Calling all Game of Thrones fans!

GOT Book Review by The Extra Family Collage We are delighted to be able to share a post with you from the extras of HBO’s Game of Thrones. All this week we will be adding new voices and new reviews of Inside Game of Thrones Volume II from the amazing extras team. 

Stephanie Dodds:’This fantastic book came along just at the  right time !  I was a newbie to Game Of Thrones, Stephanie Doddshaving only getting round to watching the TV show over Christmas 2014 and what a show, I am now hooked.

Well this book has proven to me to be an essential piece of reading and has helped me keep up to date with who’s who, because as we know some people live and a lot of people die.

The book has lots of information from finding locations, great photography, some insight from the Director, the writers, the actors and many more, even down to the fine details of the costume designs.

Can tell from reading that so, so much goes into the making of The Game Of Thrones, the people who work on and of set go above and beyond bringing this Show to are TV screens.  The best part is the way this book gives a brief history of all the characters, (my personal favourite will always be Tyrion) all about the houses they are from, what their own story is, the role they play and why they are so determined that the right person in their eyes sits on The Iron Throne.’

Jim McDowell: ‘I cannot recommend this book enough for the game of thrones fan in your life. Full of info, behindjim the scenes stuff, photos (many of them with northern Ireland looking awesome) and interviews.

Jessica Odell: ‘The ever-increasing popularity of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novels and TV shows has led to an explosion of, for lack of a better word, stuff. Merchandise is everywhere, from dragon eggs to coffee mugs emblazoned with any sigil you can imagine from Westeros and beyond. Here in Northern Ireland, however, we have a special attachment to the series. Some of us get to live it as crew and extras. Anyone can visit many of the filming locations, such as the Dark Hedges… better known to the GOT fandom as the King’s Road. But we only ever get to see snippets, brief glimpses into the world created by Martin.

Thanks to C.A. Taylor, and of course HBO, Orion Books, and Gollancz, everyone can see behind the scenes of the third and fourth seasons of this epic drama. There are 192 full color glossy pages for fans to devour, and it is hard to know where to begin to describe them. Taylor takes us into the minds of the writers, producers, and actors with tons of interviews. Interspersed between the more-typical interview sections are insights into just about everything that goes on in the production. We get to see set amd costume design, amd even how the opening credits scene was created.Jessica Odell

The book follows the seasons, bringing up how some of the best episodes in each season was filmed, how locations were chosen, and how props and costumes were made. Characters we know and love..or hate..are given their own backgrounds, and the history of the major houses are laid out. Warging is explained, as well as how the direwolves were filmed. And then the dragons. No book about Thrones would be complete without some details about the dragons!

Each section, each page, comes to life with sketches, detailed artwork, and stills from both the final show and behind the scenes action. I’ve read the books, and have seen the TV shows. I’ve been on set, and done the “touristy” visit to the Hedges. Taylor’s book puts everything into a new perspective, and truly gives anyone a feeling of actually being there. A must-have for any die-hard Game of Thrones fan. Just make sure they’ve seen both seasons, as the book is chock-full of spoilers!’

Claire Childs: ‘So much goes on behind the scenes of a film unseen. The incredible set building and maintenance, the Clare Childscostume design and the stunts. I was amazed to read that the flaming sword fight in the cave was not CGI. The heat would have been immense in that armour in the small cave while executing such risky stunts. I was also fascinated by the fact that two teams resurfaced the ice wall every night for a fortnight in between shoots. And that the building of the cave of roots took £1000 of nails to harness the many painted Rhododendron roots. As well as the technical details this books gives an insight into the people in front and behind the cameras. What the director thought of the script writers and whom each actor would kill off next if they could choose. This book is both funny and entertaining. I now want to watch the series again while looking out for all the details. A great read.’

Can’t wait for the next episode of Game of Thrones ? Why not flip through Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones Volume II with us?

Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones Volume II is out now in hardback and eBook. You can also pick up or download Inside HBOs’s Game of Thrones Volume I out now in hardback and eBook.
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