Title: A Game of Thrones

Author: George R. R. Martin

Series: A Song of Ice and Fire

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date: August 6th, 1996

Genres: Fantasy, Adult

In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes of the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

First and foremost, I’ll admit that I watched the HBO TV series before I picked up the books. I quickly fell in love with the show but kept pushing off reading the series – the sheer size of each book was intimidating! Unsurprisingly, when I overcame this irrational fear and started reading the series, I fell in love with the complex characters, intricate world-building, intertwining plots, and writing style. The book surpassed all of my expectations, and I’m very glad that I finally decided to start reading this series! I read the first book from start to finish within the span of 24 hours and vlogged the entire experience.

Some of the most impressive components of this book were the constantly changing point of view and the highly detailed, interconnecting storylines. While I initially found the jumping between different characters, locations, and plot points to be jarring and confusing, I quickly grew to appreciate the complicated web that Martin was weaving. By the conclusion of the book, all of these seemingly separate storylines were seamlessly woven together to create a single cohesive tale. I also appreciated Martin’s use of this tactic as a mechanism to build suspense – as soon as a character encountered peril, the perspective would abruptly change. This was one of the factors that sucked me into the book, eager to return to the point of view of the character in danger.

With that being said, there were a ridiculous number of characters, and it became challenging at times to keep track of everyone. I relied heavily on a few spoiler-free online resources that explained the relationships between various characters, histories of the different families, and backstories for each individual. Furthermore, I found myself not remembering little details about minor characters that were merely mentioned in passing. Often, these details became important later in the narrative. I have to believe this was intentional on Martin’s part – the amount of time that elapsed between the first mention of this information and the point at which its relevance became apparent was just long enough for me to forget these details. This ensured that I didn’t start piecing together the clues that Martin subtly scattered throughout the book, leading to a more suspenseful and engaging read.

Additionally, each character’s backstory was complex, well-developed, and unique, which ensured that all of the characters were three-dimensional and realistic. The depth of each backstory helped to lay the groundwork for character arcs, and I can’t wait to see how they’re going to continue developing throughout the remainder of the series. Learning about each individual’s history helped rationalize and explain their decisions, particularly those that didn’t seem logical or understandable at first glance.

Most importantly, none of the characters were morally black or white. There were very few distinct heroes and villains, and even those that emerged were plagued by a combination of redeeming and undesirable qualities. This contributed to the realistic, lifelike nature of each character. Despite rooting for a few individuals throughout the novel, I didn’t agree with every decision that they made, and their flaws were consistent and readily apparent throughout the narrative. It was also interesting to read from many of these characters’ perspectives, which helped to elucidate their lines of thought, decision making processes, and opinions of unfolding events.

Consequently, I loved the depth and variety of the cast of characters, and I’m looking forward to meeting the characters that appear in future installments in the series. I’m guessing there are quite a few characters that I’ve yet to meet because Martin has a knack for killing them off left and right. If he keeps going at this rate without introducing anyone new, I don’t understand how the series could continue for another book, let alone another 5 books. Let’s just say that I’m hoping I don’t get too attached to any one character…

Lastly, I was astounded by Martin’s ability to craft such an intricate world, magic system, and political atmosphere. These factors added an additional dimension to the narrative, completely immersing me in the tale. This led to an incredibly unique setting and backdrop which perfectly complemented the complex plot and cast of characters. It’s clear that the first book in the series merely gives you a glimpse into the various locations within Westeros and the political powers at play, so I’m eager to keep reading and learn more about the world and relationships between various families.

While the first season of the TV show followed the plot of this first book in the series very closely, there were still some surprises along the way, and I was even more invested in the book that I had been in the show. Between the writing style, narration, characters, and plot, I was immediately hooked from page 1 of the book, and I can’t wait to continue on with the rest of the series!