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

George R.R. Martin

Start date: January 23, 2012

Finish date: February 16, 2012

Discussion: ♦Buddy Reads♦

Discussion leader: Shellbelle

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♦Buddy Reads♦

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What Members Thought

Dec 25, 2009 Gaijinmama rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, fantasy

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

8 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2008 Laurel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi-horro

I was always told that this series was one of those that every fantasy reader MUST have under their wing. Unfortunately, I have a stubborn streak and when told that I MUST read something, I balk. There's a ton of great fantasy out there, I thought, so I don't need to read it to be part of the group. Well, I was wrong. It is perhaps one of the greatest series ever written. I admit it.

Amazing characters, vicious battle sequences, unexpected plot twists, and an author who gleefully kills off whiche ...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Barbara ★ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal-dragons, medieval, read-2012, fantasy

I put this book off since it wasn't really a genre that I enjoy...or so I thought. It wasn't until my brother started regaling me with snippets and handed me the first 4 books that I decided to read it. Unfortunately I made the mistake of listening to this on audio instead of actually reading it. There are tons of characters and houses and it's difficult to keep track when you cannot "see" it. The narrator did a bad job of giving each character a separate voice as well which made it doubly hard. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2011 Thenia rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, fantasy, 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 23, 2010 Charlotte (Buried in Books) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 16, 2011 Logan rated it liked it

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

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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Jul 09, 2011 Marie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: wnbc, own-read, t-fantasy, faves, bc-sff-read

An amazing beginning to an amazing series. Martin starts with one character and slowly introduces us to his family, his king, and his enemies. The cast of characters is large, but I never felt lost or overwhelmed. He keeps the language straightforward, so there was very little of that fantasy language frippery that tends to get in the way of the story.

I also loved that he gave the characters deep, compelling, and realistic motivations. This isn't your grandma's fantasy novel, where they must fi ...more

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Mar 15, 2010 Kate rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fill-in-the-gaps-project

This was a really good book and I look forward to see how the rest of the series goes. I am glad that I watched the first season of the show first because it helped me keep characters and events in order. There are so many characters that having watched the first season was really helpful. However, I do not plan on watching more until I have read more of the series.

The characters felt so real. And so sad. It always amazes me when author's are able to create such a complete world with a full hist ...more

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Sep 04, 2007 Deedee added it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-and-fantasy-book-club, dragons, twins, epic-fantasy, 6-star-books, favorites, challenge-2011-spring, nebula-award-nominee, world-fantasy-award-nominee, sf-npr-top-100

re-read
Even better the second time around!
Re: goodreads policy, I've left the rating blank. I would have given it 5 stars, like I did the other edition of this book that I read. ...more

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