A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1)
George R.R. Martin
1996 – Adult Fiction – Fantasy
Rating: 5/5
The Story: This is an epic, sweeping fantasy novel that tells the story of the Iron Throne from a multitude of different perspectives. Focusing on characters from a number of houses, such as Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, and Targaryen, the story centers on power. With plenty of death, sex, and intrigue, A Game of Thrones is all about the fight for the Iron Throne. As armies make war and power passes swiftly, it is important to remember one thing…winter is coming.
The Opening Line: “We should start back,” Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them.
What I Loved: Martin writes well…and powerfully. His attention to details is masterful, and I loved seeing bits and pieces of the plot come together while I was still scratching my head, wondering what was going on. Characters are perfectly written. There are plenty of characters to love, plenty to hate, and plenty that are a mixture of good and evil. And I love that no one is perfect and no one is safe. It kept me on my toes. Also, the universe is so fleshed out – each of the houses has a history, a motto, a banner and sigil. Nothing is left out. This is just really great fantasy.
What I Didn’t Love: Well, darn. I avoided this series as long as possible because I knew I would get pulled in. Then I would want to read the rest. Then I would want to watch the show. Then I would be one of those fans begging for the next book release. And now all of that is true. Damn it, George!
Challenge Results: I won! Katie really dropped the ball this time. As I’m writing this, she’s about 500 pages in, so she still has a while to go. For my prize, I chose a pair of purple skinny jeans that will help complete my Joker Halloween costume. My favorite characters were Ned & Arya Stark, Jon Snow, and Daenerys Targaryen. My least favorite characters were Cersei & Jaime Lannister, Viserys Targaryen, and Robert & Joffrey Baratheon. I still like House Stark the best.
Final Thoughts: I really love this book. I’m excited to read the rest of the series, although it may be a while before I get back to it, since I have some other stuff prioritized. Also, did I mention that reading this made me think of The Elder Scrolls every time? So I’ve played a ton of Skyrim this week in addition to reading. I see why people are disciples of this series and of Martin. It’s amazing – and I’m convinced. I can’t say enough great stuff about it.
P.S. Apologies for a second post today – I’ve been sick all weekend. Although I still am, I’m in the process of playing catch up on my reading and reviewing.
Jancee's Reading Journal 