Spring is Here, as is A Game of Thrones

At long last we will be able to rejoin the ongoing saga of the Stark family members as they attempt to regain some balance after the loss of their head (literally) of household.  HBO's A Game of Thrones returns on April 1 at 9 pm EST. If you need a quick refresher of season one, you can catch up here.

HBO's saga started last year with A Game of Thrones, the first book in George R.R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire. We now move onto A Clash of Kings, though the HBO series will be keep the first book's title (it is less confusing that way).  You can get a quick preview of the new season here.

And what should we expect?  Well, SFReviews has a nice summary of the book A Clash of Kings, though I expect HBO may play around with the plot points somewhat.  What I expect is another fairly faithful retelling of a great adventure saga, which is something HBO has proven it can do well.  Whether or not A Game of Thrones speaks to our time is a matter of opinion, though I believe any tale that highlights the costs of corrupted power, the sometimes thankless courage against the odds, and the importance of true friendship and family in troubled times is a story for all ages.  Will there be blood?  Absolutely.  Mr. Martin and HBO are not squeamish.  But I believe there has been and will be much more from this story-telling.  And I for one look forward to it.

Update:  On April 10, it was announced that A Game of Thrones has been given the green light for a third season.   With 8.3 million viewers watching the second season premiere, HBO knows when it has a good thing.