Game of Thrones - Series 1 Review

I'm not normally into this sort of thing, but there's been so much buzz about this show around the internet, I had to give it a watch.

To be as brief as possible, Game of Thrones is a 10 episode series based on the first in a series of books by George R. R. Martin, and as the title suggests, it's about the political plotting and head-severing vilolence involved in winning the throne of Westeros from the grasp of competing houses. I haven't read the books, but the majority of this first series is rooted in a real-world sort of fantasy, reminiscent of our own medieval ages, with only glimmers of high-fantasy shining through. I have reason to believe this might change significantly for season 2, as a number of our fantasy genre expectations will be more fully addressed.

So what did I think of it? Well, it's great, if a bit slow moving for a first season, but no doubt this is due to loyalty to the source material. The entire series plays out like an extended introduction to the events that will follow in season 2 (an adaptation of the second book), so tension building, political plotting, character development and story setup is the main emphasis here. Don't expect any huge battles this time around.
As someone who hasn't read the books, I found there was enough information for me to quickly pick up on who was who, and what was going on without it being overtly thrust in my face. I've no doubt though, that for readers of the books, this is Game of Thrones Lite with simplified characters and significantly less depth.
It genuinely took me by surprise on a number of occasions aswell, as the narrative moved in a completely different direction than expected. This was nice and one of the most notable things about this series for me, and also a true reason I'm glad I hadn't read the book first.
It's also very obvious this is a HBO series, coming from the same producers as TV's Rome. The violence is quite strong in places, and the creators certainly aren't shy of sex and nudity. It earns its 18 rating well, and it gets bonus points for being a TV show geared for adults, and not pandering to the lucrative teen market.

Game of Thrones is well worth watching, and I know this because I'm now considering reading the books myself before the second season arrives. A true fantasy epic suited well to the episodic TV format, the series is a good start to something that could be even greater with further developments in season 2, and a higher budget with which to bring the fantasy world to life.

A Game of Thrones prequel real time strategy game, based on the books, is on its way for PC also, which I might just pick up on release. Well done Game of Thrones for managing to kick off a big fantasy franchise that isn't in any way related to Lord of the Rings.

A Game of Thrones: Genesis on PC