In A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin has created a genuine masterpiece, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill the pages of the first volume in an epic series sure to delight fantansy fans everywhere.
In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes of the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.
(Summary from GoodReads)
I’d been thinking of reading A Game of Thrones for quite a while. Now that the t.v. show is on and most of my friends are reading the books, I decided it was finally time to check them out for myself. I know, I know, I’m such a follower. Anyways, while I wouldn’t characterize A Game of Thrones as high brow literature, it’s highly enjoyable fantasy who like a good story and don’t gratuitous sex and violence.
A Game of Thrones is an 800 page long book told from 10 different points of view. Thank goodness for the handy character list in the back of this book, because I don’t think I’d have made it through otherwise. These two characteristics make it sound as though Martin’s book is tough to read, but once you figure out who’s related to who and how, it helps simplify matters.
As I’m sure a lot of you know, George R.R. Matin has not created a cast of likeable characters. There’s a decent handful of asshats in this book, but they make a huge difference in driving the story forwards. I particularly enjoyed reading about Jon, Arya, and Daenerys and am eager to hear where their stories go.
The plot of A Game of Thrones moves fast. There is literally never a dull moment. This book has a lot of political intrigue and while I sometimes don’t like it, I think it works because Martin’s character are so well written. You either love them or you hate them.
This is not the book for everyone. It’s long and there’s a lot to remember, but it’s wholly enjoyable. I can’t wait to pick up and dive into the t.v. series as well.
Other reviews:
