I didn't read the book and from the 14 minute preview and the other trailers I got the impression that the monsters are coming back into the world, as if that would be the overarching focus while the politics of the varying cultures would be the story that unfolds amid this worldwide crisis.
It is a lot of politics. And there's some battles as well. Keep in mind, there are almost two stories going on. The Starks of the north, with Eddard "Ned" Stark becoming the new Hand of the King, the Lannister resistance, the events at the Aerie.. all being one story. And then there is the story of Daenerys Targaryen (note: She has silver-blond hair and purple eyes) in the content to the east. It is a bittersweet story of a girl's coming of age and stars many different important individuals.
At first, Daenerys was terrified of Drogo and the Dothraki, but she came to love her husband and lose her fear not only of the Dothraki (EDIT: and that description does it no justice....) but her insane brother as well.
I can't imagine how they will be able to handle the cast of this epic. The number of "key" PCs and NPCs, the groups, the thongs of local peoples vastly different from the Wall, to the lands of the Stark family, to all of Westeros and southward, that all each had their own environment and feel.
I don't recall, how far southward in the continent of Westeros did they get in the first book? And how much had Daenerys experienced?
There's also the eastern continent, with the Dothraki (the story of Daenerys) and all those important individuals. Drogo (of course), her handmaidens who were her confidants (they might blend them into one person), but the eggs hadn't hatched yet.
This is a deep book, and I look forward to see how HBO can pull this off.
Imagine
