A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Jan 13, 2009 The Flooze rated it really liked it

Shelves: vanquished_2011, fantasy, owned

**4.5**

I got the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire for free at last year’s New York Comic Con. I’d heard wonderful things about the series, yet I held off on reading it.

I’m not one for traditional fantasy. Swords and sorcery call to mind my experiences with Tolkien: the exhaustive descriptions of landscapes, the sweeping battle scenes filled with incomprehensible strategic maneuvers, the jumping around between characters and places that had me constantly flipping to the included map. It wasn **4.5**

I got the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire for free at last year’s New York Comic Con. I’d heard wonderful things about the series, yet I held off on reading it.

I’m not one for traditional fantasy. Swords and sorcery call to mind my experiences with Tolkien: the exhaustive descriptions of landscapes, the sweeping battle scenes filled with incomprehensible strategic maneuvers, the jumping around between characters and places that had me constantly flipping to the included map. It wasn’t a pleasant read for me, and since many fantasy authors use Tolkien as a guide I’ve steered relatively clear of the genre. I feared a similar experience with A Game of Thrones.

And then I watched the show.

Of course, many readers will cringe at the fact that I watched HBO’s rendition prior to reading. But it gave me the impetus I needed to dismiss my fears and dive into Martin’s saga. The show enthralled me. Sure, there were battles and strange lands and too many characters to count, but they were all presented in such an accessible and compelling way. There was no confusion and no tedium, the characters were well fleshed out, and the political machinations were fascinating. I was utterly sucked in.

I’m pleased to say that the book was even better.

Martin creates a world that’s easily comprehended and a plot that unfolds smoothly and briskly over the course of 807 pages. Admittedly a hefty tome, but Martin fills his chapters with action and emotional development in such a way that I wished the book were even longer. His writing style is clean and flowing, utterly lacking in pretension. His dialogue is realistic and runs the gamut from poignant to comedic. (The show is a testament to this; it seemed like most of the characters’ lines were lifted directly from the book.) His descriptions of people and places give us enough to picture the scene while still leaving room for imagination to work its magic. I found it to be an effortless read that entertained me from beginning to end.

I do wonder, though: having come into A Game of Thrones after watching the series, was the vast cast of characters more manageable because I already had faces to put to names? I’m not sure, but I like to think Martin’s characters are each so distinct that I wouldn’t have had much trouble.

Jumping between points of view might sound daunting to some, but Martin does an excellent job of distinguishing between personalities. No two characters are alike, and they all face such disparate trials that it was easy to keep track of the plot threads. Also, the story shifts allowed for a deeper understanding of each event and its repercussions, and of each person as they‘re viewed through different eyes. It prevented the plot from becoming too bogged down by any one theme - a little lying and scheming here, a little bloodshed there, and some touching moments of familial bonds to round the whole thing out.

I had definite favorites while watching the series; I’m pleased to say the same characters stood out during my reading. The most notable was Tyrion. Known as The Imp, he’s complex and intelligent, ever-observant and possesses a great deal of sympathy. He strikes me as the most relatable character as he attempts to fly under the radar while the whole kingdom goes to pot. My interest in his story is only furthered by his incredibly dry wit. He had me snickering one moment, fearing for his life the next, and all while cheering him on as he dared declare aloud all the things I was thinking myself. His sections had me riveted.

A Game of Thrones is a must-read for any fantasy fan. It’s even a must-read for those of us who usually shy away from sweeping power struggles. More than a political chronicle, Martin’s work presents mystery and betrayal, love and friendship, disappointment and tragedy, mixed with a healthy dash of the supernatural unknown. I became invested in the characters, curious about the paranormal elements, and excited about what’s to come. Martin makes this game of thrones personal, and I’m eager to discover who will win…and who will die. ...more

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Dec 25, 2009 Gaijinmama rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

I went into this having seen the first two seasons of the TV show, so some of the suspense was gone.
Didn't matter a whit. I could hardly put the book down and pretty much binge-read the last 300 pages over a three-day weekend. Family? sleep? work? what's that?
Indeed, it was all I could do not to plow right into the next volume of the series, but I'm making myself take a break to process it.

The story is just plain non-stop irresistible brilliance. In more than 800 pages, not a single word is wast I went into this having seen the first two seasons of the TV show, so some of the suspense was gone.
Didn't matter a whit. I could hardly put the book down and pretty much binge-read the last 300 pages over a three-day weekend. Family? sleep? work? what's that?
Indeed, it was all I could do not to plow right into the next volume of the series, but I'm making myself take a break to process it.

The story is just plain non-stop irresistible brilliance. In more than 800 pages, not a single word is wasted. More importantly in my view, the characters are believable and complex. The bad guys have some redeeming qualities, and the good guys have some grey areas and do some unlikeable stuff. They're people, not superheroes, and that's what kept me riveted in their story.
Hands down, my favorite character is Tyrion, The Imp. I'd say he's the anti-hero of the whole darn thing. As far as I'm concerned, this is really his story. Kinda like Star Wars is really about Han Solo, not that boring Luke Skywalker, right? Tyrion isn't exactly a good guy but he is smart, shows compassion in spite of himself, generally does the right thing when it matters, and oh. my.gods. does he have a sense of humor!! Between him and Petyr Baelish( who really is a scumbag, but endearing nonetheless) I found myself giggling at all sorts of inappropriate moments.
Warning: in case you've been hiding under a rock, let's just say things get a bit violent here and there. I'm not at all squeamish, but this book contains some truly sick and twisted stuff that pushed even my limits. What makes it even more upsetting, is that it's portrayed realistically. There is no cruelty in this book that hasn't actually been done to someone at some point in history.
Same goes for the magical aspects of the story. Magic exists in this world, but it comes at a price, and people still have to deal with the consequences of their actions, or deal with the fall-out of other people's actions (Catelyn Stark, a word please!! In my office, now!!).
People survive by using their brains. And sometimes bad things happen to good people.
Maybe I'll grab the next book and dive right in, after all. ...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Thenia rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, series, reviewed, 2012

A heavy but captivating fantasy book, set in an elaborate and complex world with multiple layers and colorful characters.

We follow a number of different characters throughout the book and the multiple points of view were a bit frustrating at times, since naturally not all of them are equally likable.

A lot of key points of the story were known to me (damn spoilers...) but even so, the story was very enjoyable. I am looking forward to reading the next book, for which I'm happy to say I haven't re ...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Logan rated it liked it

Shelves: own-bought-ebook, fantasy, movie-tv

First impressions: I love a good prologue - it sets the stage, gets you interested, and dives right into the action. Believe me, Martin gives good prologue here. It gave me important information about the northern area of the country, was full of suspense, and made me want to learn more. What else could you ask for?

Lasting impressions: This is undoubtedly an epic story. It covers lots of characters over a long period of time in a vast world. At times this was overwhelming, particularly to someon First impressions: I love a good prologue - it sets the stage, gets you interested, and dives right into the action. Believe me, Martin gives good prologue here. It gave me important information about the northern area of the country, was full of suspense, and made me want to learn more. What else could you ask for?

Lasting impressions: This is undoubtedly an epic story. It covers lots of characters over a long period of time in a vast world. At times this was overwhelming, particularly to someone who doesn't read a lot of epic fantasy, but ultimately the story was powerful and satisfying.

Conflicting impressions: Having spent so much time lately reading first person intimate narratives, the switch to a more distant third person point of view was a big change up. I was frustrated at times by how Martin seemed to power through difficult moments and present them so matter of factly. Where was all the angst and hand wringing I love? Oh, right. Not that kind of book, so no real points off from me.

Overall impressions: I have to emphasize again that I am not normally an epic fantasy reader. That, in and of itself, is a huge reason I did not rate this book higher. It's just not my preferred genre. I love fantasy stories, I love swords and action and betrayal and lots of other fantasy elements, it's just that slogging through 850 pages is not my idea of a good time. It takes me months to get through one of Diana Gabaldon's behemoths, and I love them, but the process itself is a struggle. I have a short attention span.

That said, I struggled to get through this one. If it weren't for the HBO premiere, I don't think I would have had the motivation to finish. As much as I liked the characters and the story, it didn't quite move fast enough to keep me engaged. It took me three weeks to read the first half of the book, and the second half I simply forced myself to sit down and read in a marathon 4 hour reading session on Friday night.

Am I glad I did? Absolutely. Like I said, it's a great book. The characters were fantastic, and with the revolving POVs, you really get a chance to get to know them individually. My favorites by far were Arya, the 10 year old (I think) daughter of House Stark, and Tyrion Lannister, dwarf brother to the Queen. Arya is a tomboy who only wants to fight and be outside, though custom dictates she must learn sewing and act a lady. Tyrion is called "the Imp" by his countrymen, a nickname he despises, and because of his perceived deformity, is looked down upon by nearly everyone he encounters.

The beauty of the story is that all of the characters are deeply flawed, so as events quickly get out of their control, these flaws dictate devastating consequences. Martin is truly not afraid to show the darkest sides of people, nor is he afraid to take things from the characters we love so dearly. This book was frustrating often because I just wanted things to get better instead of get worse, and that is not usually the plan.

I highly recommend the book to fantasy fans, although most of them have probably already read it. Although it's not my particular cup of tea, I still enjoyed the story and am glad it is getting a well deserved boost in publicity thanks to the HBO series. For my thoughts on the show, read on. ...more

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Sep 17, 2009 Drea rated it really liked it

Shelves: november-2009, kindle-book

This book was recommended to me by a guy from Tuesday Trivia. I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but really do. I will say there are alot of characters and alliances which need to be remembered and sometimes that a bit difficult - I think that if I had an actual book instead of reading it on the Kindle it might be a little easier. I'm reading the second book now and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. ...more

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