The Sci-fi Fantasy Reader's Review

My Comments on Science Fiction / Fantasy Books and other related media.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Recap on the Game of Thrones, HBO series season 2

Sorry about not writing the last episodes of the Game of Thrones but I'll try to recap some now. Let's start with the Starks, Catelyn was with her son Robb with his campaign to Kings Landing for the murder of his father, Ned Stark. Robb sends her to talk alliance with Renly Baratheon, who is the self proclaimed King. She is now a hostage. Sansai is still at King's Landing with Joffrey the child King, she is also a hostage/betrothed to said king. She also being abuse by him, in front of the court. Arya is on the move with Yoren, Black Brother of the wall. Last episode her band of wayward men were captured by the Mountain's (Gregor Clegane) men and ended at Harrenhal where all are being tortured and killed. She is found out as a girl by Tywin Lannister. Bran is still at Winterfell as acting lord while at night dreaming of being a wolf. Robb is now proclaimed King of the North and has won some battles and has captured Jaime Lannister, who is also a hostage for further exchange. Robb decimates one of the foes when walking the grounds he comes upon a nurse who is tending the enemy. His foot is badly hurt and doesn't want it amputated. Robb uses this as vengeance by having the nurse saw away at the ankle. The nurse and Robb have words, she knew his reason for vengeance and puts the blame right where it belong on Robb's conscience.

Tyrion Lannister, the so called Imp is one of my favorite characters, he is now acting as Hand to the King in the stead of his father, Tywin who is leading a campaign against the Starks and the 2 Baratheon brothers. He cleans up after King Joffrey but in doing so has made an enemy. Joffrey has a sadistic streak and Tyrion knows that the boy needs a mature cool head about him. Censei Lannister Baratheon is Queen Regent to the King but she can't rein in her spoiled angry son. Jaime Lannister is in a cage at Robb Starks camp.

Renly has married Margaret as his queen, the Knight of Flowers sister as a show of normalcy. Margaret has ambition, she knows about her brother Loras, who is the lover of the king. She doesn't care, just wants a baby as the heir if Renly wins the throne. Stannis Baratheon, seconds brother to the deceased King Robert is also vying for the throne. He believes that the children of Censei are not Robert's but through incestuous affair with her brother, Jaime. Stannis has a witch, Melisandre who foretells of his winning the throne against all odds, he has less men to field in a battle but he does have many ships. Davos, he was once a smuggler who Stannis chopped his fingers as a sign of his loyalty. He was knighted by Stannis and has his ear. Renly and Stannis have words under truce, Stannis gives him 24 hrs to give up crown and ally with him. Meanwhile Davos smuggles Melisandre to shore where she does some black magic. She is pregnant with a black being who crawls out of her womb then grows into something. Won't know till next week on that. Daenerys has sent out riders to find a place for her small band of Dorthraki. One rider came back dead and all hope was on the others she sent. Another comes back with news about a port city, Qarth. The city is walled and is called the city of bones. They are suspicious of the Dorthraki at first, they want to see Daenerys dragons. She refuses but after much posturing on her part, one citizen steps up and they are now his responsibility.

Jon and the men of black where in the hospitality of a wildling. The camp was odd for there were no boys around just females. Jon finds out that the wildling patriarch puts the boy babies out into the woods where something takes them. They have been kicked out and on the move again looking for Benjen Stark.

Lord Baelish is at the Renly Baratheon camp and c Is up to no good as usual. I hate his character, you don't know the truth of him for he is full of half truths just like the eunuch, Varys. Lord Baelish tries to persuade Catelyn of his non duplicity in Ned beheading, at first she wants to kill him, until he spouts one of his half truths about the safety of her daughters, Sansa and Arya. Then he gives her a box that contains Ned's remain as a goodwell token.

The HBO series doesn't always follow the book in order of events or in dialogue but it is as riveting all the same with superb actors and realistic scenery. Keep watching, each episode is addicting.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer; does baby impact True Blood?

Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer from True Blood are expecting a baby, what does that do for the series? The series shoots in late November to early December, Mrs. Moyer should be having her baby by then, will she be absent from the early episodes? The writers of the show have all ready used a get out of jail card when they wrote Sookie being in Faerie for a year, that would have been an excellent idea for her pregnancy and subsequent birth of the baby. In some TV series in the past the gravidity of the star was hidden from frontal view with pillow, furniture, or filmed from the waist up, so how is Paquin's pregnancy going to be handled? I have a notion that the reason vampire Bill's character has lots of screen time is that Stephen Moyer is involved and now married to the star, Anna Paquin. In the later books,Bill is there peripherially, not a main character where story lines revolve around him, but then the HBO series is very different compared to the Charlaine Harris's books.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Season 2 Game of Thrones, The North Remembers

Last night was the 2nd season premiere of Game of Thrones on HBO. It was stunning as last seasons with the continuing story of A Song of Ice and Fire with Book Two, A Clash of Kings. With King Robert dead, the throne is contested by all sides, Robb Stark wants to avenge his father who was beheaded for treason, the Lannisters hold the crown with King Joffrey who is the incestuous son with Queen Cersei and her twin Jaime, Stannis Baratheon thinks he's the rightful heir.
The Starks are separated with Sansei is in the capital with Joffrey as his betrothed, Arya is hiding as a boy with a group of men heading for the Wall, Bran who was crippled when he was tossed out a window when he saw the Queen and her brother having sex is now acting as the Lord of Winterfell, and then Catelyn their mother is with Robb as one of his council of war.
Tyrion is council to the King Joffrey which is a thorn is the Queen side as she plays regent in the daily workings of the kingdom. Sir Jaime is been captured by the opposing side is caged like an animal. Robb is using him as a game piece for exchange of his sisters.
Daenerys Targaryen is leading refugees across the desert she  lost her husband  Khal Drogo but gained dragons but her new found people are starving looking for a place of their own.
Jon Snow who was sent off to the Wall.  His fellow brothers are now looking Benjen Stark deep into the forest. The wildling settlement is full of women who are married to their father, the men stay the night gathering information.
Stannis Baratheon knows about the incest of the Lannisters and there's a woman who encourages him in the pursuit of the crown.  We don't know who this woman is but she has power over Stannis and his people.
Littlefinger or Petyr Baelish, Master of the Coin for the Kingdom also knows about the Queen and her children but he has an accomplished enemy in Cersei. She knows of her late husbands infidelity and in the end has all his illegitimate offspring killed except one escapes with the men Arya is traveling with.