“He’s always angry, but we haven’t done anything.”

“…but I have a crooked finger, just like Mama!”

“We were born here. Mama is our mother.”

“I do not wish to be different.” “Nor do I.”

“So let us be good sons and please those who love us, so they may forget what we lack.”

I’m never going to recover from this. Once again scenes were removed that would add to both boys characterizations, and we all know why. The scenes would make the audience realize how Aemond’s ‘I’m being bullied for not having a dragon :( I’m the real victim!’ storyline so fallible and easy to shatter in universe because it’s a completely normal occurrence for Targaryen’s. Aemond is not the first child to not have a dragon by the age of ten, the original conqueror’s, Baelon, Alyssa, Rhaenys, Laena, Viserys, Daemon, Aegon II, Helaena, etc. all claimed young or fully grown dragons somewhere between the ages of 11-18.

The only character that had the potential to be marketed as his biggest bully is his brother. They’re never going to convince me (and many others) that it was Rhaenyra’s sons who would ever go after another child for their lack of a dragon, especially given that they were almost surely taught that hatching a cradle egg is but one way for a Targaryen to have a dragon. Aemond felt lesser than his nephews due to the way Alicent was parenting him. She led him to believe that his nephews were bastards, that due to their blood they were beneath him, and this is what led to his inferiority complex. It makes more sense than the crock of shit the show runners decided to include in the show.

Rhaenyra and her sons were subjected to actual abuse and bigotry over the timeskip due to their gender and their blood, respectively. It very much makes me sick how they’re being treated by not only the show runners, but a decent portion of the audience as well. Bastardphobia is not cool or edgy. Looking down on someone because their parents weren’t married is vile. It falls into the same category as believing in blood supremacy. It’s 2024. Do better.

Jace and Luke will forever be Mama’s boys and are never beating the best brothers/sons allegations.

</3

The Continuation of Satoru Supremacy

Am I just going to slot this poor boy into every fandom? Signs are pointing to yes at this point lol. Ok so I've had either a JJK/HOTD and JJK/GOT crossover rumbling around my brain for ages now and its gotten to a boiling point lol. The JJK/GOT would probably be Satoru/Robb Stark and the JJK/HOTD probably Satoru/Aegon II. I have them pretty fleshed out in my head ngl.

THE PROBLEM is that I love his name, Satoru, and it literally makes no sense to have him reincarnate into ASOIAF works and somehow end up with that name, which means I would need to change it, and I don't know wtf to change it to.

Literally grasping at straws rn lol. I lowkey like Soren since it sounds Valyrian enough and also I feel like Satoru would be over the moon about it because he'd share a name with one of his favorite Fire Emblem characters.

Anyway the HOTD one would be a isekai/reincarnation AU with Satoru as Daemon and Rheanyra's surprise brothel baby that Rheanyra had to get shotgun-wedding'd to Leanor for 😅 so yeah Satoru is once again causing chaos and problems for other people just by existing... this time before he was even born! He's also called the Radiant Prince and also still the Honored One because he's basically a god and everyone in HOTD is going to damn well know it.

WIP:

In this life, as in his last, his birth was heralded with reverence and veneration, and wrought with untenable legacy. 

He was the firstborn son of the Realm’s Delight, lovely and fair and every bit as preternaturally beautiful as his mother. He was said to have his grandmother’s Arryn blue eyes, the king’s tousled white curls, his mother’s smile, and the very birthright of his great Valyrian heritage etched into his very existence; from his heavenly features, to his dragon, to the very name bestowed upon him. 

For days on end the whole realm celebrated his birth as a magnificent affair; bells tolled long into the night, nobles spilled from the four corners of Westeros bearing gifts of abundance and splendor, the smallfolk celebrated en masse along the streets of King’s Landing. 

They called him a blessed child, a perfect child, a glorious new heir for the throne. 

Upon his very birth the Princess Rheanys was said to have looked into his heavenly eyes and pronounced him a gift from the gods of old Valyria. Those same eyes, a precious, celestial blue resembling the late Queen Aemma, were said to have reduced his grandfather the King to tears from the moment he opened them. Lord Velaryon had named them a mark of the gods’ favor; such a curious, mystifying color, never settling no matter the lighting, as mercurial as a tempest sea. 

Just the mere sight of such a marvelous child, a mortal so obviously marked by the gods, so destined for greatness, could easily quell the rumors beginning long before his birth. 

Such derelict hearsay would never grace the ears of such a divine prince, of course. But he heard it anyway.

They rushed the wedding, they said. 

The princess was meant to start her royal procession to select her prince consort, but instead was married to the Velaryon heir within a moon’s turn. (The King had to appease the Velaryon’s somehow, after the way he snubbed their pure Valyrian heiress for his Hightower bride.)

The babe came early— so suspiciously early. (The Princess Rheanyra was so young, of course she would have difficulty carrying to term. Didn’t you see him? The babe was born so small!)

And he looks every bit a Targaryen, not a speck of Velaryon to be seen on him. (But of course the blood of Aegon the Conqueror would run strong within the royal line— and the Princess Rheanys is his paternal grandmother, such features run on both sides. Why, look at Queen Alicent's children! Do they look Hightower to you?) 

The Rogue Prince dotes on him, shockingly so. He perhaps even reconciled with his brother just to remain near the young prince. (The Rogue Prince has always remained stoutly devoted to his family, no matter his unsavory reputation, his loyalty to the throne is unquestioned. That he is just as devoted to his brother’s heir as he is to his brother is merely filial piety.) 

No matter the rumors swirling around him, it only took a single glance from his blessed blue eyes to halt the whispers in their tracks. 

His divine beauty and grace, his mystical eyes, his magnificent dragon— such pedestrian slander seemed silly and absurd in the face of them. 

To question the legitimacy of the Radiant Prince, the Honored One… no mere mortal could possibly be capable of uttering such blasphemy. 

Please elaborate on the Targaryen eye colors. I haven’t seen someone with a set opinion on their eye color

Okay so I'll go in order of age

Viserys having blue eyes makes a lot of sense to me, he isn't a "real" Targaryen in the sense that, he has no bloodlust and no interest in dragons outside of am academic level.

He has the classic silver hair of Valyrians like his parents, but his eyes reflect the fact that true Targaryens are few and far between since they've been "breeding" with non Valyrians for generations.

*

Aemma has blue eyes to reflect her Arynn heritage. She's not really a Targaryen either, yes her mother was but she didn't really grow up with the Targaryen values like Viserys and Daemon. She is an outsider despite having Targ blood, and silver Valyrian hair. The blue eyes reflect that.

*

Daemon has purple eyes. It feeds into his blood supremacy, and how he deems himself better than others just because he is a Targaryen. He is a perfect example of a true Targaryen, bonded with a dragon, silver hair, purple eyes, he weilds Darksister. It's like a nazi with Hitlers gun

*

Alicent has brown eyes, classic Hightower color. I don't have any symbolism on it I just think brown eyes are pretty

*

Rhaenyra has blue eyes like her parents. She is a perfect reflection of both, and her reflecting Viserys is what draws Daemon to her. All he wants is attention from his brother, so being in a relationship with his neice is a perfect way to get that. Even if he doesn't get that attention, he can still look at Rhaenyra and see Viserys in her and be satisfied. Rhaenyra being a Targ helps Daemon in his supremacy, his sons with her are "purebred" and I believe that both Viserys II and Aegon III have purple eyes like Daemon. Rhaenyra fuels Daemon's fantasies.

When Rhaenyra looks in the mirror she sees her mother, and it breaks her almost everytime. After Aemma's death she could hardly look at herself and covered the mirrors in her room. Though as she ages she looks at herself and her eyes and is happy to have a piece of her mother with her forever.

*

Aegon has lilac eyes. A horrible reminder that he is a Targaryen. He is a prince. He is the heir.

He hates that he can never escape his fate, no matter how hard he tries, how much he drinks, how much milk of the poppy he does. He will always be Aegon Targaryen heir to the Iron Throne.

He'd happily pluck out his eyes and trade them for Aemond's if it was a viable option.

*

Helaena has blue eyes, she doesn't fit into the family, not traditionally. She looks a lot like Rhaenyra and by default, a lot like Aemma. Viserys is a girl dad through and through and doted on her when she was a child, though nothing like he did with Rhaenyra. Her blue eyes mark her as an outsider like Aemma, despite being a Targaryen kings daughter.

*

Aemond has blue eyes, in parallel to Aegon, Aemond hates his eyes, though for different reasons. Aemond wants his brothers purple eyes, to look like a true Targaryen. He has the dragon, the desire for battle, and knowledge on his family's past.

He desperately wants to be seen as a Targaryen, as the heir, he loves his mother but being a Hightower isn't enough. He carries his father's last name, why can't he reflect that?

*

Daeron has brown eye like Alicent. This marks him as a true outsider. He carries the last name, but he's in Oldtown, his eyes are brown and if you didn't know any better you'd never think of him as a Targaryen.

An LGBTQ+ Epic Fantasy

An epic fantasy tale with gods, vampires, ghosts, magic, and more:

Gay, transmasc, and non-binary protagonists

MM romance

Dark fantasy

Vibrant worldbuilding and intense action!

Available in Kindle Unlimited!

Books I and II available now!

Descent of Ravens (Book I of Bel’s War)

The old covenant of the gods is broken. Will the world break, too? When an army of vampires invades the island of Trosika, Rio and Turi must fight for their future. Rio is a healer and a priest of Astara who suffers severe self-doubt and a growing crisis of faith; even his goddess cannot stop the forces arrayed against them. Turi has long buried a secret about himself that he fears could upend everything. 

When Rio unseals a centuries-old tomb, releasing the night-cursed prince Philip, he discovers that he has a bond with Philip that stretches across lifetimes. As Turi grapples with his secrets, he is recruited by the terrifying goddess Mormo and gifted with necromancy for reasons he does not understand. 

Rio and Turi must contend with bloodthirsty mages, battle an endless army of vampires, and confront the truth of who Turi truly is; most of all, they must rely on their unshakable friendship to survive. As they struggle to protect each other, their religion, and their island home, the fate of an empire hangs in the balance. 

 To get Descent of Ravens:

US: https://amzn.to/3BI0j8Y

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CA: https://amzn.to/3tktZ8Z

Will of Dragons (Book II of Bel’s War)

About Book II:  

Evil hides beneath armor of gleaming white.  

The new civil war has cracked the empire apart as Turi and Rio race to gather allies against Clan Ishima’s brutality. The enemy is ten steps ahead, and Turi is pushed to his limit to stop the evil a corrupted paladin order has unleashed. 

Demari, finally fulfilling a lifelong dream at sea with his brother, finds himself recruited into the designs of a goddess and soul-bound to a man he barely knows. In the fight for supremacy in the empire’s waters, Demari’s newfound power and connection will alter the course of the war and change his life forever. 

 Meanwhile, back on Trosika the new empress, Sarina Marias, faces betrayal, ancient magic, and intrigue as Ishima agents make their next move to control the island. When fate brings her face to face with the God of War, can she match her will to his?

What readers are saying about Book I, Descent of Ravens:

"A veritable buffet of the paranormal, and I haven't even started on the MCs yet. Suffice as to say that I've given the story five hearts - I loved them too." - Reviewed by Taylin Clavelli for Love Bytes

"Descent of Ravens is a sweeping epic fantasy that is a roller coaster of emotion. ...The sweeping tale embraces high fantasy and runs with it, creating a richly detailed world in which a reader can immerse themselves." - Reviewed by Kris for Joyfully Jay LGBTQ Romance Reviews

"An exhilarating tale . . . set in a richly imagined world."—Independent Book Review

"Andrews crafts a sleek series opener bolstered by consistent action, a straightforward magic system, and strong LGBTQ+ representation. . . .A crafty, well-paced LGBTQ+ fantasy series opener."—Kirkus Reviews

"AC Andrews' DESCENT OF RAVENS is skillful, splendid storytelling. ...a near-perfect fantasy featuring superb world-building and excellent storytelling that will be compelling for any audience that enjoys epic fantasy. "—Ellen Graham for IndieReader

"An original and identity-affirming tale, Descent of Ravens is a dark and masterful YA novel. The combination of classic fantasy elements and contemporary cultural themes results in a thought-provoking and norm-challenging story that is both deeply intimate and broadly appealing." —Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★½

"The holy grail of fantasy for the m/m /lgbtq sub-genre. ... this one is in my top 5 books for the year." - Boyslove, Goodreads Reviewer

"One of the best fantasy reads I have encountered in ages." - Charneen, Goodreads Reviewer

"Exciting, fast flowing and extremely well written. A.C. Andrews has created a world and mythology infused with a rich history." - Mark Lucas-Taylor, Goodreads Reviewer

Cover Art: Sleepy Fox Studio

ASOIAF FANCASTING –> EVERY NAMED FEMALE CHARACTER ABOVE THE AGE OF FIVE, PART XXV

Helya (main series era): A bentback old woman, the steward of Pyke in the Iron Islands. Fancast: Geraldine McEwan.

Henrietta Woodhull (b. approx. 120 AC): The daughter of a landed knight of the Paps, she was presented as a marriage candidate for King Aegon III at the Maiden's Day Ball of 133 AC. She was the last to be presented to the king, and was one of a few candidates to be rushed past him after he had already been presented with the girl who would become his bride, Daenaera Velaryon. Fancast: Larisa Oleynik.

Hildy (main series era): Lover of Lord Jonos Bracken, before that the lover of a sworn sword of Lord Blackwood. Fancast: Nicole Whippy.

Holly (284-300 AC): A wildling spearwife who accompanies Mance Rayder, in the disguise of a singer travelling with six female companions, to Winterfell to rescue Arya Stark, who is supposed to be in the hands of the Boltons. She is shot by the Boltons' watchmen as Theon and "Arya" (actually Jeyne Poole, the Stark girls' childhood companion) escape. Fancast: Hannah Sharp.

Irri (b. 284 AC): One of Daenerys Targaryen's Dothraki handmaids, formerly daughter of a khal who was slain by Drogo. She stays with Daenerys after Drogo's death and journeys with her as far as Meereen. Fancast: Lesley-Ann Brandt.

Jaehaera Targaryen (123-133 AC): Daughter of King Aegon II and his wife Helaena Targaryen. After the death of her parents, siblings and uncles during the Dance of the Dragons, she was married to the only remaining candidate for the throne, Aegon III. However, two years later, she apparently threw herself out of her window onto the spikes of the dry moat surrounding Maegor's Holdfast. The King's Hand, Lord Unwin Peake, may in fact have been responsible for her death, as he immediately tried to arrange for Aegon to marry his daughter Myrielle. Fancast: Eleanor Worthington-Cox.

Jaenara Belaerys (era of Valyrian supremacy): A Valyrian dragonrider who attempted to reach the tip of the great southern continent, Sothoryos, on the back of her dragon Terrax. She returned to Valyria after three years, claiming that she had only encountered endless jungle and mountain. Fancast: Zoe Kravitz.

Janna Tyrell (b. approx. 270 AC): Youngest daughter of Lord Luthor Tyrell and his wife Olenna. She is married to Ser Jon Fossoway and accompanies her niece Margaery to King's Landing when it is arranged that she will wed the king. Fancast: Scarlett Johansson.

Janyce Hunter (main series era): Wife of Edwyn Frey, whose father, Ryman, is the heir to the Twins after the death of his grandfather Stevron. They have a young daughter, Walda, but it is rumoured that she is truly the daughter of Black Walder, Edwyn's brother. Fancast: Phoebe Dynevor.

Jayde (main series era): One of the girls at Chataya's brothel, an upmarket establishment that caters to many nobles in King's Landing. Fancast: Aifric O'Donnell.

Previous

I hesitated to send this because it feels wrong to criticize fanfiction to the writer directly, but it looked like on your blog you said you appreciate feedback. Leara comes across as far too tolerant of abuse given her background. She's an altmer Blade in her 60's, but she says nothing to Delphine's passive aggression and only occasionally sasses Bishop, not even addressing the incident where he puts his hands on her throat.

You're fine! I appreciate feedback, and you raise some good points! Criticism like this helps in thinking through the why's and how's of the characters and plot. Now if you'd bounced into my ask box to landblast me or the story, I'd just yeet the ask into the void. Unless you were landblasting Bishop. Then I'd agree with you.

Leara's tolerance for abuse is something I'm trying to address in Part II. She has an unhealthy threshold born from what she considers a "means to an end" kind of attitude. Her "willingness" to tolerate it stems from her tenure in the Dominion.

I think we all know that the Aldmeri Dominion conditions its agents. In Esbern's dossier, it's noted that Elenwen's predecessor was recalled to Alinor for "punishment and reeducation". As an agent within the Dominion, Leara would have been exposed to and likely gone through the grooming and supremacy doctrine emphasized by the Thalmor. This would have occured in an early stage of her life, between the ages of 29-38. By the time she escapes, it's a miracle she's retained her own mind and her loyalty to the Blades. I cannot stress enough how dangerous this espionage mission was, and how it failed in it's primary objective (to uncover and relay the Dominion's plans).

(N.B: if you've seen #oc: aurora orianus on my blog, then you know I have another Dragonborn. The universe where she exists is based on a continuity where Leara does give into the Dominion, becoming an indoctrinated Thalmor agent. "Vilya" is in charge of the Thalmor Headquarters (which I think is a sort of judicial consulate) in Solitude.)

Why doesn't she react verbally to Delphine? Leara escaped the Dominion before the signing of the White Gold Concordat and "disbandment" (massacre) of the Blades. Instead of returning to Cloud Ruler Temple, she ran away. The way Leara sees it, Delphine kept up the fight while she abandoned her order to hide in High Rock. She feels ashamed, like she's inadequate. This will come to a head when Delphine demands for the slaying of Paarthurnax. Leara will stand up and challenge her leadership then.

I'm looking for the trigger point, the part where Leara snaps from the Dominion's abuse conditioning, and retaliates against Bishop. The waking of the dragon, if you will. When she accepts being Dragonborn, she rejects being used. We haven't reached that point yet.

dragon age brain dump

just replayed the entire Dragon Age series in its entirety and 1000+ hours later i have a few Probably Unpopular Thoughts mostly about Dragon Age: Inquisition:

DA: Origins has the best — if not most basic — story. A classic hero’s tale with some great stories that flesh out both the world of Thedas and the people living in it. It’s both easy to understand and very engaging to the point where I was sad to move on. Also the companion interactions were just chef’s kiss levels of wonderful.

Dragon Age II doesn’t have a weak story, per say. Rather, it’s much, much smaller and therefore a far more intimate and nuanced one. The struggles we hear about/see a bit of in DA:O are all put under a microscope in this one, giving way to a setting that is limited in scope but far more defined and influenced by the people within it. You have a greater sense of just how much the religion-based politics of Thedas impact mages, elves, and the poor, and it’s both uncomfortable and deeply engrossing.

Having a singular character in Hawke over the many choices of DA:O and DA:I was actually a brilliant idea and I truly wish they had continued Hawke as the PC into Inquisition. As the Warden and the Inquisitor, the games provide more in the way of vague and limited reactions and interactions for your character, making it awkward when human characters start explaining elven culture to your Proudly Dalish character. This issue is especially bad in Inquisition, which really does feel like they don’t want you to play anything that’s not human.

As Hawke, the pool is significantly more limited, allowing your companions to offer a sense of truly knowing your character based on how you play them. Hawke has an established family and background and it’s both known and recalled often enough to make you feel like all the characters actually exist outside of the immediate plot. It also makes way more sense to have characters explain stuff to a solidly human Hawke who’s spent the last few years in the Free Marches, relatively isolated from Ferelden and Orlais and the goings on in the two nations.

Coming back on background choices… DA:I is the absolute worst for it. None of the backgrounds matter beyond a few small, unimportant dialogue choices and a couple 10+ hour war table instances. NPCs will in fact still explain your own character’s culture to you, as if the game was built more with just a human in mind. I loved Morrigan in DA:O but having her talk down to my Dalish Inquisitor pushed me right into saying Fuck You, Lady, Who The Fuck Do You Think You Are outloud multiple times. I remain firm in my belief Inquisition should have been a continuation of Hawke’s story, as the Herald makes absolutely no sense to me otherwise — especially with regards to Corypheus and Varric’s presence. (By the way, Varric was way more interesting and fun in DAII than Inquisition and I will not be elaborating further.)

AND BY THE WAY? At this point in time, it’s a red flag to me when someone hates Anders and condemns his actions and/or kills him. You’re gonna play two whole games worth of reasons the Chantry sucks ass and is a tool used to oppress and mutilate mages and still say violence wasn’t the answer? yiiiikes

And after 300 hours of playtime after having not played it since 2014, I can say that Inquisition is by far the weakest and laziest of the three. I deeply dislike this game, no matter how many times I replay it or what kind of Inquisitor I play. The Inquisition itself is a terrible idea — a religious organization created specifically to ignore and override the laws of whatever land they choose to be on, where all of the decision making comes down to one idiot who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe it’s my own religious trauma speaking, but I truly and genuinely despise the Inquisition and I can never commit to a playthrough as an Andrastian, even though my Wardens are typically a human noble or city elf who believes ardently in the Maker. It’s gross and creepy and it makes me feel fucking weird, especially when the game crawls up its own ass with the self-righteous themes.

I am also deeply frustrated that DA:I feels like it spends a lot of time shrugging off or being weirdly condescending about the events of the previous games, as if it needs to downplay the previous two entries to justify its own existence. The Grey Wardens get reduced to a shambling corpse of a group that easily falls for a dumb trick and gets unceremoniously shoved off into irrelevance while everyone loudly talks about how we don’t even need them anyway, regardless of the outcome of your DA:O playthrough. The Mage Rebellion that Anders is largely responsible for kicking off gets mostly attributed to someone else and is treated as little more than a minor inconvenience before the mages are potentially also “tricked” into serving Corypheus. Or, if you choose to recruit them, get treated like they’re all timebombs and you’re an idiot for trusting them or even wanting to free them from the Chantry. Hawke’s part in the game is… fine? I guess? But serves as little more than a cameo and only ensures I will always leave Stroud behind. 

The companions of DA:I are also, in my opinion, the weakest of the bunch. Other than Dorian, Bull, and Cassandra, I can’t say I especially cared about, well, any of my companions in Inquisition. At least, not the same way I cared about my companions in DA:O or DAII. I barely made an effort for Blackwall and Vivienne but Cole and Sera not giving a shit about me was such a nonissue to me that I often forgot they existed. It was actually more satisfying to me that by the events of Trespasser Sera barely acknowledged me and called me a shit. And Varric… was just kind of boring outside of his interactions with Cassandra.

Like, lmao, fuck it really didn’t feel like anyone liked each other or even feel necessary, which is such a weird feeling to have about companions, especially when you don’t get a choice in some of them. I wish the game had spent more time fleshing out the companions and less time tearing down the previous games to justify itself. 

I liked Josephine but both Leliana and Cullen feel like wildly different characters, with the former feeling especially hollow until I chose her as Divine. Until then, she was just so far away from the wonderful, caring character I’d enjoyed in DA:O that it was kind of heartbreaking. She felt like a Zack Snyder retelling at times with how goddamn dark she was.

And speaking of Trespasser: Solas is easily both the most interesting and the most frustrating character in the series. My least hated playthrough was with a Dalish mage elf who romanced him and the way everything turns out with Solas makes it feel like the closest to what I’d call a satisfying story arc. Watching how he dances between the lines and skillfully avoids direct confirmation or denial of his actions and who he really is is genuinely interesting, but at times it felt like the writers weren’t confident enough in their ability to bury the hints adequately so the hints come so few and far between that the twist doesn’t feel like a twist as much as it feels like a random character jump.

I mean, pretend to be surprised when I say I just really don’t like Inquisition, no matter how many times I play it. So much that it largely sours my opinion on the series as a whole because I couldn’t help the occasional “ah what does it matter what I do here? Inquisition will just retcon/ignore it anyway” thought. The bad engine, the ugly armor designs, the generally unimpressive world design (and don’t even get me started on Val Royeaux like holy shit all that build up for a glorified marketplace???? I’m DEAD), the weird character choices, the frustrating gameplay mechanics... like the whole thing was just such a weird fever dream. And knowing that it getting Game of the Year pretty directly made it responsible for both Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda’s failures is hilariously ironic.

All this rambling to say I really loved Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II, but all that love was actively drained from me while I played Inquisition and I will never not be mad about it. And since this is my dumb blog that no one reads I can ramble about it here.

(½) This ask is going to be entirely speculative and broadly asked but what do you think accounts for a Targaryen monarchs decision to arrange for incestuous vs non-incestuous matches for the royal family, and is there anything you've come across in the text to suggest nobles were becoming less tolerant of the custom? In a potential King Rhaegar scenario and setting aside his plans for his own children if we assume he would want them to marry one another (or maybe not), is it likely for example

(2/2) Dany and Viserys would be married to one another? Does it in the end come down to a monarch's own investment in the idea of Targaryen supremacy/the blood of the dragon? Thank you! I've really enjoyed your blog through the years, thank you for sharing your insights with us.

That's kind of you to say.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any overarching reasoning or drive behind Targaryen incestuous marriages (and, for the purpose of this ask, I'm going to be sticking to brother-sister unions), certainly not after the Conquest. While Gyldayn notes that "[t]he tradition amongst the Targaryens had always been to marry kin to kin. Wedding brother to sister was thought to be ideal" and that "[t]he blood of the dragon must remain pure, the wisdom went" (emphasis in the original), this line of thinking is at best inconsistently applied to the incestuous marriages made after the establishment of the Targaryen kingdom. Certainly, the traditionalism reflected in that belief seems to have been strong in Jaehaerys I: he told Alysanne that their daughter Daenerys would "be queen, when she and Aemon marry. They will rule together, just as we have", briefly considered "after the tragic death of Princess Daenerys, that Aemon should wed Princess Alyssa, the eldest of his remaining sisters", and "assumed that the two of them [i.e. Vaegon and Daella] would eventually marry" because they were "[o]nly a year apart in age" and had "seemed well matched as babes" (and even "considered their younger daughters", Viserra and Saera, for Vaegon after the breakdown of his planned match with Daella). Likewise, we may suspect that Maekar had a traditionalist bent as well, given that he seems to have betrothed or informally betrothed Egg to his sister Daella.

However, what we also see in a number of historical examples is Targaryens marrying incestuously for largely, if indeed not purely, personal reasons. When Gyldayn describes the betrothal of Princess Rhaena and Prince Aegon, he notes that "[t]he affection between Rhaena and Aegon was well-known" and that there was "much to suggest that both had been anticipating just such a partnership since they had first played together in the nurseries of Dragonstone and the Aegonfort" (although Gyldayn does at least acknowledge the Valyrian incestuous tradition, stating that "[g]iven the traditions and practices of House Targaryen, a match between his two eldest children must have seemed the obvious course to King Aenys"). Likewise, while Gyldayn writes, when describing the forthcoming (secret) marriage of Jaehaerys and Alysanne, that "[t]he Targaryens had been marrying brother to sister for centuries ... and Jaehaerys and Alysanne had grown up expecting to wed", he adds that "Alysanne was only two years younger than her brother, and the two children had always been close and strong in their affection and regard for one another". When Alysanne puts a stop to the Alyssa-Aemon marriage plans, she does so by pointing out that "'Alyssa is for Baelon'" because "'[s]he has been following him around since she could walk'" and "'[t]hey are as close as you and I were at their age'". Moreover, Yandel says of the future Jaehaerys II that "from a very early age he had loved his sister Shaera and dreamed of wedding her in the old Targaryen fashion" before describing their clandestine elopement.

Which is not to say that a motivation other than personal could be behind Targaryen incestuous marriages (even if I have to add my own speculation for some of these examples). Perhaps the clearest example of this non-personal motivation is the marriage of the future Aerys II and Rhaella, explicitly arranged by the future Jaehaerys II because "[a] woods witch had told him that the prince was promised would be born of their line", even though neither wanted to marry the other. I've long speculated that the reason the future Viserys II arranged the spectacularly unhappy marriage of the future Aegon IV and Naerys is because he wanted to emphasize that his children were full Targaryens, true heirs to that glorious (in the eyes of the Targaryens, at least) dragonlord lineage despite their foreign mother and the scandals of the Lyseni Spring. Similarly, while F&B doesn't delve into the reasoning behind the marriage of the future Aegon II and Helaena, I tend to headcanon that Alicent arranged it to underline their (and specifically Aegon's) Targaryen-ness and his connection to his explicit namesake, Aegon the Conqueror. I also wonder whether the marriage of Daena and Baelor was arranged by Daeron I (in an attempt to outsource the production of a Targaryen heir) or Viserys II (in an attempt to deny Baelor and/or Daena a strong aristocratic ally via marriage and/or to guarantee he would remain in power if Daeron died on campaign), and whether the marriage of Aelor and Aelora was arranged by Bloodraven for similar reasons to, maybe, those of his grandfather.

Of course, what non-Targaryens thought of any of these marriages is unclear, at least after the weddings of Rhaena and Aegon (which provoked a full-scale rebellion in the form of the Faith Militant uprising) and Jaehaerys and Alysanne (which ... didn't). (It remains to be seen whether "the wounded pride and anger of the noble houses thus affronted" when Jaehaerys and Shaera wed included anger that their betrothals had been broken for the sake of an incestuous union.) Somewhat strangely, the Doctrine of Exceptionalism basically disappears as a formal concept in F&B after the death of Princess Daenerys; it's never brought up again despite multiple incestuous marriages thereafter. Yandel does note that "King Aegon [i.e. Aegon V] had acquired a distaste for the Valyrian custom of incestuous marriage during his years amongst the smallfolk", which certainly suggests that the religious-cultural objection of native (that is, non-Targaryen) Westerosi to incest continued well into the Targaryen reign (and indeed, Dunk marvels that "Egg spoke as if such incest was the most natural thing in the world"). However, Catelyn also thinks in the main series that "[t]he dragon kings had wed brother to sister, but they were the blood of old Valyria where such practices had been common, and like their dragons the Targaryens answered to neither gods nor men", an informal restatement of the Doctrine of Exceptionalism which thus seems to have remained in the minds of at least some Westerosi. It will be interesting to see whether future D&E stories or F&B 2 show popular pushback against Targaryen incest

As far as what might have happened with Dany, Viserys, and Rhaegar's children, Dany herself muses briefly along these lines:

Five Aegons had ruled the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. There would have been a sixth, but the Usurper's dogs had murdered her brother's son when he was still a babe at the breast. If he had lived, I might have married him. Aegon would have been closer to my age than Viserys. Dany had only been conceived when Aegon and his sister were murdered.

Whether this would have happened is of course impossible to say. Rhaegar obviously could not have known about the sister who would not even be born until after his death, much less planned for her in any marriage arrangement with his own son (and that's without considering his prophetic plans for his children, at best vaguely understood right now). Nor could Aerys have known about Daenerys, again given that Daenerys was born after Aerys was killed. While Aerys certainly specified his desire for a Valyrian-blooded bride for Rhaegar (and I think really hoped he would be able to marry him to a sister, even perhaps trying to get Steffon to father a daughter so that Rhaegar would have a second cousin to marry), I don't know whether that would also have meant he would have married his doted-upon Viserys to Daenerys (and that's assuming Aerys could have stayed in power long enough to arrange such a marriage, which is far from certain).

Hello! I was hoping to add a bit to your thoughts on Bloodraven. I agree wholeheartedly with you that Bloodraven is a terrible person and made terrible decisions. But I disagree with you that he’s rewarded for it. The novels do quite a but to frame him as an evil person. Yes he’s a magical greenseer and has a lot of magical power, but he’s also a scary tree person with roots growing in him. He lives in a dark cave he can never leave with creepy elves that have probably killed Bran’s friend. There’s also a lot of theories that Bloodraven drove Euron crazy when testing Euron for magical abilities like he tested Bran. GRRM looks to be setting him up as a dark twist to the wise mentor trope while the show treated him like Gandalf.

Hello, Anon! Bl00draven as a villain is actually a very controversial opinion/theory in tumblr fandom, (which is why I misspell his name and use his anti tag) with at least some considering him a straight-up hero trying to save the world, or an anti-hero who commits atrocities to achieve “noble goals” (including, if I remember correctly, the same person who wrote at least part of the theory that Euron is Bl00draven’s ex-student). I believe Bl00draven is “a terrible person [who] made terrible decisions”, but I’m probably in the minority, (you’d probably find a better discussion with people who think he’s a hero in your analysis of how his character is framed), but you haven’t indicated why you don’t think he’s rewarded for his actions. 

I have written about how the narrative protects Bl00draven from the consequences of his actions in the post you’re responding to, in a response to warsofasoiaf, and a response to godihatethisfreakingcat. In summary:

The two times BR suffers any setback (losing an eye; being sent to the Wall for high treason), it ends up working out for him in the end (not being affected by monocular vision at all if he held his own in a second duel against Aegor Rivers, getting a “scary” reputation and possibly greenseeing powers; having 200 of his personal guard and Prince Aemon accompany him, getting to keep the only Targaryen ancestral sword when he’s supposed to be punished, getting elected Lord Commander despite his horrible tenure as Hand, and deserting the Night’s Watch to become an immortal greenseer despite desertion being a death sentence)

When it looks like BR is going to suffer other setbacks, they magically go away (he and Baelor have a dispute over how to treat the defeated Blackfyre rebels, but Baelor dies before he can become king; he mocks Maekar in front of his own son and unsubtly threatens to kidnap Egg, but is said to have become Maekar’s Hand; his spy network fails to capture Aegor Rivers multiple times and couldn’t keep an eye on his ship as it made way for the Wall, but he isn’t punished for failing to do the one job he promised to do)

BR never had to work to gain anyone’s trust or his positions of authority, despite being terrible at his job (his mother was a friend of Da3ron II’s from birth; he was granted an ancestral Valyrian sword as a teenager despite not being the best swordsman; he gets his first Small Council position by age 20; Da3ron II trusts him enough to start a war on his say-so; Aerys makes him his Hand over his more competent brother Maekar; Maekar keeps him as Hand despite resenting him for decades; he’s made Night’s Watch Lord Commander). Maintaining so much power either undermines your claim that the narrative frames him as a villain (if he’s so untrustworthy, why do the supposed protagonists keep giving him jobs?), or it makes the characters who’ve granted him this power into idiots (at least 2 of whom are lauded as intelligent or clever).

Other villainous characters have done less harm than Bl00draven, but are punished for it while he gets to keep his power:

The infamously corrupt High Septon was torn apart by starving King’s Landing smallfolk during the bread riots of 299

The corrupt Rego Draz, who levied high taxes and tolls on the smallfolk (abuse of the smallfolk amidst a humanitarian crisis? sounds familiar), was stoned to death by a starving mob during the harsh winter and plague of 59

Rhaenyra was believed to have murdered Helaena Targaryen, and her husband did arrange for the murder of Helaena’s son (a parent and two young sons murdered in cold blood? sounds familiar). Thousands of smallfolk rioted out of desire for justice for the three, which caused the death of 5 dragons, Rhaenyra’s remaining son Joffrey, and Rhaenyra’s own flight from the capital. She never regained the throne again

Mysaria of Lys, explicitly compared to Bl00draven as Mistress of Whispers, also arranged for the murder of Helaena’s son Jaehaerys, informed on Nettles to Rhaenyra resulting in a warrant for her death (informing on someone to a monarch baseless rumors resulting in a warrant for their arrest? sounds familiar), and may have contributed to Helaena’s suicide that the riots were about. When King’s Landing fell, she was stripped naked and whipped to death as she was forced to walk out of the city.

Tyanna of Pentos, similarly mistress of whispers like Mysaria, tortured the king’s nephew to death (after having him imprisoned? sounds familiar), tortured dozens of men and women including rumored lover Alys Harroway, kidnapped children to ensure their mother’s good behavior while being repeatedly raped, and allegedly poisoned her fellow queens in order to be Maegor’s true wife. She was brutally murdered by the man she sought to influence, her heart thrown to the dogs

Bl00draven deliberately shot 2 unarmed 12-year-olds in front of their father to win a war, ordered the smallfolk back to their lands during the midst of a drought and after the Great Spring Sickness, caused the death of a young man under suspicious circumstances, threatened to keep the son of his rival a hostage, killed a man he promised safe passage to, denied critical aid to the crown’s vassals during ironborn raids, and created a reign of fear and paranoia that resulted in the deaths of innocent smallfolk. Bafflingly, while there are apparently riots and violence and rebellion, he makes routine trips into Flea Bottom to keep the people in line (yes, the smallfolk in King’s Landing are so complacent to authoritarian rulers as I just mentioned) and survives all of them (relatively) unscathed. Not only does he keep his position as Hand, or gained a new position as Lord Commander, but he lives to a ripe old age before running away to the cave to be an immortal greenseer with infinite knowledge. My point in comparing the actions and consequences of characters similar to Bl00draven is that if the smallfolk or the Targaryens were written consistently, he would’ve been horribly murdered for corruption or insubordination long before he ever met Bran. I understand he would have to live into canon era to be Bran’s mentor; but GRRM broke the rules of his own universe by letting Bl00draven get away with too much to be believable while giving him even more power. It is inconsistent writing that makes his survival due to authorial fiat than any skill or allies. That’s why I consider him possibly the worst-written character in the series.

Bl00draven has not committed enough good deeds to be a hero (in my opinion; other people consider keeping Da3ron’s progeny on the throne for a few generations longer to be heroic). But neither has he suffered for the consequences of his actions like a villain. We know that the Freys and Boltons will face comeuppance for their atrocities in the Red Wedding and at Winterfell because it’s already clear they have sown the seeds of their own destruction; the Freys’ violation of guest right contributed to the breakdown of the rule of law that made honorable parley impossible, and their murder of Catelyn Stark led to Lady Stoneheart in the Riverlands killing Freys with the Brotherhood, and their murder of Wendel Manderly led to his father Wyman orchestrating some of their deaths; the Boltons’ role in the Red Wedding led to nearly universal hatred among the northern lords, and caused the mountain clans to ally with Stannis to get them out, and Ramsay’s rape of who they think is Arya Stark just gives them further cause to resent their traitorous overlords. I don’t have to explain how Tywin’s cult of Lannister supremacy doesn’t survive his death as he’s offed in the most humiliating manner by the son he despised, since Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion are either imprisoned, enslaved, or in a trial for their life by book 5. Contrast Bl00draven, because the family he most wronged (the Blackfyres) are either no longer around or are uninterested in seeing him brought to justice; he certainly sowed the seeds of destruction, but he never reaped them himself (if anything, he got more powerful); instead the Targaryens did. I don’t see how he will be getting any personal comeuppance in the future, unless he is somehow unplugged from the weirwood network and executed as a deserter to the Night’s Watch (the Starks do have a pattern of executing those guys, so maybe it will be Bran’s turn). Until then, I don’t foresee him being a good asoiaf villain either.

Godzilla vs. Kong: Who Should Win?

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Ever since Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures announced they were building a “MonsterVerse,” this is the fight everyone’s been waiting for: Godzilla vs. Kong. Fire meets fur. As the undisputedly most popular monsters in movie history, King Kong and Godzilla are responsible for the entire idea of a “kaiju versus” film thanks to their first bout nearly 60 years ago. Since then they’ve each appeared in countless sequels, spin-offs, and reboots. But never again have they crossed paths. Until now.

Some might say that’s because one movie isn’t big for the both of them. After all, there’s a reason why each has coasted to the top of our Movie Monster March Madness bracket, right? But we disagree with the idea that you can’t choose. There should be a clear cut winner in Godzilla vs. Kong, and Den of Geek editors David Crow and Alec Bojalad are ready to go to the mat over who that should be.*

Godzilla Should Win

David Crow: It took several years after the original Ishirō Honda masterpiece, Gojira, was released for it to reach the U.S. When it did, the Western distributors clearly got a lot of things wrong: the awkward inclusion of American actor Raymond Burr; the removal of all direct allusions to the Bikini Atoll nuclear radiation disaster; and not nearly enough mad scientists with eye-patches. But what they got right? The title. It was all right there when the film became an international phenomenon–Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (even the declarative exclamation mark is theirs).

Godzilla might’ve been the second big guy on the scene, but ever since he lit Tokyo up like a Christmas tree, he’s been first in our hearts. From ‘56 to 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, there’s only been one undisputed reigning titan, and he’s not a gorilla. King Kong is good enough for an island no one’s heard of, I guess. But Godzilla? He’s been the top dog all over the world, and he’s more often used that supremacy to protect all of us from intergalactic aliens and ancient monsters… as opposed to only having eyes for blondes with a healthy set of lungs.

In terms of physicality alone, Godzilla has an advantage in reach that exceeds even his towering height. With nuclear fire breath that can span the length of 15 devastated city blocks, Godzilla should be able to cook Kong before he ever gets down from the Empire State Building.

King Kong Should Win

Alec Bojalad: Who would win in a fight between Godzilla and King Kong? The only possible answer here is the big monke, himself: Kong. 

Do me a favor real quick. Head on over to the Homininae Subfamily Wikipedia page. Take a look at the header photo and let me know what you see. A chimpanzee, a gorilla, and… a human being. Of course we all know that humans and gorillas are closely related, but for the purposes of the monster fight to come, it’s important to see just how closely related we are. To argue that Godzilla has a prayer in a fight against King Kong is to argue that a big dumb lizard could ever triumph over the ingenuity of the human species and our homininae subfamily. 

As one of humanity’s closest cousins, Kong brings so many things to a fight that his scaly counterpart just can’t. Let’s start with the obvious: Kong is strong. Those rippling arm muscles and pectorals of iron aren’t just for show. Kong is also highly intelligent. Observe his use of tools in his many film appearances throughout the years, up to and including his big whooping stick in the Godzilla v. Kong trailer. And if raw strength and intelligence weren’t enough. Kong is highly lithe and nimble. That should prove quite useful in battle against the largely inert Godzilla

Look, I don’t mean to body shame this very chonky lizard. In fact, I admire his dedication to not skipping meals. But when it comes time to face off against a quicker foe, all that raw strength is gonna hold him back. As any boxing fan could tell you: speed beats strength 100 times out of 100. That’s why Kong won during the pair’s 1962 matchup and it’s why he’s going to win again now.

About King Kong vs. Godzilla…

David: Alec, I’m glad you brought up King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). It’s a solid throwdown between ape and lizard that arguably invented the monster mash-ups we’re still enjoying to this day. All that said, Zilla was ripped off in the movie.

Back in ‘62 , Godzilla was the new kid on the block, and Kong was the legacy pick, with King Kong (1933) being the paterfamilias kaiju movie before Toho Studios made that word a thing. However, they did make it a thing, and Godzilla was already doing monster battles with glorified armadillos in Godzilla Raids Again (1955), back when a “King Kong vs.” movie was still a twinkle in special effects guru Willis O’Brien’s eye. So as the sentimental fan favorite, Kong was basically rigged to win while Zilla was just playing the Heel. But I’m going to let you in on a secret every wrestling fan knows: deep down everyone all prefers the villain.

So yeah, the lizard lost round one, but he took a fall for the good of the genre. Almost every time since then, however, he’s been on the side of the angels (or at least Venus princesses, look it up), protecting us from three headed dragons who’d eat Kong’s lunch.

And saying Godzilla isn’t smart? This is a beast who, in the American MonsterVerse, has been around since the time of Atlantis. Kong is just the youngest in a long line of gorillas while Zilla has the age and wisdom of a god. Underestimate that experience at your own peril. 

Alec: Sure, David, we all enjoy a good villain. But how often do they win? Godzilla’s resume is just L after L. Godzilla lost to Kong in ‘62, he lost to an oxygen destroyer before that in ‘54, and he lost in ‘98 to Matthew Broderick (but to be fair, we all lost with the existence of that movie). And doggone it, he’s going to lose again in 2021. 

Perhaps I shouldn’t have denigrated the beast’s intelligence because I must concede that Zilla is pretty sharp for a lizard. Kong, however, is smarter, more adaptive, intuitive, and quicker in thinking. Godzilla’s nuclear-powered fire breath is certainly formidable to lesser monsters, but Kong is just too elusive for it to prove that big of a threat. Imagine Godzilla’s confusion upon watching Kong simply sidestepping a fire blast. Huh, Ghidorah didn’t do that. Yes, Godzilla, that’s because Ghidorah is very slow. Just like you, I’m afraid.

A Skull Islander or the Savior of the World?

David: First of all, that was not Godzilla in ‘98. It was a stinky-breathed fish-eater from the hacks who got lucky once because of Will Smith. Toho Studios corrected them though when the real Godzilla turned that American monstrosity into a marshmallow in Godzilla: Final Wars (2004).

But if you don’t remember, I can understand since Godzilla has won far more bouts than he’s lost over the years, from American embarrassments, onward. That’s because Zilla has been putting in the work. Ghidorah? A three course meal. Biollante? Fertilizer. Gigan? Who even cares. Mothra, arguably the smartest of all the kaiju, and a celestial creature with the gift of flight and her own cult, more often bows down before Zilla as a friend. Why? Because of respect.

Meanwhile what’s Kong been doing? Hiding like a coward on a rock in the Pacific. If he’s so tough, why didn’t he ever leave Skull Island in the MonsterVerse while Godzilla was busy saving the world? Because he’s scared. He knows pound for pound, he doesn’t have the strength or the cunning of Godzilla. The original Kong was slaughtered by biplanes; Zilla eats jets for breakfast. Filmmakers had to size the new Kong up to even have a ghost of a chance. It won’t save him.

Read more

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Alec: There is no doubt that Godzilla’s won more bouts than he’s lost because Godzilla only faces monsters he can defeat. Biollante is literally a plant. What, was Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors not available? Mothra bows before Godzilla? Well, I would too if I were a highly flammable bug. Ghidorah is a solid enough victory, but Ghidorah also doesn’t have Kong’s advantages.

Sure, Kong spends most of his time on Skull Island. You know why? Because he appreciates some gosh darn peace and quiet like the king he is. Kong doesn’t need to prove his mettle by trading fisticuffs with whatever misguided kaiju comes knocking at his door. He’s perfectly happy to spend his days eating comically big bananas and kicking back. Why not outsource the world saving to Godzilla, who seems pathologically obsessed with proving that he’s a big, scary monster whenever he can? Kill all the Ghidorahs and knock down all the buildings you want, dude, it’s not gonna make up for the emptiness inside.

Ultimately, however, I’m confident in a Kong victory over Godzilla for one reason above all. Godzilla has such a glaring physical weakness that it almost feels rude to point out. When things get really heated in this matchup, and the punches start actually flying, what is Godzilla going to do with those itty bitty T. Rex arms? I’ll believe Godzilla has a shot against Kong when I see him raise his arms over his head.

Final Round

David: Don’t worry, Alec. You’ll see him raise them high enough when he stands victorious over Kong’s smoldering corpse. With fire breath like that, his reach far exceeds whatever big rock the wittle bitty ape thinks can save him. And while I cannot see the future, I suspect on March 31 we’ll both see the denizens of Skull Island bow down in awe. They’re about to meet their real god, and this one won’t die on them because of “beauty.”

Alec: Damn, now I almost want Godzilla to win just to watch him try to raise up his baby arms. Sadly we won’t get to see that spectacle. Come March 31, Kong is going to make Godzilla rue the day he ever crawled out of the sea on his belly.

Godzilla vs. Kong opens in theaters and premieres on HBO Max on Wednesday, March 31.

*Editor’s Note: This conversation was recorded before either editor reviewed Godzilla vs. Kong.

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New Releases 10/3/17

Happy New Release Day! 

In Books --The Name of the Wind 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition by Patrick Rothfuss “My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that would make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me. So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature - the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.”

This book more than likely did not require me to provide a description. But I just love the description so much that I just had to put it up. This is my current top favorite book. I really love it and I am very excited to see an anniversary edition for it. I have been wanting to retire my mass market paperback for a while. I did get to meet Pat at a book signing a few years back and got that copy signed, as well as my copy of The Wise Man’s Fear, and my hardcover of A Slow Regard of Silent Things. I’ve been wanting to retire these signed copies so that nothing happens to them so this anniversary edition is just what I’ve been waiting for. At least until I can meet him again and get this one signed.

This edition has a new cover by designer Paul Buckley and artist Sam Weber. I’m not crazy about the cover. I prefer the standard cover used now. I’m having some trouble trying to understand just what all the images represent in the story so that’s what is really making me not like it as much. There is also some never before seen illustrations by artist Dan Dos Santos. Nate Taylor created a updated and detailed map of the world. An appendix of the calendar system, the currencies, and a pronunciation guide was added. And Pat wrote a new author’s note for this edition.

As of this writing (around 10:30pm Monday) it has not arrived at any of the bookstores near me but I have seen where it it out at other locations. I’m hoping it will arrive near me sometime today. Then I guess I’ll have to plan a fourth (or maybe a fifth. I don’t remember) reread of it soon.

--Anime Supremacy! by Mizuki Tsujimura “Japanese animation - the globally acclaimed, family-friendly theatrical features are the exception rather than the rule for a TV-oriented industry that has been pushed into late-night slots in an era of fragmented audiences. When only three titles among fifty might turn a profit, topping the charts is hardly an overambitious aim. Yet as three women, a producer, a director, and an animator, survive in a business infamous for its murderous schedules, demoralizing compromises, and incorrigible men, moments of uplift emerge against all odds - and how. More than just a window into an entertainment niche, here’s a kickass ode to work.”

A new; though only volume, manga about the animation industry in Japan. It sounds like a good look into this industry and it follows three women as they try to make their way in an industry full of ‘incorrigible’ men. Which this might be the first manga to follow women in this industry. I’m not positive but I’m fairly sure most of the manga that has used this type of story has mainly followed men. I can think of maybe one or two that has some ladies but I can’t recall for sure.

--Assassination Classroom Volume 18 by Yusei Matsui “Nagisa and Karma travel to the International Space Station in hopes of learning the secret to saving Koro Sensei’s life. Meanwhile, Yanagisawa and the upstart Grim Reaper II train ever harder to assassinate him. Then, when academic setbacks lower the spirits of his students, Koro Sensei comes up with an ingenious - or perhaps idiotic - way to cheer them up. Next, Valentine’s Day arrives! Will any of the 3-E students or teachers find true love? And will the meddling and teasing of the others help or hinder Cupid’s arrow in finding its target...?”

I’m reading this volume right now. But in Volume 17 Nagisa and Karma faced off in their fight to determine if they should save or assassinate Koro Sensei. Nagisa won and they learned that information about Koro Sensei was on the ISS that could potentially help them save his life. It ended with Nagisa and Karma sneaking into a rocket prototype to retrieve said information. Which was handed over fairly easily in this volume. The part with Yanagisawa and the Grim Reaper were short which is for the best to keep us wondering what they will try to do to kill Koro Sensei. I last left off during the start of the Valentine’s Day chapters which I will finish sometime today.

--Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay Finally! I love the illustrations in these editions and just how full and how many are used in them. PoA is my favorite of this series, mainly because of this is when we are introduced to Sirius (my favorite) and Lupin.

Though as the rest of these are released I start to wonder how much longer they will be released as a single volume. At some point; either for money or for the binding of the books, they will probably be split into volumes. For my bookshelf’s well-being, I hope that is not the case but it could happen.

--The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli “In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laugher wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be dark - and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death bringer. These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up hearing in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari - a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl. Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await her at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend - a slave boy from her betrothed’s household - Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her.”

I have a few questions regarding this book. Mainly revolving around the Namsara since it isn’t mention again in the description except in the beginning. Is Asha’s betrothed the only one who knows that she is the Iskari? If so, is she being blackmailed into marrying him? My theory right now is that by killing all these dragons it makes her the Iskari but since light and dark are two sides of the same coin, she has the possibility to turn into the Namsara. Cause I expect the legends to end up saying that it was the same person.  It sounds like it could be pretty good. There’s dragons, fights with dragons (don’t kill dragons cause they are awesome), and the classic light vs dark. 

--The Water Dragon’s Bride Volume 3 by Rei Toma “Unable to return home, Asahi grows into a lovely young woman. As a priestess, she must spend time with the water dragon god for a ritual every year, but because of her connection to the water dragon god’s power, someone kidnaps her! Will Asahi be able to escape unscathed?”

Such a cute and still surprisingly dark series. The first two volumes were kind of dark because her best friends; Subaru, mother tried to have her killed a few times. And the water dragon god didn’t care if she lived or died. He only really intervened when the other gods started annoying him. 

This volume came out early where I live so I read it over the weekend. The volume was mostly about Asahi being kidnapped, then rescued by Subaru, which then started a war between her village and the one that kidnapped her. The water dragon god does sorta intervere and helps them out a little. But he slowly seems to be changing and might eventually develop feelings for Asahi. Which will interesting since Subaru obviously loves her and she him. Though she may not realize that herself yet. 

--Yona of the Dawn Volume 8 by Mizuho Kusanagi “Jaeha, the Green Dragon, joins Yona’s party after their harrowing adventure together in Awa. Now the group must find the Yellow Dragon - the last dragon from the prophecy that Ik-su told Yona! Meanwhile, Su-won visits Chishin Palace and tells General Geun-tae, chief of the Earth Tribe, that he should hold a mock battle and festival. But what could be the true intent behind Su-won’s proposition?”

I think the last volume I read was six. Seven never came in near where I live and I haven’t been able to order it. Last I read was Yona and Yoon got themselves onto the pirates boat so that they could try and send a signal for the others to attack the right boat. 

I can’t wait to see what the Yellow Dragon is like and I’m interested to see what this mock battle will be about.

In Movies --Revolutionary Girl Utena Set 1 (Blu-Ray) “‘Never lose that strength or nobility, even when you grow up.’ When Utena was just a child and in the depths of sorrow, she found salvation in those words. They were the words of a prince, who wrapped her in his rose-scented embrace and bestowed upon her both a ring and the promise that it would lead her to him again. She never forgot the encounter. In fact, she was so impressed that she aspired to like the prince and also help those in need. Now a spirited teenager, Utena attends the prestigious Ohtori Academy. However, her strong sense of chivalry soon places her at odds with the school’s student council and thrusts her into a series of mysterious and dangerous duels against its members.”

For the first time the hit anime is being released on blu-ray. I have only seen the series and the movie once. One of my friends can explain it a lot better than I can. The next time I watch it I will not be putting so much time in between each season. There is a lot of symbolism throughout the show so it can be easy to forget or miss something. It is a really good show and worth checking out. The manga of the same name (by Chiho Saito) that it was based on is also available in an awesome box set that was released by Shojo Beat. 

This set contains the first twelve episodes. Set two is not street dated until 11/7/17 but is now available on Rightstuf. Set three is set for 12/5/17, might also be out before that day but not at this moment of writing, and includes the movie. There is also a box set coming out on 12/5/17 that contains the complete series, the movie, a replica Rose Crest Ring, a replica Black Rose ring, and a 264 page art book with sliver foil numbering.

Sorry I'm copying this from Facebook but I hate it there

SUPPOSEDLY, if you've seen over 137 films, you have no life. Personally, I think it means you're cultured! Mark the ones you've seen. There are 253 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own facebook account, paste this as a status, then put an emoji next to the films you've seen, add them up, post your results. Rocky Horror Picture Show - 👌 Grease- 👌 Pirates of the Caribbean- 👌 Boondock Saints - 👌 Fight Club - 👌 Starsky and Hutch - Neverending story-👌 Blazing Saddles - Airplane - 👌 The Princess Bride-👌 Anchorman - 👌 Napoleon Dynamite – 👌 Labyrinth - Saw - 👌 Saw II - 👌 White Noise - 👌 White Oleander - Anger Management - 50 First Dates- 👌 The Princess Diaries – 👌 The Princess Diaries 2 Royal -👌 Scream - 👌 Scream 2 - 👌 Scream 3 - 👌 Scary Movie - 👌 Scary Movie 2 - 👌 Scary Movie 3 - 👌 Scary Movie 4 -👌 American Pie - 👌 American Pie 2 - American Wedding - American Pie Band Camp - Harry Potter -👌 Harry Potter 2 - 👌 Harry Potter 3 - 👌 Harry Potter 4- 👌 Resident Evil 1 - Resident Evil 2 - The Wedding Singer - Little Black Book - 👌 The Village - 👌 Lilo & Stitch - 👌 Finding Neverland – 👌 Signs -👌 The Grinch - 👌 Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 👌 Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning - White Chicks - 👌 Butterfly Effect - 👌 13 Going on 30 - 👌 I Robot - 👌 Robots - Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - 👌 Universal Soldier - Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events - 👌 Kingpin - Deep Impact - Never Been Kissed - 👌 Meet The Parents - 👌 Meet the Fockers - 👌 Eight Crazy Nights - Joe Dirt -👌 KING KONG -👌 A Cinderella Story - 👌 The Terminal - The Lizzie McGuire Movie -👌 Dumb & Dumber - Dumber & Dumber 2 - Final Destination -👌 Final Destination 2 -👌 Final Destination 3 -👌 Halloween - 👌 The Ring - 👌 The Ring 2 - 👌 Surviving Christmas - Flubber - 👌 Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle - Practical Magic - 👌 Chicago - 👌 Ghost Ship - From Hell - Hellboy - Secret Window - I Am Sam - The Whole Nine Yards - The Whole Ten Yards - The Day After Tomorrow - 👌 Child's Play - 👌 Seed of Chucky -👌 Bride of Chucky - 👌 Ten Things I Hate About You - 👌 Just Married - 👌 Gothika - 👌 Nightmare on Elm Street - 👌 Sixteen Candles –👌 Remember the Titans - 👌 Coach Carter - The Grudge - 👌 The Mask -👌 Son Of The Mask - Bad Boys - Bad Boys 2 - Joy Ride - Lucky Number Seven - Ocean's Eleven - 👌 Ocean's Twelve - 👌 Bourne Identity - Bourne Supremacy - Lone Star - Bedazzled - Predator I -👌 Predator II -👌 The Fog - 👌 Ice Age - 👌 Ice Age 2: the Meltdown -👌 Curious George - Independence Day -👌 Cujo - 👌 A Bronx Tale - Darkness Falls - Christine - ET -👌 Children of the Corn -👌 My Boss’s Daughter - Maid in Manhattan - 👌 War of the Worlds - 👌 Rush Hour -👌 Rush Hour 2 -👌 Best Bet - How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days -👌 She's All That - 👌 Calendar Girls - Sideways - Mars Attacks - Event Horizon - Ever After - 👌 Wizard of Oz - 👌 Forrest Gump - 👌 Big Trouble in Little China - 👌 The Terminator - 👌 The Terminator 2 - 👌 The Terminator 3 -👌 X-Men - 👌 X-2 -👌 X-3 - 👌 Spider-Man -👌 Spider-Man 2 -👌 Sky High - 👌 Jeepers Creepers -👌 Jeepers Creepers 2 -👌 Catch Me If You Can - 👌 The Little Mermaid- 👌 Freaky Friday - 👌 Reign of Fire - The Skulls - Cruel Intentions - Cruel Intentions 2 - The Hot Chick - 👌 Shrek - 👌 Shrek 2 - 👌 Monster Inc - 👌 Swimfan - Miracle on 34th Street - 👌 Old School - The Notebook - 👌 K-Pax - Krippendorf's Tribe - A Walk to Remember - 👌 Ice Castles - 👌 Boogeyman - The 40-year-old Virgin -👌 Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring – 👌 Lord of the Rings The Two Towers - 👌 Lord of the Rings Return Of the King -👌 Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark -👌 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom -👌 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -👌 Basketball Diaries - Hostel - 👌 Waiting for Guffman - House of 1000 Corpses - Devils Rejects - Elf - 👌 Highlander - 👌 Mothman Prophecies - American History X - Three - The Jacket - Kung Fu Hustle - Shaolin Soccer - Night Watch- Titanic - 👌 Monty Python and the Holy Grail -👌 Shaun Of the Dead -👌 Willard - High Tension - Club Dread - Hulk - 👌 Dawn Of the Dead -👌 Hook - 👌 Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - 👌 28 days later -✔️👌 Orgazmo - Phantasm - Waterworld - Kill Bill vol 1 -👌 Kill Bill vol 2 -👌 Mortal Kombat - Wolf Creek - Kingdom of Heaven -👌 The Hills Have Eyes -👌 I Spit on Your Grave - The Last House on the Left -👌 Re-Animator - Army of Darkness - Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace -👌 Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones - 👌 Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith - 👌 Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope - 👌 Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back –👌 Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi - 👌 Ewoks Caravan Of Courage - Ewoks The Battle For Endor - The Matrix - 👌 The Matrix Reloaded - 👌 The Matrix Animatrix – 👌 Evil Dead - 👌 Evil Dead 2 - Team America: World Police - Red Dragon - 👌 The Breakfast Club -👌 Fast times at Ridgemont High - 👌 Ferris Bueller's Day Off -👌 Grown Ups - 👌 Grown Ups 2 – Dazed and Confused - 👌 Ridiculous 6 - Pretty in Pink - 👌 The Tooth Fairy - Polar Express - 👌 X-Men Apocalypse -👌 Fantastic Four -👌 The Leprechaun -

Everything Coming to Netflix Canada and Crave in October

Here’s a monthly breakdown of all the movies and TV series we can’t wait to stream.

Everything Coming to Netflix

Living Undocumented — NETFLIX ORIGINAL From executive producer Selena Gomez, this docuseries follows eight undocumented immigrant families who, at great personal risk, allowed film crews to chronicle their lives as they navigated the US immigration system and faced potential deportation. Available October 2

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Raising Dion This sci-fi comic book adaptation follows the story of a young mother (Alisha Wainwright) raising her eight-year-old son after the death of her scientist husband (Michael B Jordan). That child, Dion, begins to display mysterious, superhero-like abilities that she needs to make sense of before someone else gets to him first. Available October 4

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Living With Yourself Everyone wants to be better. But what happens when you’re actually confronted with a better version of yourself? This new series explores that existential premise through Paul Rudd, a man struggling in life and trying to be better—and one day meets a new and improved model of himself. The two battle over his wife, career and identity over the course of this eight-episode show. Available October 18

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And here’s the complete list of everything coming to Netflix Canada this month:

Available October 1 Carmen Sandiego: Season 2 — NETFLIX FAMILY Nikki Glaser: Bangin’ — NETFLIX ORIGINAL A.M.I. Agent: Season 1 Amityville: The Awakening Contagion Find Yourself: Season 1 Girls Trip I Spit on Your Grave I Spit on Your Grave 2 Seven Sinister Circle The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day The Rolling Stones: Olé Olé Olé! A Trip Across Latin America The Swan Princess

Available October 2 Living Undocumented — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Ready to Mingle (Solteras) — NETFLIX FILM Rotten: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Batteries Not Included The Best Man Holiday Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story Elizabeth Fried Green Tomatoes Kim’s Convenience: Season 3 Liar Liar Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Available October 3 Seis Manos — NETFLIX ANIME

Available October 4 Big Mouth: Season 3 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL District 9 El Dragón: Return of a Warrior — NETFLIX ORIGINAL In the Tall Grass — NETFLIX FILM Outlander: Season 4 Peaky Blinders: Season 5 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Raising Dion — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Super Monsters: Season 3 — NETFLIX FAMILY Super Monsters: Vida’s First Halloween — NETFLIX FAMILY

Available October 5 Despicable Me 3 Legend Quest: Masters of Myth — NETFLIX FAMILY

Available October 7 Heartland: Season 12 Justice League Match! Tennis Juniors — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available October 8 Deon Cole: Cole Hearted — NETFLIX ORIGINAL The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween — NETFLIX FAMILY

Available October 9 Rhythm + Flow — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Schitt’s Creek: Season 5

Available October 10 Riverdale: Season 4 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL (weekly episodes) Ultramarine Magmell — NETFLIX ANIME

Available October 11 El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie — NETFLIX TELEVISION EVENT The Forest of Love — NETFLIX FILM Fractured — NETFLIX FILM Haunted: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Insatiable: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL La influencia — NETFLIX FILM Plan Coeur: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL The Awakenings of Motti Wolenbruch — NETFLIX FILM YooHoo to the Rescue: Season 2 — NETFLIX FAMILY

Available October 12 Banlieusards — NETFLIX FILM

Available October 14 Martin Matte: La Vie, La Mort…Eh La La..! — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available October 15 Citizen Kane Dennis the Menace

Available October 16 Ghosts of Sugar Land — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available October 17 THE UNLISTED — NETFLIX FAMILY

Available October 18 The Yard (Avlu) — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Baby: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Eli — NETFLIX FILM Interior Design Masters — NETFLIX ORIGINAL The House of Flowers: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL The Laundromat — NETFLIX FILM Living with Yourself — NETFLIX ORIGINAL MeatEater: Season 8 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Mighty Little Bheem: Diwali — NETFLIX FAMILY Seventeen — NETFLIX FILM Spirit Riding Free: Pony Tales Collection 2 — NETFLIX FAMILY Suits: Season 8 New Episodes Tell Me Who I Am — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Toon: Seasons 1-2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Unnatural Selection — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Upstarts — NETFLIX FILM

Available October 21 Echo in the Canyon Only the Brave

Available October 22 Jenny Slate: Stage Fright — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available October 23 Ant-Man Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Dancing with the Birds — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy

Available October 24 Daybreak — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Revenge of Pontianak

Available October 25 Assimilate Brigada Costa del Sol — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Brotherhood — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Dolemite Is My Name — NETFLIX FILM Greenhouse Academy: Season 3 — NETFLIX FAMILY The Kominsky Method: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Nailed It! France (C’est du gâteau!) — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Nailed It! Spain (Niquelao!) — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Prank Encounters — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Rattlesnake — NETFLIX FILM It Takes a Lunatic — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Workin’ Moms: Season 3

Available October 28 A 3 Minute Hug — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Little Miss Sumo — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Roman Israel, Esq. Shine On with Reese: Season 1

Available October 29 Arsenio Hall: Smart & Classy — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available 10/30/19 Flavorful Origins: Yunnan Cuisine — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available October 31 Creeped Out: Season 1 The Deep: Season 3 Kengan Ashura: Part ll — NETFLIX ANIME Nowhere Man — NETFLIX ORIGINAL Wentworth: Season 7

Everything Coming to Crave

Watchmen Set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws because of their use of violence, this HBO series is a loose adaptation of the 1986 hit graphic novel of the same name. It comes with a cast of heavy hitters including Regina King, Jeremy Irons and Don Johnson, and is executive produced by Damon Lindelof, co-creator of mind-melding television shows like Lost and The Leftovers. Available October 20

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Catherine the Great Starring Oscar-winner Helen Mirren, this four-part HBO miniseries follows 18th century Russian empress Catherine the Great towards the end of her 34-year reign, amid a scandalous affair with military leader Grigory Potemkin (played by Jason Clarke). Famous for her liberalizing reforms and encouragement of the arts and sciences, the formidable historical figure, along with Potemkin, “served as the architect of modern-day Russia,” according to the show notes. Available October 21

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Mrs Fletcher Based on a bestselling novel, this HBO comedy starring Kathryn Hahn premiered at TIFF earlier this month. The series offers a fresh take on coming-of-age stories, following the separate personal and sexual journeys of a mother and son shortly after the son leaves for college, leaving an empty nest behind. Available October 27

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And here’s the complete list of everything coming to Crave this month:

Available October 1 DIEGO MARADONA (Crave + Movies + HBO)

Available October 3 RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE UK, Season 1, Episode 1 *Season Premiere* (Crave + Movies + HBO)

Available October 4 KNUCKLEBALL (Crave + Movies + HBO) SLAUGHTERHOUSE RULEZ (Crave + Movies + HBO) GLASS (Crave + Movies + HBO) ALI SIDDIQ – IT’S BIGGER THAN THESE BARS (Crave) WYNONNA EARP, Season 1 – 3 (Crave) FOREMAN (STARZ Programming) THE DROP (STARZ Programming) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION (STARZ Programming) CHRONICALLY METROPOLITAN (STARZ Programming) SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (STARZ Programming) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S EUROPEAN VACATION (STARZ Programming) HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (STARZ Programming) KING OF MARVIN GARDENS (STARZ Programming) COWBOYS VS. ALIENS (STARZ Programming)

Available October 5 GARY GULMAN: THE GREAT DEPRESH (Crave + Movies + HBO)

Available October 10 TORN APART: SEPARATED AT THE BORDER (Crave + Movies + HBO) FIRECRACKERS (Crave + Movies + HBO)

Available October 11 THE SISTERHOOD (Crave + Movies + HBO) THE LADIES IN BLACK (Crave + Movies + HBO) GREEN BOOK (Crave + Movies + HBO) LETTERKENNY, Season 7 (Crave) ENOUGH (STARZ Programming) PLEASANTVILLE(STARZ Programming) NO GOOD DEED (STARZ Programming) SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (STARZ Programming) EASY RIDER (STARZ Programming) BOURNE IDENTITY (STARZ Programming) BOURNE LEGACY (STARZ Programming) BOURNE SUPREMACY (STARZ Programming) BOURNE ULTIMATUM (STARZ Programming)

Available October 17 LIBERTY: MOTHER OF EXILES (Crave + Movies + HBO)

Available October 18 A COLONY (Crave + Movies + HBO) THE WEDDING GUEST (Crave + Movies + HBO) HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U (Crave + Movies + HBO) THE RED LINE, Season 1 (Crave) KILLJOYS, Season 5 (Crave) FLIPPED (STARZ Programming) BUCKY LARSON BORN TO BE A STAR (STARZ Programming) HITCH (STARZ Programming) ORPHAN (STARZ Programming) THE INFORMANT (STARZ Programming) HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (STARZ Programming) THE PURGE (STARZ Programming) TIM BURTON’S CORPSE BRIDE (STARZ Programming)

Available October 20 WATCHMEN, Season 1, Episode 1 *Series Premiere* (Crave + Movies + HBO) LEAVENWORTH, Season 1, Episode 1 *Series Premiere* (STARZ Programming)

Available October 21 CATHERINE THE GREAT, Season 1, Episode 1 *Series Premiere* (Crave + Movies + HBO)

Available October 23 CASTLE ROCK, Season 2, Episode 1 & 2 *Season Premiere* (Crave)

Available October 24 SAUDI WOMEN’S DRIVING SCHOOL (Crave + Movies + HBO)

Available October 25 THE UNSEEN (Crave + Movies + HBO) THE PRODIGY (Crave + Movies + HBO) GRETA (Crave + Movies + HBO) DEADLY CLASS, Season 1 (Crave) THE BOOK OF LIFE (STARZ Programming) I AM ALI (STARZ Programming) POLTERGEIST (STARZ Programming) EVIL DEAD (STARZ Programming) EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (STARZ Programming) FINAL DESTINATION (STARZ Programming) CHRISTINE (STARZ Programming) FINAL DESTINATION 2 (STARZ Programming) FREDDIE VS. JASON (STARZ Programming)

Available October 27 SILICON VALLEY, Season 6, Episode 1 *Season Premiere* (Crave + Movies + HBO) MRS. FLETCHER, Season 1, Episode 1 *Series Premiere* (Crave + Movies + HBO)

Available October 29 ANY ONE OF US (Crave + Movies + HBO)

Available October 30 THE BRONX, USA (Crave + Movies + HBO)

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Island of the Dead (via The Met) Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography, Wayne Horowitz, The Cosmic Sea and Waters of Death and Rembrandt, Arnold Böcklin on Marduk and Jupiter, TRAPPIST-1 and 만파식적 萬波息笛 Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography, Wayne Horowitz, Eisenbrauns Winona Lake, Indiana, 1998, 2011, p. 103The Cosmic Sea and Waters of DeathGilgamesh X ii 20-27 (Thompson Gil. pl. 39 // CT 46 30)20.The Alewife addressed Gilgamesh, saying:21.Never, Gilgamesh, has there ever been a crossing,22.and anyone who has come since the dawn of time has not been able to cross the sea. 23.The crosser of the sea is valiant Shamash, other than Shamash, who can cross?24.The crossing is difficult, its way is burdensome,25.and everywhere the “waters of death” block its approach.26.How, Gilgamesh, would you cross the sea?27.When you arrived at the “waters of death,”what would you you do?*The term ‘waters of death’ does occur in The Adapa Epic (Picchioni Adapa 116:37), where adapt fails to drink me balati ‘waters of life’, believing them to be the me muti ‘waters of death’(Picchioni Adapa 120:78)Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography, Wayne Horowitz, Eisenbrauns Winona Lake, Indiana, 1998, 2011, p. 104-105The Location of ina pi narati[ . . ] Gilgamesh, perfect, splendid, [who ope]ned the passes of the mountain-range.[Who d]ug the wells at the side of the mountain, [cro]ssed the ocean, the broad sea, to the rising sun.[Who exa]mined the world-regions, soug[th] out life, [Who re]ached, by his own power, Distant UtnapistimGill. I i 35-40 (see pp. 96-97)271.When Gilgamesh heard this, he opened the wa[ter-pipe] 272.He tied heavy stone[s onto his feet] 273.They dragged him to the Aps[u . . . 274.He took the plant, it pr[icked his hands.] 275.He united the heavy stone[s on his feet] 276.The sea deposited him on its shore. Gilg. XI 271-76 (Thompson Gilg. pl. 53//CT 46 35)As noted by E. During-Caspers (Persica 12 [1987] 64-67), the rate 'water-pipe’in Gilg. XI 271 may serve as a conduit between the waters of the Apsu and salt waters of the sea. If so, Apsu in this context may refer to the sources of fresh-waters springs that bubble up from an aquifer beneath the Gulf floor off the coast of Bahrain. (23)(footnote 23) For the home of the Mesopotamian flood hero (Ziusudra, Atrahasis, Utnapishtim) identified with Bahrain, see E. During Caspers, Persica 12 57-95, with further bibliography. Here, the prickly plant is identified as a type of coral (ibid., 89). For further discussion of the rat in gig. XI and a possible parallel in The Bilingual Creation of the World by Marduk, see p. 132.Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669), Simeon with the Christ Child in the Temple, Oil on tablecloth (olija pa duk), 1669, 98.5x79.5cm, Nationalmuseum Stockholm. https://www.new.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/sites/all/files/Chaplain%20Candlemas%202015.pdfArnold Böcklin (Swiss, Basel 1827–1901 San Domenico, Italy), Isle of the Dead (Die Toteninsel), 1880, Oil on wood, 29 x 48 in. (73.7 x 121.9 cm), The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435683(Behistun Inscription, Tomb of Darius the Great and Rembrandt, Monet, Arnold Bocklin, Paul Serusier, Vincent van Gogh, Fernand Khnopff https://blog.naver.com/artnouveau19/221081131615)만파식적 [萬波息笛]신라 신문왕이 아버지 문무왕을 위하여 감은사를 짓고 추모하는데, 죽어서 바다 용이 된 문무왕과 하늘의 신이 된 김유신이 합심하여 동해의 한 섬에 대나무를 보냈다. 이 대나무를 베어서 피리를 만들어 부니, 적의 군사는 물러가고, 병은 낫고, 물결은 평온해졌다고 한다. 이 설화에는 신라가 삼국을 통일한 이후 흩어져 있던 백제와 고구려 유민의 민심을 통합해 나라의 안정을 꾀하려 했던 호국 사상과 모든 정치적 불안이 진정되고 평화가 오기를 소망하는 신라인들의 염원이 담겨 있다. http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=959664&cid=47312&categoryId=47312 만파식적설화 [萬波息笛說話]정의신라시대 용으로부터 영험한 대를 얻어 피리를 만들었다는 내용의 설화.개설신이담(神異譚)에 속한다. 『삼국유사』 권2 기이(紀異) 만파식적조와 『삼국사기』 권32 잡지 제1 악조(樂條)에 실려 있다.내용신문왕이 아버지 문무왕을 위하여 동해가에 감은사(感恩寺)를 지었다. 682년(신문왕 2)에 해관(海官)이 동해안에 작은 산이 감은사로 향하여 온다고 하여 일관으로 하여금 점을 쳐 보니, 해룡(海龍)이 된 문무왕과 천신이 된 김유신(金庾信)이 수성(守城)의 보배를 주려고 하니 나가서 받으라 하였다.이견대(利見��)에 가서 보니, 부산(浮���)은 거북 머리 같았고 그 위에 대나무가 있었는데, 낮에는 둘로 나뉘고 밤에는 하나로 합쳐졌다. 풍우가 일어난 지 9일이 지나 왕이 그 산에 들어가니, 용이 그 대나무로 피리를 만들면 천하가 태평해질 것이라 하여, 그것을 가지고 나와 피리를 만들어 보관하였다.나라에 근심이 생길 때 이 피리를 불면 평온해져서, 만파식적이라 이름을 붙였다. 그 뒤 효소왕 때 이적(異蹟)이 거듭 일어나, 만만파파식적(萬萬波波息笛)이라 하였다.http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=545376&cid=46643&categoryId=46643Jupiter and Marduk (cuneiform: dAMAR.UTU; Sumerian: amar utu.k "calf of the sun; solar calf"; Greek Μαρδοχαῖος,[2]Mardochaios; Hebrew: מְרֹדַךְ‬, Modern Mərōdaḵ Tiberian Merōd'haḵ) was a late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon. When Babylon became the political center of the Euphratesvalley in the time of Hammurabi (18th century BC), he slowly started to rise to the position of the head of the Babylonian pantheon, a position he fully acquired by the second half of the second millennium BC. In the city of Babylon, Marduk was worshiped in the temple Esagila. Marduk is associated with the divine weapon Imhullu. "Marduk" is the Babylonian form of his name.[3]The name Marduk was probably pronounced Marutuk.[4] The etymology of the name Marduk is conjectured as derived from amar-Utu ("bull calf of the sun god Utu").[3] The origin of Marduk's name may reflect an earlier genealogy, or have had cultural ties to the ancient city of Sippar (whose god was Utu, the sun god), dating back to the third millennium BC.[5]By the Hammurabi period, Marduk had become astrologically associated with the planet Jupiter.[6]Marduk and his dragon Mušḫuššu, from a Babylonian cylinder seal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marduk#/media/File:Marduk_and_pet.jpgMythology[edit] Babylonian[edit] Marduk's original character is obscure but he was later associated with water, vegetation, judgment, and magic.[7] His consort was the goddess Sarpanit.[8] He was also regarded as the son of Ea[9] (Sumerian Enki) and Damkina[10] and the heir of Anu, but whatever special traits Marduk may have had were overshadowed by the political development through which the Euphrates valley passed and which led to people of the time imbuing him with traits belonging to gods who in an earlier period were recognized as the heads of the pantheon.[11] There are particularly two gods—Ea and Enlil—whose powers and attributes pass over to Marduk.In the case of Ea, the transfer proceeded pacifically and without effacing the older god. Marduk took over the identity of Asarluhi, the son of Ea and god of magic, so that Marduk was integrated in the pantheon of Eridu where both Ea and Asarluhi originally came from. Ea, Marduk's father, voluntarily recognized the superiority of the son and hands over to him the control of humanity. This association of Marduk and Ea, while indicating primarily the passing of the supremacy once enjoyed by Eridu to Babylon as a religious and political centre, may also reflect an early dependence of Babylon upon Eridu, not necessarily of a political character but, in view of the spread of culture in the Euphrates valley from the south to the north, the recognition of Eridu as the older centre on the part of the younger one.Late Bronze Age[edit] While the relationship between Ea and Marduk is marked by harmony and an amicable abdication on the part of the father in favour of his son, Marduk's absorption of the power and prerogatives of Enlil of Nippur was at the expense of the latter's prestige. Babylon became independent in the early 19th century BC, and was initially a small city state, overshadowed by older and more powerful Mesopotamian states such as Isin, Larsa and Assyria. However, after Hammurabi forged an empire in the 18th century BC, turning Babylon into the dominant state in the south, the cult of Marduk eclipsed that of Enlil; although Nippur and the cult of Enlil enjoyed a period of renaissance during the over four centuries of Kassite control in Babylonia (c. 1595 BC–1157 BC), the definite and permanent triumph of Marduk over Enlil became felt within Babylonia.The only serious rival to Marduk after c. 1750 BC was the god Aššur (Ashur) (who had been the supreme deity in the northern Mesopotamian state of Assyria since the 25th century BC) which was the dominant power in the region between the 14th to the late 7th century BC. In the south, Marduk reigned supreme. He is normally referred to as Bel "Lord", also bel rabim "great lord", bêl bêlim "lord of lords", ab-kal ilâni bêl terêti "leader of the gods", aklu bêl terieti "the wise, lord of oracles", muballit mîte "reviver of the dead", etc.When Babylon became the principal city of southern Mesopotamia during the reign of Hammurabi in the 18th century BC, the patron deity of Babylon was elevated to the level of supreme god. In order to explain how Marduk seized power, Enûma Elish was written, which tells the story of Marduk's birth, heroic deeds and becoming the ruler of the gods. This can be viewed as a form of Mesopotamian apologetics. Also included in this document are the fifty names of Marduk.In Enûma Elish, a civil war between the gods was growing to a climactic battle. The Anunnaki gods gathered together to find one god who could defeat the gods rising against them. Marduk, a very young god, answered the call and was promised the position of head god.To prepare for battle, he makes a bow, fletches arrows, grabs a mace, throws lightning before him, fills his body with flame, makes a net to encircle Tiamat within it, gathers the four winds so that no part of her could escape, creates seven nasty new winds such as the whirlwind and tornado, and raises up his mightiest weapon, the rain-flood. Then he sets out for battle, mounting his storm-chariot drawn by four horses with poison in their mouths. In his lips he holds a spell and in one hand he grasps a herb to counter poison.First, he challenges the leader of the Anunnaki gods, the dragon of the primordial sea Tiamat, to single combat and defeats her by trapping her with his net, blowing her up with his winds, and piercing her belly with an arrow.Then, he proceeds to defeat Kingu, who Tiamat put in charge of the army and wore the Tablets of Destiny on his breast, and "wrested from him the Tablets of Destiny, wrongfully his" and assumed his new position. Under his reign humans were created to bear the burdens of life so the gods could be at leisure.Marduk was depicted as a human, often with his symbol the snake-dragon which he had taken over from the god Tishpak. Another symbol that stood for Marduk was the spade.Babylonian texts talk of the creation of Eridu by the god Marduk as the first city, "the holy city, the dwelling of their [the other gods'] delight". However, Eridu was founded in the 54th century BC and Marduk's ascendancy was in the second millennium BC, so this is clearly a revisionist back-dating to inflate the prestige of Marduk.The fifty names of Marduk[edit] Leonard W. King in The Seven Tablets of Creation (1902) included fragments of god lists which he considered essential for the reconstruction of the meaning of Marduk's name. Franz Bohl in his 1936 study of the fifty names also referred to King's list. Richard Litke (1958) noticed a similarity between Marduk's names in the An:Anum list and those of the Enuma elish, albeit in a different arrangement. The connection between the An:Anum list and the list in Enuma Elish were established by Walther Sommerfeld (1982), who used the correspondence to argue for a Kassite period composition date of the Enuma elish, although the direct derivation of the Enuma elish list from the An:Anum one was disputed in a review by Wilfred Lambert (1984).[12]Marduk Prophecy[edit] The Marduk Prophecy is a vaticinium ex eventu text[a] describing the travels of the Marduk cult statue[b] from Babylon. It relates his visit to the land of Ḫatti, corresponding to the statue's seizure during the sack of the city by Mursilis I in 1531 BC, Assyria. And when, Tukulti-Ninurta I overthrew Kashtiliash IV, taking the image to Assur and Elam in 1225 BC. Kudur-nahhunte then ransacked the city and pilfered the statue around 1160 BC. He[who?] addresses an assembly of the gods.The first two sojourns are described in glowing terms as good for both Babylon and the other places Marduk has graciously agreed to visit. The episode in Elam, however, is a disaster, where the gods have followed Marduk and abandoned Babylon to famine and pestilence. Marduk prophesies that he will return once more to Babylon to a messianic new king, who will bring salvation to the city and who will wreak a terrible revenge on the Elamites. This king is understood to be Nabu-kudurri-uṣur I, 1125-1103 BC.[13] Thereafter the text lists various sacrifices.A copy[14] was found in the House of the Exorcist at Assur, whose contents date from 713-612 BC and is closely related thematically to another vaticinium ex eventutext called the Shulgi prophecy, which probably followed it in a sequence of tablets. Both compositions present a favorable view of Assyria.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MardukThe mušḫuššu (formerly also read as sirrušu, sirrush) is a creature depicted on the reconstructed Ishtar Gate of the city of Babylon, dating to the 6th century B.C. As depicted, it is a mythological hybrid: a scaly dragon with hind legs resembling the talons of an eagle, feline forelegs, a long neck and tail, a horned head, a snake-like tongue, and a crest.The form mušḫuššu is the Akkadian nominative of the Sumerian 𒈲𒄭𒄊 MUŠ.ḪUS, lit. "reddish snake" sometimes also translated as "fierce snake".[1] One author,[2] possibly following others, translates it as "splendor serpent" (𒈲 MUŠ is the Sumerian term for "serpent". The reading sir-ruššu is due to a mistransliteration in early Assyriology.[3]).History[edit]Reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate at Pergamon Museum in Berlin. The mušḫuššu is the sacred animal of Marduk and his son Nabu during the Neo-Babylonian Empire. It was taken over by Marduk from Tishpak, the local god of Eshnunna.[4]The constellation Hydra was known in Babylonian astronomical texts as Bashmu, "the Serpent" (𒀯𒈲, MUL.dMUŠ). It was depicted as a snake drawn out long with the forepaws of a lion, no hind-legs, with wings, and with a head comparable to the mušḫuššudragon.[5][6] This monstrous serpent may have inspired the Greek Hydra.Bel and the Dragon, a deuterocanonical Biblical text, relates a story that Koldewey thought involved a mušḫuššu/sirrush. In a temple dedicated to Bel (Nebuchadnezzar's god), priests had a "great dragon or serpent, which they of Babylon worshipped."Daniel, the protagonist of the Book of Daniel, was confronted with this creature by the priests in the apocryphal text. (see Additions to Daniel) They challenged him to match his invisible God against their living god. Eventually, Daniel poisoned the creature.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MušḫuššuMarduk and his dragon Mušḫuššu, from a Babylonian cylinder seal and Cornelis Mahu (Flemish, 1613-1689) (copy), "dessert", oil on board oak, XVII w. Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marduk#/media/File:Marduk_and_pet.jpghttps://www.facebook.com/MuzeumNarodowe/photos/a.166518540026136.45086.134515693226421/1867292976615342/?type=3&theaterTRAPPIST-1, also designated as 2MASS J23062928-0502285,[6] is an ultra-cool red dwarf star[7][8] that is slightly larger but much more massive than the planet Jupiter, located 39.6 light-years (12.1 pc) from the Sun in the constellation Aquarius.[9][10] Seven temperate terrestrial planets have been detected orbiting the star, a larger number than detected in any other planetary system.[11][12] A study released in May 2017 suggests that the tightly packed exoplanets avoid colliding with one another due to orbits that are harmoniously resonant and, as a result, are stable for very long times.[13][14]Astronomers first discovered three Earth-sized planets orbiting the dwarf star in 2015. A team led by Michaël Gillon (fr) at the University of Liège in Belgium detected the planets using transit photometry with the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST) at the La Silla Observatory in Chile.[15][8][16] On 22 February 2017, astronomers announced four additional exoplanets around TRAPPIST-1. This work used the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope and the Very Large Telescope at Paranal, among others, and brought the total number of planets to seven, of which three are considered to be within its habitable zone.[17] The others could also be habitable as they may possess liquid water somewhere on their surface.[18][19][20] Depending on definition, up to six could be in the optimistic habitable zone (c, d, e, f, g, h), with estimated equilibrium temperatures of 170 K to 330 K.[21]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAPPIST-1http://www.trappist.one

So GRRM apparently said Bittersteel and Calla didn't have children, what do you think about this new information? What could be the reason for them to not have any child? Is it possible for either of them to have bastards? How does this information affect Aegon Blackfyre theory?

These are all fantastic questions, anon, and ones that my very patient followers/askers in my inbox have been waiting for me to talk about! I’ve been out of the loop on new asoiaf info due to feeling a little bummed out with fandom for a few months, so GRRM’s Summer 2018 interview actually slipped under my radar. I didn’t find any print transcripts of it when I did a hasty Google Search, so here’s a reddit thread talking about the revealed information; the only part that’s relevant to my answer is that when asked if Bittersteel aka Aegor Rivers had any offspring, GRRM replied with “No, I don’t think so.”

And now, to answer your questions under the very long and probably wanky cut:

Question 1: What do I think about this new information? Well, what GRRM said is a little different than Aegor and Calla not having children; he specifically said he thinks that Aegor probably didn’t have children. We have to consider whether or not GRRM would give out highly plot-relevant information in an interview years before the possible Big Reveal, so he might simply be lying (although I don’t recall whether or not he has directly lied before in an interview). Yet assuming this is the truth, I’m personally rather disappointed that Aegor probably didn’t have children for a few different reasons. Not because I support a theory with a ton of gaping holes in it that nobody else likes to talk about, but because I like Aegor Rivers as a(n idea of) a character and a lack of a close family life is just another personal tragedy of his.

However, the idea that Aegor never had sons (that reached fighting age/were able to fight) is from my point of view pretty clear from the text of twoiaf. I had pointed out to warsofasoiaf prior to making this account that the fact that Aegor’s sons were never mentioned in twoiaf is a strike against the Aegon Blackrivers theory; we don’t know much about Aegor, true, but we do know about his devotion to the Blackfyre cause and how Blackfyre family members personally fought in the rebellions in Westeros, so it would be out of character for Aegor not to have any putative able-bodied sons take the field. While perhaps they were too young to fight in the Third Blackfyre (especially if Aegor’s wife was in fact Calla, at least 13 years his junior), there is no excuse why they were not mentioned fighting alongside Daemon III or Maelys. The way Yandel describes leadership of the Golden Company is another strike against Aegor having sons or even later descendants; he writes that until Maelys the leadership was held by the descendants of Daemon Blackfyre rather than Aegor Rivers, and if the leadership was as nepotistic as Yandel implies, you’d think male descendants of Aegor Rivers would be the among first ones acclaimed captain-general after 241. But all of the known captains-general were Blackfyres rather than Aegor’s descendants (there was no way Aegor’s descendants would’ve been allowed to take the surname Blackfyre given the fear that he was wielding too much power over the cause, as both Daemon II’s failed Rebellion and Aenys’ arrival in Westeros demonstrates). I find it implausible that if Aegor Rivers had descendants the Golden Company would’n’t’ve known and kept them as safe as possible in anticipation of them at least joining the Company, if not fighting for the throne (certainly older exiles like Harry Strickland use their exile ancestry as a form of seniority over others, and a Bittersteel descendant would surely use his ancestry in Company politics).

But I would’ve liked Aegor to have had daughters. I think it could’ve been a bittersweet parallel to the Bracken sisters; that the sexual violence done to them by Aegon IV would give rise to women proud of their female ancestors who sought revenge on the Targaryens. After Aegon IV tortured and executed Bethany and her father and lover, Bethany’s lover Terrence Toyne was avenged by his biological brothers who killed Aemon the Dragonknight, but who was there to avenge her? She had no biological brothers, only a sister who had a son who grew up to spend his life trying to kill and displace Targaryens. It seemed that nobody cared what had happened to Bethany but Aegor. But if Aegor never had children, that lineage is dead and the cruel injuries done to Bethany and Barba can never be avenged by a direct descendant.

It’s just one more horrible thing that happened to Aegor Rivers, a character whom I admire because of his continued survival despite all odds, and it makes his character less interesting: Just like his mother’s, Aegor Rivers’ life was an unending string of tragedies; a permanent exile from 2 weeks old, at age 6 his aunt and grandfather were murdered by his sperm donor without due process, he was raised close to a disputed territory (the Mother’s Teats) that bore the scars of Targaryen cruelty (Daemon Targaryen’s dragon Caraxes had burned Bracken land in 129), and that’s not even getting into what the Targaryens/Brynd3n Riv3rs did to his chosen family the Blackfyres (they essentially slaughtered Daemon and his descendants like they weren’t human). I’d just like some hint that he could’ve been content; that maybe he was more than just an enemy for the Targs/Brynd3n Riv3rs to beat down over and over, but a character with his own life and loving bonds outside of war and tragedy. The idea that he had a wife and daughters introduced a possible different dimension to him; his descendants would’ve been a physical manifestation of his survival to live on in the face of hardship. Yet assuming GRRM speaks the truth, he was just as miserable in his personal life as he was in his dealings with Westeros.

Aegor Rivers having offspring would’ve further made him a foil for Brynd3n Riv3rs. Not because I don’t think Brynd3n Riv3rs didn’t have offspring (although I do believe he was childless), but because BR is very much associated with death and destruction. Every time he’s mentioned in D&E and aDwD, he is compared to a corpse. Each institution the Powers That Be put him in charge of he utterly ruins or dishonors, whether that be as Hand, Lord Commander of the Wall, or the Last Greenseer. By contrast, Aegor Rivers is shown to be a creator of institutions, founding a mercenary Company unusually known for its dedication to discipline, brotherhood, and honor. If he had had children, it would’ve forced the Aegor=life Brynd3n=death symbolism even harder, as Aegor would have physically created a bunch of children who lived beyond his own lifetime.

It just irritates me that GRRM seems to care so little about Aegor that he might not have even thought about him having children. That’s another interpretation to GRRM’s “I don’t think so” answer; that he put so little thought into the life of one of his more influential historical characters that he wasn’t even sure if he’d sired offspring (this is assuming, as I do, that Aegor’s possible descendants aren’t really relevant to the plot of asoiaf). GRRM has answered with “I’m not sure. I need to check my notes” to some questions about his secondary characters, such as where Oberyn Martell was during Robert’s Rebellion; and as of late he seems to have had trouble keeping his facts straight (he endorsed Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson writing twoiaf because they apparently knew canon better than he did. Which does not make me hopeful for future book releases), but he doesn’t seem to have even had notes on the subject. And either in the same interview or one shortly before/after, GRRM confirmed that in the face of all logic, Brynd3n Riv3rs was allowed to take Dark Sister with him to the Wall despite being a criminal to the Crown with the only Valyrian sword the Targaryens had in their possession. So not only did GRRM flatten and dismiss Bittersteel’s character, but he further nullified one of the few times Bl00draven ever got comeuppance for his atrocities. There’s no sense of balance to their conflict; everything somehow goes BR’s way while BS is condemned to live a life of misery and fade away into nothing. And, contrary to what GRRM likely wanted, this double standard only makes me pity Aegor more and pray for BR’s painful death.

Question 2: What could be the reason for [Aegor and Calla] not to have a child? We know so little about what happened between Aegor and Calla that I think it’s best to look at what we do know—that shortly before the First Blackfyre Rebellion, Daemon I agreed to wed Calla to Aegor—and then examine possible answers to the outcome of Aegor+Calla being childless. Solutions that I can think of, in order of how plausible I think they are:

The marriage was never consummated: Aegor had a Targaryen sperm donor, sure, but he was raised by the Brackens and spent his life fighting against Targaryen supremacy. The idea that incest (one of the most obvious parts of Targaryens believing themselves above others) disgusted him isn’t impossible. That Calla was at least 13 years his junior and knew him since she was a child could’ve disgusted them both further. Also, Aegor was often away fighting in mercenary companies, which decreased the amount of time the two spent together to consummate. Therefore they could’ve had a sham marriage meant only to bind Aegor and the Blackfyres closer together. However, I consider this the least likely answer because 1) Yandel implies that Aegor suggested the marriage in the first place and 2) Aegor is characterized as being very focused on the Blackfyre Cause to the point of losing many of his scruples by the Fourth Rebellion (referring to his ineffectual alliance with Torwyn Greyjoy, a traditional enemy of his Riverlands home), so he’d hardly balk at uncle-niece incest.

Either Aegor or Calla were biologically unable to have children: If this is true, my money is on Aegor, since female fertility in GRRM-land seems to be passed on from mother to daughter. They stayed married until Aegor’s death in 241, and because Calla was 45-56 at the time, she never had any other children.

Calla died before she could have children, perhaps in childbirth: I hate, hate, hate this possibility since it reduces and then fridges a female character for her ability to bear children, but given GRRM’s track record of killing off married female characters in childbirth, it’s a plausible explanation. Aegor never remarried after her death and so also died childless.

Daemon I only agreed to wed the two; he didn’t even officially betrothe them, let alone had a wedding. Thus the marriage never took place at all because…

Calla died before they could wed. I also hate this possibility for creating and killing off a female character to be a cheap red herring, but again I wouldn’t put it past GRRM. In this instance, there’s a historical parallel in the figure of Princess Louisa Stuart, James "the Old Pretender” Stuart’s sister who died unmarried at age 19 from an outbreak of smallpox that struck both siblings. The same results ensued as in part C.

There was no political advantage for it to occur, so Calla married someone else: If you think Aegor was a bad match for a would-be Princess when he was a landless knight dependent on the charity of the Brackens/Blackfyres, think of how much worse he was as a landless exile in a society where knighthood and birth were largely irrelevant, he was geographically and doubtlessly monetarily cut off from the Brackens, and the Blackfyres themselves were desperate for wealthy allies. Although Calla had at least two other sisters (Calla was the eldest rather than elder daughter, implying that she had more than one sister), Rohanne was not going to waste her marriage potential on a penniless sellsword while the Targaryens were trying to curb her influence in Tyrosh via wedding two of their princes to Kiera. No, Calla and her siblings needed to make matches with powerful Tyroshi or other wealthy Essosi families in order to get the funds, ships, and armies to invade Westeros. Remember that Aegor’s chief strength, the Golden Company, didn’t materialize until 212 when Calla was 16-27 and very likely already married to an aforementioned noble.

Calla had children and her descendants still live in Tyrosh: GRRM’s response doesn’t indicate that Calla never had children, especially since it wasn’t made clear that she and Aegor even married. Bear with my tinfoil for a second, but her name indicates that she did have children. We’re supposed to pay attention to Calla’s name because it’s non-Valyrian, unique in book!canon, and above all, a flower name. GRRM loves his flower significance, most famously with Lyanna’s blue roses (unattainable, mysterious, rare beauty) but also with Jonquils (desire, vanity, a happy marriage) and the white water lilies of Maidenpool (purity, peace, spiritual enlightenment). In Calla’s case, the calla lily is a symbol of peace, Christ’s resurrection, and rebirth in the springtime. It’s also known for being able to survive harsh elements and is an odd misnomer (technically neither a calla nor a lily, but its own genus). Considering the strong rebirth connotations calla lilies have, I believe that Calla is the most likely Blackfyre child to have living descendants. That’s not to say that she is the only child of Daemon I to have them (see section 4.4.1 for further speculation on that front), but the implications of her name plus general Nominal Importance (she’s the only Blackfyre descendant we know of not to die horribly and she’s the only named female) indicate that she’s the person through which the Blackfyres survived.

Question 3: Is it possible for either [Aegor or Calla] to have bastards? If 2b is untrue and both Aegor and Calla were fertile, then it’s certainly possible for them to have bastards. After all, we know little about Aegor and even less about Calla. There are rumors that Aegor was in love with Shiera Seastar, and he was so often away from Tyrosh that it’s possible he had an extramarital affair. As for Calla, it is less likely for her to have a bastard (you’d think that if she did, Yandel would’ve mentioned it to discredit Aegor and the Blackfyres even further), but I guess it’s possible for her to have been like her grandmother Daena in that respect. But is it likely? I don’t think so. Maybe it’s just my headcanons firing away, but my idea of Aegor is someone who’s incredibly insecure about sex/sexuality due to what happened with Barba and Bethany; ergo, I don’t believe he would have recreational sex with a woman not his wife. As for Calla, she was part of a family under a lot of pressure to behave appropriately so as to give neither the Tyroshi nor the Blackfyre exiles cause for complaint. I do believe she had legitimate children (see 2.4.2), just apparently not with Aegor.

Question 4: How does this information affect Aegon Blackfyre theory? Compared to GRRM’s answers regarding other fan theories, this one is a pretty direct NO GO. Granted, it’s somewhat cagey (he simply said he probably thinks Aegor he didn’t have offspring, not any other Blackfyres), but think about how he’s responded elsewhere:

Example 1: When asked about Jon Snow’s death, he responded with a dry “You really think he’s dead, do you?” so he’s not afraid of acknowledging a twist most readers already anticipated.

Example 2: On a more important and impactful theory, R+L=J, he refused to confirm or rebut any useful information; specifically, when asked if any Stark other than Ned had children, he said that Benjen was at the Wall, Brandon could’ve sired Snows, and Lyanna died. That non-answer regarding Lyanna was often toted as evidence in favor of R+L=J until the show confirmed it in Season 6.

Example 3: When asked on his blog whether or not those who believe Sansa Stark and Jon Snow will reunite and get married/rule Winterfell together by the end of the series are right, he responded “Not going to say anymore than I have already” which is not the outright dismissal a supposed crackship (or not so crackship, as he’s outright dismissed more popular ships before) would’ve merited.

Thus: GRRM could’ve chosen to avoid or subtly answer the question like he did in these three examples, but he chose to outright confirm that Aegor likely didn’t have children. Up to this point, the most popular subtheory of Aegon VI’s alternate parentage was that he was a descendant of Aegor and Calla, based on Illyrio Mopatis’ claim that Maelys was the last male-line Blackfyre and the fact that Aegon VI has the support of the Bittersteel-founded Golden Company. Now GRRM’s response seems to have brought that theory down; Aegor had no children, so Aegon VI could not be his descendant.

However, rebutting Aegon Blackrivers is not the same as rebutting Aegon Blackfyre. There are several of Daemon’s children who are not confirmed to have died childless: Haegon had at least three sons who may’ve had daughters, Aenys may’ve had daughters, the two youngest sons of Daemon I may’ve had children, Calla may’ve had children by someone other than Aegor, Calla had at least two sisters who could’ve had children, and Captain Daemon Blackfyre and Maelys could’ve had daughters. The potential candidates for female-line Blackfyres is still rather large. The idea that the Golden Company would allow their king’s descendant to grow up apart from them on a poleboat amidst a bunch of Westerosi exiles rather than in Tyrosh actually learning statecraft from his noble family is a strange one, but I leave those explanations to those who actually believe in the theory. (For my part, I believe Illyrio when he said no Blackfyre will take the Golden Company home, but a Targaryen will. He just may not be the Targaryen Westeros or the readers expected.)

In conclusion, I am disappointed that Aegor Rivers was confirmed to not have had children due to character- rather than theory-based reasons; I would’ve preferred that a character that had faced such adversity had a physical representation of his survival in some descendants, but I can live with the Golden Company being his legacy. There are any number of reasons why he never had any legitimate children, but I like to think it was because he remained unwed and devoted to the Blackfyre Cause while Calla had children with someone else. I’ve read some writings by those who subscribe to the Aegon Blackfyre theory, and I can only hope that this new information teaches fandom to speculate a bit more kindly. If someone disagrees with your theory for whatever reason, never call them delusional or say that they are “just fooling themselves.” Never take any theory as obvious, as everything is speculation until confirmed by canon or Word of G-d. Always consider other people’s arguments and try to build your theory based on the text rather than warp the text to fit your theory. And above all, listen with compassion.

Thank you for your interesting set of questions, anon. I hope that I have done them justice in my response.

Hulu New Releases: December 2020

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As the year winds down, streaming services appear to be taking a step back, licking their wounds from this strange pandemic production season, and looking to a hopefully brighter future. This is all to say that Hulu‘s list of new releases for December 2020 isn’t quite its most inspiring batch yet…and that’s OK.

Hulu’s biggest original title this month is undoubtedly The Hardy Boys. This adaptation of the classic boy detective novels is aimed at younger audiences and will premiere on Dec. 4. Then, near the end of the month, Hulu is bringing a new season of a show that is decidedly not for younger audiences. Season 9 of the very funny and very Canadian Letterkenny arrives on Dec. 26.

Hulu also has some recent movies of note coming in December including Amy Seimetz’s diabolical She Dies Tomorrow on Dec. 4 and children’s movie The Secret Garden on Dec. 6. The real appeal this month, however, is undoubtedly in the older library titles. All three installments of The Lord of the Rings trilogy arrive on Dec. 1, as do Eyes Wide Shut, 50 First Dates, and several Bond movies. With those alone, there are plenty of options for cinematic background noise through the holiday season.

Hulu New Releases – December 2020

December 1 

CMA Country Christmas: Special (ABC)     

Disney Holiday Singalong: Special (ABC) 

Lupin the 3rd Part 5:  Complete Season 1 (Dubbed & Subbed) (TMS) 

30 Days of Night (2007) 

50 First Dates (2004) 

About Last Night (1986) 

Angels & Demons (2009) 

Any Given Sunday (1999) 

Black Dynamite (2009) 

Body of Evidence (1993) 

Cake (2006) 

Charlotte’s Web (1973) 

Cliffhanger (1993) 

Con Air (1997) 

Diary Of A Mad Black Woman (2005) 

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005) 

Dr. No (1962) 

Dragonball: Evolution (2009) 

Euphoria (2018) 

Eyes Wide Shut (1999) 

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006) 

Goldeneye (1995) 

Goldfinger (1964) 

Hemingway’s Garden of Eden (2010) 

Here On Earth (1999) 

Hot Air (2018) 

Into the Blue (2005) 

Love Potion No. 9 (1992) 

Our Family Wedding (2009) 

Sands of Iwo Jima (1950) 

Shrink (2009) 

Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) 

Southside With You (2016) 

Strategic Air Command (1955) 

Sunshine (2007) 

The 6th Day (2000) 

The Chumscrubber (2005) 

The Client (1994) 

The Color of Money (1986) 

The Da Vinci Code (2006) 

The Fifth Element (1997) 

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992) 

The Hulk (2003) 

The Hurt Locker (2008) 

The January Man (1989) 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001) 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) 

The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emperor (2008) 

The November Man (2014) 

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) 

The Young Victoria (2009) 

True Confessions (1981) 

Two Weeks (2006) 

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) 

Why Did I Get Married? (2007) 

December 4 

The Hardy Boys: Complete Season 1 (Hulu Original) 

Brassic: Complete Season 2 (ITV) 

Deutschland 89: Complete Season 1 (Sundance) 

My Hero Academia: Complete Season 4 (Dubbed) (Funimation) 

She Dies Tomorrow (2020) 

December 5 

Black Ops (2020) 

God’s Own Country (2017) 

It Had To Be You (2015) 

Mr. Jones (2020) 

Waiting For The Barbarians (2020) 

December 6      

How To Fake A War (2019) 

The Secret Garden (2020) 

December 7      

Valley Girl (2020) 

December 8      

Nurses: Series Premiere (NBC)

The Fairy Princess and the Unicorn (2020) 

December 10    

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical! (NBC) 

Out Stealing Horses (2019) 

December 11    

Madagascar: A Little Wild: Complete Season 2 (Hulu Original) 

Rent-A-Pal (2020) 

Spy Cat (2020) 

December 12      

Endless (2020) 

December 15      

Dirt Music (2019) 

Hitman: Agent 47 (2015) 

December 16      

Amy Winehouse: A Final Goodbye (2016) 

December 18      

The Hero (2017) 

December 21 

NOS4A2: Complete Season 2 (AMC) 

December 22 

You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020) 

December 23 

Someone Marry Barry (2014) 

The Little Hours (2017) 

December 25 

Soldiers of Fortune (2012) 

December 26 

Letterkenny: Complete Season 9 (Hulu Original) 

December 27 

The Masked Singer: Season 5 Premiere (FOX)

American Animals (2018) 

December 28 

Hope Gap (2020) 

Our Idiot Brother (2011) 

December 31 

Bayou Caviar (2018) 

Supervized (2019)

Leaving Hulu – December 2020

December 8 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again (2016) 

December 14 

Baby…Secret Of The Lost Legend (1985) 

December 16 

The Good Shepherd (2006) 

December 31 

30 Days of Night (2007) 

A Beautiful Mind (2001) 

A Nanny For Christmas (2010) 

A View to a Kill (1985) 

About Last Night (1986) 

Aeon Flux (2005) 

Alien Nation (1988) 

Anti-Trust (2001) 

Antwone Fisher (2002) 

Any Given Sunday (1999) 

Back to School (1986) 

Barbershop (2002) 

Black Dynamite (2009) 

Blood Ties (2014) 

Broadcast News (1987) 

Cliffhanger (1993) 

Crimson Tide (1995) 

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) 

Diary Of A Mad Black Woman (2005) 

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005) 

Dr. No (1962) 

Drugstore Cowboy (1989) 

Flashback (1990) 

For Your Eyes Only (1981) 

From Russia with Love (1964) 

Goldeneye (1995) 

Goldfinger (1964) 

Good Hair (2009) 

Grizzly Man (2005) 

House Of 1000 Corpses (2003) 

I Spy (2002) 

Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) 

Interview With the Vampire (1994) 

Into the Blue (2005) 

Joe (2014) 

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011) 

Kicking & Screaming (2005) 

Kiss The Girls (1997) 

Knocked Up (2007) 

Licence to Kill (1989) 

Little Giants (1994) 

Live and Let Die (1973) 

Lord Of War (2005) 

Lost In Space (1998) 

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) 

March of the Penguins (2005) 

Moonraker (1979) 

Mr. Majestyk (1974) 

Mud (2013) 

My Bloody Valentine (1981) 

Not Another Teen Movie (2001) 

Nurse 3D (2014) 

Octopussy (1983) 

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) 

Pacific Heights (1990) 

Platoon (1986) 

Raging Bull (1980) 

Ronin (1998) 

Senorita Justice (2004) 

Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) 

Slow Burn (2007) 

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) 

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) 

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) 

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) 

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) 

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) 

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007) 

Thanks for Sharing (2013) 

The 6th Day (2000) 

The Bourne Identity (2002) 

The Bourne Supremacy (2004) 

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) 

The Client (1994) 

The Color of Money (1986) 

The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (2011) 

The End of Violence (1997) 

The Express (2008) 

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992) 

The Hulk (2003) 

The Kingdom Of Heaven (2005) 

The Living Daylights (1987) 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001) 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) 

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) 

The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emperor (2008) 

The Net (1995) 

The Saint (1997) 

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) 

The Weather Man (2005) 

The World is Not Enough (1999) 

The Young Victoria (2009) 

This Christmas (2007) 

Thunderball (1965) 

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) 

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) 

Wanted (2008) 

Why Did I Get Married? (2007) 

Wild Hogs (2007) 

Wild Things (1998) 

William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996) 

Working Girl (1988) 

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You Only Live Twice (1967)

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