Just Delivered: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin

Alright, this is not a review because I am yet to read the book.

If you are into Game of Thrones, this is something you should not skip (just making an educated guess). The book is a prequel to The Songs of Ice and Fire series and is a collection of the following three novellas:

1) The Hedge Knight
2) The Sworn Sword
3) The Mystery Knight

Just the thought that the Targaryens still hold the Iron Throne gives me goosebumps.

The illustrations by Gary Gianni are top notch.

Just got this book from Amazon, and this post is basically a shameless show-off of my excitement 🙂

If you have already read the book, do share your thoughts on it.

Continue reading →

Top 5 Fantasy Worlds to Visit

 

Note: Back again from a disturbed slumber. Hope you are still there.
—————————
You always wanted to be there. You always dreamed of being there. You’d leave all you’ve got just to be there, once and for all.

If you were offered a one way trip to the spectacular, fantastic places you discovered in the books, where would you go? Would you be a wizard, a warrior, an Emperor or a damsel in distress?

Here are a few options in no particular order:

Conan’s Cimmeria

“It was so long ago and far away …
Cimmeria, land of Darkness and the Night.”

— Robert E. Howard:

For an eternal savage longing to wield his sword, the sinister continent of Cimmeria is the place to be. Thanks to Tolkien and his faithful sidekicks, 20th century had had its share of fruity elves and Rivendellesque places. If you are a peerless warrior or a real badass, you want to wake up in the frozen wastes of war-like Cimmeria.

Westeros

You can hate it or may love it but the blood soaked, treacherous land of Westeros cannot be kept out of the equation. Accusations are GRR Martin just re-imagined Britain roughly around the time of the War of the Roses. He simply studied a period of history and ripped it off. Well, he did it damn good. Westeros is certainly more alive and believable than a lot others of its kind. If you are a strategic statesman born in the wrong age, plan a time travel to Westeros for a game of thrones. You win or you die.

Barsoom

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom could be in the list simply because of the number of rip offs it inspired. Right from Lin Carter to Michael Moorcock, Barsoom has inspired a generation of writers as deeply as it has affected the imagination of the readers. The ridiculously unbelievable yet immensely entertaining and evocative world building is just irresistible. So what if I am worthless in this world? My future lies in a world away.

Narnia

Lewis’ Narnia is widely considered by critics as one of the most consistent and internally sound example of world building. It does seem to have its own philosophy and preaching, but Lewis somehow makes it easy for the readers to escape to Narnia with a kind of homely magic that we do not commonly find in the Lord of the Rings or even Harry Potter. And of course, the landscape of Narnia comforts you with an optimism that is rare in the real world. Let the peaceful among us find shelter in Lewis’ magical realm.

Middle-earth

Let them say you walked with the giants and dwelt in the Middle-earth. Tolkien’s Middle-earth has stood the onslaught of a number accusations including but not limited to being cold, barren and boring, and written in wooden language. Nonetheless, it has transcended over others to become a piece of art. The rich and detailed world building is simply awe inspiring. Anyone who doesn’t like it is clearly an Orc.

So what’s your favorite fictional world? And what role would you like to play there?
Continue reading →

The Rains of Castamere: A Game of Thrones

Some of us might have skipped reading George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones had David Benioff and D. B. Weiss not created the TV series for HBO. The blood soaked tale of deceit and betrayal in the medievalish landscape of Westeros has captivated readers and viewers alike. Game of Thrones follows the book to perfection and has proven actors delivering compelling performances. But more importantly, it manages to re-create the exotic world portrayed in A Song of Ice and Fire. The amazing sets and brilliant background score wouldn’t let you out of Westeros even when you are done watching it.

If you follow A Song of Ice and Fire closely, you would notice that the song The Rains of Castamere has been featured a number of times. It’s a song that celebrates Tywin Lannister’s famous victory over rebellious House Reyne of Castamere. At the end of the war, House Reyne was completely destroyed by their liege lords — the Lannisters. The song reminds people of the fate that awaits them if they cross the Lannisters.

The Song refers to the fact that the sigil of House Reyne, like the Lannisters, was a lion. However, it was a red lion, not a golden one like their liege lords. The war between House Reyne and the Lannisters has often been described as clash of the lions.

The Rains of Castamere has become famous as the Lannister song.

Here is a great version of the song by Peter Hollens and Taylor Davis. Feels like we are back in Westeros.

Continue reading →