A Game of Thrones / A Clash of Kings / A Storm of Swords / A Feast of Crows / A Dance with Dragons

Comments on A Game of Thrones #1: Wow! Just Wow!! Martin has written an incredible start to his Song of Ice and Fire series. This huge tome has everything it it and I'd venture to say that most people will find something within its front and back covers which captures their attention and imagination. The reader will find family values, romance, infidelity, conflict, the supernatural and even zombies. Each chapter, recorded from the viewpoint of one of the main characters, is jam packed with excitement and intrigue and this is why 806 pages reads so quickly, the awe 'em and shock 'em concept captures you in its lair and motivates the reader to read on and on. It will be interesting to see just how many shocking events Martin will come up show more with in the next book in the series, A Clash of Kings. The simple lines of "Winter is Coming", 'The milk of the poppy", "I am the blood of the dragon",
“Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Quick as a snake. Calm as still water.” make this a truly memorable read and define characters that are unforgettable. I highly recommend this book. show less

A Game of Thrones 5-Book Bundle: A Song of Ice and Fire Series: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

Whew, that was a lot to read: just under 3000 pages. What amazed me the most was how effortlessly GRRM keeps multiple parallel plotlines & perspectives moving without chaos (not sure how he keeps it all straight in his head!). In spite of (or maybe because of) a nasty habit of killing off prominent characters, GRRM spins a tale that keeps you guessing and wanting more all the time. And with 2 books still to come, there's clearly a lot left to tell and to look forward to.

Intrigue within intrigue

It is rare that an author can surprise me with a plot twist anymore. Martin leaves so many threads to tug that you can never be sure how it will all unravel. I love the characters; they feel like old friends whom I can go back to time and again. He really is the American Tolkien and a master of high fantasy.

A Game of Thrones series by George RR Martin

My son kept after me to read this series. We like similar genre of books, I kept stalling. He gave me a couple of the books and I have found the rest in the library. Finally, I started to read book 1. I could not get into it. I skipped ahead to page 763. I liked it there, so I went back to 422, still liked it, so I went ahead and returned to the beginning. Turns out, I do like the series. I normally don't care for a long series, too hard to get the books, would rather read a book and have conclusion right then and there.

A Game of Thrones, the series is an epic story of a fantasy land. Everything is well thought out as to the customs and dress and even the foods everyone eats. The political show more ties, the doctors, preachers, kings and queens everything is so interesting.

I like how the Lord's Name is never taken in vain. Hard to find many books these days that don't do that. A Feast of Crows does have the F*** word in it, which is surprising, it seems out of place to the rest of the series.

All in all, a pretty good series. Looking forward to seeing the series on DVD.

2 of the paperback books that I've read have split at their spine, one book had a whole 1/2" section that fell out of the book. One book was hardback, it is huge and heavy. I read in bed. The hardback book was dangerous for me to read in bed, I would doze off and get clocked in the face with the book! show less

From a distance the Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire series looked hypermarketed, blockbusterish, clichéd.

No. Real quality.

Well, the books are blockbusterish in some ways - the pseudo-medieval setting, padded out with extended descriptions of secondary people, events and situations. But the series has attracted readers far beyond fans of this genre, due to the rich characterisations, plot, and imaginative depth, garnished here and there by passages of very good writing. It is further enhanced by the TV series, of which more later.

As Wikipedia will tell you, there are three intersecting themes. The vaguely European realm of Westeros has fallen apart as the rulers of various statelets vie for the high throne, left vacant by the show more fall of the 300-year-old Targaryen dynasty. From the icy north the realm is threatened by wild peoples, and other forces less easily understood. Meanwhile from Essos (the Mediterrean- and Mahgreb-like south-eastern lands) the exiled Targaryen scions, brother and sister, long to retake rule. Soon the brother departs, leaving only the young teen Daenerys to pursue the Targaryen claim.

At first magic is presented only through hints and references, but as the stakes rise a range of supernatural forces and personages step forward.

A notable quirk of this world is the erratic seasons. A ten-year summer is fading, with predictions of an equally long winter to come. It would behoove everyone to prepare well, but instead the warring provinces of Westeros sink down to amazing levels of chaos, carnage and misery.

Yet, the darker the night, the brighter the star. Daenerys swiftly matures into someone intrepid, resourceful, brilliant, and above all compassionate. She who at first seemed just one more player of the game of thrones looks more and more like the hope of the world. She is sometimes just a giggling 14-year-old, but then, through sheer finesse, she acquires an army. And Danaerys is the only person alive who owns dragons. Three of them: young, but rapidly growing, like her.

Like anyone trying to improve society, Danaerys is quickly set upon from all sides by people seeking to drag her down. And as her power grows she is a magnet for the sinister and the supernatural. Yet she has aid as well.

She is one of a vast range of characters. All the major ones are complex, well drawn works-in-progress: some noble and strong-willed, others vile. A very interesting aspect of the series is the number of characters who are vulnerable or damaged in some way. A dwarf man, an obese youth, a bastard, a crippled boy, a prince trapped as ward/prisoner in another noble's household. As a reader I keenly felt the difficulties and pain they each face due their situations, but never felt that their dialogue or descriptions had been vetted for political correctness by reference groups. Such a welcome change.

This also applies to the women: a helpless captive princess, a female knight ridiculed for her massive muscularity, the queen who bitterly resents life-long gender-based restrictions. The gender issues never feel imposed, they emerge authentically from circumstances and setting. The female characters are generally forceful, and some are allowed to do really wicked things. There does seem to be a great many prostitutes, lots of under-age (in the books, at least) medieval sex, and many scenes of abuse of both women and men. Westeros is a harsh place. The TV series is R-rated.

Older, non-alpha males are allowed some dignity, as are older women. Beware though - even central characters can die, which adds sharpness to every menacing situation.

The story frequently mines real history for material - for example, a simple but cunning idea of Odysseus in The Iliad reappears, and there is a scene that borrows heavily from the St Bartholomew's Day Paris 1572. All this reworked stuff enriches the tale.

The TV series cannot capture the full complexities of the story line, but does bring to life the key characters and scenes beautifully. Magnificent casting in almost every case. show less

I watched the first two seasons on TV before picking up the books. The books are much richer - and there are almost too many characters to keep track of, but it is still a compelling read and I want to know what is going to happen. Looking forward to see how HBO handles the new season and the final book installment.

I just love this series. I have read the books 3 times and I watch the show on HBO.

Martin is superb. His descriptions come to life. The plot pulls you in and makes you continue reading all hours of the night. The characters are all excellent. Even the evil ones are great. My favorite characters are Arya Stark, Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and Sandor Clegane.