Tag: Fandom Friday

Fandom Friday-The Lynburn Legacy

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The Fandom Friday is a weekly feature, this site with each blog post written by a new contributor.

This is the weekly post where either myself, or a guest blogger, talks about a new fandom. See, I’ve had the experience in my life where I’ve been made fun or put down about my particular fandoms. And that has made me feel pretty crappy. But I’ve also put down other fandoms as well.

So I’ve decided to change that. I’m opening my world up to new fandoms, and the best way to do that is to bring people in to write about various fandoms. I’m very excited about this segment.

If you guys are interested in becoming a guest blogger for the Fandom Friday, feel free to email me at whatanerdgirlsays at gmail.com or contact me HERE

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The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan 

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What It Is: 

The Lynburn Legacy is a paranormal mystery series written by the immensely talented Sarah Rees Brennan.

The story follows the main character of Kami Glass, who lives in the tiny town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, where nothing happens, not since the mysterious Lynburns left town. Kami is an aspiring reporter, determined to get a story, and recruiting her friends to help her do it. Her best friend, though, is a boy named Jared, a boy who lives in her head, a boy who she doesn’t even know is real, until one day, she bumps into him on accident and she finds out he is part of a group of Lynburns that have returned to town. Now that the two are thrown together, their connection and bond and growing attraction to each other makes it incredibly awkward to be around each other. But there are more problems to contend with: brutally murdered animals are being found around town and when Kami starts investigating, she’s nearly killed as well. Plus there’s something a little…off about the Lynburn family that Kami is determined to find out about.

So far, there are two books in the series, Unspoken and Untold. Untold was released quite recently, in September, so it probably will be about a year, next fall, for the third book to release. This book is full of adventure and mystery, romance and magic. It reads like a murder mystery, wrapped up in magic, and humor.

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How I Found It 

I met Sarah Rees Brennan back in March, when she was on tour with Cassandra Clare on her Clockwork Princess tour, along with Maureen Johnson. I thought she was absolutely adorable and she made me laugh, and she had the BEST taste in clothes ever. Seriously, Sarah, I don’t know where you get your dresses, but we need to go shopping together soon.

But I knew immediately that I wanted to read some of her books, her and Maureen. I knew if they were endorsed by Cassie, they had to be good. And they were just so hilarious.

I read Sarah Rees Brennan’s Demon’s Lexicon trilogy and I liked it, but this series is really the one that brought me in. I had heard of it but had been no rush until my own contributor Christina Marie recently read Unspoken and loved it so much that she just had to share it with me. I immediately bought the first book, and read the second book just the next day.

My number one fictional crush has been Jace Wayland for a LONG time now, and probably won’t change at all, but Jared Lynburn is now an incredibly close second place.

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Why You Should be Reading It 

I feel like I need ridiculous gifs from Tumblr to explain why you should be reading this series because words are hard to use to describe this series.

It made me laugh out loud. It made me want to scream and cry, and it made me scared and excited. It made me feel so many different emotions all at the same time.

And it was so NEW too. I tend not read too much paranormal romance YA because it starts to get repetitive and frankly, kind of irritating. Maybe that’s why it took me so long to read this series to begin with. Maybe I had that idea that it would just be the same thing again.

But its not at all. Sarah tells this story like its a mystery and like the magical aspect of it is just an added bonus. It literally reads like a murder mystery to me. Its exciting and did I mention funny? Kami Glass is such a brave and fun character and she makes me laugh so much. She’s so stubborn and determined and its not a wonder that she drives Jared absolutely bonkers. I kind of want to BE Kami Glass. Sarah has created this character that is incredibly relatable and at the same time enviable. She’s incredibly smart and clever and super witty, she has a sharp sense of humor. I love that no matter what crazy situations she gets herself into, she just pushes forward. She’s brave, and she’s loyal to those that she loves.

I also absolutely adore the fact that Sarah represents the world the way it is: she has mixed race characters, and characters that have different sexual identities. She represents what we actually see when we go outside. Kami is half-Asian, and there are friends of hers who are questioning their sexual identities and there’s just so many differences in it, and I love it. It shouldn’t be a problem but it is, and the fact that she does it so beautifully and subtly makes this book so much better.

Plus there’s just the fact that she’s a great writer. Its a fun story, with just enough awesome elements to keep you speeding through the book. There’s humor and action and adventure and mystery and romance and fun and amazing.

Seriously, read these novels. You won’t regret one minute of reading these books.

An original fan artwork of Cassandra Jean. I was so happy when I discovered she did art for this series, as well as Cassandra Clare's series.

An original fan artwork of Cassandra Jean. I was so happy when I discovered she did art for this series, as well as Cassandra Clare’s series.

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I hope you all enjoyed this edition of the Fandom Friday. I realize there aren’t many hours left in the day of Friday but I made it! Yay me!

I hope you all are able to check out this book series, you will NOT be disappointed.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Fandom Friday – ABC’s Once Upon a Time

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The Fandom Friday is a weekly feature, with each blog post written by a new contributor.

This is the weekly post where either myself, or a guest blogger, talks about a new fandom. See, I’ve had the experience in my life where I’ve been made fun or put down about my particular fandoms. And that has made me feel pretty crappy. But I’ve also put down other fandoms as well.

So I’ve decided to change that. I’m opening my world up to new fandoms, and the best way to do that is to bring people in to write about various fandoms. I’m very excited about this segment.

If you guys are interested in becoming a guest blogger for the Fandom Friday, feel free to email me at whatanerdgirlsays at gmail.com or contact me HERE

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This week’s guest blogger is Cher, and she’ll tell you more about herself later. Now, let’s take the time to dive into one of her favorite shows (and definitely one of mine):

Once Upon a Time

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Tagline: 

There are two sides to every story.

Premiere Date: 

October 23, 2011

Network: 

ABC

Genre: 

Fantasy

And they lived happily ever after…or so everyone was led to believe. Emma Swan knows how to take care of herself. She’s a 28 year old bondsperson who’s been on her own ever since she was abandoned as a baby. But when Henry-the son she gave up years ago-finds her, everything changes. Henry is now ten years old and in desperate need of Emma’s help. He believes that Emma actually comes from an alternate world, and she’s Snow White and Prince Charming’s missing daughter. According to his book of fairy tales, they sent her away to protect her from the evil queen’s curse, which trapped the characters of fairy tale world forever, frozen in time, and brought them into our modern world.

Of course, Emma doesn’t believe a word, but when she brings Henry back to Storybrooke, she finds herself drawn to this unusual boy and his strange New England town. Concerned for him, she decides to stay for awhile, but she soon suspects that Storybrooke is more than it seems. Its a place where magic has been forgotten-but is still powerfully close-where fairy tale characters are alive, even though they don’t remember who they once were, and where the Evil Queen, known as Regina, is now Henry’s foster mother. 

In order to understand where the fairy tale world’s former inhabitants came from, and what ultimately led to the Evil Queen’s wrath, you’ll need a glimpse into their previous lives to learn their origins. But it might just turn everything you’ve ever believed about these characters upside-down. 

Meanwhile, the epic battle for the future of all worlds is about to begin. For good to win, Emma will have to accept her destiny and fight like hell. 

Good day, dearies! My name is Cher, but my pen name is belovedbeauty (and you can find me at Tumblr here), and I’ve been writing and creating graphics since I was about thirteen. I’ve always been a Disney girl, even at twenty years old, Disney fairytales will always be my favorite thing-and the one thing I turn to when my day hasn’t been the greatest. Knowingly, most Disney stories are based off of the Grimm tellings, and re-worked to have happy endings. When I first saw the commercial for Once Upon a Time, I was utterly hooked. Not just because of the fairy tale plot, but because the creators (Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis) were writers for Lost (and let me tell you, Lost was probably one of the most mind-blowing addictive shows there ever was).

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Going into the show, and watching the first episode, I immediately became more obsessed than I had imagined. The protagonist of the story, Emma Swan, was easily relatable, her son Henry was the icing on the cake, and the inhabitants of Storybrooke were a shroud of mystery. It didn’t take me long before I was counting down the days until a new episode aired, reading fan’s theories and thoughts, and joining in on avid discussion.

The great thing about Once Upon a Time is that it doesn’t follow Disney’s or The Grimms Brother’s stories. It creates a path all on it’s own, which leaves the fan in a constant state of curiosity as to what they’re going to change next. Each character is lovable in their own way (Even the Evil Queen Regina, and our dear Rumpelstiltskin). As the first season came to a close, and everything that had happened finally settled in my brain, I was irrevocably addicted.

The fans of ONce Upon a Time go by Oncers, and though we have a ship that we’re on board with (Snowing, Rumbelle, Swan Queen, etc), we come together together in our absolute adoration for the show. Each time something insane happens, we easily fall together to grieve, plot, theorize, and explain.

We’re a dysfunctional family of fans, but I think that makes the dynamic so much more interesting. You can sit there thinking you’ve gotten everything right as fan, chosen the rightful ship, figured out the next plot device, and then you read another fan’s thoughts, be they against your own or not, and you began to question your own reasoning.

 Once Upon a Time is in it’s third season now, with more questions than ever before. The writers have introduced a new land, new characters and villains, and continue to delve into the lives of the fairy tale folk in flashbacks.

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You never really know how one character’s full life has been. Each flashback creates a new layer, and even as you watch that character in the present, you’re still wondering, “What has happened to you?” 

One line that has stuck with me is this: “Evil isn’t born, dearie, it’s made.”

But the one thing that is always streaming through each story, that the writers always make sure you remember, is that there’s always hope. There’s always a chance for you to find your happy ending, or your true love. No one is clearly good, or bad. Each character has made choices that took them down another road, and forces them to try and make it right. Emma Swan isn’t a perfect guy, and Rumpelstiltskin hasn’t always stayed on the path of evil. Just those little things make a viewer see that, “Hey, I may make a mistake but that doesn’t have to define me. I can change the path I’m on.”

As Emma Swan said in Season one, Episode Four: “People are gonna tell you who you are your whole life. You just gotta punch back and say, “no, this is who I am.” You want people to look at you differently? Make them! You want to change things, you’re gonna have to go out there and change them yourself, because there are no fairy godmothers in this world.” 

This show isn’t just about fairy tale characters in the modern world, but about choices made and how they face them. It’s about correcting wrongs, and working with the skills you have. Each character relies on one thing or two to make it through each challenge they face. And you, as the viewer, are along on each journey with them.

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And hey, it helps that the entire cast is extremely attractive. Each character has a memorable line. They’re all very realistic, with sassy one-liners, to perfect eyebrow raises and dubious looks. Once Upon a Time is a well-rounded, beautifully written show, that hooks you from one episode to the next. And each actor brings their character to life perfectly.

I can’t tell you exactly why I love this show. Whether it’s the characters, the storyline, the lands, or the undercurrent of constant hope, I can tell you that as long as it’s on air for my viewing pleasure, I’ll be sitting on my couch watching ever single minute of it (a couple of times over during those long hiatuses).

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I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Fandom Friday! Once Upon a Time is one of my absolute favorite shows!

I hope you are all able to give the show a chance. The first two seasons are on Netflix, so definitely check it out!

They could totally bring back Sheriff Graham though, I would NOT say no to that haha!

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Happy Friday!

Fandom Friday-Divergent Trilogy

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The Fandom Friday is a weekly feature, page with each blog post written by a new contributor.

This is the weekly post where either myself, approved or a guest blogger, talks about a new fandom. See, I’ve had the experience in my life where I’ve been made fun or put down about my particular fandoms. And that has made me feel pretty crappy. But I’ve also put down other fandoms as well.

So I’ve decided to change that. I’m opening my world up to new fandoms, and the best way to do that is to bring people in to write about various fandoms. I’m very excited about this segment.

If you guys are interested in becoming a guest blogger for the Fandom Friday, feel free to email me at whatanerdgirlsays at gmail.com or contact me HERE. 

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Today’s guest blogger is…not a guest blogger because it is ME.

This week I’ll be talking about a book series that you all may have heard of:

The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

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The Divergent trilogy has been in the “news” a lot lately. In about two months, the third and final installment of the series, Allegiant, will hit book stores. Not much has been said about the book and we’re all waiting in barely concealed anticipation for this book. It’s also in the news a lot as the movie, which doesn’t even release until March, is already garnering big hype, and being compared to the YA blockbuster, The Hunger Games.

A big reason why I decided to write about Divergent is because I wanted to share two things. For those who haven’t heard of it, I can enlighten you on this seriously amazing book series. For those of you who have heard of it, and have heard The Hunger Games comparisons, I want to show you that NOT all YA books are the same, even if they are in the same genre, like dystopian.

About the Trilogy

So let me tell you a little bit about the series. It is a young adult dystopian series that is a trilogy. The first book is Divergent, followed by Insurgent, and ending with the soon to be released Allegiant. The books are written by the beautiful and talented, Veronica Roth, who is the same age as me, and for that alone, I admire her. The book series follows the main character of Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior. Tris lives in our world, but in the future, when wars have torn apart the country. As a solution, a new society is created and everyone is split into five factions that represent the virtues they feel is necessary to have a functioning society. The five factions are Erudite (valuing intelligence), Abnegation (valuing selflessness), Dauntless (valuing courage and bravery), Candor (valuing honesty) and Amity (valuing peace).

Beatrice lives with her family in Abnegation, but she is sixteen years old, and it is time to take the tests that show what faction she is most fitted for. However, when she takes her aptitude test, it is revealed that she has shown connections to three different factions (Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless), that she is a forbidden word: Divergent. Her test taker fixes her results, and sends her home, telling her to never tell anyone what was really said. When it comes time to make a choice, Beatrice sheds her gray clothing and her name, and joins the Dauntless, and she is Tris Prior.

Tris discovers that being Dauntless isn’t easy, and requires more bravery and courage than she anticipated. And being Divergent, and hiding it, causes more problems than she knew as well. The books follow Tris as she attempts to be accepted into the Dauntless family and she unfolds the mysteries that surrounded her society, and the secrets of being Divergent, and why the society is so afraid of them. As she delves deeper into the underbelly of the society, she learns more and more of what is being portrayed and what is really going on.

The first book in the series, Divergent, directed by Nick Burger and produced by Summit Entertainment, has already been filmed and is slated to hit theaters on March 20, 2014. The film stars Shailene Woodley as Tris, Theo James as Four, and includes many well known actors and actresses such as  Miles Tellers, Ashley Judd, Kate Winslet, Zoe Kravitz, Mekhi Phifer and more.

Where I Found It

Honestly, it was all sort of word of mouth for me. I had enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy immensely and several people kept telling me to read Divergent, that I would enjoy it a lot. I finally caved in and bought it on my Kindle, and stayed up all night reading it. I remember feeling pretty surprised at the cliffhanger and wanting to immediately read the sequel.

As luck would have it, the sequel, Insurgent, had literally been released that day. I immediately purchased it on my Kindle and started reading it at about 3 am. I had to convince myself that staying up all night was a terrible idea, but I read it the next day and finished it, and I was easily hooked.

Why You Should Be Reading It

I know what you’re thinking: another dystopian novel series? Isn’t that getting a bit old? And I can see where you are coming from. There are a ton of various dystopian novels on the shelves these days and its hard to pick ones that are good, because there are just so many to choose from. This is one that you definitely have to pick up, especially if you are a fan of The Hunger Games.

I think that Veronica Roth has this ability to appeal to both a male and female audience, even though the main character is female. She really presents a great story, with fully fleshed out characters and characters that are so important and easy to love, besides just Tris and Four. It is NOT a love story, though a love story is woven in there. This is the story of two people, who team up with so many others, to find out the truth of a country. The politics, and the psychology of this system that has been created as a solution to the problems of the past are SO interesting and they keep you racing through the pages as you watch Tris and Four try to figure it out.

I also think that Tris is an amazing character, a strong female character that remains strong. I find often times that a female character can start off really strong but then sort of loses that strength over time to whininess. I admire that Tris loses some of her strength at times, because she has gone through so much but she never loses her resolve and she never resorts to whining or any of that. She stays strong, even when she’s at her weakest, and I think that’s very important and will play an important part in the last and final book. I also think the character of Tobias “Four” Eaton is also important and fantastic as well. He is a strong character, whether you’re a boy or a girl reading this novel. He grew up in an incredibly abusive situation, both physically and emotionally, with his father, and escapes to the faction of Dauntless to get away from him. Learning this about Four, and seeing the strength that he has had to earn over time, and seeing his relationship with his father, is incredible. T

hese two characters alone are enough to read this book, and neither of them are my favorite character of the series! The series is filled with so many different, unique, believable characters that you can connect and relate to. Even though this is set in a world that is both recognizable and yet so utterly different, it is not hard to connect with these people and some of the things that are happening with them.

Plus there is all the action. From the moment Tris decides to switch from Abnegation to Dauntless, you are on an action packed roller coaster, as she fights her way through initiation and learns to fight, handle a gun, and learns what it really means to be courageous and fearless.

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I hope you all enjoyed learning about the Divergent trilogy today. I know that there are many of you who have already read it, but I hope that those of you who haven’t will be encouraged to do so. There is so much awesome in this book, and there is also SO much to discuss as well!

Come back soon for a new Fandom Friday, and check out previous ones here!

Have you read Divergent? What did you think of it? How did you get into the books, and what would you say to someone that you were trying to convince to read it? As always, share in the comments!