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

by George R.R. Martin

The first volume in the hugely popular, violent and action-packed epic fantasy.

The first volume of George R R Martin's glorious high fantasy tells the tragic story of treachery, greed and war that threatens the unity of the Seven Kingdoms south of the Wall. Martin unfolds with astonishing skill a tale of truly epic dimensions, thronged with memorable characters, a story of treachery and ambition, love and magic. Set in a fabulous world scarred by battle and catastrophe over 8000 years of recorded history, it tells of the deeds of men and women locked in the deadliest of conflicts and the terrible legacy they will leave their children. In the game of thrones, you win or you die.

And in the bitter-cold, unliving lands beyond the Wall, a terrible winter gathers and the others - the undead, the neverborn, wildlings to whom the threat of the sword is nothing - make ready to descend on the realms of men.

• ISBN10: 0553897845
• ISBN13: 9780553897845
• Publish Date: 1 January 2003 (first published 1 August 1996)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Bantam
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 593
• Language: English

Reviews

[moraa]

6/xx/19: 3.5 stars
It was okay.

4/13/20: ... a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.
I appreciated the world-building far more the second time around. A relief, in truth. I'd began to think I'd lost my love for intricacy.
The characters though... we may need a glossary.

[kiracanread]

A Game of Thrones is the single most immersive, captivating fantasy book I've ever read, hands down. I can't wait to read the rest of the A Song of Ice and Fire series after this and this book is definitely one that I would reread over and over again.

[sa090]

I never actually expected that one day I'll be reading this series, not because it's bad, no. I mean how would I know that without reading it myself? But because I tried watching the show and dropped it very early on for the heavy sexual themes that left me disgusted tbh and thankfully the book was nothing like that, in fact it was a pretty enjoyable experience for me.

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The book has 8 point of views to go through and it was something I really appreciated in it in the start, emphasis on "the start". In those 8 POVs, 6 of them belonged to the same family and there were certain events that were handled from more than one perspective and like I mentioned earlier it started out on a very interesting note but by the middle of the book it kind of bored me a bit, not because the content itself was bad but because I honestly couldn't care less about 4 of the 6 in these POVs. The basic premise of the book is very easy to figure out with it being 1 throne and different families trying to sit on it, but sometimes the 4 POVs I mentioned earlier never seemed to be actually expanding on that premise at all.

To be as vague as I possibly can not to spoil anything, the young girls' point of views in those 6 were by far the most boring ones for me after a while but the young boys' centered ones actually hinted at somewhat interesting things that will most likely come to pass later on in the series. Like I mentioned earlier, my issue with this despite the interesting hints is that those 4 POVs didn't seem relevant in this particular book concerning the events that took place or rather their role in them so instead of actually keeping me engaged in learning about the 4 children I really didn't care much about any of them. Some of them annoyed me beyond belief, and while I do consider this a bit of a con in my overall enjoyment, I'm glad that the author gave me other characters that were amazingly fun to read about.

The last two of these 6 POVs belonged to the adults in the family and it provided a more than welcome contrast to the younger perspectives, just for the sake of the politics and learning more about the happenings in the Seven Kingdoms themselves which is surely relevant for this Game of Thrones. It's just as deadly as expected, infused with backstabbers all around and the sway of the powerful families in it was something I really enjoyed reading about. I did wish that the king was a little different tbh, he felt more of a pathetic clinging man than what I'd expect of someone who won that throne through blood, sweat and tears. Thankfully the other major players in the castle made Eddard Starks's journey as the Hand of the King an interesting, mysterious and a very dangerous thing to learn about.

Now personally the best two POVs of the 8 in this book belonged to the two who weren't apart of that family, firstly because one of them provided a different outlook on the same things with some not so subtle hints at inside knowledge with a very interesting personality and secondly because the other pov provided an outlook on a completely new culture, different important things and of course a promise of so many things with my favourite mythical creature. With that I'm sure it's clear who I'm talking about with the second one there so I'll stop here and move on to other aspects. I mentioned earlier that I dropped the show very early on because the overly sexual content disgusted me and I feared that the book would be the same but it really wasn't.

Yes, the book had some scenes that lasted for more than a couple of sentences but the majority of them were talked about in passing, after it happened or in one instance it was actually interrupted before it became even more disgusting. This brings me to another point, what's with the incest in this series? I mean really, I'm curious. There are places in the world where cousins marry cousins because of customs, culture and interestingly the same exact reason this is supposedly happening in the series (which I wouldn't really care about if it happened in the same way here) but sibling incest? That's just beyond gross and I'm hoping that whatever is coming will be like the rest of the sex in the series, sex sells on TV but there are more than enough books (this one included) that prove you don't need the same level to make an awesome book. The brutality in the series wasn't something I couldn't handle and honestly there are more than a few characters I want to see die very painfully and very slowly.

Will I be continuing the series? Absolutely, might read other books in between for a change of pace but definitely continuing. What about continuing the show? No, I frankly don't want to (more often than not the source material is superior), but if there is a scene that I liked in the books then I have no problem watching that particular scene in live action, I did it 3 times in this book just to see if it's as satisfying or as accurately portrayed and thankfully they were. Vaguely they were "A Golden Crown for the King", "Wooden Sword vs Iron Swords" and what is considered the finale of the first season of the show.

Final rating: 4/5

[mitabird]

3.5 stars

[Kim Deister]

Usually I am all about the books before I venture into the TV shows or movies, but this time the show came first. This is an all-time favorite series of my husband that he insisted I read and I am so glad that he did!

Having seen the show first, the actors have become the faces of the characters in the book. With few exceptions, that works just fine. With such a long book, I was expecting some times when the pace would drag, but I did not find that at all. The changing story lines from one to another with each chapter kept the story moving and absolutely enthralling.

One of my favorite aspects to the book is that there is usually no clear line between good and evil. Instead, that line is constantly shifting, changing the dynamics of the characters as their stories unfold. The story is rich and intriguing. There are no sugar-coated happy endings or neatly resolved situations. It is raw and it is often violent, but full of fabulous characters and a strong story!

Things to love...

--The multiple story lines. It kept the story moving and kept it intriguing.
--The characters. Whether you loved them or hated them, they were absolutely fascinating!

My Recommendation: It is a heavy read, an epic worthy of the name! But it is one that I HIGHLY recommend!

[inlibrisveritas]

I originally grabbed this book on a whim from the library…and after a few chapters it just sat there and I kept renewing it even though I hadn’t touched it. Then I found Jenna’s Ice and Fire Readalong and I finally sat down to read it, by which point I was out of renewals and had a week to get it done. It sounds like a crazy undertaking but it turned out to be addicting and every bit the page turner.

I’ll admit to being skeptical when I first started and I think that’s why it took me so long to get into it, because at first it just feels like every other epic fantasy. It’s not flashy or written like some flowery prize winning classic, and I wasn’t impressed. However I came to appreciate how the feel of the novel changed depending on which POV we were in, by which there are seven different point of views in this which alternate each chapter. It sounds insane, I mean how does someone keep up with seven different povs AND keep up with all the side characters at the same time? Honestly, I have no idea…but I did. It’s not for the meek that’s for sure. Each POV takes on the voice of that person and we see what they see, how they see it, and what they feel. In some ways the narrators are unreliable because you don’t get hard truths until it is laid down as without any doubt as a truth. You see allies in one chapter only to find them enemies in another. Some narrators are young (Bran, Sansa, Arya,Daenerys and Jon) and others are older (Tyrion, Catelyn, and Eddard), and no one character sounds like another. It is clear who they are and how they feel.

In truth I know most of the people who are still alive in the newest book coming out, so in some ways I wasn’t surprised when someone died and I made sure not to get too attached to certain characters. However it was really hard because even knowing their fates I really came to love some characters and Martin was not merciful when he snatched them away, but others I practically wiggled with excitement because I knew they were going to get what they deserved and there were quite a few that I wanted to punch or shake. I loved Arya, Daenerys, and Tyrion’s chapters the most. Arya Stark is a wild girl who definitely reminds me of myself a bit. She doesn’t like the gentle activities fit for her station as the daughter of a lord and would much rather play with the boys, learn to fight or explore. Tyrion Lannister is a dwarf who despite constant jeers has flourished under the negative attention. He’s more than a little confident, though is coupled with some doubt, incredibly smart, and witty. He’s the sort of person who will readily insult you and then if you find yourself offended give you some of the greatest advice ever. I loved seeing both side of him, though he definitely had moments where I was less than thrilled. Then there is Daenerys. Words can’t even begin to describe my love for this woman, seriously…if she were real I’d be willing to follow her to the ends of the Earth. In truth she is very young, only thirteen at the start of the book, but after a very troubling and meek beginning she grows into someone who is worth admiring and she does it in a year. I loved seeing her find her voice, stand up for what she believed in, and allowing no one to tell her what she could and couldn’t do.

I wish I could tell you everything that happens in this, because I honestly need to vent, but I can’t because that would ruin the fun of it. I can tell you the wide scope of the book though. This book doesn’t set out black and white boundaries, everything is in shades of grey. These characters are human and humans have layers, reasons and problems. There is some romance, a lot of action and fighting, a ton of political intrigue, seemingly magical and supernatural forces/beings, and a lot of time seeing humans be human. This book has all the details I love in high fantasy, but it doesn’t just dump the info and never mention it again, all things are relevant to the things occurring even if they seem like they might just be a childish rant or dream.

With the first book under my belt I have no doubt in my mind that I will be continuing this series and that I will watch the show. One book is not nearly enough especially not with that amazing ending. If you love high fantasy and you’re not afraid of really thick books I urge you to grab a copy of this, because I feel it is worth the time. On to the next!

[Chelsea]

There are hundreds of reviews of this book out there. Google it and you’ll find a ton. I don’t want to bore everyone with another good review of this book. I loved it. That’s it. It was completely amazing and I think everyone should read it. But I’m not going to ramble on about why I loved this book, I’m going to tell you why YOU should read it.

Why you should read Game of Thrones:

1. This isn’t a typical fantasy book. There’s no good guy vs. bad guy thing going on in this book. You have your favourites and the characters you hate. Many of them you will hate. There’s no character that is the “main” character who almost died every chapter but never ever does. There is a lot of death. I’m warning you now, don’t get attached to anyone.

2. You like medieval themed books. This is actually one of the better medieval themed books. It’s pretty accurate I think. Obviously there weren’t too many dragons in that time (that we know of) but the language, setting, clothing, etc is all medieval. Not only is everything medieval themed, but all the medieval inspired wars are there too. There is so much intense fighting. It’s amazing. It’s all so real too. Characters actually die, and don’t come back to life. They stay dead. You cry. You’re sad. But they still don’t come back. That’s how it works in the real world.

3. You love sneaky awesome “villains”/characters that you will absolutely HATE. I said before that there’s no good and bad people in this book. BUT there are some characters that are sneaky and clever. Littlefinger is one. I’m sure he’s a great guy and all, but he’s not loyal to anyone. He does what he wants even if it means stabbing people in the back. It’s great! There’s so much planning in this book. It’s set so that you see different points of views but everyone is always planning something. Whether the plans work out or not is a completely different topic.

4. Lots and lots of fighting and action. I mean lots. There’s this massive war going on that could last forever. Not to mention all the wars to be. Everyone wants that throne so badly.

5. So many characters. Usually I hate this. I can’t keep track of everyone and I get confused. The author makes it easier in this book. There’s different family houses that make it easier to figure everyone out. Plus the characters are so awesome. Even the ones you hate just have so much detail put into them. You will never hate or love a character as much as some of these characters.

Why you shouldn’t read Game of Thrones:

1. You like your favourite characters alive. I swear the last book in this series every single character will be dead. Just everyone.

2. You don’t like multiple points of view. There’s a lot of views in this book. Every chapter it goes to a different person.

3. You like all action and not the decisions behind the action. There are some dry parts. Some parts where the characters are trying to figure out what comes next. I enjoyed these parts, but you might not.

4. You’re a huge feminist and can’t stand that the men have all the power. There is one woman that has power. Over pretty much all the men. It’s part of the medieval theme.

5. You can’t deal with stupid characters. There are some pretty interesting characters.

6. You can’t focus when there’s a lot of characters. There is a lot of characters. Not even just the points of view,but other people that get mentioned that are slightly important. I couldn’t even name them all.

[KitsuneBae]

Meeeh!

And I thought I was going to be mindblown by this book. It's a long book but failed to achieve a lot of things.

I think this book really benefited from the buzz generated by the TV show.

It's not unique, it's not even creative. And they say that Martin is the master of Epic Fantasy. For me, absolutely nope!

You can read the full review at Thoughts and Pens.

[goodnghtmoonx]

This review is late, but I feel the need to express my almost hatred of this book. There is too much repetition among the chapters, and too many characters to keep track of. I found myself getting lost every so often as to who I was reading and how they were connected. It probably didn't help that parts got so boring I had to put it down. (There was also a two month gap where I didn't touch it because of how bland it got, so that might not have helped anything.) For me, this is much more of a man's book. Women are constantly put down, there is a rape at least every 50 pages, and if you don't have a penis you might as well not live.

The one plot line that kept me the most interested was the incest, but that might not be enough to finish the rest of the series. The only character I remotely liked out of all the main ones was Jon Snow, but if I had to read about how he was a bastard one more time I might as well have shot myself. (I might just finish reading the second one because I found it for 50 cents.)

I truly wanted to like this series because of all the raving reviews of it, but I just could not get myself into it.

[bryannaleigh]

This review is late, but I feel the need to express my almost hatred of this book. There is too much repetition among the chapters, and too many characters to keep track of. I found myself getting lost every so often as to who I was reading and how they were connected. It probably didn't help that parts got so boring I had to put it down. (There was also a two month gap where I didn't touch it because of how bland it got, so that might not have helped anything.) For me, this is much more of a man's book. Women are constantly put down, there is a rape at least every 50 pages, and if you don't have a penis you might as well not live.

The one plot line that kept me the most interested was the incest, but that might not be enough to finish the rest of the series. The only character I remotely liked out of all the main ones was Jon Snow, but if I had to read about how he was a bastard one more time I might as well have shot myself. (I might just finish reading the second one because I found it for 50 cents.)

I truly wanted to like this series because of all the raving reviews of it, but I just could not get myself into it.