by George R.R. Martin
Consisting of five immensely detailed character driven volumes George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series begins with A Game of Thrones, which introduces a number of powerful families contesting for the right to rule the Seven Kingdoms.
The main families fighting for power are the humble Stark family, the rich Lannister stronghold and the Baratheon brothers (and other families in later volumes), all of whom play a game of deceit, war and rebellion to win the right to the Iron Throne.
Throughout the journey in which Martin scribes so brilliantly, the Iron Throne bares many masters as the Game of Thrones traspires across great nations of power and desire.
Slow paced at times, the series is a fantastic read for anyone interested in the fantasy/fiction genre. The premise of the story focuses on a number of main characters and their own path in a world consumed by greed, as a rise of mysterious white walkers adds a sharper edge to the sword that cuts deep into the world of men and their petty games for power.
Brutal, sexually explicit at times and often dark in nature, the series is not for the faint-hearted and demands a great deal of attention from the reader.
Telling a story from the persective of lead characters, Martin's rich character history may leave some readers overwhelmed and awe-struck by the sheer depth of detail of the world in which the story takes place.
George R.R Martin has a unique vision for fantasy writing and the Song of Fire and Ice series is evidence of a natural gift, an ability to create moments in words that immerse the reader in the brilliance of his story.
ArtShadoodle Rating: 5 out of 5 - And the Iron Throne for greatest written fantasy series goes to George R. R. Martin. With clever plot twists, a rewarding story rich in history, immersive characters that will have you turning page after page, A Song of Fire and Ice is one of the finest fantasy series to date.
(DVD & Blu Ray)
Have you ever imagined what life would be like if your neighbour, your doctor and pretty much everyone you have ever known or loved was a zombie?
In this Resident Evil meets Fallout feature drama that's exactly what happens to protagonist and Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes.
After waking from a coma in a small Georgian town hospital, Rick - wounded from a gun shot wound -wakes to find the hospital deserted.
Walking through the hospital weak, dazed and confused, Deputy Sheriff Grimes soon realises that he has woken to a nightmarish apolocalyptic world where animated dead line the streets in large numbers and crave fresh meat.
Rick spends a majority of the series trying to understand what has happened to the a once civlised world and how wide the devastation has spread. Calling on other survivors Rick goes in search of his wife and son, who evacuated their home when the dead started to walk.
The Walking Dead paints a eerie and incredibly surreal picture of what survival would be like in a world dominated by flesh eating zombies.
The make up team and digital editors working on the series clearly worked overtime to create an army of believable rotting dead that walk the streets of Atlanta throughout the series.
The premise is nothing new when it comes to apocolyptic dramas and a number of cliches spring up throughout the series, but still, The Walking Dead is a very good, interesting and welcome addition to the ever exanding Zombie genre.
ArtShadoodle Rating: 4 out of 5 - The Walking Dead starts with promise and doesn't disappoint as Deputy Sheriff Grimes fights for survival while searching for his estranged family. The formula is by no means original, but the 'desperate struggle for survival 'premise leaves you hoping that a majority of the main cast don't end up becoming zombie food when the end credits roll.
