Have you ever been sat down, watched Game of Thrones and thought to yourself “I’d really love to colour in Cersei Lannister’s face”? Of course you bloody have. Well there is no need to hope and dream anymore, as the popular wave of adult colouring books has washed up an official Game of Thrones title, overseen by George R.R Martin himself.
The book contains forty-five original and exclusive illustrations by some esteemed artists throughout the fantasy world. These have been provided by Yvonne Gilbert, Tomislav Tomic, Adam Stower, Levi Pinfold and, most appealing for fantasy fans, ten of the illustrations are by renowned Tolkien artist John Howe, who acted as lead concept artist on The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
So, what images will you be putting your felt tips or coloured pencils (crayons are for children, right?) to, you ask? Well for a start, none of the ‘main’ heroes are available to colour, which seems like a slightly strange omission. Perhaps you’ll have to wait 6 years for Martin’s next installation in the colouring book series so you can have a go at colouring Jon, Dany or Tyrion.
Fortunately, there are some attractive pieces on offer that will surely provide the therapeutic colouring experience you clearly need to combat your stressful life. The book includes the detailed sigils of House Stark, Lannister, Arryn Tully, Baratheon, Tyrell, Martell, Greyjoy and Targaryen. The aforementioned Cersei is available to colour as you please (make sure it’s within the lines though) and some of the other characters on offer include Sansa Stark, Varys and Ser Loras Tyrell. The inclusion of Daario Naharis also means you can put wrongs to right and colour his beard in a glorious blue as HBO ignored but GRRM intended. Colouring of the featured castles such as the Eyrie, Harrenhal, Highgarden and Winterfell is actually quite an immersive experience as they are rendered in such immaculate detail. One minor issue, though, is that some of the pieces look more like shaded black and white illustrations than they do pictures ready for colour and this may actually put some hardcore colourers off.
Lets be frank, this colouring book isn’t the Winds of Winter, but it should keep fans of the series and indeed colouring books entertained for a little while during ‘The Long Night’ that is the wait for new material.
THE OFFICIAL A GAME OF THRONES COLOURING BOOK / AUTHOR: GEORGE R.R. MARTIN / ARTIST: YVONNE GILBERT, JOHN HOWE, TOMISLAV TOMIC, ADAM STOWER, LEVI PINFOLD / PUBLISHER: HARPER VOYAGER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
