A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)

[There is a thorough review for ASOIAF here on amazon which outlines many significant points, but I thought I'd put out a review in my own words, simply because I care so much about this series.]

A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin consists of:

1. A Game of Thrones (to be aired as the HBO series Game of Thrones on April 17, 2011)
2. A Clash of Kings
3. A Storm of Swords
4. A Feast for Crows
5. A Dance with Dragons (via Martin's "Not a Blog" LiveJournal, he has 3 POV chapters left to finish at the time of this writing.)
6. The Winds of Winter (forthcoming)
7. A Dream of Spring (forthcoming)

What's all the fuss?

This series is the progenitor of a new wave of literature which combines elements of epic fantasy, dark fantasy, and intellectual literary fiction. The idea was to create a true world (in all its color, grit, mystery, politics, realism and so on) through cultured prose, and yet still have all the elements of escapist fantasy; the idea was to create real people with real drama, and insert them into a fantastic reality; the idea was to reinvent the fantasy genre from cliché hack-and-slash/sword-and-sorcery to something original, passionate, and enthralling.

Martin succeeded in these goals, and inspired others to follow in a similar vein: The Malazan Book of the Fallen, The Kingkiller Chronicles, The Prince of Nothing, The Gentleman Bastard, The First Law, etc.

Why so good?

1. Exceptional writing: Martin is a literary master. His prose doesn't just "work," it really inspires. His vocabulary is learned yet approachable. The text inserts me directly into this medieval kingdom. Imagery runs rampant with details galore. Just a very well written story.

2. Believable characters: Grey characters! Real, believable characters with unique dialogue, motivations, and reactions populate this entire series. Martin develops interesting personalities with his talent for voice. These characters come alive within just a few pages of reading their chapters. People change! What a concept!

3. Risk: This is a world of blades and steel, arrows and leather. People die in war. This is a story of politics, intrigue, and betrayal. People are assassinated. Main characters may serve as a central window into the chief plotline, but that certainly doesn't mean that they are safe from harm. Pain and death MEAN something, and Martin loves to make us feel.

4. History: Martin has spent years living in this world, and the history is so rich that the immersion is instant. It's almost disorienting. The details that he has planned out and the meticulousness of the layers within the story are so natural that you cannot help but be in awe.

5. Tactful use of fantasy elements: No "magic missile" spells or "jelly-legs" jinxes here. There are strong fantasy elements, but they are used in tactful, and oftentimes subtle, ways. The supernatural is seen as superstition by most of the characters in the story, and so when something akin to "magic" does show up, it is unique and potent.

6. Details matter: Watch the description of a character, even if you don't know the character's name; they'll show up later. Actually think about what people say; you may be able to find out the answer to a question far before the characters do. Dreams and prophecies may be vague, but they are actually vital! Martin has also acknowledged his use of the unreliable narrator (in fact, he has to use it, in order to make the POV chapters believable); find the inconsistencies between what happens and what characters think, and see the story from a different perspective!

7. Engaging plot: All three main plotlines are exotic and entertaining: the fight for power over Westeros' throne, the exile of the last Targaryen queen, and the threat of the Others in the north. Filled with cliffhangers chapter after chapter, mysteries that need solving, epic moments of badassery, horrible moments of dread, cool one-liners and philosophical quotes, raunchy sex, and violent death, the story is brimming with awesome.

Why doesn't everyone like this series, then?

Virtually every one- or two-star review I have seen (amazon, goodreads, etc.) can be boiled down to one of three categories:

1. "The Fantasy Lover" (a.k.a. "Sex is Nasty" Syndrome) a. "Ew, it's so gross and disgusting and tragic and there's so much sex and violence and swearing! Where is my damsel being rescued by the handsome, heroic prince? Why do people die? I felt like washing in industrial cleanser' to get this filth away from me! Fantasy should only be about romantic ideals and have nothing to do with reality... and the good guys should always win!" b. To you, I say, stop being such a prude. The writing is excellent and appropriate to its content, and the idea is to explore the connection between fantasy and reality. Fantasy does not have an "end purpose" in mind, and you are simply being obstinate about originality and progress. People are not black and white and neither is life; people die, and people are maimed, and people have sex, and people go to the bathroom, and people are raped, and sometimes, the bad guys' win; however, I think escapist fantasy may be even MORE engaging when combined with those aspects of reality... and that is an opinion enjoyed by millions of people.

2. "The Whiner" (a.k.a. "The Author is My Bitch" Syndrome) a. "It's been five years since the last book, and Martin is fat and old, and he has his fingers in so many pies, and he doesn't care about the series anymore, and he's just trying to milk it, and why can't he finish it already, and I could have the next book written by now, and and and and and...." b. To you, I say, no, the author is not your slave. Your buying his books did not indenture him into servitude, nor did it oblige a contract. He writes when he writes, and you read when he's done. Complaining about it [timing, his other projects, etc.] makes you look pathetic, silly, and a tad bit unstable. It's like trying to intimidate a world-renowned TV chef to finish his/her magnum opus because you just want lunch on your TV tray, damnit! How full of yourself do you have to be? c. Also, the books do not deserve a one star rating simply because they aren't coming out as fast as you want.

3. "The Pragmatist" (a.k.a. "But Reading Takes So Much Time!" Syndrome) a. "The first book is 800 pages, and they just get longer from there; there's no end in sight for the series and no single book tells a full story; there's too much exposition with too much `backstory'; the plot is so slow!" b. To you, I say... well, this might actually be a valid concern for some people. The story IS huge... but in case you didn't see the genre description, it is EPIC fantasy, and Martin has himself described it as having a "cast of thousands." The advantages of longer books are that characters can develop into fully fleshed out beings and that a fictional world can become, in some part, real. It's also a huge story in terms of scope - the synopsis states it simply enough: "...where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime...."

Minor Spoilers on Individual Books:

A Game of Thrones A brilliant first book, this begins each of the three main plots. For the first plot, the main house we deal with here is the Starks, the house "in charge" of the North. For the second plot, we are introduced to the naiveté of Daenerys (Duh-NAIR-iss) and for the third, we get to see the shabby condition of the Night's Watch. Though each plot develops independently, it is easy to see how they interconnect. The characters really drive this piece, and it is a true trip for anyone, new or old, to the genre. A 5 star book if there ever was one.

Obliviously, I not only recommend this specific book, but the entire series. All the best, and happy reading!

If you're going to consider reading `The Song of Ice and Fire' series, then be prepared for an investment. These books aren't for casual readers, but rather slower and more methodical ones. Requiring a great deal of your time, attention to detail, and the memorization of various characters' political and social associations. The amount of content the book contains is equal to the level of commitment you are willing to give. This may sound intimidating to some people, but Games of Thrones is able to deliver a very deep story targeting a mature audience because of this, though this also means the book's level of comprehension and adult content may become a deal-breaker to some people. Persevere and you'll enjoy one of the best fantasy epics in quite some time.

As I previously said, the narrative of A Game of Thrones can be quite cumbersome to comprehend at the very beginning, and the faint synopsis doesn't exactly paint a very big picture of what's to come. So I've decided to provide a brief synopsis of my own.

With the murder of King Robert Baratheon's Hand Jon Aryn', his Majesty himself has requested that his old friend Eddard Stark, head of House Stark take up the role at his side in King's Landing to help him properly govern the realm. Of course taking up this honorable task would mean Eddard, Ned' must leave the sanctity of Winterfell and his family. But he soon realizes that treachery and deception have consumed the nobility, no one can be trusted, everyone is trying to seize power by any means necessary; particularly the cunning Lannister family. The book doesn't just follow the character Ned, but rather a large collection of personas, some intertwine with the central story arc involving Ned, others involve their own. Daenerys Targaryen, one of the last of the feared House Targaryen, is forced into a marriage with a savage Dothraki warlord in order to gain in army for the means of reconquering her rightful throne. The last major story arc involves Ned's bastard son Jon Snow' and his indoctrination in the enigmatic Night's Watch', where desertion is punishable by death.

While the plot of A Game of Thrones is truly an epic piece of fiction-writing, it would be nothing if the characters weren't believable. George R. R. Martin has established himself as a very strong character-driven author, one who focuses on the problems of these people and how they affect them. While there are characters which are not affiliated with Eddard Stark, the majority of the major characters can be allocated into the two major noble families: the Starks and the Lannisters. The Starks characterize honor, duty, diligence, and integrity, making them the primary protagonists. They're opposed by the ambitiously materialistic Lannister family, who seem like Martin's equivalent of the Borgia's. Though if there's a weakness in the characterization department, it would be that not enough is done with characterizing the Lannister family. The Stark family makes up the bulk of the story's protagonists, but they aren't exactly perfect. They can be rude, selfish, jealous, and even bratty at times, they're delightfully flawed characters. With the exception of the great character `Tyrion Lannister', we're given very little insight into the life of the family aside from their obvious immoral tendencies. The Lannisters, while morally vague, come off feeling much less defined. I really wish more could have been done with them when compared to the excellently characterized Stark family.

In a seemingly endless miasma of betrayal and deceit, the only beacon of hope comes in the form of family. The Starks, particularly the Stark children felt like the real heart of the book for me. Their precious innocence helps invest the reader in the story even further, especially since they're among the victims in this malicious game that the adults are playing. It only reinforces the insurmountable stakes and that nobody is truly safe or completely innocent.

Even the world itself feels like a character that helps ground the reader in the author's fiction. Martin's Seven Kingdoms' are vividly brought to life with intricate detail that makes it really pop off the pages. Its geography, political structure, and the dominant noble houses are all elaborated upon in surreal detail that really gives the reader a feeling of place. Less reliance on more fantastical elements like elves and dwarves gives Martin's world a pinch of reality that most authors tend to avoid. With the exception of the White Walkers' and the extinct dragons, all mystical aspects are kept at an all-time low, favoring words and steel over mysticism and spells. The outcome is a fantasy world that surprisingly, comes off as genuinely plausible. The Seven Kingdoms feels like a realm that very much could have existed. It's an interesting divergence from the typical high fantasy settings.

There's going to be the inevitable comparison between Martin's work and the legacy left behind by Tolkien as the great forefather of fantasy writing. The notion of comparing the two is entirely misguided, simply because Martin's writing is completely different from Tolkien's in nearly every angle. Tolkien emphasized the ongoing struggle between good and evil, the thrill of high adventure in a fantastical world, and the triumph of great heroes over terrible villains who would do the world harm. Martin on the other hand is much less black and white with his delivery. There are obvious characters you can label as `dishonorable', while others stand atop a pedestal as paragons of altruism. But are these characters truly evil for trying to secure the benefit of their family and future generations to come? And are these characters considered good if they're ensuring the stability of the realm by dishonest methods? Martin chose to forgo typical fantasy conventions of magic and obvious morality in the favor of characters who feel genuinely believable in all the most despicable ways. They're not the great heroes Tolkien illustrated; they're morally ambiguous human beings. That's the defining characteristic which separates these two giants of fantasy, the selfless heroes and the morally grey humans. Comparing these two juggernauts is completely irrelevant, for Martin isn't trying to replicate Tolkien but rather make his own beast.

Yet, I never like to jump on a bandwagon and proclaim with the rest of the world that a novel is absolutely perfect. Of course these critiques are personal ones and admittedly border on flat-out nitpicking. The first is the absolutely insane overabundance of minor characters. I'm not referring to the central characters that the various chapters shift between; they're all perfectly characterized and fascinating. I'm referring to the endless onslaught of characters that overcrowd the book, but serve little importance in the greater scheme of things. Every story arc is jam-packed with so many characters that range from semi-important to useless. I usually wouldn't mention this, but with a book of this magnitude it really became an issue with me, though it may not for other people. The second issue is the lack of a proper climax to the story. I'm all for having an intriguing plot over a mindless slog of action scenes, but with a book of this size, it would have been nice to have it end with a bang. It's little things like these that stand out when the rest of the book is just so good.

When Hollywood absolutely bastardized the final Harry Potter novel by splitting it into two movies in order to fill their glutinous craving for money; I became somewhat of a skeptic to segmenting visual adaptations of popular literature. Creating a television show made me raise an eyebrow, "instead of making a movie they're going to milk it with a whole season of episodes" I thought. After reading A Game of Thrones, I realized that making a television show out of the book isn't just a good idea, it's absolutely mandatory. This book and its sequels have so much content in them that a movie would never do the plot and its various characters justice. It's the perfect source material for an epic fantasy television series, which is great considering we don't exactly have many of those.

A Game of Thrones is the start of something special. The beginning chapter of an epic tale that needs to be read by everyone of age who can truly appreciate its complexity. Read the book first before you watch the show, only then can you truly appreciate George R. R. Martin's natural talent for weaving such incredible stories.

I am writing this review as an individual who watched Game of Thrones on HBO before picking up the book series, so with that in mind you may or may not find my review helpful/useful. I will also try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible.

As a fan of the tv series, I came into this book knowing what to expect; I was told that Season 1 and Book 1 are very similar, and that is most certainly true. But do you know what? I still loved the book. I’ll do list format for the book’s good and bad points (in my opinion and in no particular order) to make this a little more organized.

-- GOODS:

DIALOGUE/WRITING - George RR Martin has a way with words. His descriptions of the various locations and lands and kingdoms of Westeros, from Winterfell to King’s Landing to Vaes Dothrak, have flawless flow. I love descriptive writing, and there is always a fine line between not describing something enough to give the reader a good picture and going overboard to the point where it gets boring to read through paragraphs of superfluous text. This is especially true in the fantasy genre, where the lands and people and words and customs are all…well, fantastical. This book finds that balance, with evocative, beautiful language that puts you right in that setting and right in the thick of the action. Hell, the descriptions of food always made me hungry even if they were serving something that I would never actually eat! As for the dialogue, if you are a fan of the show’s dialogue, or clever dialogue in general, you will enjoy this book. There are a good number of memorable and poignant quotes throughout the book, my favorite being “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die,” an apt summary for sure. Bottom line, when you pick up this book, be prepared to engross yourself and be swept away to a foreign land.

VOICES/POINTS OF VIEW - Notable about this book, and all the books in the series, is that it is constantly switching from various characters points of view (POVs, as I’ll refer to them from now on). And by various, I mean roughly 7-8 characters. As difficult as this is to pull off, Martin does a great job. It’s an effective way to see what is going on in multiple locations at roughly the same time while keeping us invested. I applaud his decision to present us the information this way as it gives us a greater connection with the characters and more insight into various situations as we see how they are impacting the character that we are viewing it through. Not to mention, Martin manages to keep each of the individual POVs unique enough that you don’t need to flip back to see who’s narrating. Each character has distinct personality traits and ways of thinking/speaking that distinguish them from the others. Sansa is lady-like, a romantic and naive. Arya is fiery, resourceful and a fighter. Tyrion is shrewd, astute and full of quick-witted jibes. And so on and so forth. It is also worth noting that each character, even if a few of them are in the same place at the same time, sees different things and different people and analyzes situations in different ways, so each chapter gives you new information in some way or another. It’s very cleverly done and just as frustrating when you realize “UGH this character doesn’t know what was revealed to me, the reader, in THIS CHARACTER’S chapter” which is a great way of keeping you hooked.

CHARACTERS: HEROES VS VILLAINS - Getting inside the characters heads, you start to understand their motives and the ways that they think. So you get to decide for yourself what motives are justified and who you believe in or who you’re rooting for. But then again, just because one character appears to be the “hero” of the story, doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily get a happy ending. If you’re looking for a feel-good story about about good conquering evil, this probably isn’t for you. If you’re looking for a story with deep, cunning characters who you can’t always trust, who are shades of grey versus black and white, then you’ll find this book a compelling read.

DEPTH - Martin has done his homework and has developed rich histories for each of the characters and their houses. Hell, the Appendix of the book has small blurbs about each house, its history, its sigil, its words/slogan and the relevant members of the house. It’s always available for you to flip back and read if you find yourself confused, which can happen. Having watched the tv series, I was less confused about the various Houses and characters coming into the book, which helped a lot. Yet I still found myself learning new information from the Appendix. It’s a great tool and shows the author’s dedication to his characters and their backgrounds. I was impressed by how richly developed everything was, even though this is only the first book in the series.

NO TEENAGE DIARY DESCRIPTIONS ABOUT SEX - This book has sex in it. Quite a bit, too. I can see how this would be off-putting to some readers. Personally, I don’t mind it much. What I appreciated was that the descriptions of sex weren’t long, drawn out, excessively pornographic or mushy-gushy. I appreciated not having to wade through pages upon pages of “his fingers brushed against my fingers and my heart fluttered, he looked at me and I admired his beautiful eyelashes” or other mushy teenage romance dialogues that frankly bore the poop out of me. On the other hand, you’re not reading through pages and pages of detailed erotica either. It’s written very matter-of-factly, very bluntly and to-the-point and only went into a bit more description when it was warranted. Again, I imagine this isn’t for everyone, so you may consider this a negative. The way it was presented throughout the book, however, I felt warranted a checkmark in the “Good” category.

FEMALE CHARACTERS - Some of the best depictions of female characters I have read. I was very impressed. The female characters are at all ends of the spectrum in this book, from feminine to tough to conniving. In a book where you’d assume the male characters take front and center, the female characters are just as fascinating, if not moreso in some cases.

X-RAY - I have the Kindle version of this book. The X-Ray features really helps you keep track of the book’s many characters and remind you who someone is if you forget, which is SUPER helpful. I used the features many times throughout the book and it definitely aided my understanding and allowed me to further appreciate the depth of the characters and the story.

-- BADS:

MULTIPLE POVs SLOW DOWN THE ACTION - The constant cutting back and forth between different characters and settings, while well done, also has the side effect of slowing down some of the action. You end a chapter on a cliffhanger as the one character’s POV learns something horrifying or experiences something shocking. But then the next chapter jumps to a character who is in a completely different setting and you have to wait until you get to a chapter of a character who is in place where the cliffhanger first happened. It slows down the action a bit, which can get a little frustrating. If it really bothers you to read a cliffhanger and then wait a few chapters to see a reaction or resolution to that cliffhanger, then this book might frustrate you more than entertain you. Not to mention, if you find one character’s voice/writing style/actions particularly boring, you might find it tiresome to have to wade through those chapters to get to the “good stuff.” I know I personally had that problem in a few instances.

TYPOS - I have the Kindle version of this book, and it had quite a number of typos. Not on every page or anything, but more than I would have liked. A few of them sort of interrupted the flow of the story while I was reading, but for the most part they aren’t a huge deal. Just a little annoying.

LENGTH - Not gonna lie, flipping through the Table of Contents and realizing there are 72 chapters was a little daunting. And if you have a really busy schedule, you might find the length a little scary too. I’m very glad I stuck it out and plowed through, though!

-- Overall, I’m a happy camper and am going to pick up the second book in the series ASAP!

I love fantasy; ever since I was a kid, stories set in creative worlds featuring varied groups of characters fighting to save the world, overcome evil, or even resolve some political matter have always captivated me. As such, I've read many fantasy novels over the years...and doing so has made me notice a rather unfortunate trend: the genre as a whole often relies too heavily on the same cliches and plots, which makes many of the stories presented seem tired, predictable, and overdone. As a result of this, I decided to take a break from fantasy; one can only read the same story so many times before getting fed up. I started "A Game of Thrones" very tentatively, partially because of the all the hype around the series and partially due to my own wariness regarding fantasy novels. My fears were completely unfounded; "A Game of Thrones" is a breath of fresh air for the genre, and is easily one of the best books I've read in recent years. Spoilers follow.

The novel contains three story lines. The first and most heavily focused on is that of the Kingdom of Westeros, its political structure, the ruling family's potentially reputation-destroying secret, and the beginning of conflict after the king dies. The second plot is that of the Wall and the constant struggle of the Night Watch to defend Westeros against the wildlings and more sinister creatures that reside beyond the Kingdom's border. The third takes place away from Westeros and follows the story of Daenerys, the last of the Targaryen family, and the start of her rise to power. The first story is clearly the main plot, while the second and third receive a little less attention, yet are no less important to the overall story.

The story presented here isn't that which is typically found in your common fantasy fare. This is not a tale of sword and sorcery, wizards and heroes enacting the traditional yarn of Good versus Evil, or of an impoverished farm boy discovering that he comes from a lofty background and is destined for greatness. Instead, this is largely about politics and political intrigue with a dash of magic and the unknown thrown in to give the novel a unique flavour. Perhaps the most noticeable element of the plot when compared to other fantasy books is the lack of magic; it does exist in Martin's world and he indicates that it can be a very powerful force, yet its role in this particular book is very small. This makes the few instances where it does appear very significant. Martin has said that he based "A Song of Ice and Fire" on the War of the Roses, and as such, more attention is given to the politics and the crisis of succession when Westeros' king dies. This makes for a story that avoids the traditional fantasy cliches while still having a distinctly fantasy feel.

The primary focus may be on political intrigue, but the book is hardly boring or overly mired solely in scheming. With all this political conflict come battles, fights, beheadings, and conquest, and Martin writes all of them exceedingly well and believably. This is a very gritty world that Martin has created, and he certainly doesn't shy away from showing how brutal life can be for his characters. Both rape and violence are present and are portrayed in a much blunter, starker light than in most novels. If there is a battle, you will see characters suffer gruesome ends, and the spoils of conquest are not glossed over. Yet, the use of such elements doesn't come off as gratuitous nor do they seem unnecessary; instead, they serve to characterize the world in which the characters go about their lives. Indeed, this is a dangerous place with far-reaching consequences and risks. It certainly puts a darker spin on the plot, but as someone who quickly bores of overly optimistic characters and stories, this darker, grittier fantasy very much appeals to me and gives the book a certain edge that sets it apart from others.

Accompanying this dangerous, sometimes terrifying world is the idea that no one is safe...and that includes main characters. Martin doesn't hesitate to take characters you've grown close to throughout the book and run them through the wringer, sometimes going as far as to kill them off. One of the main point of view characters is beheaded toward the end of the book, not because he is a terrible person or because he is in some way marked as being a "bad" character. On the contrary, he's the most honest, reasonable character in the book, and it's his own honesty that leads to his demise. This is the point that makes you realize that "A Song of Ice and Fire" will pull no punches or give anyone immunity based solely on whether they are a positive or negative character, a primary character or a background character. When characters, regardless of their role in the story, enter into a conflict, whether it's physical in the form of a fight or battle or more complicated through scheming and deceit, you genuinely fear for their safety. While the traditional fantasy novel may put the main character through trials and hardships, you know he'll make it through in the end, but that's not the case here. The reader is always on edge, worrying for their favourite characters or rooting for the demise of their most hated, but you never know how it's really going to play out. It's a completely different reading experience from most books out there, putting a real sense of danger into the book's events and a feeling of suspense into the story.

Another standout aspect of "A Game of Thrones" is the world building. Martin has not only created an intriguing world of politics, kings, deceit, battles, conquest, magic, and gritty reality, he has done it in a masterful manner. It's become something of a pet peeve of mine when authors are so proud of the world they've built that they dump pages and pages of their world's landscape, history, government, culture, etc on the reader in the middle of the story; it's a heavy-handed, clunky way of developing the backdrop of a novel. Martin manages to keep his world richly detailed while avoiding info-dumping by slipping in brief descriptions of how Westeros works in dialogue or when the subject in question appears. He doesn't appear to be in a hurry to reveal everything and instead lets things unfold in their own time. He knows his world from front to back, and he knows when it is appropriate to explain something and when it isn't.

The character setup of "A Game of Thrones" is also pretty different. Instead of having one protagonist whose story is the focus of the book, we get 8 different characters that provide 8 unique points of view. The perspective switches in every chapter, so we often see one event thoroughly told from two or three different characters. This is a great way to keep the story from getting stale or repetitive, as all of the characters have a distinct voice or bias and no character ever receives two chapters back to back. On the downside, however, it can be a little frustrating to be enjoying the perspective of one character, only to turn the page and see that you'll be finishing the issue at hand through the eyes of a different figure. That aside, having 8 point of view characters works very well for the novel because it keeps each chapter fresh and allows the reader to thoroughly get to know multiple characters rather than just one.

What is particularly great about Martin's characters is, as I said above, that they're completely distinct. They're so well fleshed out and have so many realistic motivations, feelings, and actions that it could be easy to forget that they are fictional characters rather than real people. While some characters may seem to fall into a broad archetype of character, pretty much none of the characters can be summed up on one or two words. Equally as impressive, whether you'll like or dislike a character will be dependent on how well they or part of their personality resonates with you personally, instead of whether they are "good" or "bad." Even the characters that seem to be cast in a more negative light have positive personality traits that make them likable and relatable. It also seems that what one reader appreciates about one character, another reader may dislike. The characters in "Game of Thrones" are so well fleshed out and realized that they sometimes seem as realistic as flesh-and-blood people, and like real people, your reactions to and liking of the characters will be based almost entirely on their complex personalities.

The secondary and side characters also receive a lot of care. Although we don't get to know them as intimately as the point of view characters, we still often see enough of them to get a sense of who they are. There are a lot of side characters in the novel, with possibly hundreds of names being tossed around depending on whose point of view the chapter is told through...so you do have to pay attention to who is who. Most characters, however, appear fairly frequently and are distinct enough that it's easy to keep them straight. And those who aren't seen as often tend to come with a little reminder of who they are when they do show up. Even though there are a lot of secondary and side characters, they are given a lot of thought, making for a rich variety of figures to populate the novel's setting.

To reiterate what I mentioned earlier, no one is safe. This can make for some emotional reading when the characters are so unique and well thought out. It must always be remembered that anything can happen to the characters and any chapter could be their last. Characters can meet their end very quickly or very slowly, and there's really no way of predicting if a figure will survive or not.

As a side note, despite the length of "A Game of Thrones," it is only the first book of a long series. This means that while this novel contains its own well-told story, it also does a lot of setting up for the overarching plot and leaves more questions than it answers at its conclusion. If you begin to read this series, you will likely become hooked on it and rush out to get the second book after you finish this one.

Overall, "A Game of Thrones" is one of the best books I've read in recent years. It bucks the trends and cliches of modern fantasy novels and offers up something that is unique, but still contains the mystical flavour of the genre. The world presented is violent and gritty with a no-one-is-safe policy that leads for some edgy, often tense reading. The characters are wonderfully developed and fleshed out so well that they could easily be real people, and the different points of view throughout the novel offer unique perspectives on the story's events. This is perhaps the first book I've read in a long time about which I can't come up with something I don't like, aside from a couple characters...but, as I said earlier, not liking certain characters for aspects of their complex personalities is part of what makes the novel so, well, likeable. Five stars happily given for the above and for reviving my interest in fantasy.

It's been ages since I originally purchased this book on my Kindle. I saw the size of the book and when I got my Kindle it was one of the first purchases I made. I figured it would be better to carry it on that slim device than to lug around the rather large book. I wanted to read the book prior to the premier of the show but... well that didn't happen. So my goal shifted; I wanted to read the first book before the second season began and that also didn't happen. Well, I gave it a try at least. I began reading this book in April just after I moved to Virginia and didn't have a job. I would spend my mornings putting out job applications and then by late afternoon I'd sit back and read a little. But the size of this book overwhelmed me, not that I haven't read anything of this size before, but for some reason the slow moving percentage on my Kindle wasn't being very helpful. Then I got my temp job and this book was put down.

Back and forth over the past five months I went. I would read a new book, put it down, then read 50 pages of Game of Thrones. Not only that but with trying to maintain a regularly updated book blog with ramblings about books I've read it's hard to just guarantee a number of days to read this huge book. However, I finished a book and went back to GoT for my few chapter read through and realized I was actually pretty darn close to being finished. Only, like, 200 pages left! So I read it in a flash and loved every moment of it then sat back and wondered why I hadn't just read it in one go to begin with.

Nonetheless, let's talk about the book for the very few people out there who haven't read it. Because, it seems, I am the last person in the world who got around to starting this series. If you've seen the show it's a lot like the book; they did a very good job at portraying the characters and many of the scenes in my opinion. Still, this book is long so obviously it has much more detail and scenery than the show does. If you've seen the show but have not read the book I'd suggest doing so!

While I wasn't keen on carrying around a copy of the book because it was so large I do wish, in a way, that I had that opportunity so that I could flip back and forth between the maps and family trees. It would have helped as the cast of the book is huge and the families are very wide spread and detailed. I have forever had issues of remembering people's names, book characters included, and had it not been for the fact that I had already watched the tv show and had faces to place with the names I probably would have been more lost as to who was who and how they were connected.

The story is good, the imagery is good, the description is good. This book is good. If you have a fascination with anything remotely like Tudor history, Arthurian legend or the long, detailed writing in Lord of the Rings then A Song of Ice and Fire is perfect for you. Dragons, princesses, secrets and swords fill its pages and often times left my head spinning. This book has a touch of fantasy but it doesn't go overboard. You aren't stuck feeling like you just slipped into the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy or Hogwarts. It's slipped in so casually that you find yourself, whilst reading the book, to just accept what they are speaking of and not think twice about if dragons exist or the dead can rise and kill.

Martin may put a little too much emphasis into certain details but I suspect they all come around to meaning something and he certainly helps you to picture the world he has created. It reads like some fantastic part of history yet the characters are certainly living and breathing at your ear, over your shoulder, while you go from page to page. Often times I'll read books by authors who have long since left this earth and I'm left feeling melancholy. "Why don't people write like this anymore? Why don't they put detail into their books and write so beautifully?" and I think I've discovered that there are authors who write in such ways and Martin is one of them. It's refreshing to be able to read a book so beautifully written and with such perfect detail that is current and published within my lifetime. Could it have been shortened down at some points? Certainly. Every other chapter I found at least a few pages that I could have gone without but what are you going to do? It's not like I didn't already know this was going to be a long book when I began it.

It does have its fair share of sex scenes, incest, and rape so be forewarned of that those of you who like to avoid such plot. But it's relevant to the story, or so it seems... most of the time, so it's kind of worth talking about. Martin leaves a lot of tidbits of information through out the book which you can pick apart in your own time and wonder what it all could mean. Apparently, it's a Thing fans of the series like to do and I can understand why they would when it spans such long periods of time between publications of books. In that regard, I'm glad I waited to pick up the books so that I won't have to wait forever for each book to come out. Granted, when A Song of Ice and Fire was first published I was ten and this was way beyond my reading comprehension but at least now I can take my time, play catch up, and maybe once I'm completely caught up with the books I can join the countless others who eagerly await the next book in the series.

I think what I liked best about the books was that the characters grow and change while you read. Often times you are able to witness how the surrounding events will alter a person or you are simply given privy to details otherwise unnoticed. I started the book with a dead set group of characters whom I liked and ones I disliked but by the end of the book that list had shuffled a little bit. Some of the characters I disliked at first (Sansa, for example) I had begun to like a little more by the end. While I have many other books I have to get through before I start A Clash of Kings I will be happy when I have that opportunity and look forward to it. There are many people out there who love this book and consider it a work of art, the best thing they had ever read, and swear by it. There are others who refuse to speak nothing but negative things about the book - it just did not work for them. For me, I liked it, I enjoyed it, and while I may not be standing on my office's roof proclaiming to the people waiting for their lunches that they must read this book - I still will quietly refer friends to it who are looking for a good tale.