Fantastical Musings

Man, I did not remember how much I missed Game of Thrones . It's like I was starving and I didn't even realize how hungry I was until I started to watch this episode. Game of Thrones is just so satiating; it's like eating a nice big piece of cheesecake, except, after one piece of cheesecake I'm normally full, and I'm never full of Game of Thrones . Let's break it down: Favorite Moments: A Place By My Hearth: I'm all about the Sansa/ Brienne tag team. I'm just shipping them so hard right now; they're going to be a great team. I loved the oaths they said to each other and I loved that Sansa couldn't quite remember the words and Pod (the real MVP) had to help her. It was just great acting and a really well thought out scene. I'd Like Some Mutton: I feel like Ser Davos is one of the most underrated characters in the show, and I just love him. He's one of the most pragmatic characters in the show and he has great, dry one-liners. I fee...

So, I recently  I read this an article  which calculated the most important character in  Game of Thrones  using math. Based on a bunch of algorithms and equations and a whole bunch of other stuff I don't understand, they concluded that Tyrion Lannister is the most important character in the  Game of Thrones   TV show. That's a neat theory and everything, the only problem is that it's wrong. The most important character in ASOIAF is clearly Ser Pounce, King Tommen's cat. Don't get me wrong, I like Tyrion; he's a good character -- he's just not the most important character. Now, I know what you're thinking: Ser Pounce is mentioned like twice in the books. I'm aware of  that. This is because George R.R. Martin is trying to hide him in plain sight, a clear sign that he's an important figure. All the battles and political machinations in the books are just a clever rouse designed to distract the viewer from paying attention to Ser Pounce and hi...

So, I'm not really a fan of New Year's resolutions. To me, it just seems sort of silly because I never stick to them. However, I do think your New Years resolutions say something about you. So, I got to thinking, if  A Song of Ice and Fire  characters made New Year's resolutions, what would they be? Luckily for you, I have the answer. Daenerys Targaryen:  Learn how to train my dragons. Jon Snow:  Figure out this whole Lord of Light resurrection thing. ( Ghost:  Munch. Crunch. Lick. Run.) Arya Stark:  Cersei Lannister, Walder Frey, Ilyn Payne, Thoros of Myr, Beric Dondarrion, the Red Woman... Looks like he needs a hand. Tyrion Lannister:  1) Get wine. 2) Drink wine. 3) Join Daenerys Targaryen. 4) Meet a dragon. 5) Get wine. 6) Drink wine. Jaime Lannister:  Invest in prosthetics research. Cersei Lanninster:  1) Kill my brother Tyrion. 2) Take vengeance. 3) Drink some wine. 4) Laugh manically. Sansa Stark:  1) Get lemons. 2...

All men must die, but, apparently, all men must also color. Last week, I wrote a review of George R.R. Martin's new novel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms; but, if you need another way to pass the time as you wait for The Winds of Winter , allow me to recommend The Official Game of Thrones Coloring Book . Coloring books may seem a little cheesy if you're over the age of ten (and I hope you are if you're interested in ASOIAF), but this isn't your elementary school coloring book. With adult coloring books (whatever that actually means) currently in vogue, this book is an artistic gem that is more like a mini ASOIAF  art exhibit than a coloring book. I purchased this coloring book for some relaxing, holiday fun, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. The coloring pages were designed by five professional artists and it really shows. The paper is thick enough to prevent color from bleeding through if you decide to color with markers, the drawings are beautiful and ...

While you wait for the long-anticipated release of the Winds of Winter , you can get your Westeros fix with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms , which was released earlier this year. George R.R. Martin's latest novel is a compilation of the Tales of Dunk and Egg, a set of three novellas that were written between 1998 and 2010. I've been looking forward to reading this book since it came out (although college got in the way until now). It takes place about one hundred years before the events in  A Game of Thrones and follows the story of Dunk, "Ser Duncan the Tall," and Egg, Aegon Targaryen. (For context, "Egg" is  Aegon V, the grandfather of Daenerys Targaryen's father -- making him her great-grandfather.) Although this book is not the sweeping, epic drama that the ASOIAF series provides, it is a well written jolt of light hearted entertainment and a glimpse at the history of the ASOIAF world. The stories bypass great battles and crises, instead cent...

So, I don't know if you know this, but I'm a pretty serious internet fashion commentator (translation: I once wrote a blog about Disney outfits; you should read it ). Now, I haven't really done any commentary in a while, but I have an excuse: I was watching Game of Thrones -- enough said. Anyway, now that season five is over, I have nothing to do for ten months except wait for the next season of Game of Thrones and dream about who's going to get the ax this time -- and comment on their clothes. I recently realized that I've commented on pretty much every aspect of Game of Thrones , but I've never really talked about the fashion. This seems like a huge oversight to me because Game of Thrones is both a triumph of costuming and a complete fashion failure -- depending on which character you're talking about. Thus I've decided to present you a list of the best dressed in Westeros (from worst to best). The Sand Snakes - Ugh, Sand Snakes, ugh! Let ...

Now that it's been about two weeks since the finale of season five premiered, I think it's time to take a moment to reflect on the past season. I can honestly say that I enjoyed this season, although my feelings about it were somewhat mixed. If you're a book reader like me, you'll know that this season was almost a complete departure from the books, and the only way to be okay with that is to try to separate the show from the books in your mind. I try to look at the show and the books as completely different creative projects with differing story-telling agendas. That worked pretty well for me this season, although, I have to say, some moments just fell completely flat for me. Let's review: The Good: The Army of the Dead: I was generally pleased with the way Jon's plot was handled this season. As you all know, I'm not the biggest fan of Jon -- but even I have to say that his plot was really on point this season. The massacre at Hardhome was such an incr...