Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is a TV adaptation of George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, with 5 published and more in the pipeline, the series has been critically acclaimed and has a huge fan following spanning the 15 years since the first book was realised in 1996. Anticipation for the series adaptation has reached fever pitch, and I for one will be glued to the screen!

Sky Atlantic will begin broadcasting Game of Thrones, the fantasy drama based on George RR Martin's novels, on 18 April – the day after its US premier. It has been adapted for TV by David Benioff and DB Weiss. Benioff said no one had ever done fantasy "the HBO way, where the focus is on character and psychology rather than spectacle".

A great deal of attention is being paid to fine detail. A shot of Grand Maester Pycelle's desk reveals scrolls bearing the names of previous Targaryen kings, whilst King Robert's crown has a stag motif to reflect the Baratheon heraldic symbol. Eddard's small council seat has the symbol of a hand imprinted on it, whilst Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish wears a small clasp in the shape of a mockingbird.

The drama focuses on the struggle for power between competing factions in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of the mythical continent of Westeros – a time and place "reminiscent of medieval Europe" – with a cast including Sean Bean, Lena Headey, Mark Addy, Aidan Gillen, Charles Dance and Iain Glen.

Temeraire

I love history and fantasy books, own dozens of them and have read hundreds. In Naomi Noviks Temeraire series I find a perfect combination of both. Set in alternative history of 18th century Briton, you are introduced to the aerial corps, a military service working along side the Nelsons Navy during the Napoleonic wars.

It is a ragtag version of the RAF in which aviators have a low life expectancy, hard labour with little reward and stiff upper lips of the Navy frowning upon them. The story follows adventures of a British Naval captain Will Laurence thrown into aerial service with little choice and the adventures that follow him and his newly acquired Dragon partner Temeraire.

The book is fast flowing with a fluid writing skill that makes reading very smooth. It avoids typical fantasy clichés, and still manages to engage the reader without too much depth or being overly informative. The fast pace means that the reader doesn't question the explainations so it does work quite effectively. The characters - human and dragon alike - are easy to understand and despite its swift story the reader is able to connect with them.

It covers very traditional brittish-ness and has quite a hooray henry sense of action and adventure, with swords cannons and set among romping waves. A thoroughly enjoyable easy read : )

Words of wisdom

I am often finding interesting and clever quotes from famous philosophers & thinkers of our time and often jot them down in my journal. I thought I would share some of my favourite quotes from Albert Einstein who was a smart man in so many ways.

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."
"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

Just something I thought I would share with anyone who cares to read it :)