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A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire,…
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A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) (original 1996; edition 2003)

by George R. R. Martin

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
42,279111746 (4.35)4 / 1526
Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. Thriller. HTML:NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES??THE MASTERPIECE THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON
 
Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King??s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert??s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse??unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season.
 
Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen??s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister??the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms.
 
Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki??whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innoc
… (more)
Member:hste2011
Title:A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
Authors:George R. R. Martin
Info:Voyager (2003), Edition: (Reissue), Paperback, 864 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:****
Tags:fantasy, politics

Work Information

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (1996)

  1. 223
    The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (MyriadBooks, Navarone, martlet)
  2. 202
    Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (majkia)
    majkia: Both feature war-torn landscapes, confusing and conflicting motivations for main characters, and focus on complex characters whose loyalties are strained and oftentimes change.
  3. 182
    Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay (allthesedarnbooks)
  4. 150
    A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (Sunnussu)
  5. 173
    Shōgun by James Clavell (saturnine13)
    saturnine13: If you like gritty, faux historical fiction, how about another with an asian flavor? Shogun, like A Game of Thrones, concerns the byzantine political intrigues of a multitude of different characters painted in moral shades of grey, generously heaped with gruesome action and heart-breaking romance. While Shogun lacks dragons, it does have the added interest of being mostly based upon real events and people.… (more)
  6. 110
    The Sworn Sword by George R. R. Martin (jpers36)
  7. 101
    Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie (music2084)
  8. 80
    The Iron King by Maurice Druon (Fayries)
    Fayries: George R. R. Martin himself wrote that "Druon's series was one of my major inspirations".
  9. 125
    The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny (ryvre)
    ryvre: Both are fantasy books with lots of politics and intrigue among the royal families.
  10. 50
    Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham (Anonymous user)
  11. 50
    The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts (Konran)
  12. 72
    The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell (sboyte)
    sboyte: Like Game of Thrones, this book shows us the lives of medieval men and women with a bit of magic and politics thrown in.
  13. 40
    The Gilded Chain by Dave Duncan (MyriadBooks)
  14. 40
    Malice by John Gwynne (Toby_Sugden)
    Toby_Sugden: The start of what looks like a great fantasy series
  15. 30
    Hild by Nicola Griffith (Anonymous user)
  16. 41
    Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs (quenstalof)
    quenstalof: Both are high fantasy epics with dragons :-)
  17. 41
    The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker (martlet)
  18. 31
    The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams (Cecrow)
    Cecrow: Martin cites this earlier fantasy series as a major influence.
  19. 20
    Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook (SandraArdnas)
  20. 108
    Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (Tjarda, Patangel)

(see all 34 recommendations)

1990s (3)
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» See also 1526 mentions

English (1,060)  Spanish (18)  French (6)  German (5)  Dutch (5)  Portuguese (Brazil) (3)  Portuguese (Portugal) (2)  Hungarian (2)  Danish (2)  Finnish (2)  Swedish (2)  Catalan (2)  Portuguese (1)  Italian (1)  Polish (1)  All languages (1,112)
Showing 1-5 of 1060 (next | show all)
Haven’t watched the series which i felt made the story even better! A long read and sometimes tough but once i got into the flow of it, it was a really exciting read. The different point of views from different characters aided the story incredibly and pushed the plot along well. This also made me personally feel more connected to the characters. I will most definitely be reading the entire series after this book!! ( )
  highlandcow | Mar 13, 2024 |
I think I liked this even more than the show, and I liked the show a lot. ( )
  bookonion | Mar 10, 2024 |
While this isn't the usual type of book I read, I can't say enough how glad I am that I read this. It's absolutely fantastic. The author writes these characters so well, you love some, you hate some, and you don't know at all what will happen with any of them. I can't wait to dive into book 2. ( )
  thatnerd | Mar 2, 2024 |
The book series, "A song of Ice and Fire", and the TV show it's based on, "Game of Thrones", constitute what is quite possibly my favorite media franchise of all time. It is no underestimation to say that I absolutely fucking adore this story. GRRM, despite all my qualms with him and his inability to write new books, remains probably my favorite storyteller of all time. What this man has crafted over the past 30 years is very close to what I'd call a masterpiece. There is so much that I love about this story that it's honestly impossible for me to ever talk about it all, so I'll try my best to mention whatever comes to mind.

My absolute favorite aspect of this story is the politics of Westeros. It is complex, thrilling, exciting, and, above all, unpredictable. The heart and soul of this entire franchise are the numerous characters who form the front and center of the storyline. These books are filled with their thoughts and dialogue. It's all about what you're supposed to do to stay alive, or climb up the ladder of thrones, or keep your loved ones safe, or do what you think is right, etc. The characters come alive through their struggles. You empathize with them because you realize how exceedingly complex and difficult their situations are. They have to think incredibly hard to decide the right course for themselves, and it is an absolute pleasure to read. Even the simpler subplots that don't involve complex politics, such as Jon's story on the Wall and Daenerys's adventures in Essos, are intriguing. The North of Westeros and the realm of Essos are kept alive by things that do not pertain to the Iron Throne, such as the White Walkers and the Dothraki. As a result, there are numerous conflicts in this large-scale story to remain invested in, not just the "game of thrones."

My next favorite thing is the world this story takes place in. It is a living, breathing animal, exceedingly rich and complex, and filled to the brim with intriguing locations and mysteries. There's so much to explore and learn, and I've personally always found it much more interesting than the world and lore of Middle-Earth, which I also love. It's just so much more mysterious and exciting, in my opinion, and it probably has to do with many of the unknown aspects of Essos, especially the Shadow Lands and Asshai. We've just scratched the surface of this magnificent place and its unknowns, both living and non-living, and the upcoming books in the series reveal more and more wonders that absolutely blow the reader away.

However, the most infamous aspect of this story is its unpredictability. The last thing anyone expected when they first read this book was that Eddard Stark would be decapitated by the end of it. Knowing that there are several books in this large-scale story yet to go through, no one would have ever thought that the main character would die in the first one. He has the most amount of chapters in this book, and he's the character who's struggles the reader explores the most thoroughly. The fact that he is brutally murdered by the end brings about another aspect of this franchise's storytelling that enhances the reading and viewing experience to another level: you never know who's going to die next. It could be your favorite or your least favorite character, or someone you couldn't give two shits about. You never know, and it scares the crap out of you. GRRM is an absolute psychopath, and his stories are all the better for it.

It's not just the story and characters that I love; it's also the way this book is written. I swear: I probably got goosebumps reading this book at least 5 times. The last few pages are a good example. They blew me away just now as I went through them.

In the end, despite the bitter farewell I had with the show 4 years ago, I still absolutely love this franchise, and it will always have a special place in my heart for the incredible experience it gave me going through it for the first time (and now upon revisiting it as well). What I've mentioned in this review is just the tip of the iceberg of what I love about this franchise. There's so many aspects of the show that elevate it even beyond the books, and I will talk about them on Serializd as soon as I start re-watching it. ( )
  Moderation3250 | Feb 24, 2024 |
meh....it was ok ( )
  Gadfly82 | Feb 16, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 1060 (next | show all)
This is a perfect book.

There's honestly nothing I can think of that could improve it in any way. This is a book that made me shout at it, that made me giggle and cry, that made me gasp, that made me tremble and hate and love. It's seamless; I'd say it's unputdownable, except that sometimes I found I desperately needed to put it down because I was overwhelmed with the wonder of it, only to pick it up again half an hour later.
added by Shortride | editSF Site, Amal El-Mohtar (Mar 15, 2007)
 
Dark, violent epic upends the usual fantasy clichés.

added by vibesandall | editCommon Sense Media, Michael Berry
 

» Add other authors (64 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Martin, George R. R.primary authorall editionsconfirmed
Abercrombie, JoeIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Altieri, Alan D.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Altieri, SergioTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Burns, JimCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Burton, JonathanIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Dotrice, RoyNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hallman, TomCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hiltunen, PetriIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hlinovsky, SatuTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hodgman, JohnForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Llisterri, AnnaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Macía, CristinaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Norey, VirginiaIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sinclair, JamesIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Thulin, LouiseTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Youll, StephenCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
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Original title
Alternative titles
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Epigraph
Dedication
this one is for Melinda
First words
"We should start back," Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them. "The wildlings are dead."
Quotations
"The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends", Ser Jorah told her. "It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace." He gave a shrug. "They never are."
Bran thought about it. "Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?" "That is the only time a man can be brave," his father told him.
The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.
A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.
Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
If you are combining a translated copy please check carefully as in some languages this book was split into two volumes. In some languages there is a single volume edition and a split edition - you should only combine the single volume edition with the English edition.

Languages known to have multiple-volumes - French*, German*, Italian*, Portugese, Romanian and Swedish*.

Languages marked by an asterisk also have a single volume edition.
This is the single-volume edition "A Game of Thrones". DO not combine with the omnibus edition containing "A Game of Thrones" and " A Clash of Kings".
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC
Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. Thriller. HTML:NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES??THE MASTERPIECE THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON
 
Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King??s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert??s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse??unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season.
 
Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen??s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister??the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms.
 
Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki??whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innoc

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Haiku summary
Long suffering Starks,
betrayal is always near,
beware Lannisters.

(leahdawn)

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