To those of you who ask if Game of Thrones will ever eclipse Tolkien, the answer is that it's done that already.

Game of Thrones brought to a conclusion its best season yet last night. And as the credits rolled across the screen, I decided that this is one story that really does well as a series rather than a movie. For one, a movie would never have time to follow along with each point of view character. And second, the conversion to film breathes a different kind of life into written words. For example, music makes certain scenes greater than they actually are because of the emotional impact, and a skilled director can bring together certain pairings in the narrative that you don't see when you're reading. The final episode of season 4 was called "The Children." And it really is perfect, because the children in the story are making their impact known in every single storyline from Westeros to the far North and to the shores of Mereen.

I guess I was moved by last night's episode. As the music played and Varys gazed up at the Red Keep and heard the bells toll for what could only be something absolutely terrible that Tyrion had wrought, he silently turned his back and got on board the ship that originally was meant only for Tyrion's escape. Seeing Varys do this was emotionally powerful, because we knew just as he knew that there was no going back. Not if he valued his life. I suppose the saying goes, when one door closes another may open and Varys, if anyone, has the keys to many doors.

And then the story shifts to Arya who willingly departs from someone that offers safety to pursue her own way in the world. Nothing good can come from someone filled with so much hatred. But this doesn't change the fact that Arya has suffered many wrongs and has every reasons to fully worship and embrace the teachings of the god of death. Perhaps this is a lesson about life. That children are sculpted by the experiences of their childhood and when terrible things happen to the young, they carry these things with them into adulthood and become a curse upon the world.

And then there's Bran. When I'm reading the books, I really dread the Bran chapters. They never go anywhere and for the most part are filled with too many "Hodors" for my taste. But in the show, this character is interesting because they truncate all the things that irritate me into a cohesive story about a child looking for a way to help his family. Bran is pursuing the truth behind his powers, clinging to the only thing that gives him strength: the ability to warg. And his quest came to an end in last night's episode in the care of the Children of the Forest (who just might be cannibals if you ask me). Well "cannibal" might be a misnomer as the "children" are clearly elves without calling them that. So maybe I should just say, "slightly inhuman humans who may just find regular humans to be as tasty as pie."

In both book and film, Bran is so far North he might as well be lost to the world. There, surrounded by the same necromancy that animates the White Walkers, an undead horde tries to get at him in a cave that's protected by the magic of the Children of the Forest. On a floor full of human bones that does not bode well for Hodor and Meera Reed (because well...children need to eat), we are left wondering what Bran could possibly do to "fly" in this place. But the Tree he has come to see assures him that he'll fly. I just wonder if it's going to be in the guise of one of Daenerys' dragons.

And Daenerys' dragons are probably the most troubled of the children. We kind of knew it was coming, even if you don't read the books. The foreshadowing earlier in the season of Drogon rising upon huge wings over the shepherd innocently tending to his flock was a hint that sooner or later, the greatest of Daenery's dragons would start to lunch on easy prey. So Daenerys did the responsible thing: she locked her children up for the safety of her people. She's a ruler true and true, and knows that her first responsibility is to protect the people that look to her for leadership.

I think we are at the midpoint of the story now. It's all downhill from here, and I'm sure its going to be a thrilling ride. I expect the next seasons to reveal things that I haven't read yet, and it really is exciting. I've got to hand it to George. He's got the most popular show that HBO has ever had in its entire history with 18.5 million people tuning in to watch each new episode. Game of Thrones by every which way you can measure a story IS a phenomenon. A friend asked me in the car, "Do you think George R.R. Martin will ever eclipse Tolkien?" My answer, "He's done that already. The width and breadth of Game of Thrones, and its effect on pop culture is pretty much immeasurable."

Wouldn't you agree? If you have time, listen to the song "The Children" from last night's episode. It has a nice melody and reminds me of the greatness that can happen when film and music come together to make art.

Could Jon Snow be a Targaryen, Azor Ahai come again, and the legitimate king of Westeros?

THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS HERE SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPOILERS, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE TODAY.

We are almost at the end of the 4th season of HBO's "Game of Thrones," and there's been a lot to chew on this time around, especially with the few spoilers that have creeped into the narrative thanks to showrunner insight from David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. In last night's episode, Aemon Targaryen (who serves as the Maester for the Night's Watch) started to wax poetic to Samwell Tarley about his youth, in particular the pretty girls that once courted him because (like his brother Rhaegar), he was only a step away from the throne itself. He describes a woman of great beauty that captured his imagination but fails to name her for whatever reasons. It made me think of Lyanna Stark, and it got me to pondering about a mystery in the books that has been consuming my mind for several years now: who are Jon Snow's actual parents?

Jon Snow and Ghost by guillemhp. Deviant Art page HERE.

Yes, I know that the honorable Ned Stark is supposed to be Jon's dad. However, I don't subscribe to the fact that Jon Snow is Lord Eddard Stark's bastard. I think Ned was an honorable man, and he would have never cheated on Catelyn Stark. And I mean NEVER! What I know of Rhaegar has been colored somewhat by Robert Baratheon's opinion. But everyone outside of King Robert Baratheon seems to think of him as an example of what a "true prince" might be. Here are the facts as I know them:

1) After the tourney of Harrenhal, Lyanna was made Rhaegar's Queen of Love and Beauty. Afterward, they both vanished together for a long while. Hmm, where did they go and what were they doing?

If Rhaegar "raped" Lyanna, then this is truly the perspective of someone
who frames a situation to serve his own ends. I think that's exactly
what's happened in the books, because King Robert Baratheon was
pretty much a loud, egotistical pig of a man and saw the world through
his own unique set of lenses.

2) Lyanna's betrothed was Robert, and she didn't want him for a husband despite the fact that he loved her so much. When Lyanna disappeared, Robert assumed that it was without her consent (naturally) so he made up this story that Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna and raped her to convince himself that this woman that he loved so much wouldn't/COULDN'T dare love another man. It's just not possible, right?

3) After Robert killed Rhaegar following the rebellion, Ned went to the Tower of Joy to look for his sister Lyanna, and he found it guarded by three Kingsguard. What the hell were these men doing there when they could be just about anywhere else? At Rhaegar's side? With Viserys (the eunuch) at Dragonstone, or in exile accompanying Viserys and Dany. It doesn't make any sense unless you assume they're there to protect a royal prince. Think about it: if Lyanna had given birth to a baby, a.k.a. Jon Snow, then they'd be sworn to protect him. Especially true because the Mad King and his family had been butchered, and Rhaegar himself was now dead. I think Rhaegar married Lyanna in a secret wedding, fathered a child with her, and she gave birth to a legitimate son and not a bastard. This would have made Jon heir to the Iron Throne, right?

King Robert Baratheon was obsessed with Lyanna.

4) Lyanna died in a bed of blood. Childbirth gone wrong perhaps? I think that bringing Jon Snow into this world killed Lyanna, and she used her last breath to make Ned swear that he'd protect her son. At that point, I think Ned made up the whole story of Jon's ignoble birth and this is why he never described the woman he supposedly "cheated on Catelyn" with to his friend, Robert Baratheon. To do so would have sentenced the child to death.

The only house that ever had "nuclear weapons," House Targaryen is
probably going to sit on the throne once more by the time all of this is over.

5) The Prince that was Promised. This is a prophesied leader that foretells the coming of a hero to deliver the world from darkness (think Azor Ahai reborn). A bleeding star is supposed to herald the coming of the prince (well that's the comet in the sky), and the prince is said to have a song (well wolves have a song). Melissandre of Ashai also says, "When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt." Well when Jon Snow is stabbed to death at the end of A Dance With Dragons, the men doing so are crying (salt in tears) and there is plenty of smoke from all the fires they've had at Castle Black. And last (but not least) the "Prince that was Promised" must be "Of the Blood of the Dragon." Melissandre has interpreted this as being Stannis because he rules from Dragonstone. I think it's Jon Snow.

And regarding Martin's cliffhanger at the end of A Dance With Dragons (curse you George!), there's no way that Jon Snow is dead forever...not in the same way that Ned Stark is dead. Rather, I think Jon's going to be reborn (which fits the Azor Ahai and the whole Prince that was Promised prophesies above) because this is the only way he can leave his vows. Please recall that when a crow dies, the brothers of the Night's Watch end the eulogy with the words, "And now his watch is ended."

AZOR AHAI COME AGAIN:
According to prophecy in the ancient books of Asshai (think Melissandre here), Azor Ahai is going to be reborn to challenge the Others (the White Walkers). Wielding Lightbringer once more, Azor Ahai will stand against the Others and if he fails, the world fails with him. Well, "The Others" has pretty much been Jon Snow's storyline since day one.

"There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him."

George R.R. Martin has already broken out just about any kind of magic that you can in his books. We've seen dragons, resurrections, and the undead just to name a few. I wouldn't put it past George to have killed Jon Snow off on purpose at the end of A Dance With Dragons merely to bring him back so that he can eventually rule Westeros, perhaps as a partner of Daenerys who has an even more legitimate claim to the throne than Jon? Targaryens, afterall, are known to marry one another. This would of course mean that eventually Dany will have to forsake her current marriage to Hizadhr zo Loraq who brought peace to Mereen for a period of 90-days. Either that, or we can add Hizadhr to the long list of characters who are doomed to die before their time. Ah well, it's lovely to think about all this backstabbing and plotting, isn't it? I really wish that I had The Winds of Winter to keep me busy in this one year gap to the next season of the show. Sigh.

The body count in the Walking Dead and a Game of Thrones results in the ultimate question.

"Valar Morghulis" means "All men must die." But actors in need of a job
may be hoping that it is not their turn for the cutting room floor.

So now that HBO's Game of Thrones is back on television and dripping with the stench of those they carved up last season in the infamous "Red Wedding" episode...and given that "The Walking Dead" is on hiatus until fall but left Rick Grimes and crew basically locked up in the post-apocalyptic version of a larder for cannibals...there is a question that's been burning in the back of my mind. But before I get to that question for you (my readers) to decide, I want to present a thorough analysis beginning with George R.R. Martin's work. These are deaths of major and/or semi major characters in the story (they all appeared in more than one episode and had lines).

Eddard Stark was played by well-known fan favorite and actor Sean Bean. Many of us thought for sure that with this casting, he wouldn't get killed. But he got his head chopped off in season one.

What about Robb Stark, his son? Well Robb got murdered along with his mother Catelyn Stark at the Red Wedding. Weddings are supposed to be happy occasions. I guess Walder Fray never got the memo.

Renly Baratheon? Murdered by a demon sent by Melisandre the witch.

Kal Drogo? Poisoned by a soothsayer and witch. The best parts of him died when Daenerys refused to let him go and was rewarded with a body that lived but had no mind. Then she killed him.

Robert Baratheon? He was a king and I quite like the actor. But he got done in by conspirators and traitors and died too.

Talisa Stark (Robb's wife)? She got stabbed in the baby maker at the Red Wedding. That's like killing two wolves with one rock.

Viserys Targaryen? Kal Drogo crowned him with molten gold. That had to hurt.

Ros? Littlefinger found out she was spying on him for Varys so he gave her to King Joffrey who used her as a live target, brutally killing her by filling her with crossbow bolts.

Jeor Mormont, leader of the Crows, has his watch ended in Crastor's keep by Rast who betrays him.

Xaro Xhoan Daxos is killed when Dany seals him in his own vault from which there is no escape.

Pyat Pree the necromancer is set on fire by Daenerys' dragons.

Rakharo, one of Daenerys' blood riders, dies off screen when his horse returns bearing a severed head.

Body count for HBO's Game of Thrones is 13 (and this excludes probably a hundred minor characters). Okay, so now for The Walking Dead. Here's who we've lost thus far (by the end of season four):

These iconic characters didn't die yet. But do the actors have job security?
Decide by taking my poll!

Amy (Andrea's sister) got bitten in the neck and died of blood loss.

Jim got bit in the stomach, died of infection.

Dr. Edwin Jenner and Jacqui died in an explosion at the CDC via suicide.

Otis was hobbled by Shane and devoured by walkers.

Sophia (Carol's daughter) died of infection from a walker bite.

Dale got disemboweled by a walker. Rick Grimes put him out of his misery with the trusty colt python.

Randall got his neck broke by Shane.

Shane was stabbed in the heart by his best friend Rick.

Jimmy got devoured by walkers.

Big Tiny got his head bashed in repeatedly.

Tomas got his head split in half by Rick and a machete.

T-Dog got devoured by walkers.

Andrew was shot in the head.

Lori was dying from childbirth complications so her son, Carl, killed her out of mercy.

Merle was shot in the chest by the Governor.

Milton was stabbed repeatedly in the stomach by the Governor.

Andrea got bitten on the shoulder by Milton and then committed suicide.

Karen and David were killed by Carol and then set on fire.

Caleb (the doctor) died from an unknown flu.

Caesar Martinez got bashed over the head by the Governor who then fed him (while still alive) to walkers.

Hershel got decapitated by the Governor.

The Governor was stabbed in the chest by Michonne (and killed).

Lizzie got put down by Carol (in one of the most shocking episodes ever).

Joe (leader of the claim gang) got his throat ripped out by Rick Grimes (and he bled to death).

That's twenty-four deaths of characters that got varying degrees of screen time, but all of them had speaking parts on the show. Just from memory (and looking at these numbers) I'd have to say that the group of actors in HBO's Game of Thrones probably have better job security in their characters. The Walking Dead is just way more brutal.

Agree? Disagree? What say you? Please take my poll and have a good Wednesday.

Which group of actors have better job security?
	Those starring in the AMC horror drama "The Walking Dead."
	Those starring in the HBO epic fantasy drama "Game of Thrones."
pollcode.com free polls

George R.R. Martin has given up on being the first person to tell his story and is going to let HBO do the job for him

I seriously need to rethink why I like A Game of Thrones so much and decide whether or not I want to keep watching it. More than likely (99% chance) I'm going to keep watching it. But here's why I'm upset: the tv series is going to spoil the entire book series. Allow me to elaborate.

It turns out that HBO's television series is going to tell the entire story BEFORE Martin finishes it. I have never EVER heard of this happening and it really makes me angry. Adaptations of books happen AFTER the book is published and written. The reason this is happening with Martin's story is simple: he's too f'ing slow and he has a contract with HBO, D.B. Weiss, and David Benioff (the show's creators). It's actually kind of ridiculous. Here's how it all went down (according to Vanity Fair).

In the article, Martin confessed that the show is catching up to his writing speed and that this is essentially something he had sworn would never happen. In Martin's own words, "They are. Yes. It's alarming." Fans (including me) have weighed in that season five (to arrive in 2015) will have to include events from The Winds of Winter--a book that Martin hasn't finished yet.

How do Benioff and Weiss know about the events? Well Martin's capitulated and is basically telling them everything from his notes. He's given them access to every character's fate in as much detail as he possibly can. Here's the actual copy from the Vanity Fair article:

[Benioff] "Last year we went out to Santa Fe for a week to sit down with him [Martin] and just talk through where things are going, because we don't know if we are going to catch up and where exactly that would be. If you know the ending, then you can lay the groundwork for it. And so we want to know how everything ends. We want to be able to set things up. So we just sat down with him and literally went through every character."

So yeah, Martin has basically given up on being the first person to tell his story and is going to let HBO do the job for him.

Are you f'ing kidding me? Is this at all how an author is supposed to behave? The last book in the series is supposed to be called A Whisper of Spring. I guess underneath the title it will say, "Adapted from the television series."

What a joke. I guess the joke's on us though because Martin is the one that is a millionaire twenty (or more) times over.

Robb Stark lost the game of thrones because he didn't play by the rules

Poor, poor Robb Stark.

SPOILER ALERT: I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK'S EPISODE.

In the aftermath of the red wedding, do we really know what the game of thrones is? In season one, Cersei tells Ned Stark "When you play the game of thrones you win, or you die. There is no middle ground." I'm sure the ghost of Ned would disagree, but that's why he's a ghost. Cersei's been spouting the rules of the game since the beginning and no one has been listening to her.

If we can take anything away from these three seasons, it's that there are traits that are useful in the game of thrones, and there are traits that will downright get you killed. Robb was a great character. Noble, handsome, young, strong, and a brilliant military strategist. However, the game he was involved in was about none of those things. It was about how to acquire, retain, and use power. Robb failed at all three. Why? Because he lacked: timing, judgment, diplomacy, and discipline. What he had in spades were the traits of honor and conservative inflexibility.

Robb Stark lost the game of thrones because he didn't play by the rules. He needed to look the other way when the Lannister cousins got murdered. Sure they were kids, but in the game of thrones, you don't go and piss off an ally like the one he had in the Karstarks. But he put his foot down and declared the act monstrous. The inflexibility and honor did him credit, but that's an empty purse. He might as well have cut off his own head when he cut off Lord Karstark's.

Robb also lacked discipline. He shouldn't have married Talisa and instead taken one of the Frey girls as his bride. But he fell in love and that makes things all right in everything except the game of thrones. Robb made so many mistakes, and that's why his death is so powerful. It's the pinnacle moment in the tale where we see how the game of thrones is truly played and you're either in it to win it, or you're dead.

I think the best players at the table are the women. Margaery, Cersei, and Daenerys all seem to have the flexibility to embrace things that they despise for a chance to either finish them off later, or to find something positive about those things to further their own ambition. It's interesting that Cersei could have predicted Robb's death. She said, "Love is poison. A sweet poison, yes, but it will kill you all the same."

If you hate King Joffrey in HBO's A Game of Thrones you really should blame the Batman

And just because last night's episode of A Game of Thrones featured the "red wedding" event that most fans dreaded was coming, I give you a picture of the Iron Throne that's so epic, it just might all be worth it. Image courtesy of Random House Mexico. On second thought, I guess if you're a Stark, maybe not....

Click to Embiggen. That's definitely a throne room big enough to hold
huge dragon skulls!

The Climb on A Game of Thrones teaches us that selfishness is the way to your doom

I honestly could not imagine the upper body strength it would take to
climb The Wall. I guess I'd never make it as a Wildling. Good thing my
plans would be to live in Highgarden.

Last night's episode of "A Game of Thrones" was built around the premise of a climb. In one case, this climb is quite literal with Jon Snow having to tackle the 700 foot icy death wall that separates the free North from the lands of the South. In a metaphysical sense, it emerged from a soliloquy delivered by Littlefinger to Varys where he made up a lot of b.s. about how "Chaos is not a pit, it's a ladder" and eluding to the fact that in chaos there is opportunity for those who are bold enough to seek it out "balls to the wall" style.

In truth, Littlefinger's speech came across to me with a definitive Tony Robins-esque "self help" style. It almost sounded like a guru paid to convince you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps while coaching you that it's okay to walk across burning coals when in fact, the only reason it works is because there's a "trick" to it. And where there are "tricks" to anything, it also means it isn't legit (because the only way you fail is by not doing the "trick").

So what was "The Climb" really about? In my opinion, it had to do with sacrifice for the realm versus being a selfish prick. If you do what's right by the realm, then the realm prospers (and consequently you prosper too). Varys a.k.a. "The Spider" had maneuvered Sansa Stark and Loras of Highgarden together. This would have solidified two relatively strong families and made Sansa happy. Loras could have saved his reputation as a "sword swallower" and probably made a good husband while carrying on discreet affairs with his squires at night.

It's always interesting when Varys and Littlefinger meet. I truly like
Varys, even though I'd never trust him. These two are always at each
other's throats, and I hope that someday Varys out maneuvers
Littlefinger. I think Varys is the perfect counterweight to this rat in robes.

But of course, that all got put on the back burner for selfish reasons, namely Littlefinger's. And I've a feeling there's going to be more blood shed as a result of Littlefinger's selfishness (think of it as anti-realm and completely pro-Littlefinger) than the death of poor Roz who got murdered by Joffrey because Littlefinger felt betrayed.

How did it happen? Well Littlefinger clued Cersei into the arrangement made by the Tyrells, undoing all the hard work Varys had done. This led to more selfish decisions by Tywin to marry Sansa and Tyrion (which is doomed) and to marry Cersei to Loras (also doomed). And let's not forget Robb who in the role of hypocrite is trying to force one of his lords to marry a Frey girl in the hopes that this will patch up the grievous wrong he dealt Walter Frey by casting aside his vows. He's doomed too. Ironically the one that deserves doom the most is Littlefinger, but he as yet seems immune to it.

Everyone that's been selfish is doomed. Doom Doom Doom. It's like the drums underneath the Great Hall of Moria in the Fellowship of the Ring.

I think "The Climb" on A Game of Thrones teaches us that selfishness is the way to your doom. It has nothing to do with chaos or whether you want to visualize it as a pit or a ladder (both being absurd metaphors for true chaos). If anything, the only ones in last night episode that were truly doing things for "The Realm" were Jon Snow and Ygritte. And because of that, they made it to the top of the Wall and got to see the world spreading out before them horizon to horizon.  Maybe Ygritte should change her line from "You know nothing Jon Snow," to "You know everything Jon Snow" because Jon (like Daenerys) is most definitely not selfish.

Still, the title of the episode was well-named, and I enjoyed it immensely. I look forward to seeing next week's installment with baited breath.

What will happen to Samwell Tarley?

Okay, so I needed a day to think about the finale of Game of Thrones, season two. Basically, everything happened...not as I remember it from the book. Not at all. I still liked the season. It had the flavor of A Clash of Kings, but honestly, I'm confused at what will happen to Samwell Tarley. Why did the writers do what they did to him at the end of the show? How can he expect to get out of this situation?

For those of you who haven't read the books, I'm going to talk about something that could be considered a spoiler. But not really...as they seem to be changing everything, and I have no idea what is going to happen next season.

In A Clash of Kings, the White Walkers attack the Fist of the First Men enmasse and destroy the entire Night's Watch (all 300 men). There are some that flee into the woods (there are no woods in the scene in the HBO drama) and Samwell is tracked by one White Walker which he kills using a weapon made of dragon glass (obsidian).

But in the season finale, Samwell is on a snowy plateau...no woods are nearby, and the White Walkers surround him with an army numbering in the hundreds. LIKE WTF?!? How can his character possibly survive? The White Walker obviously saw him. He's surrounded by hundreds of wights. I don't see anyway out of this.

I will be disappointed if he kills one White Walker and the entire army dissipates because they are afraid of his dragon glass weapon.

I will be disappointed if they kill Samwell as he is still alive in A Dance With Dragons.

I will be disappointed if they ignore Samwell because the White Walkers don't ignore humans. They kill everyone, unmercifully.

So what will happen to Samwell Tarley? I'm so irritated by this choice that the writers of the show made. They could easily have had Samwell back at the Fist of the First Men when the attack started. Then he could have been a coward, slipped away, and got trailed by one White Walker that he kills off in the woods with the dragon glass dagger. But I just see no way out of this "Battle of Little Bighorn" that he finds himself in.

Any thoughts? Sigh. Checkout the scene below as it appeared Sunday night. I so would not want to be part of the Night's Watch about now.

Tomorrow I shall post for the Insecure Writers Support Group (June 2012 edition) and then I shall be taking a blog break until the following Monday to entertain out-of-town friends. Alex C., I shall be wanting to compare Prometheus notes next Monday with you. :)

The Battle of the Blackwater

Sunday night's episode of HBO's A Game of Thrones was the most exciting one to date primarily because it was ALL BATTLE. I think that they probably blew most of their second season budget on this one. I was worried that a television series wouldn't do it justice, and all my fears were laid to rest. Man, George R.R. Martin has got to be proud of how HBO is treating his adaptation.

Things I liked:

It looked even more awesome live and on the screen. Watch the YouTube below.

1) The wildfire explosion was absolutely spectacular. I recorded it on my DVR and watched it a few times over. They got the coloring of the flames perfect...an eerie demonic green. And for those of you that don't follow the series or read the books, wildfire burns everything...stone, flesh, you name it.  And water does not put it out.  If you get wildfire on you, you scream and howl until you are ashes.  It helped that the battle took place at night, so that they didn't have to throw too many other special effects into the mix.

2) They kept the focus of the battle small and on individual characters. You saw Clegaine (a.k.a. the Hound) really chopping and cutting and lopping all kinds of things off in bloody gore. And then you got a real feel for his character as he fled because the fire and all that burning is a terrifying thing.

3) They kept the whole "ghost of Renly" out of it for the most part. I thought I saw something of a man on a steed with Renly's stag helmet, but in the book he was all glowing and stuff and I thought that would be unnecessary.

4) They didn't quite deform Tyrion as badly in the book. In the show, it looks like he'll have a nice scar on his face but in the book, he lost his nose. At least with a scar, they won't have to resort to some gross makeup for Tyrion.

5) I liked hearing them cheer for Tyrion. They said "Halfman! Halfman!" It was kind of cool. He's an unconventional hero and the only Lannister I really like.

Things I would have liked to have seen (can't really complain here):

1) I miss the whole chain thing and Tyrion fighting on the ships that are stuck together blockading the harbor. I would have liked to have seen that.

So did any of you watch it? Did it quicken your pulse? Did you find it as exciting as I did? Let me know in the comments. Have a great Tuesday.

Harrenhal

I'm gonna talk about the second season of HBO's Game of Thrones today (as it is coming to a close soon). I think that there are two episodes left (at least that's what the preview indicated this last Sunday).

This is an HBO screen capture of the castle of Harrenhal

More specifically, I wanted to talk about Harrenhal because it's one of the important castles that we see in George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy, A Song of Ice and Fire. Last year, I wrote about the Eyrie, and I compared Ted Nasmith's version of the Eyrie to the one that we saw on film. You can find that post HERE if you want to read it. Now, I'm going to do the same treatment for Harrenhal.

This is concept art for Harrenhal

First, a little history.

In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, Harrenhal is a colossal castle consisting of five massive towers (the Tower of Dread, Widow's Tower, Wailing Tower, Tower of Ghosts and Kingspyre Tower) and immense walls.

Concept art, interior of Harrenhal

The castle was built by House Hoare, the ruling house of the Iron Islands which had overrun and conquered the Riverlands. It took three generations to construct. King Harren the Black completed the castle, boasting that it was impregnable.

Painting of Harrenhal by award-winning artist Ted Nasmith

King Harren was betrayed by his bannermen during the War of Conquest and the castle was largely melted by dragonfire: while Harren had thought the castle's walls were tall enough to withstand any assault, he neglected to consider that the Targaryens' dragons could fly right over them. Aegon the Conqueror roasted Harren alive in the tallest tower of the castle, now known as the Kingspyre.  As a result Harrenhal is half-ruined, with stone towers melted and twisted by the flames of the dragons, giving it an ominous and nightmarish appearance. No lord has held the castle for long since Harren's death.

Since Harren's death the castle has passed through a number of other noble houses (Qoherys, Towers, Harroway, Strong and Lothston), each of which has come to ruin. prior to the War of the Five Kings House Whent, loyal vassals to Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun.

Harrenhal is technically the biggest castle in Westeros.  It is so ridiculously large that the surrounding area cannot possibly produce the necessary food to support the massive army needed to fully man it. Rulers of Harrenhal usually lose money and resources simply by possessing it. As a result, Harrenhal is rarely if ever fully manned.

*****

So what do you think? Did Ted Nasmith's vision fully capture Harrenhal? Or do you think HBO nailed it with their version? Or do you think the concept art is closer to how you picture a castle would look that got melted by dragon fire?

Excited for the return of HBO's A Game of Thrones

I think that I would be remiss in not admitting my outright excitement for the return of this Sunday's "Game of Thrones" on HBO. I know that I have, from time-to-time taken different looks at Mr. Martin's books. I was not impressed with A Dance With Dragons as an example...but that comes from me being frustrated that I feel Mr. Martin has turned into a capitalist who seeks to milk every penny from his franchise as opposed to giving us the story that so strongly permeates the first three books of his series.

Season two is all about the book A Clash of Kings. And this my friends, is a masterpiece. For those of you who haven't read the books and are concerned that there is no one to step in and fill the void left behind by the death of Ned Stark, I want to assure you that the tales of Westeros do not stop with him. I'm looking forward to seeing Tyrion, Cersei, Jaime, and Daenerys develop. I'm interested in new characters...Milisandre of Asshai, Stannis Baratheon, and Daenerys' dragons (which will become characters unto themselves).

If I had to say one thing about George's fantasy, it's that it got me interested in reading the genre again.  I had wandered into general fiction (which still makes up the bulk of my reading list).  I'd read most of Vonnegut's books, I'd explored non-fiction by reading Hawking, read some young adult (and didn't find it necessarily to my liking), but I hadn't read fantasy (the stuff that I read as a kid) in years.  George changed that with his books. And he seems to be the one that I kind of stick with because, as I've explored other fantasies, they all strike me as knockoffs of what George managed to do, and I wonder how long that trend is going to continue.

I'm really not a fan of knockoffs.  Just to illustrate what I mean by this term, I've heard that "Divergent" is a knockoff of "The Hunger Games"--I've read the Hunger Games...but not Divergent. Again, it's only what I've heard from reading what people write online. I honestly don't care because I'm not going to read Divergent anyway. But it may serve to illustrate my point.

George's story is first and foremost about power. It's an epic that really kind of reinvented fantasy by introducing a psychological component. Instead of a black and white struggle of good vs. evil, it is a complex examination of real world characters who pursue their own interests. I'm excited to dive back into this backstabbing, power-grubbing, drama-filled murderous tale of the most flawed human beings and their struggle to outdo one another by screwing each other over in the most hate-filled ways. Really...it's like looking at our own government.

I shall be participating in the A-to-Z challenge starting this Sunday. Have a great Friday and Saturday.

The noble houses of A Game of Thrones

I'm getting very excited that HBO's Game of Thrones is returning with an action-packed, fantasy-filled, second season. I do like the world of Westeros, so I wanted to chime in on the different houses. HBO did videos for each one to get people interested in picking a side. But, I'm not going to show those even though I watched them. As a reader, I haven't picked a side as much as I've enjoyed all the story arcs. Here are the houses from my perspective.

House Lannister. The only one of the Lannisters that I like is Tyrion. He's clever and smart. Yet Jaime has shown remarkable growth after he had his sword arm cut off. I still don't much like him though. The Lannisters are smug and pretentious. They all have lily white skin, blue eyes, and blond hair. I would liken them to Hitler's "master race" with all the superiority that issues from such a statement. I think that this house would appeal to anyone that could identify with the need of feeling superior to someone else exclusively because of beauty or wealth and not ability. Lannisters are manipulative. They are the people that plot and plot if not against you...then each other. You can't trust a single one of them.

House Baratheon. I did like King Robert even though I thought he made a terrible monarch. I also like Renly (his younger brother) because he's gay and that (in my book) makes him more open-minded and understanding, because he has had to live in a world where people just assume that everyone is straight (and that this is natural). The Baratheons are a tough, honest house. This means that they won't lie to you. It also handicaps them because they assume everyone is like them and that's not true. They tell it like it is whether or not you care for their opinion. And they do know how to party. A Baratheon is the kind of person that would have your back in a fight. They have honor and I think that would be important to me in this world.

House Targaryen. Daenerys' brother died in season one and he was condescending, pompous, demanding, and evil. Daenerys herself has these same traits, but to a much lesser extent. Like about 5% of what her brother had. This I think seems to be at a tolerable level for someone that is a ruler of many people.  She's also cool-headed, intelligent about what she does, and seems to be quite calculating.  She's also fiercely loyal to anyone that serves her just so long as you do not cross her.  I also like that.  She's got your back even more so than a Baratheon.  I like Daenerys (not necessarily her house) and if I had to choose, I'd be in her camp and would predict that she would make the best ruler on the Iron Throne.

House Greyjoy. I hate this house. I wish George had not included it. Theon is a waste of skin (the irony is that he gets skinned). Asha sucks. They are a bunch of backstabbing, power-grubbing, rapists and murderers who live on the sea like pirates. I just really can't say anything I like about the Greyjoys. They are as likeable as a squid (shown prominently on their banner). I honestly can't say anything good about this house. There only existence, it seems, is to get involved with Daenerys at some point because as it is, her story has gotten boring.

House Stark. I loved this house. They are romantics. Loyal, honest, knightly, and hard-working. The decimation of the Starks leaves a sour taste in my mouth because they were legitimately good people.  And in A Dance with Dragons, Bran is doing some weird spiritual thing with trees that makes me wonder if George is smoking weed. I don't get how any of Bran's powers are even remotely tied to the story. Everytime he goes off on a Bran chapter, I think, "Okay another waste of fifty pages where some crippled boy flies around and teleports through trees but doesn't do anything and no one cares because...well...no one cares."

Anyway, Season 2 starts on April 1st. I'm really excited because it's sexy, romantic, cunning, dangerous, and all around riveting. And I'm most excited about the new character of Melissandre (sp?). She's just dang cool.

Which house are you?

The Cold Winds Are Rising

In case you missed it, HBO released the teaser for season 2 of Game of Thrones.  Oooh it has me so excited. We are only four months away from more of the White Walkers!

And yes for those of you that read the books like me, that is the voice of none other than Stannis Baratheon providing the voice over. Rather chilling, don't you think?

Have a great Monday.

The Eyrie

This is the first post of a compare/contrast series that I wanted to talk about regarding artistic interpretation of George R.R. Martin's world as presented in his epic Song of Ice and Fire. Basically, I'm going to post artist drawings of these places and then how they appear in the HBO series and ask you, did HBO get it right?

Here is everything that I know of a castle called the Eyrie:

Essentially it is the ancient seat of House Arryn, one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility. It is situated in the Mountains of the Moon astride the mountain known as the Giant's Lance. It is reachable only by a narrow goat trail that takes Caetlyn 12-hours to climb, guarded by the Gates of the Moon and three small waycastles; Stone, Snow and Sky. It is supplied by means of a massive dumbwaiter that extends down to the topmost waycastle.


The Eyrie is the smallest of the great castles, consisting only of a cluster of seven slim, white towers bunched tightly. The castle is made of fine white stone. The towers encircle a garden, which had been meant as a godswood, but the soil was too poor. The Eyrie is also unique in that it lacks a godswood; no weirwood tree would take root in the stony soil. The barracks and stables are in the mountain.

Okay, first up here is Ted Nasmith's version (Ted Nasmith is an award-winning professional artist more famous for his works on Tolkien than anything else):

Click to make bigger.

Okay, here in this painting Mr. Nasmith gives us all the elements. Seven slender towers, white stone, the dumbwaiter thing that goes to one of the keeps that isn't featured in the painting, and a sense that this beast of a castle is really super high (because there are clouds actually beneath the castle in the picture).

Also featured are the sky cells that Tirrion gets thrown into plus I could see it taking a full 12-hours to get to this place using a goat path. I'm no professional climber but getting up to this thing has got to be terrifying (which it was for Caetlyn).

Okay, here I give you a screenshot of the Eyrie as it appears in the HBO series. Right off, you see a bridge that goes over to it and it isn't surrounded by mountains like in Nasmith's version. Additionally, if you look closely, the bridge is just a road that winds up underneath the actual Eyrie and then up to the castle on top. Furthermore, it's kind of round which isn't how I visualized it. As well, if the slender towers are there, they're so small I can't even see them.

Which one got it right? HBO or Ted Nasmith? Please let me know in a comment.

See my second post in this series entitled Harrenhal HERE.