BOOKWORM COSPLAY - July 2021 - Wrap up!
Updated: Aug 3, 2021
Did you miss Bookworm Cosplay? Catch up with the amazing entries here!
Let's be honest, we're all bookworms here! We would literally live in a book if we could... whether that comes in the form of spending countless hours writing or dressing up like our favourite characters. Bookworm Cosplay combined both interests into one event!
We received nine entries. Our judge, Meggy Leigh, and YOU, the public, chose three finalists, and ONE WINNER! Check out all the entries and the winners below.
ENTRIES
ENTRY 01 - Lyria Ythindra
Portrayed by Alexandra Maxwell
Book title: Assassin's Crown
Author: Alexandra Maxwell
About the character: Lyria was born a princess but she died the night her kingdom fell. Revived as a deadly assassin and bound to kill for the Storm Lord who brought her back, Lyria struggles to keep her own humanity and find the courage to free herself from the Storm Lord-- and reclaim her kingdom. Her favored weapon is the longbow, but she gets very testy if anyone touches one of her beloved knives. She's usually clad in black leather to hide any bloodstains, but her one concession to her past is her long blonde hair that she refuses to cut-- and touching her hair is a good way to get stabbed.
About the costume: Of all the characters I've written, I've always been closest to this one, and her personality is the most similar to mine. I think she has not-so-subtly influenced several of the costumes I have made for myself. These costumes are handmade and of my own design.
Follow Alexandra at:
>> https://www.instagram.com/ladyshredsdesigns/
>> https://twitter.com/A_ShredsMaxwell
ENTRY 02 - Lykke Björkholm Portrayed by Inez Rodk Book title: The Tarnished Port Author: Inez Rodk About the character: Ships have always whispered in Lykke’s ears, telling her of the thousands of leagues they’ve journeyed and promising adventure waiting just over the hazy horizon. Even as precarious as it is, the rigging is her favourite part of the ship. Up there, the world falls away, and for a brief moment, and she is freed from doubts and worries. On land, Lykke spends her days carousing amongst the thugs and merrymakers in the taverns of the infamous port city, Mörka Sjöstad. She lives fast and recklessly, content to live out her days in a rum-soaked haze, always one step ahead of a past she’d prefer to forget. About the costume: I chose to portray Lykke because this character represents the duality in my own life. On the one hand, we share the love of risks, adventure, and getting a bit too rowdy after a bottle of rum. But that lifestyle brings its own unique brand of instability, danger, and chaos. We also both have untamable blonde hair!
Follow Inez on Twitter at: >> https://twitter.com/inezrodk
ENTRY 03 - The Necromancer
Portrayed by Elana A. Mugdan
Book title: Unpublished WIP
Author: Elana A. Mugdan
About the character: The Necromancer dwells in her isolated tower, alone and friendless save for her snake familiar.
In her youth, she trained to become an Enchanter at the Royal Academy, but magic withered and died at her touch. She was expelled, exiled, and disgraced. She retreated to the solitude of her homeland and now hones her craft and embraces her true power: death magic. She can reap souls from the great beyond and harness their energy to do her bidding.
The greedy, the jealous, and the desperate seek her out for her unique abilities... but all magic comes at a price. And death magic is a dangerous power to play with.
Follow Elana:
>> Twitter: @dragonspleen
>> Insta: @officialdragonspeaker
>> Website: http://www.allentria.com
ENTRY 04 - Zhong Kai
Portrayed by 钟乐山
Book title: The Shrouded Port
Author: Inez Rodk
About the character: Zhong Kai is a refugee from a war-torn country, a blood mage in hiding, and trapped in a deal with the most notorious gang in Rike Sjöstad that will stop at nothing to possess a forbidden power. To make matters worse, he has been accused of murdering Annika Lindbäck's mother.
After three months in prison, Kai escapes, only to find himself at the end of Annika's revolver. When his ruthless employer's search for a magical artefact threatens his family, Kai is caught in a deadly struggle that forces him to choose between his freedom and the fate of Rike Sjöstad.
About the costume: I chose to portray Zhong Kai because we're both handsome young men of the Asian persuasion. As the book is set in roughly the Qing Dynasty, most Chinese men kept their hair long (technically, a 'queue', which requires plaiting the back and shaving the front, but my commitment to historical accuracy didn't extend far). Inez designed the costume, but the smouldering expression is all my own.
ENTRY 05 - Charlie Traveler
Portrayed by Walker
Book title: The Lost Princess of Story
Author: Suzanne de Planque
About the character: “Charlie opened the door, his dark, curly hair rioting around his hair as usual, munching on one of Sophie’s peanut butter muffins… Charlie was barefoot, dressed only in too-shirt pajama pants. He was growing—again.”
Charlie Traveler is a Brooklyn boy who loves roller coasters, wyverns, and the 70s supergroup ABBA. He is also the last of the Bookbinder line. In Brooklyn, Charlie is just another kid who hangs out with his best friend Lilla and loves exploring every inch of the city.
But Charlie’s mom came from another world. The World of Story. Her father was the Bookbinder King until his cousin Charming murdered him and stole the throne. Now the Wall has been built, and the Doors to Story are locked. Until Charlie and his best friend Lilla find a Door that takes them to the World of Story. These are pictures of Charlie on the streets of Brooklyn and Charlie as a hero in the World of Story.
About the costume: My son wanted to cosplay Charlie to help me get out the word about The Lost Princess of Story, my new book.
Follow Suzanne:
>> Facebook: Suzanne de Planque@ChroniclesofStory
>> Twitter: @Royal HiSTORYan
>> Instagram: royalhistorianofstory
>> TikTok: StoryScribe
ENTRY 06 - Eric D.
Portrayed by Donny Mirassou
Book title: The Crow
Author: Janes O’Barr
About the character: Eric is the iconic goth character from the 80s. A man who returns from the dead to seek out and destroy those that murdered him and his girlfriend while quoting Joy Division.
About the costume: Most people don’t realize that The Crow is a character from quite a number of books and comic books before the movies came out. This is taken from a drag act.
Follow @donnymirassou for Insta, Twitter, Twitch, and YouTube
ENTRY 07 - Keriya Soulstar (born Keriya Nameless)
Portrayed by Elana A. Mugdan
Book title: The Shadow War Saga (series)
Author: Elana A. Mugdan
About the character: In Allentria, everyone can wield magic—everyone except for Keriya Nameless. She's the only person who doesn't have magical powers of her own. She's scorned and treated as an outcast until she meets the enigmatic goddess and guardian of the realm, Shivnath. Shivnath enlists her help in saving the last living dragon and turns Keriya into the first Dragon Speaker seen in ten ages. And so, Keriya begins an epic adventure that will change her life—and the world—forever.
Follow Elana:
>> Twitter: @dragonspleen
>> Insta: @officialdragonspeaker >> Website: http://www.allentria.com
ENTRY 08 - Annika Lindbäck Portrayed by Inez Rodk Book title: The Shrouded Port Author: Inez Rodk About the character: Hot-headed, impulsive, and decisive, Annika is a merchant who never fails to get what she wants. Her voyage to learn the truth about her mother's murder brings her to Rike Sjöstad, a wealthy port city consumed by corruption and secrets. There, Annika faces her mother's alleged killer, Zhong Kai, and the Skärgårds, the notorious gang that holds the city in their grip.
Despite the danger, Annika is enamoured by the Skärgård's glamourous lifestyle and the promise of learning to control blood magic. When she is offered a chance to join the gang, she signs away three years of her life in a contract that might leave her as morally bankrupt as the Skärgårds themselves.
About the costume: As my longest-running character, Annika appears in six books. She started as a villain, but I loved her so much that I went back to write her origin story, which is now my primary WIP. I don't like her (no one does), but she is undeniably fun!
Follow Inez on Twitter at: >> https://twitter.com/inezrodk
ENTRY 09 - Sophie Bookbinder Traveler
Portrayed by Suzanne de Planque
Book title: The Lost Princess of Story
Author: Suzanne de Planque
About the character: “Sophie looked an awful lot like Charlie, just a little bigger. She had the same uncontrollable hair, though her dark curls were starting to grey, the same freckles across her nose. Sophie was small, like a porcelain doll, all pink cheeks and gently rounded curves.”
Meet Sophie Bookbinder Traveler. Back in Story, she was a princess. Her father was the Bookbinder King until his cousin Charming murdered him and seized the throne. Since then, she’s been a lot of things: a political prisoner, a resistance fighter, a refugee when the Queen built the Wall and closed the Doors, and Sophie escaped to Brooklyn, the place in this world most hospitable to magic.
Now, Sophie is a single mom, husband trapped behind the Doors. Most people cross between World safely, but for her the price was high. She struggles with chronic illness and pain—and shoulders the hopes of the entire Community that wants to return to Story. Sophie just wants to survive long enough to see her son Charlie grow up. And it would be nice to go home someday. Magic is just so much harder in this world.
About the costume: I love Sophie. I loved writing a character that was a mom who struggled with chronic illness. I’m a mom with disabilities, and it meant the world to me to write a book that included a character that was a mom with disabilities. The costumes show Sophie as a Brooklyn mom and as a princess in Story. They also show her with her son Charlie, as a Brooklyn kid and as a hero in Story.
Sophie and Charlie Traveler are characters from The Lost Princess of Story. The pictures are the Brooklyn and Story version is of Sophie and Charlie. My son also submitted a Charlie cosplay.
Follow Suzanne:
>> Facebook: Suzanne de Planque@ChroniclesofStory
>> Twitter: @Royal HiSTORYan
>> Instagram: royalhistorianofstory
>> TikTok: StoryScribe
FINALISTS
Congratulations to Elana and Walker!
That's all for this competition! Thanks to everyone who participated, boosted the competition on Twitter or even just voted! Check back for more writing and cosplay competitions!
Meet the hosts
The Bookworm Cosplay Competition is co-hosted by Fantasticarium and the Slushpile Monster Writing Competition.
Fantasticarium: Enter the realm of the fantastic.
We strive to share our love of costuming and all things fantastical. Whether a gothic masquerade ball or renaissance festival, we aim to celebrate all realms of fantasy. Join us as we host various events such as cosplay and convention meet ups, photo ops, festivals and fairs, and masquerade balls.
Follow us on Twitter at @Fantasticarium and on Instagram at @fantasicarium_official.
Slushpile Monster Writing Competition: Are you a fiction writer who is struggling to find a good beta reader who will provide constructive criticism and is guaranteed to help you improve your writing? You're not alone!
Why not enter #SlushPit, the Slushpile Monster's writing contest to win a free critique from an experienced beta reader? We’ve also got games, resources, and a growing community of writers! Follow @SlushpileSteven on Twitter.
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