The Winds of Westeros

Like everyone else out there who enjoys reading the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books by George R R Martin, I consider myself enamoured of the series - the books and the HBO show.

So, what to do during these long seven months to get by?

Well, I have A Dance with Dragons and have just started it. I also have Pearson Moore's Season One Game of Thrones Essays to read, as well. Something else that will keep me occupied is getting my hands of the Tales of Dunk and Egg. That's a compilation of three books to keep me busy. The second Game of Thrones graphic novel comes out  in November, so you know that will end up on my bookshelf.

I also have this blog. I also have character pieces to write for HBO Watch. Maybe throw in a Comic Con in one day! My Pinterest board will be updated every month. At last count, I had 2346 pins on my "A Song of Ice and Fire: Game of Thrones" board. Apparently, I have something like 44 followers because of that board. That's pretty flattering.

I can also have Season I and II viewing marathons. Of course, I do not share the burden alone. Millions of fans eagerly await what Season III has in store for us.

At least we can all surf on the Internet and read the latest press releases about the upcoming season.

I need a job! For real! Full time employment would definitely keep me preoccupied. That way I won't endlessly drone on and on friends and family. Not that I drone on, but if someone brings up Game of Thrones, well, naturally I get a little enthusiastic about the topic.

Well, wouldn't you?! :)

Ladies and Gentlemen of Westeros and Pentos: I'd like to just send a HUGE shout out to the good folks at HBO Watch.

This is a small website that grew out of love for the many high quality HBO series on television. There are several members and they all contribute to the website by means of HBO character profiles for their favourite series, editorials, updates or "this just in" news flashes. It's all entertaining to read and I HIGHLY recommend visitors to click on the HBO Watch link on the sidebar to the right.

I am both pleased and humbled that Jacob and crew have published six of my character profiles! Jacob also published one of my humorous articles about the most attractive men in Westeros (now ladies, remember, I'm entitled to my opinion, as you are yours!) and it garnered a lot of feedback on the HBOWatch website and on Facebook.

I knew that somehow, someday, my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Medieval History and Medieval & Fantasy English Literature would pay off!

Thank you Jacob, for taking a chance on this Canuck gal from north of Toronto, Ontario! I am stoked to know that there are many new characters that will be introduced for Season III's A Storm of Swords. This means more character pieces! Yay!

I love to write about the multi-faceted characters of Westeros. When it comes to Game of Thrones, I have plenty to say!

The next book which will eventually grace my bookshelf will be "The Hedge Knight."

Of course, I'm actually trying to convince my husband that spending almost $300 on the first novel, especially seeing that it's hardcover and in 'very good condition, like new' is an investment.

Somehow, I don't think he's going to buy my line.

So, before I get really upset with him, I have to stop - he DID pre-order the next Game of Thrones graphic novel, which is due out this November. I am pretty impressed that he actually preordered it for, to tell you the truth.

Alas, I will order the next two novels in George R R martin's "The Hedge Knight" series. I can order them brand new or used from Amazon Canada.

Still thinking how to order "The Hedge Knight" without raising suspicion. After all, I need to have something in my possession before reading "A Dance with Dragons." The problem is this: whenever I have a fantastic novel to read, I start, then plow right through it. I don't know why, but I believe that personally, whipping though a novel is a sign of its' success. I must learn to slow down and appreciate the novels, because it's not a race!

Maybe I'll ask my mom and dad....for Christmas...I want a book. Not just ANY book....but...

Recently, I ordered two books from Amazon Canada. The first one was "Season One Essays from Game of Thrones" by Pearson Moore. I've already  read a few chapters. Pretty impressed with that book, but it is "The Ice Dragon" by George R R Martin that really got me going.

As in, this is a children's book he wrote in 1980 (I was a wee little thing) and a 2006 edition has been produced, complete with beautiful pictures by Yvonne Gilbert.

Yes, it is a children's storybook but approach with caution: this is George R R Martin we're talking about; therefore there is bound to be some heartache in it somewhere.

I cried. I cried like a little girl. Like the time I watched "Watership Down." I've NEVER had such a visceral reaction to a children's storybook before! Of course, I am drawn to anything that GRRM has written, so it's no surprise that I had to add this children's book to my already growing collection.

Oh Adara, your Ice Dragon will always be with you!

Well, I made it through 25 successful Game of Thrones blogs posts. Except, for this particular letter, I truly am stumped.

I can only think of the words "zest" and "zeal" to describe the enthusiasm and passion that the fans have for George R R Martin's fantastic series, "A Song of Fire and Ice."

I am pleased and humbled that people are checking out my humble little Game of Thrones themed blog. I am noticing a particular trend from the countries Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Germany!

Feeling a ton of international love. I love to follow anything and everything that is related to Game of Thrones. Hence, my zest and zeal for it! My friends and relatives often joke and comment that I am 'very enthusiastic,' 'borderline obsessed,' and 'if there's ever a contest about Game of Thrones, I want you on my team.'

I also love all the wonderful Game of Thrones fan threads and other amazing websites. I have included many of them on my blog as links and will continue to do so!

Only 226 more days until Season III!

Let's hear it for the Starks of Winterfell!

They're loyal, hearty, disciplined and respected. They are an ancient House in Westeros and they live in the northern part of the continent.

Eddard and Catelyn Stark have five children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. Jon Snow is the alleged illegitimate son of Eddard and some woman from a long time ago, but I doubt that theory. However, that is another blog post altogether.

Maester Luwin was their chief tutor, scholar, advisor and counsellor. Ser Rodrik Cassel was their chief defence advisor and weapons trainer.

We all grew to love Ned, as he was steadfast and loyal to all and a friend and good example of what a Warden and Lord should be. Unfortunately, we know he was falsely executed for treason at the end of Season I. His legacy and memory live on. Catelyn does her best to advise and raise her children but it is not an easy time, nor an easy thing to be a woman in Westeros. Robb is now stationed as King of the North, with a few military successes to his credit. The Young Wolf seems to be following in his late father's footsteps.

Sansa was the dutiful daughter. However, look where duty has gotten her: stranded in King's Landing with nothing but enemies around her. We all hope that her situation changes. Arya had the gumption to pose as a boy, was stationed at Harrenhal and became Tywin Lannister's cup bearer. Talk about getting the best access to war plans and military sieges. She also begins to show a prowess and cunning skill, when it comes to getting rid of her enemies. I like her!

Bran and Rickon are the two youngest Stark children and have not fared so well. Bran became paralyzed after being thrown from a tower window. Upon waking, many modifications had to be put into place, in order to allow him to move about. Rickon is the youngest and has had a difficult time processing all the events going on. The lack of parental involvement has taken its' toll on both the boys. Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik Cassel were the last two paternal figures they had, and unfortunately, we all know what fates those two men meet.

The dire wolves are a huge part of House Stark. After all, the sigil is the dire wolf and the motto for House Stark is "Winter is coming."

So far, Grey Wind is with King Robb. Lady was put down, by Ned himself, that way she did not suffer an even crueler fate by being butchered by some Lannister halfwit. Nymeria is somewhere out there....in the wilderness, grazing, search and travelling with a pack. Summer and Shaggywolf are constantly by Bran and Rickon's side, protecting the little Lords.

It pains me to see such a noble house suffer such injustice. I know that George R R Martin writes with purpose and intellect, but it just gets my blood boiling whenever a good character is torn asunder, betrayed or abandoned. Hence, the success of the books and series!

Damn you, George! (joking....well, sort of)

Two topics for the letter "G" - George R. R. Martin, who we all know as the big guy who wrote this fantastic series of books! Thank you George, for giving us fans hours of endless reading pleasure. I am just about to start the fifth book, "A Dance with Dragons." :)

Also, "G" can stand for Game of Thrones soundtrack. What kind of music would you recommend for a potential "Game of Thrones" soundtrack? I love Ramin Djawadi's score. His music is absolutely key to creating the mood and delivering heavy on the emotion.

However, are there any songs out there that would be applicable to the series? The songs that come to mind so far are the following:

"Seven Devils" by Florence and the Machine;
"Immigrant Song" and "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin;
"Scarborough Fair" by Simon and Garfunkel;
"Of Wolf and Man" by Metallica;
"A Real Human Being" by College;
"Run for the Hills" by Iron Maiden;
"Short People" by Randy Newman;
"Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon;
"Highway to Hell" and "Have a Drink On Me" by AC/DC.

Are there any other musical selections you can think of? Feel free to comment on my blog! Cheers

Meh. I e-mailed the good folks at Hasbro, regarding an idea for a Game of Thrones Trivial Pursuit edition of their board game.

While they appreciated my zeal and enthusiasm with the idea, right now there are no plans to produce a Game of Thrones edition. Well, that's okay. I'm not totally crushed with their decision but admit it, you like the idea of a Westeros Ice and Fire limited edition Trivial Pursuit board game! I didn't come up with the suggestion so I could profit off of it. No, that wouldn't be fair to George R R Martin. I just liked the idea of what it would be like!

If they ever plan on releasing one, you know yours truly will be purchasing two board games! :)

Hi there. I'm trying to figure out how I can enhance my "Winds of Westeros" blog. So far, I have added a Feedjit Live Feed to it. I like to see where people visit from. Always nice to know that people from all over check out my humble little blog. As well, I will take more pictures (when the occasion calls for it) and will post more images (of course I do not own them and will make the disclaimer known) as they appear.

Now that we all have to wait another 10 months until the premiere of "Game of Thrones: A Storm of Swords," I was thinking of all the things I'd like to post about. Here is what I came up with so far:

*drum roll please*

Various posts about each respective House in Westeros, according to what I have read and how I feel;
Character posts;
Book signings and events;
My Game of Thrones PS-3 game, the various campaigns I go on and my progress;
A Song of Ice and Fire Book reviews;
Changes from books to screenplays;
The idea of who Jon Snow's parents could be and my theory behind it;
Comic Con dates;
My actors and actresses wish list for Season III;
My Pinterest board and its' progress;
Cakes that I order with a Game of Thrones theme (so far, my birthday cake this year was a purple cake with certain House sigils on it);
My views on the men in Westeros;
My views on women in Westeros;
If Trivial Pursuit responds back to my inquiry about a Game of Thrones limited edition board game
and
if George R R Martin ever responds back to some of my friendly e-mails.

Yes, I sent him some pictures and I also sent him the idea of the Trivial Pursuit game.

I feel that these ideas for my blog will keep me occupied for a while.

Happy reading to all!

I came across an artist named John Picacio. His work in a word: OUTSTANDING. I consider myself to have some talent, where drawing and painting are concerned.

Well, not anymore! He has some beautiful portraits of the characters in "A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones." Well done, sir! *loud applause*

I am so going to follow this guy on Twitter! I love anything and everything associated to George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones series! Please, if you follow my blog, take the time and click on the link called "John Picacio Website." This man is VERY talented!

Dear George R R Martin, HBO and the good folks at Trivial Pursuit:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE create a Game of Thrones edition of your board game! I swear that if you do, I will go out and buy two of them!

And if you play Trivial Pursuit the way I do, you will want ME on YOUR team.

Trust me on that one!

Tonight: VALAR MORGHULIS!

You CANNOT POSSIBLY TEASE ME WITH THIS KIND OF LEAK!!!!! Not fair!

I heard an interesting rumour. HBO, as we already know, has green lit Season III (also known as "A Storm of Swords"). But.....I heard that because A Storm of Swords is so majorly action packed and contains so many story lines and arcs, that Season III will be split into two Seasons! As in Season III Part A and Season III Part B!

OMG! This is better then Nutella! And for those of you that know me, you know I LOVE my Nutella! Saying that Season III's "A Storm of Swords"  is better then Nutella, on my part, is absolutely out of this world! If this is the case, not only is it a major bonus for fans, it's also fantastic for HBO and their screenwriters. Not to mention, the wonderful George R R Martin gets extra time to keep plugging away on "The Winds of Winter."

If I could ask for one thing, it would be that this rumour turns out to be true!

I've been thinking, while I was driving around today, running some errands. When I think of Game of Thrones, my mind is filled with all sorts of possibilities. But that's a whole other blogspot.  In honour of tomorrow night's EPIC episode, "The Battle of Blackwater Bay," two songs come to mind.

The first was Thin Lizzy's, "Jail Break," because there are several lyrics that are very appropriate for tomorrow night's battle sequences. The second song - and probably more ominous - is AC/DC's "Hell's Bells." Why that one, you ask? Well, um, hello?! Seven Gods in Westeros - the Old and the New....and because there is going to be a lot of action that goes down tomorrow night.

Some of the characters are going to survive. Others won't be so lucky. Certainly...some characters deserve to go to the deepest, darkest hell in Westeros, for all the misery and destruction they've caused in the last two seasons.

(I am aware that by rooting for the Lannisters, I am leaving myself open to criticism) I want to make it perfectly clear that I am NOT rooting for Prince Joffrey. Tyrion, show your animal side. After all, your sigil is a lion!

T-minus 34 hours and counting!

I just finished reading the full length article in Rolling Stone magazine that features Peter Dinklage, also known as Tyrion Lannister, and it was amazing. His sense of humour - more to the point - his deadpan lines are hilarious. I am happy that Peter Dinklage won both the Emmy and the Golden Globe for his portrayal of the Imp.

I bought two copies - one that everyone can read and one that I have tucked away, underneath my bed for safe keeping.  As an added bonus, RS magazine also has an interview with George R R Martin, based on how he came to create the character of Tyrion Lannister and why he was happy that Peter Dinklage accepted the role.

That Emmy and Golden Globe were bestowed on the right actor! Long live Peter!

Lots of action in this episode. Oh boy, where to start. Tywin is bent on defeating Robb. Cersei has returned to her normal, hateful self and fighting once again with Tyrion. She thinks she is so above playing the Game of Thrones, that she has captured and currently torturing Shae. Tyrion is quick not to betray his feelings but realizes Cersei has captured the wrong woman. He promises to help Roz. I hope he does, as she looked to be in terrible condition. Tyrion and Bronn are trying to come up with a defence strategy to combat Stannis.  Stannis is sailing towards Kings Landing with an enormous fleet.

Joffrey is being his usual insufferable self. Varys has discovered that Danyerys Targaryen is alive....with three dragons in tow. The people in the North hate Theon Greyjoy with good reason. He hung the bodies of the two Stark children and displayed them in the front of the castle. They are dead....one would think. Maester Luwin is not convinced, after seeing a fleeting glimpse of Osha. Robb is conflicted, his mother has handed over the Kingslayer to Brienne. His supposed best friend, Theon, has betrayed him by raizing the castle of Winterfell. His sister is held hostage in Kings Landing and his brothers are captive while Theon is still at Winterfell. To top it off, he has to honour a betrothal contract with Walder Frey, marrying one of his youngest daughters, in order to keep peace and friendly relations with the Freys and Starks for political reasons. Easier said then done, especially when he is enamoured of Talisa Migear, who is a nurse and healer, helping out in his camp.

Arya names her final name to Jaqen and he is not pleased with her choice. Arya is a tough, scrappy little fighter who is coming into her own power. On condition that she un-names Jaqen, she wants her freedom to escape from Harrenhal. And as for Jon Snow, well, he is not in a position to do anything now. Ygritte has turned him over to the Lord of Bones and the Halfhand has been captured. They are off to meet the mysterious Mance Rayder. Next week is the EPIC episode - Blackwater Bay and the big guy himself, George R R, wrote this one himself.

I am TOTALLY looking forward to this one! Valar Morghulis!

Officially started reading "A Feast for Crows." This is - for those of you who don't know - the fourth book in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, written by George R. R. Martin. So far, it was a little slow for me, I think because I'm still watching the second season and don't want to get too far ahead of myself. Then again, I really do enjoy reading about new characters and seeing how the story line is developing. I'll think I'll just stay the course.

Sometimes, a funny thing happens when I wake up on a Sunday morning. I go downstairs to check out the previous weeks' Game of Thrones episode and guess what?! I see the next one listed. And it's not even 9:00 p.m. yet! That's what I call a victory!!

For everyone who started watching all of the Game of Thrones trailers, I have to say that the best one they came out with was the one titled, "Seven Devils." Why? Because the trailer captures the corruption, the desolation of some of the locations, the isolation some of the characters feel, the peril some of them face firsthand and the sheer determination of the characters. The music in the trailer is from a group called Florence and the Machine. The good folks at HBO could not have picked a more perfect piece of music to reflect the mood for the second season. Thanks to the trailer, Florence and the Machine's "Seven Devils" track on YouTube has picked up a lot more visitors! You go, Flo!

It just occurred to me: George R. R. Martin wrote the first three books of "A Song of Fire and Ice" in the late 1990's and early 2000s. Which means that when book number four and five came out, people began to flock to those ones just as quick! Of course, with HBO creating and producing the hit series "Game of Thrones" in April 2011 and 2012, the audience for his literary works has now doubled, or perhaps tripled. I am a fan, no doubt.

Soon, there will be a new member in my family, a nephew (who is due anyday now) and you know what that means, don't you? I'm going to have to purchase his first Game of Thrones t-shirt, lunchbox, bottle, etc. When I was little, both my older brothers and I were major "Star Wars" fans. We had the bedsheets, the toys, the lego and the lunchboxes. Three cheers for "Star Wars" & "Game of Thrones!" May the fans carry on all the funny and silly traditions that go along with popular films and book series!