A Game of Thrones (1996)

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

#1 A Game of Thrones - ★★★★★

This book will shake and break your heart! This book will make you realise that life is anything but gentle. But this book will also bring you the greatest adventure you have yet to see.

I have bought my whole book collection back in 2014. I have been procrastinating with this series for four years. And today, while writing this review, I thank the old gods and the new, for convincing me to read the first book.

I am probably one of the last people that have reviewed this book, and I assume you all already know a lot about the Game of Thrones series.

It is a book about one Iron Throne, and all the wars, fights, betrayals are about who will be sitting on that throne, and who will be in charge of all kingdoms.



Now, starting off, I am still not sure why people would send armies and armies of soldiers in order to win the throne, when it seems that no matter who becomes a king, that person gets instantly killed. And no kingdom respects each other, and kings and lords keep fighting off and wasting resources for a lost purpose, so there’s that as well.

We have many houses, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Tully, Arryn, Targaryen, Tyrell, Greyjoy, Martell, etc - and they all feature with something unique to their house. Most importantly, they all either want the throne, want revenge or want them both.

But just to clarify - I loved the book!

George R.R. Martin is a genius! He has created this amazing world, and characters that are so alive that make you either hate them or love them, but with all your heart. He has created relationships so tangled and stories so well written, that he puts other authors to shame.

The book is written from a third person perspective, and each chapter features a character. And with each chapter, George moves the time gradually, so we are not stuck in a loop of time pause. I enjoyed this method quite a lot! It kept the story line going very smoothly.

‘’Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.’’

There were so many characters I admired. But my connection with these characters in this book is unlike any other connection I have made. I usually either love or hate a character. But here, I judged actions, and relationships, and things people said and did!

I liked Eddard Stark’s bravery, and his manliness, but I didn’t like the fact that he was too honest for his own good.

‘’Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?
‘’That’s the only time a man an be brave’’.

I loved Arya’s fierceness, but I didn’t like her stubbornness.

‘’For the second time today Arya reflected that life was not fair.’’

I liked Sansa’s politeness, and girlishness. She had all the perfect manners, but she also would betray family for love.

I loved Jon Snow’s story, and how he overcame his past, and learned to live with it.


‘’Let me give you some counsel, bastard.‘’ Lannister said. ‘’Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.’’


I loved many other characters for things they did, and hated many others, but I cherished the difference in each and every character, and that was the beauty in it - that even though an author can create so many characters, he can make them so different from each other.

In this book, you will encounter everything: mostly mean people, ready to kill everyone and anyone standing in the way of their plans. You will read about a story of a family that falls apart, a kingdom that vanishes, a fight between kings, how a little girl will learn life in one day, how a mother will watch her children disappear, one by one...

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest ( )

I've just finished re-reading this book, and what can I say? It's even more of a feat the second time around. My original review stands below, supplemented by some 2011 thoughts.

This was the first fantasy book I read, and it blew me away. I'd always assumed fantasy books were about young boys with shadowy pasts who discovered they were heirs to the kingdom. (Well, that's still possible *spoiler!* but even if so, it's not the overarching story). Martin goes to great pains to describe the entire world he has created, showing us a world torn apart by war, but one in which every aspect - from the warriors' armor to the concerns of the wives of lords - is equally important. He refuses to pander to stereotype or cliche, and constantly startles with the breadth of his imagination. Highly recommended. The only caveat: by book 3, the appendix/list of characters is 50 pages long. Some chapters can become headscratching as you try to remember the identities of dozens. Well worth it, though!

Supplement: what an astounding achievement. Listening to Roy Dotrice's audio book made me truly realise the depth of each of the dozens (hundreds?) of characters in this novel. Even the coldest villains are motivated by the sum of their lives, and the sweetest, kindest among them equally so. I daresay there is not a single wrong step in these books: fans who ardently dislike the Catelyn or Sansa chapters absolutely get my goat. Catelyn is a woman born to a fascinating, decaying house, whose entire life has been shaped by those around her and allows us to witness so many powerful moments, while also being able to comment on them with an intelligence or awareness lacking in those around her. For Sansa, it's the exact opposite, wonderfully: the machinations of King's Landing are seen through her naive eyes, making for a truly delightful reading experience, and a true testament to Martin's skills.

(The only thing I disliked was how much I cringed to think of poor Roy Dotrice having to speak phrases like "the finger found her wetness, and entered her there". Hmmm.)

Anyway, in closing, I can't wait to see this come to life in HBO's series, and to re-read book 2 with my newfound awareness of so many character motivations and elements that I only vaguely grasped the first time around. ( )

Finally! Alright, as I am certain most of you know, this series is amazing. It is even more amazing knowing some of what is to happen. I am like a little cheerleader for the fictional characters. "Don't worry (insert characters name) you are going to pull through!" "Shut your face, you lying whore (insert characters name)". Ahh.. the love of a beautiful series. :) Brilliant. ( )

This book will shake and break your heart. This book will make you realise that life is anything but gentle. But this book will also bring you the greatest adventure you have yet to see.

I have bought my whole book collection back in 2014. I have been procrastinating with this series for four years. And today, while writing this review, I thank the old gods and the new, for convincing me to read the first book.

I am probably one of the last people that have reviewed this book, and I assume you all already know a lot about the Game of Thrones series.

It is a book about one Iron Throne, and all the wars, fights, betrayals are about who will be sitting on that throne, and who will be in charge of all kingdoms.

Now, starting off, I am still not sure why people would send armies and armies of soldiers in order to win the throne, when it seems that no matter who becomes a king, that person gets instantly killed. And no kingdom respects each other, and kings and lords keep fighting off and wasting resources for a lost purpose, so there’s that as well.

We have many houses, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Tully, Arryn, Targaryen, Tyrell, Greyjoy, Martell, etc - and they all feature with something unique to their house. Most importantly, they all either want the throne, want revenge or want them both.

But just to clarify - I loved the book!

George R.R. Martin is a genius! He has created this amazing world, and characters that are so alive that make you either hate them or love them, but with all your heart. He has created relationships so tangled and stories so well written, that he puts other authors to shame.

The book is written from a third person perspective, and each chapter features a character. And with each chapter, George moves the time gradually, so we are not stuck in a loop of time pause. I enjoyed this method quite a lot! It kept the story line going very smoothly.

‘’Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.’’

There were so many characters I admired. But my connection with these characters in this book is unlike any other connection I have made. I usually either love or hate a character. But here, I judged actions, and relationships, and things people said and did!

I liked Eddard Stark’s bravery, and his manliness, but I didn’t like the fact that he was too honest for his own good.

‘’Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?
‘’That’s the only time a man an be brave’’.

I loved Arya’s fierceness, but I didn’t like her stubbornness.

‘’For the second time today Arya reflected that life was not fair.’’

I liked Sansa’s politeness, and girlishness. She had all the perfect manners, but she also would betray family for love.

I loved Jon Snow’s story, and how he overcame his past, and learned to live with it.

‘’Let me give you some counsel, bastard.‘’ Lannister said. ‘’Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.’’

I loved many other characters for things they did, and hated many others, but I cherished the difference in each and every character, and that was the beauty in it - that even though an author can create so many characters, he can make them so different from each other.

In this book, you will encounter everything: mostly mean people, ready to kill everyone and anyone standing in the way of their plans. You will read about a story of a family that falls apart, a kingdom that vanishes, a fight between kings, how a little girl will learn life in one day, how a mother will watch her children disappear, one by one. ( )

I seen the show first then realized it was based on the book. I got the book and fell deeper in love with games of thrones. It is my all time favorite series above all others. ( )