So guys, I know I’ve not written much lately, but I feel compelled to write given my strong reaction to Season 8 of Game of Thrones. Full disclosure; this post is being written after the first five episodes have aired but before the series finale. It’s no secret that the audience reaction to this final season has been less than positive to say the least. Many of the writing choices made by the showrunners have come under heavy fire with the main criticism being that they have sacrificed character development for spectacle. Unfortunately, I can’t say I disagree with popular opinion. It’s a shame as the source material is excellent and the production values of the show are outstanding. Each and every person involved in the show has given their all to it, but that doesn’t balance some serious errors of judgment in writing. All that being said, I have given a lot of thought about changes I would make to the season to improve it. My goal here is to make as few changes as possible while better serving the overall narrative and character development. The most significant cause of criticism and for me the biggest writing error…
So, the script for J.K. Rowling’s play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, billed as the eighth Potter story, was released on July 31st. Naturally, I and the world and his dog rushed to pick up a copy. Here are my thoughts. I should point out that I have not seen the play, worse luck, and am going from the script alone. Note that there will be total and complete spoilers, which I will hide after the cut. First, the non spoilery section. There was a lot I loved about it, and some things that didn’t work nearly so well for me. I loved that the same themes that pervaded the book series – love, friendship, family, loyalty – still form the core of Cursed Child. It was wonderful seeing how Harry, Ron and Hermione coped with adult life and parenthood (being an adult myself, it was especially fascinating.). The new characters, Scorpius and Albus and their friendship are completely adorable – Scorpius really does get all the best lines. And, naturally, it is simply wonderful to revisit the Wizarding World in any shape or form. Rowling’s world is utterly breathtaking. I really wish I could see how certain scenes…
So, I have just finished reading A Memory of Light, the final book in the Wheel of Time. I thought the best way to review it would be to show and discuss the various texts I sent to my friend Natasha while reading. The texts were written as I was reading, the comments after I’d finished the book. I started reading from Chapter 3 as I had already read the prereleased prologue and first two chapters. There are of course spoilers for the entire book here. Proceed at your own risk: Random thoughts Surprised how much impact Moraine had on the negotiations at the Fields of Merrilor. Thought her Crowning Moment of Awesome would be at the end at Shayol Ghul Certainly, she did have a big influence on the discussions, and it’s true the Dragon’s Peace would have failed without her. However, I’m not certain these actions were worth Mat’s eye to save the world. Elayne as Commander-in-Chief of Team Light? I think not. Yes, I know she’s been trained in politics since she was a babe in arms, and I know there’s a precedent with Egwene as the youngest Amyrlin Seat ever, but really? Hold on, Lan. Team…
On the 8th of January, the fourteenth and final book in the Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light, will be released. It has been completed by Brandon Sanderson who was tasked with the commission after Robert Jordan’s untimely passing. This is the third such book written by Sanderson. I should preface this entry by noting that, while I am a big fan of the series, I am not a superfan who has analysed each and every word. I should also note that there may be some minor spoilers here based on the already published prologue and first chapters of the book, and also from Tor’s “Memories of Light” snippets. I’m also assuming you have read all of the preceding books! As at the end of Towers of Midnight, the Last Battle is imminent. I believe the LB will be fought on three levels: the physical, in the dream world Tel’aran’rhiod and with the One Power. This matches up well with the unique skills of our six heroes. For the physical we have Mat Cauthon, with the skills and knowledge of the best generals of the Age, Elayne with her political power as Queen of Andor and Cairhien. For Tel’aran’rhiod…