative, player. Magic awaits.

Grant DeArmitt

Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.

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