GAME OF THRONES REVIEW: THE DOOR

The latest episode of Game of Thrones gave me both thrills and chills for a variety of different reasons. To begin with, I am glad we finally discovered the origins of the White Walkers. Knowing their origins, the White Walkers are similar to nuclear weapons in the sense that they were created by the Children of the Forest to serve as a deterrent towards the First Men, but they also had the power to destroy their creators. In the end, the White Walkers were like Frankenstein’s monster and turned on their creators. I hope Bran Stark will make it back to The Wall alive and come out of his warg dream so he can fulfill his destiny.

In addition, I believe that Theon and Yara Greyjoy are going to replace Victarion Greyjoy’s storyline in that they will take the Iron Fleet to Daenerys Targaryen and win her support. The reason for this would be to not only gain the numbers and influence they would need to conquer the mainland, but also to avenge their father. In a sense, Daenerys and the ironborn need each other because Daenerys has infantry and cavalry and no navy while the ironborn have a navy, but no infantry or cavalry. In this sense, they would be very beneficial to one another.

This episode Brienne of Tarth heading towards the Riverlands to recruit the Tullys to the Stark cause, which gives me the feeling that this is where we will see Lady Stoneheart. If that is the case, I cannot wait to see Freys “hanging around” in the trees. I am concerned with Sansa Stark and Jon Snow because it looks like even if they rally all Northern Houses that are loyal to House Stark, they are stilled outnumbered. Even though Littlefinger is greedy, selfish, and treacherous, I think he is a necessary evil because based on the mathematics of Sansa Stark’s situation, she and Jon Snow may need The Vale’s support against the Boltons since their military is at full strength.

Also, I am pleased with Tyrion Lannister’s political skills in that he won the allegiance of the Red Temple of Volantis. As it has been proven time and again, religion can be a powerful political tool and Tyrion will use the priests of the Lord of Light to spread pro-Daenerys propaganda.

Now that the lair of the three-eyed raven has been destroyed, nothing now stands between the White Walkers and The Wall. Winter is so close, I can already feel the air freezing and see the darkness spreading like a plague. Brace yourselves for The Long Night!

CONCEPT: THREE RACES

I decided to add a little diversity into the setting of my sequel series. At first, I wanted there to just be two distinct races: normal humans (no powers) and neohumans (with powers). However, I thought of providing my readers with the point of view of a third race: artificial intelligence. I got the idea from various fantasy stories, which feature multiple races such as humans, elves, and dwarves. However, my story will be strictly science fiction because it will take place in an interstellar government inhabited by three unique races. Through this idea, you would see the perspectives of each race. With normal humans, they would be mere mortals who take their lives for granted and their limited lifespans makes them relatively naive and short-sighted in comparison to their inhuman neighbors. From the neohumans’ perspective, they would be immortal super humans who would feel haughty and cynical due to their immense powers and advanced lifespans. For androids and robots, they would be driven by logic but long to connect with their organic neighbors. Each of these races has something new to add to the table and I cannot wait to elaborate this further.

CONCEPT: COSTUME EVOLUTION

I had an interesting idea for one of the main characters in my sequel series. Out of all the protagonists, this individual will undergo the most costume changes throughout his superhero career. The reason for this is because he will be significantly injured on multiple occasions, which results in his uniform being damaged several times. This would allow his costume and equipment to evolve throughout the series. He will begin with a basic spandex and simple equipment, but as he fights in various battles, he will upgrade his uniform and weaponry into a more high-tech and hardened version. This would also symbolize the character’s evolution as a superhero from a rookie to a veteran.

GAME OF THRONES PREDICTIONS: THE LONG NIGHT

The event that I look forward to the most in Game of Thrones is the second coming of The Long Night, which was a darkness and winter that lasted a generation. Throughout the show, we witnessed the White Walkers building their undead army and gradually marching towards The Wall. Meanwhile, The War of the Five Kings has left the Seven Kingdoms more weak and vulnerable than they have ever been, which makes them ripe for conquest for either Daenerys Targaryen or the White Walkers.

As of current events, Ramsay Snow has threatened both the Night’s Watch and their wildling allies. I predict that the resulting conflict between the Boltons, Night’s Watch, and wildlings will weaken The Wall’s defenders, leaving it vulnerable to attack. If The Wall is breached, Westeros will fall! The North will be the first kingdom hit by the White Walkers’ onslaught and by the time word spreads of what is happening, it will be too late and the other kingdoms will be easy prey. We have seen the White Walkers themselves and their undead army, but we have yet to see the pale spiders that are as big as hounds.

However, I believe there will be a reincarnation of The Last Hero from the first Long Night. I suspect that this new Last Hero will be either Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, or Bran Stark.

If Daenerys Targaryen finds a way across The Narrow Sea, she will have the largest and most powerful army in the known world, consisting of over 8,000 Unsullied, 2,000 sellswords, now 100,000 Dothraki, and three dragons. With those numbers and firepower at her disposal, she could be a serious ally against the White Walkers especially due to their weakness to fire. Also, due to her family’s dark reputation, no one in the Seven Kingdoms would accept her claim to the Iron Throne, but if she were to arrive during the White Walkers’ invasion, she can be regarded as a savior and more of Westeros would accept her.

As for Jon Snow, when word spreads that he came back from the dead, he might become a symbol for The North to rally behind after the Boltons are dealt with. Since The North is the kingdom closest to The Wall, if Jon Snow can unite The North, they would be the first line of defense against the White Walkers and stall them until either Daenerys arrives or the rest of the kingdoms unite.

I am intrigued by Bran Stark’s training under the three-eyed raven because he has immense potential in magic, which could turn him into the Merlin of the Game of Thrones universe. Once his training under the three-eyed raven is complete and he learns his role in the war to come, I think Bran will become an irreplaceable asset against the White Walkers. Also, he could use his knowledge of the past, present, and future to guide the Seven Kingdoms to the desired outcome.

In the end of this new Long Night, I think the Seven Kingdoms will become even more unified than they ever were before. The reason for this is because when the first Long Night came, it allowed the hundred kingdoms of the First Men to unite into The North, becoming a more cohesive nation. Due to this, I think the same will happen to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms if they survive the new Long Night that is. Either way, I look forward to seeing how events will unfold.

Overall, this season on Game of Thrones, Winter is here . . . and the dead come with it!

SUPERHUMAN ASSASSIN

The skills of an assassin is undeniably lethal whether if they are killers for hire or just kill for the fun of it. Their profession would require them to be proficient in the use of firearms, edged weapons, poisons, and stealth. While assassins who are mere mortals are deadly enough, I wonder what it would be like if there was a superhuman who had powers that revolved specifically around assassination. Since they would be a killer, this assassin would be a lethal supervillain and I am already thinking of ways to include this individual in my sequel series. I am thinking this assassin could be one of the first supervillains the characters in my sequel series will face when they emerge from exile.

HEROES REBUILT

As I continue to write the updated edition of my sequel series, I thought of how the Young Guardians would emerge from exile. If they are forced to rebuild their organization from the ground up, they would require serious benefactors and allies with financial and political influence. They would need someone to fund their operations, someone with political connections to keep hostile parties off their scent, and scientists to build their weapons and equipment. These would be three of many necessary allies that the Young Guardians would need to start anew in a world that has all but forgotten the meaning of the word “superhero”. These individuals would add more insight to inner workings of the futuristic world and provide political suspense. I cannot wait to tinker with these thoughts further.

CONCEPT: THE RECKLESS HERO

One of the main characters of my sequel series will be the archetype for a hero who is arrogant, reckless, and impulsive. The reason for his haughty personality derives from his intense power and gives him a sense of invincibility. However, this cocky nature makes him careless and prone to taking foolish risks. This along with his tendency to become an adrenaline junkie would make him the comic relief of the team. Sadly, as the first volume proceeds this character will receive a savagely brutal lesson in humility while fighting an individual who is significantly more powerful than him, which would add more to his development. I look forward to writing his part of the story.