Sorry for the radio silence. I’ve been busy editing “Stone Wielder” and attending to other parts of my life….but writing (and the next project) is never far away. I’ve started the first chapter of two new books…not part of the Middengard Sagas, different books entirely. I’ve been reading and working (ah yes, there is still some accounting/consulting work to be done) and attending to health matters. In three weeks I’m having foot surgery, I’ll be laid up for six weeks, so maybe I’ll get beyond chapter one of the new books…

But of course none of that is relevant to the topic for today. You might have noticed by now I’m a Shakespeare fan (pop-up Globe Theatre coming to Melbourne soon – how exciting is that???). And I’m a huge GOT fan (along with zillions of others). I read all the books in 2013. Then I binge watched the TV series on DVD (no Foxtel in our house) – or sometimes on long-haul plane flights (disadvantage: small screen; advantage: sure passes the time). And having just finished series 6 on the way back from my US trip, I was struck (not for the first time) how Shakespearean the whole drama is. A few examples:

• Cersei’s speech seeking vengeance for her dead children (understandable, she’s kinda out of them now) – hugely reminiscent of the widowed queens Margaret and Elizabeth in Richard the Third, and Lena Heady carries it off with aplomb.
• Jon’s speech to his troops prior to “Battle of the Bastards” –  shades of Henry V before Agincourt. (OMG how good was that battle. Shame Jon or Sir Davos didn’t realise Ramsey Bolten had stolen all his battle strategy from the Romans – who were pretty good at wiping out local insurgents. At least Sansa’s got her head screwed on).
• Comic interludes – surely the Hound (glad he’s made a reappearance) is going to serve, well, not as Falstaff exactly….but it’s good to have some breaks from mass mayhem and take it down to an individual level.

Oh, and another thing….Brienne and Jaime Lannister. Not Shakespeare now, but that relationship has to be one of the best modern takes on Arthurian courtly love we’ve seen for a long time. When Jaime allowed Brienne to sail off down the river…well, let’s just say I was snuffling into my hankie at that point.

As for Season 7 – well, it will be a while between drinks for me – although I read all the articles after each episode goes to air. So I know what happens…Spoiler? No – it will prevent me having a heart attack when I eventually get to binge watch. (N.B. to producers: you cannot kill off Jaime Lannister. There will be serious consequences to my wellbeing).