Tag Archives: Valkyrist

VoK 607: GRRM’s Thousand Worlds – “Bitterblooms” and “In the House of the Worm” (Review)

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Valkyrist | Leave a comment

The Vassals (and Bastards) launch into George R. R. Martin’s science fiction universe. Join Amin, Duncan (aka Valkyrist), Michael (aka Mordion), and Zach (aka Alias) as they review two short stories from Martin’s Thousand Worlds series – “Bitterblooms” and “In the House of the Worm.”

Credits:
Edited by Amin and Valkyrist

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Posted in Books & Novellas, Podcast, Science Fiction

Tagged Alias, Amin, Mordion, Valkyrist

VoK 584: Star Wars – The Rise of Skywalker [2019] (Review)

Posted on December 29, 2019 by drownedsnow | Leave a comment

VoK makes the jump to lightspeed and ends up long, long ago in a galaxy far far away to bring you our feelings on the “end” of the Skywalker Saga. How does Episode IX measure up as a Star Wars movie?

Hosts: Adam (drownedsnow), Michal (inkasrain), Kevin (Gaiden), Paul (SerDinnerRoll), Duncan (Valkyrist), Katie (Lady Griffin), and Amber (amberrocks).

Spoilers: The entire Star Wars movie universe and some of the EU/Legends material.

Editor: Adam

[MP3] Download or play this episode directly
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Posted in Movies, Podcast, Science Fiction, Star Wars

Tagged amberrocks, drownedsnow, Gaiden, inkasrain, Lady Griffin, SerDinnerRoll, Valkyrist

VoK 574: A History of Horror Movies (public lecture)

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Valkyrist | Leave a comment

Why are horror movies so popular? In this lecture, Valkyrist explores the arcane origins of horror cinema and speculates over the social and psychological reasons behind its appeal. Celebrate Halloween season by dissecting the power and meaning behind some of the most famous (and infamous) horror movies of all time.

The presentation includes video clips from the following movies:
Nosferatu (F. W. Murnau, 1922)
Frankenstein (James Wale, 1931)
Godzilla (Ishirō Honda, 1954)
Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathon Demme, 1991)
Get Out (Jordan Peele, 2017)

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist
Music from John Carpenter and Disasterpiece

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Posted in Fandom, History, Movies, Philosophy, Podcast, Science Fiction

Tagged Valkyrist

VoK 549: Words Cut Deeper than Swords (Ice & Fire Con Panel)

Posted on June 6, 2019 by vokadmin | Leave a comment

In their first ever panel at Ice & Fire Con, the Vassals of Kingsgrave rank their favourite passages from A Song of Ice and Fire. Join Duncan (Valkyrist), Casey (blue-eyed-queen) and Dan (Witless Chum) as they reflect on some of the most powerful moments of Martin’s dialogue and examine the meaning behind his prose – from Sansa’s twilit snow castle, to Dany’s desert hallucinations, to Catelyn’s fevered flight from Storm’s End.

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist

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Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, Books & Novellas, Fandom, Podcast

Tagged blue-eyed-queen, Valkyrist, witless chum

VoK 547: Video Game Roundtable – Music Edition

Posted on May 30, 2019 by vokalias | Leave a comment

The Vassals of Kingsgrave convene for a different sort of video game roundtable. Instead of talking about favorite games, they come together to explore some of their most beloved pieces of video game music. Join Bing (Shoeshiner), Duncan (Valkyrist), Matt (blu3arm0r), Kevin (Gaiden), Zander (The Lord Baron), and Zach (Alias) as they talk about what video game music is all about and share the tracks that left a lasting impression behind.

9:25 – Zelda Block
27:45 – Civilization 4
35:20 – Resident Evil 4
42:00 – Final Fantasy Block
54:45 – Metroid Prime
1:01:40 – Witcher 3
1:06:00 – Dragon Age: Origins
1:12:40 – Mass Effect Block
1:24:20 – Dark Souls
1:31:10 – Undertale
1:36:40 – To The Moon
1:40:35 – Donkey Kong Country 2
1:47:20 – Pharaoh
1:49:30 – Streets of Rage

This podcast will contain spoilers for a lot of things, including the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Mass Effect series, Metroid Prime, Donkey Kong Country 2, Dark Souls, and some badly contained spoilers for Final Fantasy 7.

Credits:
Edited by Zach (Alias)

Super Mario Bros Official Theme
Zelda Ocarina of Time – Hyrule Symphony
Zelda Ocarina of Time – Ganondorf’s Theme
Zelda Ocarina of Time – Great Fairy Fountain Theme
Civilization 4 – Baba Yetu
Resident Evil 4 – Regenerator Theme
Final Fantasy 7 – Aerith’s Theme
Final Fantasy 13 – The Promise
Metroid Prime Credits
The Witcher 3 – The Fields of Ard Skellig
Dragon Age Main Theme
Mass Effect 3 – An End Once and For All
Mass Effect 2 – Suicide Mission
Dark Souls – Gwyn, Lord of Cinder
Undertale – Hopes and Dreams
To The Moon – For River
Donkey Kong Country 2 – Stickerbrush Symphony
Pharoah – Stha
Streets of Rage – Boss Theme
Transistor – Paper Boats

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Posted in Fandom, Music, Podcast, Science Fiction, The Witcher, Video Games

Tagged Alias, Blu3arm0r, Gaiden, Shoeshiner, The Lord Baron, Valkyrist

VoK 544: KrakenCast – “The Iron Throne” (S08E06 Review) [Game of Thrones Series Finale]

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Valkyrist | Leave a comment

THE KRAKEN ENDS?! Aussie vassals Duncan (Valkyrist), Dana (Taindana), and honourary krakens Bing (Shoneshiner), David (davidhhh), Abby (DaceyMormont), and Kevin (creepy nuncle kevin) review the sixth episode of Game of Thrones’ eighth season, entitled “The Iron Throne.”

Warning: Contains spoilers for all published books in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as all aired episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist
“Goodbye of Thrones” by jed o’white hart
“Hey There Cthulhu” by Eben Brooks

That concludes KrakenCast for this season of Game of Thrones and possibly forever. Thank you to all of our hosts, listeners, and commenters.

What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!

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Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones, Podcast, TV Shows

Tagged creepy nuncle kevin, Daceymormont, davidhhh, Shoeshiner, Taindana, Valkyrist

VoK 540: KrakenCast – “The Bells” (S08E05 Review)

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Valkyrist | Leave a comment

THE KRAKEN BURNS! Aussie vassals Duncan (Valkyrist), Dana (Taindana), and honourary krakens Bing (Shoneshiner), David (davidhhh), Abby (DaceyMormont), and Kevin (creepy nuncle kevin) review the fifth episode of Game of Thrones’ eighth season, entitled “The Bells.”

Warning: Contains spoilers for all published books in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as all aired episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist
“Misty Mountains Cold” by Tay Zonday
“What is Hype May Never Die” by Beyond Repair

KrakenCast records Tuesdays at 7:00pm (AEST) / 10:00am (GMT).

This time is meant to cater for Australian and Asian-Pacific fans, but everyone is welcome. Just let us know on the “Call to Arms” thread HERE, if you’d like to join us for an episode.

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Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones, Podcast, TV Shows

Tagged creepy nuncle kevin, Daceymormont, davidhhh, Shoeshiner, Taindana, Valkyrist

VoK 539: KrakenCast – “The Last of the Starks” (S08E04 Review)

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Valkyrist | Leave a comment

THE KRAKEN KILLS! Aussie vassals Duncan (Valkyrist), Dana (Taindana), and honourary krakens Bing (Shoneshiner), David (davidhhh) and Abby (DaceyMormont) review the fourth episode of Game of Thrones’ eighth season, entitled “The Last of the Starks.”

Warning: Contains spoilers for all published books in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as all aired episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist

KrakenCast records Tuesdays at 7:00pm (AEST) / 10:00am (GMT).

This time is meant to cater for Australian and Asian-Pacific fans, but everyone is welcome. Just let us know on the “Call to Arms” thread HERE, if you’d like to join us for an episode.

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Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones, Podcast, TV Shows

Tagged Daceymormont, davidhhh, Shoeshiner, Taindana, Valkyrist

VoK 538: KrakenCast – “The Long Night” (S08E03 Review)

Posted on May 7, 2019 by vokadmin | Leave a comment

This episode got a little lost on its way through the Weirwood Net, but better late than never! Join David (davidhhh), Duncan (Valkyrist), Sarah (Lady Weaver), Bing (Shoeshiner), Neil (Valyrian Neil), Abby (DaceyMormont), and briefly Dana (Taindana) as we review and discuss the massive battle of a third episode of Game of Thrones’ eighth and final season, “The Long Night”, along with lots of speculation as to how George may do things differently in the books.

Warning: Contains spoilers for all published books in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as all aired episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones

Credits:
Edited by Davidhhh

[MP3] Download or play this episode directly
[Archive] View this episode’s page on Archive.org
[iTunes] Subscribe to us on iTunes
[Stitcher] Subscribe to us on Stitcher
[RSS] Podcast Feed

KrakenCast records Tuesdays at 7:00pm (AEST) / 10:00am (GMT).

This time is meant to cater for Australian and Asian-Pacific fans, but everyone is welcome. Just let us know on the “Call to Arms” thread HERE, if you’d like to join us for an episode.

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Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones, Podcast, TV Shows

Tagged Daceymormont, davidhhh, Lady Weaver, Shoeshiner, Taindana, Valkyrist, Valyrian Neil

VoK 536: Ice & Fire Con 2019 Recap

Posted on May 6, 2019 by vokalias | 1 comment

The Vassals of Kingsgrave convene to recap their experiences at the always wonderful Ice and Fire Con held at Dear Creek Lodge in Mt. Sterling, Ohio in the last weekend of April, 2019. Join Casey (blue-eyed-queen), Zach (Alias), Jon (eigenvectorjon), Duncan (Valkyrist), Adam (drownedsnow), Thomas aka Tomas (FTWard), Dan (Witless Chum), and Matt (blu3arm0r) as they talk about all the fun events held at the con, indulge in some Ohio bashing, and reflect on the many hangouts they enjoyed together.

Credits:
Edited by Zach (Alias)

Music: Kellan the Undying by Drumurboy

Ice and Fire Con Website (including 2020 information)
Ice and Fire Con YouTube (where videos from the event will be posted)

The Ultimate Winds of Winter Resource by BryndenBFish

1 Comment

Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, Board Games & Trivia, Fandom, Podcast

Tagged Alias, Blu3arm0r, blue-eyed-queen, drownedsnow, Eigenvectorjon, FTWard, Valkyrist, witless chum

VoK 531: DragonCast – “The Long Night” (S08E03 Review)

Posted on April 28, 2019 by bina007 | Leave a comment

brienne-of-tarth-game-of-thrones-1555912960

Join Bina, Katie, Michal, Varley, Adam and Brett for a rapid-response take on this week’s epic episode. At 57m we’re pod crashed by Greg, Casey, and a very shell-shocked Zack and Duncan from Ice and Fire Con.

The night is dark and full of spoilers for all published works in George R R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and all aired episodes of Game of Thrones.

Music credits: Alpine Universe.

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Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones, Podcast, TV Shows

Tagged Alias, Bina007, blue-eyed-queen, claudiusthefool, Dragoncast, drownedsnow, inkasrain, Lady Griffin, Valkyrist, Varley, White Raven

VoK 529: DragonCast – “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” (S08E02 Review)

Posted on April 24, 2019 by vokadmin | Leave a comment

Dragon-cast is back for this season’s second episode review.

Hosts: Adam (drownedsnow), Casey (blue-eyed-queen) Michal (inkasrain), Matt (Varley), Katie (Lady Griffin), Duncan (Valkyrist), Matt (blu3armour), Kevin (creepynuncklekevin).

Spoilers: This episode covers all published works in George R R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and all aired episodes of Game of Thrones

Editor: Casey

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Posted in Game of Thrones, Podcast, TV Shows

Tagged Blu3arm0r, creepy nuncle kevin, Dragoncast, drownedsnow, inkasrain, Lady Griffin, Valkyrist, Varley

VoK 501: A GameShow of Thrones (ASOIAF Trivia)

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Valkyrist | 3 comments

The vassals continue their 500 revelry with a heated round of ASOIAF trivia! Join Duncan (Valkyrist), Casey (blue-eyed-queen), Zach (Alias), Greg (claudiusthefool), Michal (inkasrain), Adam (drownedsnow), Patrick (Ser Patrick the Tall), and Nadia as they go head to head in a battle of wits, wills and White Walkers.

Who will be crowned champion and who will be fed to the dogs? There’s only one way to find out…

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist

3 Comments

Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, Board Games & Trivia, Fandom, Podcast

Tagged Alias, blue-eyed-queen, claudiusthefool, drownedsnow, inkasrain, Nadia, Ser Patrick the Tall, Valkyrist

VoK 500: The Dance of the Vassals V

Posted on December 15, 2018 by Valkyrist | 1 comment

The curators of Vassals of Kingsgrave celebrate their 500^th episode!! Join Casey (blue-eyed-queen), Zach (Alias), Greg (claudiusthefool), Michal (inkasrain), Adam (drownedsnow), Patrick (Ser Patrick the Tall), Duncan (Valkyrist), Glen (Dagos_Rivers), and Nadia as they answer listener-submitted questions about the books, the podcast and the fandom of A Song of Ice and Fire.

Topics include: our favorite episodes, meetup experiences, Westerosi survival tips, best and worst tinfoil theories, dream podcast guests, stalking George, how the series has affected our lives, and what the future holds.

Stick around for the Aftershow (at 2:31:51) for an interview with Amin Javadi from “A Podcast of Ice and Fire,” in which he elaborates on the early years of the ASOIAF fandom and the origins of VOK.

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist
Music from Age of Empires

Links:
Full VOK Episode Archive

1 Comment

Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, Books & Novellas, Fandom

Tagged Alias, Amin, Bina007, blue-eyed-queen, claudiusthefool, Dagos_Rivers, drownedsnow, inkasrain, Nadia, Ser Patrick the Tall, Valkyrist

VoK 495: The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu series) – Season 2

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Valkyrist | Leave a comment

Praise be! The Vassals have delivered us a blessed review of the second season of The Handmaid’s Tale. Join Michal (inkasrain), Stephanie (gsdg), David (davidhhh), Duncan (Valkyrist), Matt (Varley), and Adam (drownedsnow) for a sermon on female agency, radicalisation, systems of oppression, and symbolic wolves. Under his eye…

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist
Music from Malia J and Goldfrapp

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Posted in Podcast, Science Fiction, TV Shows

Tagged davidhhh, drownedsnow, gsdg, inkasrain, Valkyrist, Varley

VoK 491: The Last Bran Chapter aka The Great Linear ASOIAF ReRead (Part 76)

Posted on September 27, 2018 by bina007 | Leave a comment

sansastark

Join us for episode 76 of the Great Linear ASOIAF Re-Read ! Today we enjoy one of the few Sansa chapters (Alayne 1 from Feast), we learn again how great George is at writing horror stories with Brienne 4 from Feast, and we ponder over the passing of time in the last Bran chapter of the published books : Bran 3 from Dance. Your hosts are Sarah (Lady Weaver), Zach (Alias), Duncan (Valkyrist), Jock (munrojock2), Marie (Nymeria). These events take place between March 23rd and 27th 300 AL.

The podcast is dark and full of spoilers for all published works George R R Martin’s A Song Of Ice and Fire series but not for the HBO Show or TWOW Preview Chapters unless clearly marked.

For those following along at home the next episode of the re-read will be hosted by Adam. It will cover Jon 5 and Tyrion 5 from Dance and Sam 3 from Feast.

Links:
[MP3] Download or play this episode directly
[Archive.org] View this episode’s page on Archive.org
[Stitcher] Subscribe to us on Stitcher
[iTunes] Subscribe to us on iTunes
[RSS] Podcast Feed

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Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, ASOIAF ReRead, Books & Novellas, Podcast

Tagged Alias, Lady Weaver, Munrojock2, Nymeria, Valkyrist

VoK 489: Neuromancer (by William Gibson)

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Valkyrist | Leave a comment

The Vassals jack into cyberspace for a review of William Gibson’s Neuromancer. Join Duncan (Valkyrist) and Dana (Taindana) for an indepth discussion of cyberpunk fiction, artificial intelligence and the dark side of technology.

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist
Music from Eurythmics and Valve Corporation

Links:
BBC Radio Production (2-hours)

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Posted in Books & Novellas, Podcast, Science Fiction

Tagged Taindana, Valkyrist

VoK 487: A Hymn for Spring (ASOIAF Essays) – Part 2

Posted on August 26, 2018 by Valkyrist | Leave a comment

The Vassals return to the Tower of the Hand to address the state of the realm. Join Duncan (Valkyrist), Sara (DrBlood) and Wilson (WanderingProphet) for a review of A Hymn for Spring, a collection of essays on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. Essays covered in this podcast include:

09:08 – “Songs and Singers of Ice and Fire” by Amin Javadi
1:03:27 – “The Curse of Harren the Black” by Aziz and Ashaya
1:51:16 – “The Word Is Groleo” by Stefan Sasse
2:41:26 – Aftershow

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist
“The Bear and the Maiden Fair” by christocakes
“Rhaegar’s Harp” by feliciacano

Links:
Tower of the Hand: A Hymn for Spring (Amazon)
VoK 374: A Hymn for Spring (ASOIAF Essays)

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Posted in A Song of Ice and Fire, Books & Novellas, Fandom, Podcast

Tagged DrBlood, The Wandering Prophet, Valkyrist

VoK 453: Movie Roundtable (Vol.4) – Australian Edition

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Valkyrist | Leave a comment

The Vassals venture from the Outback to the dancefloor to the suburban sprawl in search of the cinematic heart of Australia. Join Duncan (Valkyrist), Sarah (Lady Weaver), Dana (Taindana), and David (davidhhh) as they discuss some of their favourite Australian films and mull over the state of the industry.

01:24 – Australian Cinema
22:19 – Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff, 1971)
55:20 – The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert (Stephan Elliott, 1994)
1:25:26 – Strictly Ballroom (Baz Luhrmann, 1992)
1:44:17 – The Babadook (Jennifer Kent, 2014)

Warning: Contains #SPOILERS# for all four films

Credits:
Edited by Valkyrist
Audio clips owned by NLT Productions, PolyGram, M&A Productions and Causeway Films

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Posted in History, LGBT+, Movies, Podcast

Tagged davidhhh, Lady Weaver, Taindana, Valkyrist

VoK 452: KrakenMoot! aka The Great Linear ASOIAF ReRead (Part 61)

Posted on March 10, 2018 by bina007 | Leave a comment

at_the_gates___game_of_thrones_lcg_by_jcbarquet-d87qsb4

In this episode Bina007 has an audio reunion with some of the Krakens she met during her recent trip to Australia for the Ashes. Michael/Khal Wadege covers the Prologue from A Feast For Crows; Duncan/Valkyrist covers Brienne 1 from A Feast For Crows; and podcast newbie Leigh/ChaoticNeutral1882 covers the final Tyrion chapter – Tyrion 11 – from A Storm Of Swords. The gang are also joined by the Western Australians Sarah/Lady Weaver and Dana/Taindana.

Beware! This podcast is dark and full of spoilers for all published works in the A Song Of Ice and Fire series including very briefly TWOW preview chapters. It does not spoil the show.

Music – Alpine Universe
Artwork – At The Gates by J C Barquet