An ode to a game with thrones

Happy Easter all! Hope everyone had a suitably indulgent long weekend :-) Like many people on Monday, instead of enjoying the sunshine and the last few hours of freedom outside, I was sat inside, with curtains drawn, watching the first episode of Game of Thrones season three. I've been waiting for this day for months, 10 months to be exact. At risk of sounding like an over enthusiastic groupie, I love love love Game of Thrones (cue numerous exclamation marks)!!!! The epic scope of George R.R Martin's series is truly breathtaking with its intricate plot lines and the deep background of its characters.

Sean Bean as Ned Stark

While it's the story that keeps me gripped, it's Martin's portrayal of characters that are so true to life that keeps me gushing about it to anyone who isn't already a fan. I'm so over reading books and watching programs with one dimensional characters who have the odd injection of intrigue to keep the storyline somewhat interesting. What I love about Game of Thrones is that the characters are neither truly good nor truly bad. Of course, there's the underlying battle between good and evil, but when you get closer to the characters you realise that their morality is a grey zone. They might be on the side of the baddies but they still have elements of good about them. Similarly, the characters who you're always rooting for sometimes fall short, leaving you questioning their actions and the honesty of their motivations.

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

Last year I had the pleasure of speaking with the man behind the series, Mr Martin himself, for an assignment I was working on for my Masters. I was looking at his interpretation of Hadrian's Wall which was used as inspiration for "The Wall" in the books. He was very forthcoming about his ideas and I was privileged to glimpse into the creativity which forged these fantastic books. He told me that it was Hadrian's Wall which began the series way back when. On a visit to the ancient Roman wall with a friend he imagined what it must have been like for the Romans, as dusk descended, facing an unknown land beyond. And so began an epic story and my latest obsession!

The Wall

This post is a little deviation from the norm but I just had to share a little ode to my favourite series (and if I'm preoccupied with dragons, medieval dresses and sword fights for a while you know the reason why!) Happy watching!

Sarah x

Image credit: Film Music Reporter/Pocket-lint/Game of Thrones.wikia