Robert Lantos

No dragons, real people: that’s the main difference between a riveting new TV series called Rise of The Raven and Game of Thrones, to which Rise of The Raven is being compared. Both series involve court intrigue, heartless betrayal, ferocious battle scenes, plenty of sex and spectacular sets and costumes — but Rise of The Raven involves actual historical figures. That authenticity is an enormous advantage. AAnd, for all the swashbuckling, Rise of The Raven is feminist throughout; there’s not a single king, duke, knight, emperor, sultan or ruler of any stripe who is not motivated and controlled by the women in his life.