In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to 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.
Book Review:
I bought the box set to this series about two years ago but I never got around to it. I finally decided to pick it up and I don't know why because I am busier than ever, but nevertheless, I am glad that I did. I loved this book and cannot wait to continue on with the series.
Martin has created such a complex world with complicated politics and family drama, as well as an element of the supernatural without it being overwhelming. When I picked up the book, I was kind of terrified by the size. It is so long and the font is not big. I was worried that it would be full of too much filler and not enough action. Well, that is certainly not the case. There is barely any filler and it is all action.
I enjoy that the book is told in multiple perspectives, chapter by chapter. I believe that it adds to the complexity but that it also allows for the reader to get a deeper understanding of the world and its politics. My favorite perspectives to read from are Jon, the bastard, Daenerys, the warrior princess, and Eddard, who is just so moral. I am not really a fan of reading the chapters in the perspectives of Catelyn, Eddard's wife, or Tyrion, the "Imp." The other perspectives of Bran, Sansa, and Arya I don't mind. They are not boring to read but they aren't as amazing as Jon's either. I feel like they give a bit of youth and naivete to the story though, which is important when so much of the rest of the story is dark and full of intricate details.
I will say that I have developed a pure hatred from some characters (Cersei, Joffrey, Jaime) but I also really love some as well (Jon and Daenerys, especially). I have really enjoyed reading as Jon progressed and vowed to take the Black. I love his relationship with Ghost, his direwolf. I have also loved reading as Daenerys has found her strength. She started out as such a whisper of a character, afraid of her aggravating and abusive brother, but once she married Khal Drogo, something in her changed.
I will say, I do not remember much from the beginning of the story, just the main plot points as the book is so long and things are constantly changing. I don't really consider that a downfall, though. Also, the end, threw me for a loop. I mean she gave birth to dragons, that had been extinct for centuries prior. A human woman gave birth to three dragons and walked out of a fire with no wounds and then it ends! What?! I am so excited to continue on with the series and figure out this whole story with the dragons too.
Favorite Quote:
“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”
