House of the Dragon, Blood Meridian

After the final season of Game of Thrones the last thing which I thought I'd want to be seeing is another series based in that world. But time passes, disappointment moves aside and we are willing to allow things back in again. I was by no means as upset by the end of GoT as some people were. For sure I was disappointed but I understood that by forcing to wrap up the show with one last series would prove difficult. 

House of the Dragon is very much a different show to Game of Thrones. Set in Westeros far before the events of Game of Thrones, HotD is more to the style of a drama. Most of the action on screen takes place in courts, rooms, gatherings. It is more focused on the relationships,  conflicts which the cast of characters have amongst themselves. So far we have seen a great share of dragons, yet not all that much of scale in terms of wars except for a brief period earlier on in the series. 

I don't think this is in any way a bad thing, quite the opposite of this actually. It is by no means a replica of the previous show. It has done a great job of showing us the heights and lives of the Targaerens whilst at the apex of their powers. We have references to Game of Thrones throughout. It is rewarding to watch as a previous viewer of the land of Westeros, and a fresh take of the fantasy genre. 

It has some pacing issues with earlier episodes being slow and building gradually to a point of interest. This is by far one of the weaker points of the show and from a viewing the show on a weekly basis can feel early on as if the story isn't heading anywhere. Or unsure of what we could be leading to. 

At this point now however, many intriguing things have happened and investment in the show feels all the more worthwhile. Tensions are at all time highs and I am excited to see what is to happen on the next episode (s1ep9).

Earlier this year I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It is a darkly beautiful story of a man and son trying to survive in a post apocalyptic America. I decided to read what some considered his greatest novel, Blood Meridian. 

I really enjoyed Blood Meridian. It is western which is heavily descriptive and violent. Its a place of nightmare appearance, people collect scalps of natives for money and murder is common place. Cormac McCarthy is a master craftsman of words and language. The places and people come across concise and frighteningly clear. The Judge, 7 foot tall, is like a kind of mythical being from the way Cormac introduces him to us and details him throughout. 

It felt unique from other novels that I have read previously. It's a kind of odyssey-like journey carried on through the view of a western in the 1850s. The story follows the Kid, fourteen years old and just making his way out into the world. His travels see him meet a vast array of characters such as the Judge, Glanton, Toadvine and others. It's kind of a collection of moments throughout his quest gathered up to make an epic Western. It doesn't follow a traditional narrative or plot, we are just thrust alongside them all and see how things unfold as they play out.

I plan to read a ton more McCarthy in the near future. I have copies of No Country for Old Men and All The Pretty Horses. I know that he also will be releasing brand new novels this fall as well, (The Passenger and Stella Maris). Among that he has written some other works I'd like to read like Suttree, The Crossing, Child of God, Outer Dark and more.