A Song of Ice and Fire 2011 Calendar

I have to admit that I love Ted Nasmith's work, so was predisposed to like this calendar. For the most part, he rendered the castles wonderfully. Even when I disagree with his take on them, they are still wonderful pieces. Of the 13 castles, 10 are perfect. The renderings of Winterfell, Highgarden, The Red Keep, Riverun, The Eyrie, and Sunspear are particularly fine. One, Casterly Rock, is a very imaginative rendering that, while not being what I had pictured, was so well done that it convinced me. Only 2, Harrenhal and Storms End, were "wrong," and even then, they were beautifully done. In Short, for G. R. R. Martin and fantasy artwork fans, this calendar is well worth it!

I don't normally buy calendars for a new year 5 months ahead of time, but didn't want to wait to get this one since I missed out on the 2009 George R.R. Martin "Song of Ice and Fire" calendar. I am a fan of Ted Nasmith's work, particularly his illustrations for Tolkien's "Silmarillion," and the artwork in this calendar is equally stunning. The detail in the paintings is exquisite. There is one castle for each month plus a large gatefold. If you are a fan of Nasmith's, Martin's, or both, I highly recommend this calendar.

This calendar contains a beautiful rendering of just about every major castle in the ASOAF series, and each and every one of the castles does two things: 1) it meets my expectations in terms of the particular detail built by GRRM. 2) They exceed my expectations with regard to the overall beauty of each castle. The artist is amazing. While every one is incredible, I think Castle Black is my personal favorite. I'm excited to actually use the calendar once 2011 rolls around.