I got my copy of Game of Thrones, Season 1 today. I plan to settle down for the evening soon, drink a glass of wine or two, and watch a few episodes in glorious high definition. Though I enjoyed the series on HBO last year when it aired (and on HBO GO in the interim), I'm looking forward to this round of viewing. I'll be paying close attention to all the little details and nuances of the garb and armor to help with my Game of Thrones painting project.
Anyone else get their copy today?
I've frequently seen this advertised on SKY Tv, though never caught any of the shows (with it being a series, I kinda think if you missed the first episode, theres little point watching the rest...)... whats it like? Also a recent advert for it I think mentioned 'Westeros' - which was a Battlelore game expansion/new variation??
ReplyDeleteHi Scott. Sorry for the long delay with the reply. Somehow this lonely comment escaped my notice. Ha! Anyhow, to answer your question, "what's it like?"...well...pretty darn cool. If you have never read the books you are certainly missing out on a truly epic fantasy, though I must warn you - it's quite brutal. Unlike traditional fantasy, no character, however noble or likable, is safe. Martin kills them off when the story calls for it, which can be a shock for those who expect the standard "miraculous survival story".
ReplyDeleteAs for the HBO adaptation, it's pretty true to the books. The series is brutal, honest, sexual, and intriguing. The producers have gone to great lengths to keep with the books, though to be honest, the books as written are pretty much un-filmable (I'm not even sure that's a word. Spell check is going crazy right now).
The show is low fantasy (think of a brutal version of LotR with no black and white characters and a morally ambiguous story line) rather than swords and sorcery. As the books progress, more magic is introduced but in a realistic and mysterious manner. I presume the HBO series will aim to do the same. For fantasy fans, I cannot recommend the books enough, and by extension the HBO series.
As for you second question, the games based on the Battlelore rules are themselves based on the series. House Lannister, House Stark, etc... are all noble houses from the series.
Pick up the books and you will find yourself drawn into a world unlike any you have explored before. But beware!! They are incredibly addictive and Martin has not even finished the series yet. He is only on number five of a seven or eight book story. The wait between books has been quite long at times.