The Fireside

This week, we had the season finale of Season 5 [Part B] and it has also been announced that Season 6 will be the end of the show. However, since it'll be 20 episodes, expect it to be once again split into 2: Season 6 [Part A] and Season 6 [Part B]. I'm hoping that the final episode of the entire show will be approx 90 minutes, as well as possibly Episode 11 (the first episode of Part B.) On the ending of the show, creator Michael Hirst has this to say: "I always knew where I wanted the show to go and more or less where it would end if I was given the opportunity. What I was trying to do was write the saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons. After six seasons and 89 episodes, that’s what I felt — finally — I’d done. We stopped shooting the final episode in November last year and I felt that I’d said all I needed to say about Ragnar and his sons. I told my saga, and I’d been very fortunate to be given that opportunity by MGM and History. I had no reason to want to ...

So I wanted to do up a post about beer. I am fond of craft beer, to be precise. Now, that being said, I'm a fan of traditional styles: ales, amber, stouts, porters, etc. Those types, served in a pint glass. I'm all for experimenting and trying new things; however within moderation. Very often, I see what appears to be orange juice served in what appears to be a wine glass. And usually, the name or ingredients of that beer does not sound appealing - as BEER. For that reason, I'm going to list off some breweries, to give an idea of the types of beers that I do enjoy. I should also add that I like some UK imports, due to the type of beer. WHITEWATER BREWING CO 78 Hwy 17, Cobden, ON K0J 1K0 Beer Listing: http://whitewaterbeer.ca/our-beer/ Their flagship beer would probably be the Farmer's Daughter Blonde Ale. My overall favourite, though, is the Whistling Paddler English Ale. They are no longer 'up and coming' as their reputation is well-known in t...

This is most unexpected, indeed! Robert Jordan's first novel is going to published. This is not connected to The Wheel of Time, and is standalone (unless the manuscript is physically too large to print as one book.) Tor.com has announced the book here: https://www.tor.com/2019/01/18/robert-jordan-warrior-of-the-altaii-coming-from-tor-books-in-2019/ You can read more about it here: https://dragonmount.com/index/featured-homepage-article/warrior-of-the-altaii/ Draw near and listen, or else time is at an end. The watering holes of the Plain are drying up, the fearsome fanghorn grow more numerous, and bad omens abound. Wulfgar, a leader of the Altaii people, must contend with twin queens, warlords, prophets and magic in hopes of protecting his people and securing their future. Elspeth, a visitor from another world, holds the answers, but first Wulfgar must learn to ask the right questions. But what if the knowledge that saves the Altaii will also destroy them? Publication ...

What follows is TOR's post about the excerpt titled A Fire Within the Ways from the upcoming Unfettered III anthology coming in March: Tor.com is excited to offer an excerpt from “A Fire Within the Ways,” a deleted novella (!!) from The Wheel of Time ,  and a fascinating look into the process of A Memory of Light , the final volume in Jordan’s epic, came together. A Note From Brandon Sanderson During the editing of every novel, you realize that certain scenes just aren’t working. There are a variety of reasons this happens, and while removing those scenes is always one of the most difficult parts of the creation process, it functions like the proverbial pruning of a tree—providing room for other scenes to grow. In the end, the book is better off. That said, I’m always looking for places to show off scenes like these. They not only expose something I find very interesting about the process, but they often have gems in them that I am eager to share. (The scene with Gaul...

There have been some new developments in some things I am interested in I wish to address on my blog, despite how outdated the news may be. I don't get to write (in general) nearly as much as I'd like. Now, I'd like to share my thoughts and opinions on Netflix's forthcoming Narnia project(s). Before I do, please note that this appears to be a total reboot / remake, unlike Amazon's Middle-earth series - they're not 'retelling' The Lord of the Rings (Hobbiton - Mordor etc).  Here are the important parts, first up: - "The streaming service has revealed that they have signed a multi-year deal with The C.S. Lewis Company which will see multiple films and a TV series based on C.S. Lewis's iconic book series being released." That means, it appears to be a combination of films and TV series (or multiple series). The question, though, is will all 7 be films, or will the film + series apply to various books? Also, there is word that this may i...

Since the announcement of the Amazon Middle-earth series I’ve been mulling things over. First off, all the major news announcements etc have said “Lord of the Rings”. In terms of plot , that is simply not true – we are not going from Hobbiton to Mount Doom with Frodo etc. HOWEVER , the material in which the Amazon series will be based on is found within the pages of the book known as The Lord of the Rings , or to be more precise, The Return of the King . It will be based on what is found within the Appendices, most likely. “Now…where to begin?” It would be great if the Amazon series strove for the same aesthetic as the Jackson films. Moreso Rings than Hobbit (due to CGI, mostly). The series doesn’t need to be ‘mature’ (there’s no explicit or graphic nudity and / or violence in Tolkien. It’s there but it’s not a focus.). Because of that, I can see the show being violence-heavy. Say, a late-night prime-time network show, or ‘tame’ for HBO /AMC / Starz type of premium cable...

Well, it’s been a while…things have been busy lately. Nothing in particular, but not enough time in a day. Not enough days in a week. Not enough weeks in a month. Not enough months in a year…you know how it is. Firstly, things are good! Secondly, what’s new? Not a whole lot…or rather, not enough to mention here. I suppose the quickest, best and easiest way is for me to break down this post into what areas I enjoy. I should also add that for quick brief updates, and to see what interests me on a somewhat daily basis, to visit my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/insurrbution/ BOOKS I’m nearly ready to ‘retire’ from Tolkien Book Buying! Of what currently exists, there isn’t a whole lot that I want to get that I do not already have. I’m also curious to see what publications may come out in relation to the Amazon Middle-earth series. Poster images on the covers of The Lord of the Rings is expected, but who knows what else may come out? I’m currently reading The Tombs of...