2

THOSE BUSY WORKING BEES

Eleanor (@prongsandthedoe)

Head of Magazine/Executive Editor

With help from Emily (@TwerkingKlaine) as our grammarian, Charlie (@Pottercrux) as our film reviewer. This

edition also includes works from Ellen (@blazingwright) who modelled and created the nails for the nail art

feature, Kirsty (@dumbled0res) who wrote the fandom wars feature, Lisa (@LisaHafey) who wrote the feature

about Jo’s new book and Sarah (@HGrangerSays) who wrote the twitter rules feature.

Fandomsassemblemag123@gmail.com

@fandomsmagazine

Fandomsassemblemagazine.tumblr.com

Get in touch with us

Facebook.com/FandomsAssemble

Rae (@mishasbooty)

Head of Online/Managing Editor

Emilie (@Holy_Hippogriff)

Interviewer

Juve (@PerseaJackson)

Quiz Master

Beth (@InsanelyMagical)

Fashionista

Saffy (@potterandevans)

Book Reviewer

Em (@voldemoriarty)

Book/Film Updater

Ellie (@jamesandlilys)

Book Reviewer

Imi (@saltysummerday)

Music Updater

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July has been hot month down here in England

(something we’re not used to), but how many of you

got a tan? Thought not. Oh well, who needs a tan

when you have the internet, am I right? Last month

you may have got tumblr; this month it is twitter’s

turn! But don’t worry, pg 13 is filled with all the rules

you need to know. And with everyone spending so

much more time on twitter, a lot more ’fandom wars’

have sprung up. ’Fandom wars? What are fandom

wars?’ I hear you cry. But do not fret! Pg 14 and 15 is

dedicated to fandom wars: the ups, the downs, and

the inbetweens. Or, you might have spent your

summer so far reading and maybe found a book/

series you couldn’t get through. Well, you are not

alone, as on pg 36 we have all your tweets and

opinions of books you couldn’t get through. Plus, if

you are looking for a new book, we have a pg 37 all

about Jo’s new book! If you’re looking for new

fandom ways to decorate your nails for the rest of

the summer, head over to pg 10 for a step-by-step

guide on how to create each look. Have fun and

don’t forget to take part in the survey and message

us your opinions!

This month has again been a hectic one. Luckily, school is

over now for 6 weeks and we can finally get back to fangirl/

boying. Our tumblr has had a brand new theme, thanks to our

amazing worker - Imi, and I have to say it looks great! We

have also put in a navigation page, so when you click on a

Fandom on the right hand side, you have the option of

selecting updates, fanfiction, fanart, graphics or even other

sites for that fandom. If you have any questions to ask us, then

click on our ask box, but make sure you check out the FAQ.

We love hearing from you; what you think about us, any

recommendations for us, or just to discuss Fandoms. We have

also put up the option for you to submit things onto our

tumblr. Since we can't stay online 24/7, we sometimes miss

updates, so if you submit any for us you feel need sharing,

then we will post it. As well as that, you can submit things for

the magazine; we are always looking for fanart, confessions,

or just general ideas. Finally, we are making an official

website, which should hopefully be completed soon.

Head of online

Editor

A NOTE FROM THE

HEADS

FANDOMS ASSEMBLE 3

Our star worker for July’s

edition is Juve

(@PerseaJackson) for

always sending her work

on time and to a high

standard.

4

CONTENTS

6. Most Reblogged

7. Recommended

Blogs

8. Interview—

@DanosaurArmy

12. Quiz

16. Confessions

20. Fandom

Humour

24. Fashion

26. How To Celebrate

28. Fandom

Updates

29. Music Updates

30. Upcoming Films

KATE AND WILLS

JO’S NEW BOOK

37

38

COMIC CON

22

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31. Upcoming Books

32. Music Review

33. Film Review

34. Book Review

35. To Read Next

36. Books We’ve

Abandoned

40. Celebrity

Birthdays

41. Tweets of the

Month

44. One Shot

46. Gifts

48.

14 FANDOM WARS

CORY MONTEITH

18

VS

10 NAILED IT

TWITTER RULES

13

FANDOMS ASSEMBLE 5

6

7

8

DanosaurArmy is a twitter

account run by Roisin Shaw

dedicated to the popular

Y o u T u b e r s D a n

(danisnotonfire) and Phil

(AmazingPhil). In it’s 7 month

existence the account has

gained over 13,000 followers

and with the growing

popularity of the Phandom

there is little doubt that the

account’s success will

continue.

When did you first hear about Dan

and Phil and begin to watch their

videos?

I first started watching Dan and

Phil 2 years ago. The first video

I watched was “Psycho French

Teacher”, then “Amazing Dan”.

Why did you decide to dedicate a

Twitter account to the Phandom?

I didn’t actually know you could

have a proper “fan” account of a

YouTuber on Twitter like there

could be for singers and bands

and things until November last

year when I saw a Belieber

account who was also a half-

Phandom account. I’d been

watching Dan and Phil for just

over a year at this point and I

adored them so, yeah, I made

some weird account with a

banana for an icon as you do.

Are you a fan of many other

YouTubers?

A LOT of YouTubers. A. LOT.

Do you have a favourite Twitter

account dedicated to the Phandom

or a particular YouTuber?

@ G u c c i h a r r y f e e l s ,

@ c h r 1 s k e n d a l l ,

@ C h l o e E m e r s o n 2 ,

@ l u v m e i n f i n a t e l y ,

@ D a n s P h i l l i o n ,

@ H e y I t s P o p ,

@ p l a c e n t a j u i c e ,

@ m a d d i _ f a c e e ,

@ k i c k t h e n i c k i ,

@ d a n s l l a m a s ,

Interview: @DanosaurArmy

8 FANDOMS ASSEMBLE

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you prefer a more intimate feel to

the fandom?

There are a lot of views on this

question. I am very glad that

Dan and Phil are so successful

and that they have many

supportive fans, but the online

fanbase can be a bit

overwhelming at times and lots

of people I know

have actually left

because they

received hate or

they just couldn't

deal with all the

arguments going

on every other

day.

Do you watch/listen

to Phil and Dan’s

radio show?

Every week, unless

there is a serious

reason for why I

can’t, for example,

the world ending

of my head

exploding or

something.

Have you ever

h a d a n y

i n t e r a c t i o n

with Dan or

Phil, whether on Twitter or face to

face?

Phil tweeted me twice (one was

a direct tweet with a photo),

Dan’s tweeted me once, I’ve

received a personal video from

them both, Phil’s talked about

me on YouNow last year, I’m

getting a birthday card from

them and I hope to meet them

at some point in my life, even

though I would end up crying

on them both.

Summer in the City is later this

month, have you been or do you

plan on going? Have you been to

any other YouTube gatherings?

No, none. I live on an island

called Jersey, between England

and France, so I would have to

pay for plane tickets and hotel

rooms etc. to go to a YouTube

gathering in London or

wherever they’re being held.

But I am determined to got to

SitC 2014.

This magazine is called Fandoms

Assemble; are you a member of

any other Fandoms?

I am a member of a lot of

fandoms. You just sort of get

sucked into them against your

own will and there’s no

escaping from them, it’s life

destroying. Non-internet people

d o n ’ t

understand the

sheer pain of

being in a

fandom, it’s not

a laughing

matter. I don't

tend to go

through all the

fandom-names;

I’d rather sum it

up with bands

and YouTube. If

you start a

c o n v er s at i o n

with me on the

t o p i c o f

Y o u T u b e r s ,

MCR, BMTH, PTV or OM&M

then we are most likely to

become friends.

Any fandom related events you're

looking forward to?

I am unbelievably excited for

“Day In The Life Of Phil And

Dan: London Edition”, “Phil Is

Not On Fire 5” and SitC, even

though I’m not going myself.

FANDOMS ASSEMBLE 9

Favourite member of the Phandom or Foursome?

Favourite members of the Foursome are

Amazing Phil, danisnotonfire, crabstickz and

kickthepj… oh wait.

Favourite video?

All their videos are equally brilliant. Dan and Phil’s most

recent Tumblr tag videos were absolutely hilarious

though.

Favourite YouTuber outside the Phandom?

There’s quite a lot. I’m subscribed to around 300+ people,

as you can guess I don’t have a social life.

Favourite collaboration video?

Every single video that Dan and Phil are

both in are my favourite videos. I love

“How To Speak Internet”, “The Pushover”,

“Spin The Bottle”.

10

NAILED IT Fandoms at your fingertips—literally!

POTTER

1) Add a layer of white nail

polish, then let it dry.

2) I choose to use a smaller

pencil to paint the black scar

with; it’s easier.

1) Add a layer of white nail polish.

2) This can be hard, but be patient!

3) You would have to use a smaller pencil for

this and it can also be really hard so do be

patient.

ED SHEERAN

1) Add a layer of blue nail polish, then let it dry.

2) Add the red triangle (which is his scarf) with

red nail polish, and here I also used a smaller

pencil because it’s easier, but you can of course

use the normal one.

3) Then add the brown lines on both sides of

the nail, which is his jacket.

MERLIN ONE DIRECTION

1) Add a layer of red nail polish.

2) This can be hard to paint, but

if you’re careful it will be good. I

used a smaller pencil for this but

a toothpick can also work,

however, the result will not be as

good as it would be if you use a

smaller pencil.

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GAME OF THRONES

1) Add a layer of black nail polish and let it dry.

2) I used a sponge but you can also use a makeup sponge. This can be a little bit tricky

but in the end it always looks good!

3) You may have to use a smaller pencil here; the pencil from the nail polish being too

big. If you don’t have a smaller pencil you can try to use a normal one.

4) Add some black lines, the mouth and eyes. Let it dry and add a top coat.

1) Add a layer of gold nail polish.

2) I used a normal nail polish pencil for this.

3) Add his eyes, mouth and the black stripe around the red with a smaller pencil.

4) To do his white eyes, I used a toothpick. Add a top coat, then you’re done.

IRON MAN

FANDOMS ASSEMBLE 11

DISNEY

1) Add a layer of nail polish.

2) To make the Mickey Mouse heads you will have to use something that can make big

dots. I used a pen for this.

3) The first head is always the hardest.

4) Then, add Mickey Mouse heads wherever you feel like it. Add a top, then you’re

12

JAN: I went to war with…

FEB: I married….

MARCH: I rode in the TARDIS with….

APRIL: I performed on stage with…

MAY: I became besties with…

JUNE: I started a band with…

JULY: I was asked out by….

AUG: I saved the world with…

SEPT: I ran around butt naked with…

OCT: I ventured off into the unknown with…

NOV: I reigned as King/Queen of Narnia

with…

DEC: I kidnapped...

1: Dan and Phil

2: Lord Voldemort

3: Simon Lewis

4: Annabeth Chase

5: Sherlock Holmes

6: Jack Frost

7: Ed Sheeran

8: Hayley Williams

9: Thor

10: Katniss Everdeen

11: The Doctor

12: Elena Gilbert

13: Taylor Swift

14: Tris Prior

15: Imagine Dragons

16: Arthur Pendragon

17: Frodo Baggins

18: Sheldon Cooper

19: Alec Lightwood

20: *the person you last followed*

21: Ian O’Shea

22: Jacob Black

23: Amelia Pond

24: Percy Jackson

25: Santa Claus

26: Emma Swan

27: Dean Winchester

28: Sansa Stark

29: Augustus Waters

30: Captain Kirk

31: Harry Potter

RED: To protect fictional characters from

authors.

ORANGE: Because I can, so I did.

YELLOW: Because I wanted the world to be

a better place.

GREEN: And held them hostage.

BLUE: And people started shipping us.

PURPLE: Because my sass is endearing.

WHITE: And we had 3 children.

BLACK: Before being killed by the feels.

OTHER: And we defeated the odds.

NO SHIRT: Because I am so asdfghjkl;

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DO’S AND DON’TS OF

The fandom side of Twitter can be a bit

intimidating at first, so here’s a guide

on navigating the social side of things.

DO:

Start conversations with as many people as possible.

Be respectful of others’ opinions.

Try not to ignore replies.

Take note of the unique language (ex. using

“sobbing” to mean laughing) and try using it.

DON’T:

Repeatedly ask for a follow-back.

Purposely insult or offend someone.

Copy other people’s tweets.

Subtweet (tweeting about a specific person/people

without mentioning them by name).

FANDOMS ASSEMBLE 13

14

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16

I think Klaus and Caroline should be together.

I ship Trevor and Neville. I don’t see what’s wrong with shipping actors.

16 FANDOMS ASSEMBLE

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Everyone loves Supernatural but I find it overrated.

I’m worried I’m not a ‘true’ potterhead.

I will always love the Doctor and

Rose but I cannot see him

marrying anyone other than River.

They are perfect

for each other.

FANDOMS ASSEMBLE 17

18

On Saturday the 13th, fans of beloved glee star Cory Monteith heard the news of

Cory's passing. Almost immediately, on social networking sites came the flood of

posts and tweets about Cory, what he had done for fans, how proud they were,

and most of all RIPs.

It was amazing to see how many people Cory had touched with his goofy, bubbly

personality, and the support other fandoms had for Gleeks during that hard day,

with the trend of '#AllFandomsHereToSupportGleeks' which stood strong on the

worldwide trends for hours. Hundreds of fan pages were made on facebook

dedicated to him.

Mark Salling (Noah Puckerman) was seen to have tweeted 'no' in response to

the news, but later deleted it and replaced it with an emotional message of,

"going through a million memories and emotions today. ill love you always

Brother Cory."

Lea Michele, Cory’s on and off set girlfriend was ‘inconsolable’ but ‘deeply

grateful for all the love and support she’s received from family, friends, and fans’.

From the hearts of everyone working for Fandoms Assemble we send prayers

and love to every fan of Cory, to the cast of glee, to Lea and Cory's family, and we

hope they get through this tough time. We can only imagine how they feel.

The tall, awkard, Canadian, actor, drummer, person will always stay in our

hearts.

“Earth lost a person, Gleeks lost a legend, Lea lost her world, but heaven gained

an angel.“

GONE, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN

18 FANDOMS ASSEMBLE

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We at Fandoms Assemble mourned his loss greatly.

Many of us were Gleeks. Although Cory is gone he

will never, ever be forgotten. RIP Cory Monteith. FANDOMS ASSEMBLE 19

20

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22

2003

Kate and William’s Royal Romance To celebrate the birth of Prince George Alexander Louis, we

have put together a timeline of his parents’ life together.

“He’s a big boy, quite heavy, We’re still working on a name. Well he

has a good pair of lungs on him, that’s for sure. I will remind him of

his tardiness when he is older. He’s got her looks thankfully.”

—Prince William when the trio left the hospital.

22 FANDOMS ASSEMBLE

2001

In September of

2001 William and

Kate meet at St.

A n d r e w s

University in

Scotland where

they are both

studying art

history.

2010

On November

16th William and

K a t e ’ s

engagement is

announced. The

prince proposed

to Kate while on a

private holiday

the Kenya the

previous month.

At Christmas the pair

reportedly became a

couple after sharing a

house together with

two friends. In March

they are pictured

together on a skiing

h o l i d a y i n

Switzerland.

23

FANDOMS ASSEMBLE 23

2012 The palace

announces that

Kate is pregnant

and being treated

in the hospital for

acute morning

sickness on

December 3rd.

Kate is discharged

from the hospital

after three nights,

telling reporters

she is feeling

“much better”. The

palace later

announces that the

baby is due in July.

2011 On April 29th

the pair wed in a

lavish ceremony

at London’s

W e s t m i n s t e r

Abby. William is

made the Duke

of Cambridge by

his grandmother,

Queen Elizabeth

II, and Kate

becomes the

Duchess of

Cambridge.

2013 It is confirmed on

June 19th that

Kate is confirmed

to give birth at the

private Lindo

Wing of St. Mary’s

Hospital in

Paddington in

central London,

where Princess

Diana gave birth

to William and

Prince Harry. It is

reported Kate is

hoping for a

natural birth.

2013 On the 22nd of July

Kate gives birth to

a baby boy,

weighing 8

pounds, 6 ounces,

with William by

her side. The next

day the couple

take their baby

h o m e t o

Kensington Palace.

2013

Royal officials say

on the 24th of

July the new baby

has been named

George Alexander

Louis.

24

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Calling all The Mortal Instruments fans. We want you to have the

best time possible when preparing for the City of Bones movie so

this is for you. If you aren’t a fan and haven’t read these books,

READ THEM. It is worth it. Okay, you want to get the most out of

this movie as possible , so there’s a lot out there for you to do. If you

have Shadowhunter friends, go with them to a premiere r midnight

screening. And don’t forget to dress like a Shadowhunter. Wear

black and rune up. If you have no Shadowhunter friend, never fear!

Just drag some friends along and if you aren’t up for cosplaying

alone many TMI t-shirts are available at hottopic.com. But if you

STILL can’t wait until the time comes for you to indulge yourself

with Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower on the big screen,

make sure to pick up the official merch! An official quote booklet

and Photo Postcard booklet are now available! Not forgetting the

Page to Screen books. Until the time comes for the glamour to be

released, have fun in the mundane world! Don’t forget to practice

those runes!

WAYS TO CELEBRATE FOR… The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

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Grab your ballpoint pens, get your friends and let's go on a quest!

The event we have all been waiting for has arrived. Finally getting

the movie they deserved, demigods arund the world are

celebrating the release of Percy Jackson: sea of monsters! So get

your blue cakes in the oven, put on your orange camp half-blood

shirts and head to the nearest cinema on August 7th! In the sea of

monsters, there lies the long-awaited adventure, we can do this

demigods!

FANDOMS ASSEMBLE 27

One Direction: This Is Us The time has come: the release of One Direction’s new movie is

nearly upon us. Listen to their music on repeat—X-Factor, Up All

Night and Take Me Home. Or if you want to see the boys’ faces

watch old videos like their X-Factor diaries, their commercials or

behind the scenes videos. Maybe get together with a few of your

Directioner friends, and blast out your favourite songs whilst

singing and dancing around. You could do impressions, or act out

their music videos. You could also sit on tumblr all night long and

reblog photos, GIFs, videos etc. of them. Or get creative, and make

flyers and go ask people if they know who One Direction are, and if

people plan on watching the film. Make new friends! Or new

enemies! Have fun.

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

28

FANDOM UPDATES What is happening in the fandom world right now

HARRY POTTER Rupert Grint is going to be showing

his acting skills on stage, as it has

been confirmed he will be in a

production named Mojo. Mojo is

described as a dark comedy that takes

place at a Soho nightclub during the late 1950’s. Grint will play

Sweets, a pill-popping associate of a murdered nightclub owner.

The play will be directed by Ian Rickson, who tells us the reason

b e h i n d R u p e r t ‘ s c a s t i n g :

I’d seen the Potter films with my daughter and always thought

Rupert was truthful as Ron Weasley. There’s something ordinary

and centred about him, and in this world of Mojo you want that

grittiness.

DOCTOR WHO

Moffat has presented the script

of the scenes that they used for

the 12th Doctor auditions.

Scene 1 takes place in the

TARDIS. The new Doctor is checking out the new body. Clara is

watching. It’s been a few minutes; they’re both still adjusting.

Scene 2 takes place on a space ship bridge. The Doctor is facing

down the Cyberleader, who stares balefully down from the

screen. The bridge around the Doctor is burning, ruined.

Scene 3 features the Doctor and a little boy. They’re sitting in the

little boy’s bedroom. The boy tells the Doctor when the lights out

his room changes, when he touches the wall, they’re all wet like

a mouth.

Moffat has clearly stated that none of these scenes will

specifically be used.

SUPERNATURAL Supernatural stars

Jared Padalecki and

his wife Genevieve

are expecting their

second baby. They

had their first son,

Thomas, back in

March last year.

28 FANDOMS ASSEMBLE

THE HUNGER

GAMES After the Catching

Fire trailer, a still of

Finnick offering one

of his beloved sugar

cubes was released.

29

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30

Books in August

Of August

Vampire

Diaries -

Season 4

£19.99

26/08/13

Hannibal

–Season 1

£19.99

02/09/13

The Great

Gatsby,

£11.99

27/08/13

The World’s End The final addition to the Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz trilogy! 23/08/13

Sea of Monsters Percy and his friends embark on another quest, to save their home. Based on the book. 7/08/13

Kick-Ass 2 After Kick-Ass’ spurs on the nation, a new gang of heroes team up and fight evil. 14/08/13

City of Bones Clary falls into a strange world whilst visiting a club and her life changes. Based on the book. 21/08/13

This Is Us (1D) An all-access pass to the British pop s e n s a t i o n O n e Direction live in concert. 29/08/13

Movies

30 FANDOMS ASSEMBLE

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Books in August

Ellegy (Watersong Series #4)

By Amanda Hocking August 6th

An ancient curse robbed Gemma

Fisher of everything that matters

most—her friends, her family and

the guy she loves. In a frightful

world of dark magic and savage

beauty, two sisters are about to

discover that love is the most

powerful weapon of all. Don’t miss

the mesmerising final chapter of the

amazing Watersong series!

Origin (Lux #4)

By Jennifer L. Armentrout August 27th

Katy is gone. Taken. Everything

becomes about finding her. Taking

out anyone who stands in his way?

Done. Burning down the whole world

to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien

race to the world? With pleasure. But

the most dangerous foe has been

there all along, and when the truths

are exposed and the lies come

crumbling down, nothing is safe.

In This Moment is about 2 teenagers, Aimee Spencer and Cole Everly, who find an unlikely comfort within eachother. In this honest and absorbing story, Aimee and Cole struggle to sort out the thin spaces between loss and love. Ultimately, they will need to learn how to navigate through the pieces of the past if they want to hold on to the future and each other.

In This Moment

By Autumn Doughton August 12th A princess from birth, Elizabeth fell in love with Richard III, though her mother made an arranged betrothal for her with the pretender to the throne: Henry Tudor. When Henry defeats Richard against all odds, Elizabeth has to marry the man who murdered her lover in battle, and create a new royal family with him and his ambitious mother. Now a major TV show on BBC 1.

The White Princess (The Cousins’ War #5)

By Philippa Gregory August 1st

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this novel can be described from dystopian to fantasy to romance! In this daring sequel to DEFIANCE, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight against everything they know.

Deception (Defiance #2)

By CJ. Redwine August 27th

On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

Untold (The Lynburn Legacy #2)

By Sarah Rees Brennan August 29th

Movies

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For the rest of the review, visit here.

The Hunger Games is the film adaption of the 2008 book of the same

name written by Suzanne Collins. It stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss

Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Liam Hemsworth as

Gale Hawthorne.

Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth both acted well in the film,

despite Hemsworth not having that many scenes. However, Josh

Hutcherson’s performance was lacking, and was easily eclipsed by other

actors with smaller roles. Joining the three, are veteran actors Stanley

Tucci and Woody Harrelson, as well as a small role for Lenny Kravitz,

(who played my favourite character).

Before reaching the arena where the Hunger Games takes place, there is

a lot of sitting around and listening to conversations as the audience are

fed information about what’s happening, and what the process to

prepare for the Games is like. However, once Katniss steps on her pad to

be raised into the arena, the film picks up, and becomes more interesting.

This isn’t that surprising, and this is what saves the film for me. I was

disappointed that, as I mention earlier, the need to accommodate board

classification guidelines meant that a main theme in The Hunger

Games—death—was so pacified. Lionsgate were forced to cut out blood

splashes and other ‘gore’ to achieve a rating the film needed. This was

one of the things that made the film less immersive.

Another was the CGI. The Mutts looked absolutely horrendous, and were

a joke when you consider that the budget for this film was an estimated

$78 million. Surely they could have put a bit more time into the models,

as they’re involved with one of the closing scenes, and frankly made all of

the suspense evaporate.

One more gripe is the direction from Gary Ross, which was good albeit

nothing special, until he decided that the one thing this film needed was

shaky cam.

Back to the good parts though, and there is a well-told story that makes

you feel for the characters, some more than others, but at least you do

feel for the few, instead of none of them. There are several points in the

film were it does feel suspenseful and you realise that Katniss is in

danger, and you don’t know how she’ll get out of it (unless you read the

books). Unfortunately, the film doesn’t delve as deep into the books in

terms of subplots, and more complex themes—but that’s what happens

when a book is adapted to the big screen.

In summary, The Hunger Games will be more enjoyable for you if you’re a

big fan of the books, and less so if you have read them casually. If you’ve

not read them, then this film will be a fun watch, although you may

forget about it afterwards.

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Masque of the Red Death By Bethany Griffin

Bethany Griffin's chilling debut novel, Masque of the Red Death, is a book that I was lucky to read. I was obviously first attracted to it by its cover, followed by its premise that talks of a gothic setting, a plague apocalypse, and a Debauchery club… need I say more?

As far as steampunk novels go, this is easily a favourite. I absolutely loved the atmosphere throughout the story. Bethany Griffin is able to portray a very lavish, dark, extravagant feeling in her gothic adaptation. The ruined city, the dangers in the streets, the masks, the disease; it's dark and it's dreary, with intricate details that had me truly envisioning this world in disrepair, full of mortality. The ever-present danger of

this easily contracted death is palpable. It gave me shivers and made me cringe.

Griffin clearly did not falter in her world building. Its unwavering sombre ambiance constantly propels us in a dying world so different from our own, yet frighteningly, not inconceivable.

Seventeen-year-old Araby Worth lives in a world devastated by plague, where the rich wear air-filtering masks and the poor are left to battle with the deadly Weeping Sickness which silently storms the streets. Haunted by the death of her twin brother Finn, she and her friend April spend their nights attending opulent club parties, trying to lose themselves in pleasure so they can forget the what's going on around them. In this atmosphere of dissipation and discontent, she meets the reckless Elliott, the nephew of the mad Prince Prospero who controls the city, and Will, a boy who works at the Debauchery Club who is desperately trying to take care of his little brother and

sister. Through her association with them, she is shaken out of her numb acceptance of the world she lives in, and learns that she just might hold the key to saving countless lives.

I would not consider this a very fast paced book. Nevertheless, the literary style kept me completely mesmerized by the vastly detailed world and likeable characters. The writing is noticeably elegant; the beautiful flow creates an experience where a fast pace is not necessary to enjoy its execution. But I still wouldn't have minded digging a little deeper inside the fundamental plot line instead of only getting twists (albeit fascinating) that lead to a big foreshadowing of what's to come. Also, the book did not delve deep enough into Araby's thoughts and feelings throughout and, especially with a love triangle; this definitely reduced its credibility.

OVERALL

RATING:

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SO YOU’VE READ ‘MASQUE OF THE

RED DEATH’ BY BETHANY GRIFFIN

AND ENJOYED IT? WHAT NEXT?

Something Strange and

Deadly—Susan Dennard.

The year is 1876, and there’s

something strange and deadly

loose in Philadelphia… Eleanor Fitt

has a lot to worry about. Her

brother has gone missing, her

family has fallen on hard times, and

her mother is determined to marry

her off to any rich young man who

walks by. But this is nothing

compared to what she’s just read in

t h e n e w s p a p e r .

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a

zombie delivers a letter to

Eleanor…from her brother.

H e m l o c k — K a t h l e e n

Peacock.

Mackenzie Dobson's life has been

turned upside down since she

vowed to hunt her best friend

Amy's killer: a white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as

the werewolf virus—is on the rise

across the country, and bloodlust is

not easy to control. But it soon

becomes clear that dangerous

secrets are lurking in the shadows

of Hemlock, Mac's hometown—and

she is thrown into a maelstrom of

violence and betrayal that puts her

in grave danger.

Chosen Ones — Tiffany

Truitt.

Life is bleak but uncomplicated for

sixteen-year-old Tess, living in a not-

too-distant future where the

government, faced with humanity's

extinction, created the Chosen Ones,

artificial beings who are

e x t r a o r d i n a r i l y b e a u t i f u l ,

unbelievably strong, and unabashedly

deadly. When Tess begins work at

Templeton, a Chosen Ones training

facility, she meets James, and the

attraction is immediate in its

intensity, overwhelming in its danger.

But there is more to Templeton than

Tess ever knew.

Darkness Before Dawn—

J.A. London

We built the wall to keep them out,

to keep us safe. But it also makes us

prisoners, trapped in what's left of

our ravaged city, fearing nightfall.

After the death of my parents, it's

up to me—as the newest delegate

for humanity—to bargain with our

vampire overlord. I thought I was

ready. I thought I knew everything

there was to know about the

monsters. Then again, nothing

could have prepared me for Lord

Valentine . . . or his son. Maybe not

all vampires are killers. Maybe it's

safe to let one in.

For Darkness Shows the

Stars—Diana Peterfreund

Elliot North has always known her

place in this world. Four years ago she

refused to run away with her

childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai,

choosing duty to her family's estate

over love. Since then the world has

changed: a new class of Post-

Reductionists is jumpstarting the

wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is

foundering, forcing her to rent land to

the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of

shipbuilders that includes an almost

unrecognizable Kai. And while she

wonders if this could be their second

chance, Kai seems determined to show

her exactly what she gave up when she

let him go.

Silver—Talia Vance

Brianna has always felt invisible.

People stare right past her,

including the one boy she can't

resist, Blake Williams. But

everything changes at a house party

where her charm bracelet slips off

and time stands still. In that one

moment, Blake not only sees her, he

recognizes something deep inside

her she's been hiding even from

herself. Discovering she is

descended from Danu, the

legendary Bandia of Celtic myth,

Brianna finds herself questioning

who she is. And when she

accidentally binds her soul to Blake,

their mutual attraction becomes

undeniable.

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BOOKS WE HAVE ABANDONED

Almost all of us have experienced the feeling of simply not being able to go on with

a book and have to give in and slip it back onto the shelf and try to ignore the weird

guilty feeling you get... like the book was a puppy you abandoned on the streets.

This has only happened to me a few times, although I normally end up returning to

them again and loving them (this happened with The Host and boy, do I love that

book now). Sometimes it's because I don't like the writing itself or I find myself just

reading but not becoming invested in the characters, and just do not care what

happens to them. So I stop.

To help my guilt of abandoning a series (Matched was one) or book (The Casual

Vacancy) I took to twitter and asked some of you what books you left unfinished

and why.

@Hedwigsbro: "Lord of the Rings, the story took too much time to develop."

@LunaPottergood: "It [Twilight] was very cheesy and I couldn't really love the

characters at all. Bella was so indecisive and may I say weak. :)"

@DNLL_: "Twilight. I couldn't get past the uninspiring lead female and the unhealthy

obsession between her and the lead male."

@Itssoufflegirl: "I couldn't get through the first [Uglies] book at all."

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The Cuckoo’s Calling JK Rowling has written a new book—not under her name, but using a pseudonym!

“The Cuckoo’s Calling”, by Robert Galbraith,

was released in April this year. It received

some really great reviews, but didn't sell

very well. The story follows the story of

Cormoran Strike, a former soldier working as

a private investigator, although he is not

doing terribly well as one. His relationship

has broken up, and he’s living in his office.

Strike is hired by the brother of a supermodel

to investigate her supposed suicide from

falling to her death a few months previously.

the writer’s motive

Rowling wanted to test to see if an unkown

author could get a book published. She said

she would have liked her identity to have

stayed secret for a while longer, and said,

“Being Robert Galbraith has been such a

liberating experience… It has been wonderful

to publish without hype and expectation and

pure pleasure to get feedback under a

different name.”

She sent the manuscript out anonymously,

and was declined by at least one publishing

house. In the end it was picked up by Sphere

Books, part of Little, Brown and Company,

who had published her adult novel, “The

Casual Vacancy”.

what went wrong

The secret, sadly, wasn’t to remain that way

for long. Law firm, Russells, with whom she

had entrusted her true identity as the author,

leaked the news and soon it was everywhere.

First editions of the book, which had sold

originally for £16.99, are now selling for

over £600. Rowling was reportedly very

angry about the leak. One of the partners of

Russells, Chris Gossage, told his wife’s best

friend, Judith Callegari, that Robert Galbraith

was really the Harry Potter author. Ms

Callegari tweeted her identity to a Sunday

Times journalist on 9th July. JK Rowling

responded with the following statement:

“I feel very angry that my trust turned out to

be misplaced. To say that I am disappointed

is an understatement.

“A tiny number of people knew my pseudonym

and it has not been pleasant to wonder for

days how a woman whom I had never heard of

prior to Sunday night could have found out

something that many of my oldest friends did

not know.”

Russell’s solicitors have apologised

unreservedly.

a happy ending? There’s some good news about all this. JK had

signed a few copies as Robert Galbraith, and

has since signed one of those under her real

name as well. This is being auctioned for

charity on eBay. First editions signed by

Galbraith are selling upwards of £1000, so

this doubly-signed book should therefore do

quite well!

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Love Me? You Love Me?

The sun was gently setting over Camelot; however, inside the castle activity was not

so gentle. Last minute preparations were becoming hastier and hastier as the servants

realised how close the wedding really was: the next day. The king's manservant

dodged between decorations, food and other nimble servants as he carried his

master’s dinner to his chamber. When he entered, he found Arthur deep in thought.

"Are you alright, sire?" Merlin asked. The atmosphere in the room worried Merlin; it

was eerily silent compared to the bustling hallways outside, similar to the eye of a

storm: the worst was yet to come.

"Yes, yes," the king dismissed the other man's concerns with a wave of his hand. "I

was simply thinking about Guinevere and our future together."

At that sentence, Merlin's heart skipped a beat, but not in a good way. How could he

have been so stupid? Of course, of course Arthur would not have changed his mind.

Not so close to the wedding. Gwen loved Arthur, and evidently vice versa. Merlin did

not have a chance, not one in a million. So then why was it slowly corroding away at

him and his will to live until there was nothing left? It was selfish and there was no

chance; Merlin would only become heartbroken and…Countless other reasons against

the notion crossed Merlin's mind. There was one for the notion, however, just the one:

Arthur might feel the same way. It was that one thought, that one simple thought that

spurred on the hope inside Merlin. He had to at least try, he reasoned with himself.

Otherwise he would never forgive himself.

"Is this what you want, Arthur? Are you really happy?" Merlin's attempt at disrupting

the sombre silence with what he thought were nonchalant questions was ignored by

the other man in the room.

That was until Arthur responded in a confused manner. "What else would I want,

Merlin?"

Silence began to fall like dust once more, but the king refused to let it hit the ground.

"Why do you even care?" Arthur penetrated the silence that caressed the ground

gently, ignoring Merlin and becoming even more agitated, shifting from foot to foot.

"Why, Merlin?" Arthur questioned once more.

At this point, he had stood up and was staring Merlin directly in the eye.

"Because I love you."

By Anon A Merthur one shot

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Merlin's mouth was no longer his when he muttered those words partially

unwillingly. Only partially because, well, Merlin had always wanted to admit that his

feelings for Arthur were stronger than friendship, he just never had the courage to.

Now was the moment of truth.

"Love me? You love me?"

"Yes! I do!"

"Why then, Merlin, have you been so stupid and never mentioned it before?

And why did you choose the night before my wedding to tell me?"

Merlin did not reply, could not reply, as all of his worst fears had come true: Arthur

did not feel the same way and he hated him. Tears stung in the corners of Merlin's

eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

A drop splashed onto Merlin's cheek. His weakness poured out of him in the form of

tears for his whole world to see; stupid, stupid tears. Tears that were not meant to

fall; tears that did anyway. Those seemingly innocent droplets of water made sure

Merlin looked the part of being weak by giving him red, puffy eyes and a running

nose. Their numbers greatened but not yet so they blinded Merlin. No, that was to

come later.

"Merlin," Arthur's voice was quiet and sombre, similar to the room when Merlin first

entered it, "how am I meant to tell the kingdom that I cannot go through with the

wedding because I love another? See what you've done now!"

"W-What?" Merlin raised his head from where it was resting towards the floor and

stared up at Arthur. Arthur grabbed his arms and pulled them closer together until

their foreheads were touching and they getting lost in each other’s eyes.

"I love you," Arthur spoke, trying and failing to wipe away the tears that were now

freely falling down Merlin's face, but being distracted by his own. "Why? Why?"

Arthur muttered over and over again, his voice shaking with the tears. Yet still both

men cried; their silent sobbing [was] being interrupted by Arthur's constant whys.

That is when Merlin decided to tell him the truth. He opened his mouth to speak, but

this time no words came out. Where could he begin? Instead he decided to show

Arthur.

If you were listening carefully through the hurricane of whys emitting from Arthur,

you would have heard a gentle "I'm sorry." So quiet it could have been passed off as

the wind, but nevertheless it was there. If you were watching carefully through

the waterfall of tears, you would have seen the raven-haired boy's eyes turn from

their usual colour to a glistening gold. That was the moment everything changed in

Camelot.

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Bronze Pegasus earrings. HeroicHeartsDesigns. £13.62

FAN

DO

M G

IFT

S

Trident cookie stamp.

Totalum. £8.14

Annabeth’s Camp Half-Blood beaded necklace woodspriteanon. £23.83

Sea of Monsters pillow case. Sleepcase. £11.91

35

Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt.

Thingsofyourfancy. £11.57

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Charm bracelet. Murals4U. £8.84

Charm bracelet.

Tess Richardson.

£11.56

Hermes’ Shoes necklace. otterlydesign. £15.97

Hand stamped cuff.

alwaysgreener.

£13.62

Camp Jupiter shirt.

Thingsofyourfancy. £8.17

Luke’s winged shoes. ShoeShinezToo. £8.17

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Iphone 5 case. TheElliottsCloset. £6.80

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Samantha (@merwholock456)

FANART

Celine (@5secsofceline)

Wa

yn

e (

@d

um

ble

do

rcru

x)

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R

ach

el

(@w

orl

dm

ee

tsg

irl)

Megan (@ihatemcr)

FANART

Emma (@emmajradford)

Ce

line

(@5

secso

fcelin

e)

Beth(@BAMansfield)

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