A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book One)

After hearing so many good things about this series, I finally decided to try it. That was probably one of the best decisions I have made in a long time. I had thought about just jumping right into the television show without reading the book, but my brother talked me out of that idea. He said that to get the full effect of the show, I should read the book first.

I was slightly daunted by the length of this book. Even to someone who reads often (and quickly), 800 pages is long. Despite this, I still finished in a few days because it was just that good. Each chapter was between ten and twenty pages, so they went by quickly. However, they were not numbered so I wasn’t sure quite how many chapters I had read in a sitting.

The overall storyline of this book was that several noble families were fighting over who should be king. Meanwhile, an exiled princess was trying to find her place in the world. By the end, there were six people who could potentially become the new king. The next book in the series, A Clash of Kings, should attempt to clear up who will be king.

The thing I liked best about the way Martin wrote A Game of Thrones was that each chapter was from a different point of view. There were eight narrators altogether, ranging from adults to children. One thing Martin did not do that other authors have done is repeat events from different viewpoints. Each part of the story only happened once, from one viewpoint. I prefer this method, because otherwise the story just drags.

This story did anything but drag. There were three main story lines to follow: Daenerys Targaryen, exiled princess of the seven kingdoms, finding her place in a changing world and eventually deciding to reclaim her lost throne; Jon Snow, son of Ned Stark, becoming a member of the Night’s Watchmen and deciding if he should stick with them or support his family in battle; and the political mess in the capital city. All three of these story lines were woven together in a way that made sense. Martin never left a character at a bad time, and stayed with each storyline for at least a few chapters. There was also never more than one chapter at a time from a particular character’s point of view.

The only negative I have to say about Martin’s writing style is that there was a bit of language. However, the language in the book is nothing compared to what happens in the television show, or so I’ve been told. Then again, you should expect a bit of explicit behavior from an HBO show.

I would recommend A Game of Thrones to anyone who wants a great read, as long as they have the time and can commit to an 807-page book. It was filled with intrigue, deceit, and a dash of honor. So many things happened throughout the story that it kept me reading late into the night on a few occasions. Each chapter revealed a new twist, and I was always on the edge of my seat. One word of caution to anyone who decides to read it: do not become attached to any characters. No one is safe.


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