Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Dragons, Swords & Sorcery...Winter is Here! by C.J. Burright

I’m one of those people who 99.9 percent of the time prefers the book to the show, but one exception is Game of Thrones. I’m not necessarily saying I prefer HBO’s version to the books. There’s no way the show could adequately capture all the intricate plot lines and characters without going on for eons…not to mention fans are in a strange position right now, something I’ve never experienced before: the show is ahead of the books. It’s hard to prefer the book when it hasn’t even been published yet, right?

Nevertheless, Sunday was the season premiere (YEAH!!) and I’m super-excited to see what happens next in one of my Favorite Shows of All Time. If you’re a fan, gush with me. If you’re not…I’m not sure we can be friends anymore. Kidding (sorta). Here’s a quick list of a few of my favorite things about GOT to tide me over until next week.

DRAGONS

There are dragons, fire-breathing, flying, magnificent dragons. That’s all I have to say about that.
SWORDS AND BATTLES, WARRIORS AND CASTLES

Medieval fantasy is my catnip, and GOT has it all. Glorious warriors with brutal swords, fighting for their land and families to the death. Battles, sometimes whole armies, sometimes one on one…and some knives in the back. Or arrows to the chest while sitting on the pot (and deservedly so). Amazing castles in every kingdom, even one in the sky. The whole world is absolutely brilliant.













MAGIC AND OTHER SUPERNATURALS

Not everyone has magic, and what magic there is seems hard won…usually with a staggering price. Think twice before copulating to produce a shadow. Just sayin’. And besides the dragons, there are a myriad of terrifying, supernatural creatures to watch out for. I love that most of the people are normal humans, which makes defeating the supernatural creatures feel insurmountable, especially since the humans are always fighting for dominance among themselves. How can they possibly come together to defeat a mighty, supernatural foe? Stay tuned.















CHARACTERS TO LOVE AND HATE

There’s the noble, rejected bastard. The clever, snarky imp. A girl who’s lost it all, intent on vengeance. A queen who thirsts for power. Another queen who seeks justice and peace. A slippery spymaster. A spoiled princess forced to face harsh reality. Knights who are a human blend of good and bad, all with their own agendas. Just to name a few. These characters bring out the love—intensely. And the hate. There are a few that, even though you know you should despise them, they’re impossible not to like. And once in a blue moon, that character who SO deserves justice actually gets it or the character who FINALLY gets the break they need. BAM! Those are some very satisfying moments.





































GAMES AND POLITICS...WIN OR DIE

One thing I learned early on—getting too attached to characters may lead to deep, deep regret. And throwing of books, gnashing of teeth, and yelling. Lots of yelling. There is political intrigue everywhere in these stories, and people die. Good people, bad people (yep, some of those in the poster above are already goners). It’s not always justice, and it often seems the most powerful and clever and ruthless people are the only ones who will survive. At one point, I vowed I’d quit reading and watching if either Jon Snow or Arya Stark died. I’d be done. And then I read somewhere that Arya is G.R.R. Martin’s wife’s favorite character, so I know at least one of my favorites will last until the bitter end. I hope it’s not a bitter end, but whatever happens, emotions will be invoked. Oh yes, they will be invoked.

I could go on and on, but ain’t nobody got time for that. I have a show to watch! If you’re a GOT fan, who’s your favorite character? Or do you prefer to stick to the books and avoid the visual?

32 comments:

Diane Burton said...

I never started watching this show. Everybody talks about how great it is. Do you know where I can find the 1st season? You make it sound so interesting.

CJ Burright said...

It's SOOOOOO GOOOD, Diane! Since it's an HBO production, Netflix doesn't carry it, but it's worth paying for HBO. So worth it! But be warned--there is a fair amount of skin, horrible deeds, and lots of violence. :)

Diana said...

I also have never seen Game of Thrones. I love reading about dragons, both romance and other stories, but do not watch dramas or violent shows of any type, ever. Too bad, because the snippets I have seen of the dragons are fabulous.

You are correct that the dragons in your newsletter really are "freakin' amazing dragon magnets".

Unknown said...

Count me in as never having seen an episode. Those magnets are gorgeous!

Jo said...

don't have HBO so can't watch - heard great things about it though

shirley said...

I have never seen Game of Thrones, but family members LOVE it.

CJ Burright said...

Awww, you are ALL missing out! I'm feeling so sorry for you now...but there are, of course, the books you could read without HBO. :)

Patricia Rickrode w/a Jansen Schmidt said...

(Sigh) I do believe I am one of only about 6 people who have not watched this show. (I know. And you probably would have guessed that about me.) I probably would have eventually gotten into it, too, but it didn't grab me from the get-go so now I'm too far behind to even attempt to just jump in and pretend to know what's going on.

I do like knights and castles and even the occasional dragon, but it didn't seem like my kind of show so I skipped over it in the beginning. Now, I feel like the unwanted red-headed step-child because I don't fit in the with Thrones crowd - and there is a crowd.

I'm glad it suits you though. Carry on.

Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt

CJ Burright said...

As you can see from the other comments, you're not alone in the GOT cold, Patricia! I read the books before I even knew about the show, and I've been very pleased how HBO has brought them to life. It's so weird though (and kind of exciting too) that I don't know what's going to happen since the show has outraced George R.R. Martin's writing. And I kinda sorta figured you wouldn't be a fan, but redheaded stepchildren need love too! :)

Mary Ann said...

Love dragons!

Danielle H. said...

I do love dragons, but I haven't watched a single episode of Game of Thrones.

CJ Burright said...

Dragons are definitely awe-inspiring...I think I've loved them ever since Smaug gave me goosebumps. :) I'm shocked how many of you haven't seen GOT!

Tamara Kasyan said...

Love GoT! I like to binge watch the episodes and the first few seasons I waited til the end to watch but the last few I have been watching 3 at a time because I just can't wait that long anymore! Also I found the dragon in your newsletter and answered the question.

CJ Burright said...

Yay, Tamara! At last another GOT fan...I was starting to feel vastly outnumbered. :) The terrible part about being caught up on the episodes is the waiting - it's torture!

Dawn Roberto said...

ooohhh one of myy favorite shows and since my boy, Jon Snow, is back fromt he dead and the new King od the North, I am in heaven! Of course dragons are wonderful as well. :-p

Unknown said...

I love GOT. My husband bought me the entire box set for our anniversary. It must be love!

CJ Burright said...

Dawn - such a painful memory when I thought Jon was gone for good. It was definitely a book-throwing moment with an earth-shattering scream. :) But George Martin redeemed himself, so I put my pitchfork away...for now. Thanks so much for stopping by!

CJ Burright said...

Hahaha, Amy, that's definitely a sign of true love!

Andrea Stoeckel said...

I don't have HBO. However, I read the first book...that's enough for me

CJ Burright said...

Aw, dang - sorry you didn't like it, Andrea. :( But if we all only liked the same thing, wouldn't the world be a big bore? Thanks for chiming in!

Unknown said...

If you have HBO GO you can watch,and it's so worth it!

Sue MacKenzie said...

This played in Australia on Monday and I recorded it so that I got to watch it with hubby that night, we both love it and spent day after day watching it from foxtel box sets to catch up when we first heard about it

CJ Burright said...

You're right, Sandy - so worth it!

CJ Burright said...

Oh, I'd definitely say GOT is a binge-worthy show, Sue. Glad you're caught up, except now you're in my shoes...clamoring for the next episode and learning the joy of patience. :)

Haggatha said...

I'm not a Game of Throne's fan, (Sorry all who are), but I do love dragon's.

CJ Burright said...

No need to apologize, Haggatha! You love dragons, so I you're IN! :) Thanks for dropping by.

Penel j Smith said...

I got the first book, but one of my favourite characters got killed off, so I didn't read any further. I don't get the channel for the series

CJ Burright said...

I feel your pain, Penel! The only reason I kept reading at so many points is I was warned ahead of time by my friend not get too attached to anyone. So I was a little prepared, but yeah. I hate having characters I love die, and so many have perished under George R.R. Martin's pen!

Maureen said...

I've never seen the show but know many who love it. My 15 yo girls desperately want to watch it, but so far I've vetoed it since I've heard it would be inappropriate for their age. So I'm stuck waiting for them to watch it or else they'll really be mad if I do so without them, lol.

CJ Burright said...

You're a good mom, Maureen! I'd probably sneak watch. :) But yeah, there are a lot of "adult" situations, so good call on that one.

Lacey Waters said...

I just started watching this show recently but I've been a fan of the books for years. I have to say, as AMAZING as the show is, I'm disappointed that I didn't get to finish the story in book form before seeing how it ends on television. It makes me wonder if he will bother ever finishing the books.

CJ Burright said...

I've wondered that too, Lacey. In one way, it's exciting not knowing what's coming down the chute, but I definitely prefer reading it first. I think he'll have a lot of unhappy fans if he doesn't finish writing the series...and I still remember how Robert Jordan passed away before the Wheel of Time series was done and another author had to finish it. It just wasn't the same.