Popular Reviews of The Ghosts of Harrenhal

I came across this podcast because a friend of mine told me about it. It's not the first A Game of Thrones or ASOIAF podcast that I've listened to. I used to listen to several back when the TV show was on. But this is the best that I've found. The hosts have great chemistry. One is British and the other American. They are fun and entertaining. They don't get too silly or goofy as to be annoying. They have the best format of any GOT/ASOIAF podcast that I've come across. Sometimes they make small digressions to tell funny or interesting stories. But mostly they stick to the content. That's why they can do in 30 mins what it takes the rest an hour to do. If you're looking for a good GOT/ASOIAF fix, do yourself a favor and start with these guys. You'll be happy that you did. I wish they had been around years ago. Looking forward to tuning in for a long time.

I discovered this show after catching up with some other, more established podcasts on asoiaf, and was left hungry for more. Upon stumbling across The Ghosts of Harrenhal, I was invited to a feast of such generous proportions as to be worthy of King Robert himself. Simon and Mackelly are dedicated in their efforts to bring you everything you need to know about the asoiaf books, and the world in which they are set, with their humorous banter and great working-chemistry enriching the whole experience. Their opening chit-chat is a welcome bonus, and you feel a part of comradery as you listen to them catch up with each other about everyday life, before plunging into the current chapter with energy and enthusiasm. They dissect the chapter and provide insight on the motives and actions of each character, all without giving away spoilers for those who have not read the books. After this, Mackelly provides some diligent background research on names and places which may have been mentioned in the chapter, whilst Simon will point out some of the things about the writing which may not make a great deal of sense, in his “Pedantry Corner”, as well as comparing the books to the Game of Thrones tv show. Overall, I cannot recommend this podcast enough to anyone interested in either the A Song of Ice and Fire books, or Game of Thrones. Simon and Mackelly make revisiting Westeros a pleasure!

Despite the confinement, this podcast is still being produced at a high level. Even many so called professional broadcasters have been struggling to produce quaility episodes but MacKelly has done wonders here. The contents great and the story is really coming to life. Not sure if you are doing this over the phone or not, but the audio quaility is great, and his voice is coming in clearly and melodiously as usual. However, whenever Mackelly isn't delighting us with his anecdotes and astute observations, there appears to be some kind of high pitched, annoying feedback whinning on and on until Mackelly starts again. Perhaps you could look into that? Otherwise, keep up the good work. Loving it.

This is a fun podcast for ASOIAF enthusiasts. Simon and Mackelly have great rapport. They are knowledgeable about the subject and have _interesting_ insights.

After almost a year of listening while driving a supply van across my state for work, I have finally managed to catch up on every episode and WOW do I not regret it! This has to be one of the best discussion podcasts out there, the two leads are wonderful together and have some amazing banter you could only get from longtime friends. I especially appreciate the theory crafting they do making sure to only use the information the reader would have at this point, even if it's clear they know the whole series already, it's extremely refreshing to listen to. I highly recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in asoiaf, and eagerly await more! S+M=Good Podcast

Love love love this show!! It’s short enough to get all info needed and not long drawn out and boring. Very informative and greatly entertaining!!

Fantastic and fun to follow along with while reading ASOIAF for the first time. Definetly helped me not miss any important details while reading.

I'd just finished a re-read/re-watch of the Harry Potter series and was looking to find a nice new series to fill the void in my heart. I tried out a few ASOIAF podcasts before discovering The Ghosts of Harrenhal, and I am hooked! I love the chapter-by-chapter analysis, even though I've read all the books and watched the TV series, Simon and Mackelly still produce titbits of really interesting (hah!) background and historical information! Love the deep dives into the universe's backstory and discussions of GRRM's masterpieces. All episodes are fairly spoiler-free, and are fun and easy to listen to. A+ podcast!

Great podcast! I don't think you could ask for a better companion piece for reading ASOIAF, either as a first time reader, serial rereader, or show watcher. Simon and Mackelly bounce off of each other in a way only long-time friends can as they expertly dissect each chapter, theorise without spoiling, and reveal informative background information that helps to flesh out GRRMs expertly crafted world.

Absolutely fantastic. I started reading ASOIAF a couple of years ago and got stuck after a while. It was just too much. l gave it a second attempt last year and was looking for a podcast to help me through it. What a find you guys were. I would say you improved my reading experience by several orders of magnitude. The world of ASOIAF takes on completely new levels thanks to you guys and the story enfolds in front of my eyes. In the meantime l finished reading the books but l still listen to your new episodes every week. There are so many details l missed and l truly enjoy the many "aha-moments" you provide. Listening to your new episodes has become a ritual after my wednesday evening shift in the restaurant l work. Now l even look forward to cleaning the kitchen there and listening to a Ghost of Harrenhal.Keep up the great work!

Having been bitten by ASOIAF fever again after the first episode of HotD and wanting to brush up on my knowledge a bit, I came across Ghosts of Harrenhal in my search for a chapter-by-chapter book recap podcast. I've been listening to almost nothing but the voices of Simon and Mackelly in my spare time for the past month, as they've brought me back to Westeros chapter by chapter and reignited my love for this world. I love the structure of each episode, and am always interested in the background of each chapter as well as the comparison to the TV show. I last read the books a good 10 years ago, so a lot of the TV show and the books are mixed in my memory. The podcast has been very helpful in untangling that memory and will also (hopefully) continue to be with me until Dream of Spring.Best regards from Germany,Lukas

The night is dark and full of terrors. But not if you're listening to this phantastic podcast. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It's entertaining, funny, well-researched and gives loads of interesting background on the characters and places of the asoiaf world. These two guys have fun with what they're doing and this positive and relaxed atmosphere transmits to the listener. Also love their witty banter and how they start each episode with a little chat about what happens to them in their everyday life. Simon and Mackelly are so good they should be knighted and all the castles of Westeros should be theirs to choose from.

Hey Simon and Mackelly! I discovered your podcast a few weeks ago, as I was looking for a good GoT podcast as I'm nearly done with Book-1 of ASOIAF and wanted a good companion to delve deeper into the world of Westeros.After trying a few of them, I was left disappointed. They just didn't work for me and I found myself bored halfway through. But, when I eventually found GoH, I was hooked. I must've gone through at least 5 episodes in a day, and I must say, I was extremely impressed with the amount of hard work and effort you guys put into each and every episode, unlike many other podcasts. The quality is absolutely top-notch, and I found myself devouring episode after episode. The detailed analysis and discussion of each chapter is very intriguing and made me realise many things that I'd missed on my read-through. The occasional joke and witty banter is always enjoyable, and at some bits I actually found myself laughing out loud, like the story Simon told of his daughter insisting that there is an animal in the house, and when Simon finally found said animal, I could almost hear the scream he described! Those are the bits that make me truly enjoy and love the podcast.You guys are doing an absolutely phenomenal job with the pod, thank you so much for providing us with the entertainment we need in these times! Keep 'em comin'!

This is actually the only ASoIaF Podcast I was able to listen for more than 2 episodes. I'm actually on chapter thirty-something of book 2 and one of these days my husband was laughing and I asked what happened. He had just thought of something that in his point of view, would make it into pedantry corner... And he not even listening to all episodes, but that's how captivating the discussions between these two are. 10/10

I am a massive 'A Song of Ice and Fire' fan, and whilst having a re-read of the books, I stumbled across this great podcast.The show is brilliant for both re-readers and for new readers alike. Each chapter analysis is in depth and spoiler free, which is impressive given both hosts have clearly read the whole series.Both, Simon and Mackelly have a great chemistry and the brief chat between the two, before that week's chapter analysis is often as interesting and entertaining as the ASOIAF discussion.If you are looking for a down-to-earth and friendly podcast to help introduce you to this world, or even to see it from a new perspective, this is the show for you.Cheers Simon and Mackelly, and keep up the good work!J

Love listening to this while working and before bed to get more background information on the lore and world as well as refreshing up on the previous books while I read the newer ones. The hosts are knowledgable, give good summaries and relevant background information on the characters and world. On top of that, this is geniuenly one of the funniest podcasts I've heard. The hosts are hilarious and manage to make me laugh every episode. The last episode I listened to had a debate on wether or not Westeros had invented zippers on pants because in the show, a character did the motion of shaking off after relieving himself. I'm still catching up on the podcast, but from what I've seen, they always listen to feedback and apply it - they even started uploading to YouTube because someone requested it. Must listen to if you're a fan of the world of ASOIAF. Thank you guys for making this podcast :)

I watched all the good seasons of Game of Thrones at least 5 times.I got into the world beyond that did a little rabbit hole full of research and now know every major plot point that's in the books for now. That's why I thought it would be fairly boring reading this oh so familiar story once again.So, I've been looking for a Podcast about ASOICAF for a while now and after listening to all 54 episodes in the last three weeks I have to admit that those The Ghosts of Harrenhal is the best one I've found so far. No spoilers for future storylines which means that you don't have the favoritism of characters, which is a point that really annoys me in most of similar podcasts, you get a lot of interesting background but never more than necessary for the chapter you are listening to, and those two guys are just plain likable. I love the break up of every episode in different chunks of information and the soft flavor of "amateur" makes you feel like you listen to a conversation of two friends.Oh, and by the way, I already got the second book besides me, in case the first one is over faster than I thought!

Amazing podcast!! I came across it accidentally on Spotify while searching for music to listen to as I read the books. Now it's my go to podcast whenever I'm doing assignments or travelling. It definitely elevated my reading experience as well!

Perfect podcast for anyone interested in anything ASOIAF.No spoilersExcellent chapter summariesInsightful analysis. Interesting background on characters, events, places, etc. These guys could teach a class on ASOIAF; they're very impressive. Great way to go through the story , picking up bits that might've been missed on a first read through. Well structured. I can't say enough good things. They obviously put a ton of effort into this. I've never left a review online for anything, but I created this account and am here to leave a review because I was feeling guilty that I get so much enjoyment from this podcast but hadn't bothered to review. Thanks, Simon and Mackelly, for enhancing my experience with ASOIAF.

I’ve tried a couple of ASOIAF podcasts, having started re-reading the series in lockdown, and this one is definitely the best. Simon and MacKelly provide really useful background information and insights, the sound quality is good, and they don’t go off on massive irrelevant tangents. Perfect for anyone new or familiar to the the ASOIAF/Game of Thrones world - and if you’ve read them like me, you will find yourself discovering things about the characters and the story you never knew before! Great podcast, keep going guys