There's no help for it...House Stark of Winterfell are, to me, forever synonymous with deep winter and snow. Blame it on the long cold adolescent evenings I spent curled up reading into a world that left me wading through snow drifts and riding wind currents across jagged cliffs and scenic ice walls, falling beside a highly noble family that is so deeply rooted to their rugged North, their family words perfectly reflect their practical and hardened nature: Winter is coming.

There is nothing I can say enough to praise Game of Thrones - it quite simply isn't your grandmother’s fantasy. The characters are fully fleshed people, with an intensely rich history that sets up the world for a twisting plot of political intrigue. It's nitty-gritty, bloody, and you can throw any expectations you have for any of it right out the window; the reality of the world makes its characters victim to it's cruel whims, and you will find yourself unwittingly laughing and falling in love with characters as easily as you find yourself spiteful and screaming for justice. Thanks, HBO!

For those who are curious as to how closely this relates to the book, it's pretty close. The only concern I have with it is some of the actors that were cast. They don't quite fit the descriptions in the book. Otherwise, the series does as good of a job as it can to be faithful to the book.