A Game Of Thrones
A GAME OF THRONES
A Song of Ice & Fire: Book 1
Written by George R.R. Martin
Once in a blue moon comes a book that truly knocks you flat with every second page. With a book as large as A Game Of Thrones - the first installment in A Song Of Ice & Fire, which promises to be an epic saga - that's a true feat. What is even more impressive is the fact that this reader saw the closely adapted television series from HBO before reading, and despite knowing ever major plot development, twist and turn, still felt compelled to read for hours on end. This is a compulsive, shocking read that will have you slavering for more, and there's oh so much more to come.
In the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, there is one great king who resides over the lords and peasants of the land. The king is an old friend to Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell in the far north, who lives happily with his wife, five legitimate children and a bastard son. When Eddard is asked to be the King's Hand, his most trusted advisor, he accepts with great trepidation. Meanwhile, the great ice Wall that defends Westero's north from wildlings comes under threat from a terrifying ancient enemy; and in other lands, a fallen prince grooms his thirteen year old sister to travel across the oceans to reclaim the throne in King's Landing for themselves. The history of the Iron Throne is long and bloody, and when you play the game of thrones, there is no middle ground: you either win or you die.
This is, of course, the most base of synopses - the devil is in the details, as author George R.R. Martin is quick to say in his dedications at the novel's end. And details there are plenty. This is one of the richest and most well-developed fantasy worlds in print, with a wealth of historical depth and political intrigue. Though the land rather closely resembles England during the bloody War of the Roses*, it has a unique geography and a variety of peoples. Each and every noble family has their own blood feuds, their own alliances and enemies, their own hidden agendas. There is also a strong presence of magic, though it is far less a focus than in many other fantasy novels**. The battle for the Iron Throne which promises to be the focal point of the series crosses vast seas and many different and distinct lands, but Martin's standard-fantasy inclusion of maps is not his master stroke.
His genius lies in his focus on character. Interpersonal intrigue is the flavour of the day, and there are grudges that cross generations and vast stretches of land. Martin has a skill for revealing true agendas through action, and his characters are complex creatures each bearing their own scars. As our cypher, Eddard is a wonderful creation, bound to duty and honour more deeply than love and self-preservation. He is a man who cares more for his men than for himself - a bright light in the dark and corrupt world of King's Landing. Bright lights, however, often draw unwanted attention.
The cast is huge. Never has a series had so many protagonists. Whereas The Lord of the Rings (a clear influence on this series) has a single protagonist with many supporters, A Game of Thrones uses infective (or subjective) third-person narration to allow the reader into the mindset of a broad range of characters, the majority of whom are Lord Eddard's kin - his daughters Arya (a personal favourite) and Sansa, his bastard son Jon, trueborn son Bran, and wife Lady Catelyn. We are also led into the mind of one who appears to be on the other side of the battle lines: the dwarf Tyrion Lannister, who quickly becomes one of the most uniquely endearing figures in the series with his wit and resourcefulness. Finally, we follow the iconic Daenaerys Targaryen, the thirteen year old issue of dead Prince Rhaegar, as her vicious brother sells her into marriage to win an army. Her chapters are perhaps most shocking, as they are so sexually charged and she is so very, very young. Her hardships, however, make her the novel's most enduring and resounding character, a female protagonist so strong it's hard to believe she does not have a novel all to herself***.
And there is the crux of things - A Game of Thrones understands that there is strength in numbers, and it brings them into play at all times. This world is cruel, and no-one - absolutely no-one - is safe when swords are unsheathed. Those who seem painted villains at first have unplumbed depths of character that will drive future events, and those who may seem closest at heart to both author and audience may be doomed before they even begin.
HBO's adaptation, known simply by the moniker Game of Thrones (something of a catchphrase in the novel), is superb, mostly because of Martin's close hand in its conception. It boasts some of the best casting in the channel's history, with Sean Bean as the noble Eddard and the Emmy/Golden Globe winning Peter Dinklage as Tyrion. Both genders are well-represented, though the show does suffer from an excess of unnecessary nudity - there are many whores in the novel, but nearly twice as many in the series. Gender representation would perhaps be more of an issue if it weren't so damn well historically contextualised, and Martin goes to great pains to give equal representation to the powerful women of Westeros, with Lena Headey (the villainous Cersei Lannister), Michelle Fairley (Catelyn), Maisie Williams (Arya) and Emilia Clarke (Daenaerys) leading the charge. The wait between series one and two has been unbearable, but is almost over.
There is no room for weakness in this series. As an audience, you must steel yourself. The land of Westeros is on the verge of anarchy and chaos, and beneath the political turmoils of this first installation boil blood and steel and fire. When the highborn lords play their game of thrones, people of all classes suffer alike. Be well prepared.
* The similarities are striking when you compare family names: the two key families in Westeros' struggle are House Lannister (read: Lancaster) and House Stark (read: York).
** If one seeks a little more magic in their fantasy, I highly recommend David Eddings' excellent series The Belgariad, followed closely by The Mallorean. There are ten books in all, which should keep you enthralled while you wait for the next installment in A Song of Ice and Fire.
*** In a way, Daenaerys does have her own novel - her chapters were condensed into a novella called Blood of the Dragon, which won the Best Novella Hugo Award in 1997.
In the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, there is one great king who resides over the lords and peasants of the land. The king is an old friend to Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell in the far north, who lives happily with his wife, five legitimate children and a bastard son. When Eddard is asked to be the King's Hand, his most trusted advisor, he accepts with great trepidation. Meanwhile, the great ice Wall that defends Westero's north from wildlings comes under threat from a terrifying ancient enemy; and in other lands, a fallen prince grooms his thirteen year old sister to travel across the oceans to reclaim the throne in King's Landing for themselves. The history of the Iron Throne is long and bloody, and when you play the game of thrones, there is no middle ground: you either win or you die.
This is, of course, the most base of synopses - the devil is in the details, as author George R.R. Martin is quick to say in his dedications at the novel's end. And details there are plenty. This is one of the richest and most well-developed fantasy worlds in print, with a wealth of historical depth and political intrigue. Though the land rather closely resembles England during the bloody War of the Roses*, it has a unique geography and a variety of peoples. Each and every noble family has their own blood feuds, their own alliances and enemies, their own hidden agendas. There is also a strong presence of magic, though it is far less a focus than in many other fantasy novels**. The battle for the Iron Throne which promises to be the focal point of the series crosses vast seas and many different and distinct lands, but Martin's standard-fantasy inclusion of maps is not his master stroke.
His genius lies in his focus on character. Interpersonal intrigue is the flavour of the day, and there are grudges that cross generations and vast stretches of land. Martin has a skill for revealing true agendas through action, and his characters are complex creatures each bearing their own scars. As our cypher, Eddard is a wonderful creation, bound to duty and honour more deeply than love and self-preservation. He is a man who cares more for his men than for himself - a bright light in the dark and corrupt world of King's Landing. Bright lights, however, often draw unwanted attention.
The cast is huge. Never has a series had so many protagonists. Whereas The Lord of the Rings (a clear influence on this series) has a single protagonist with many supporters, A Game of Thrones uses infective (or subjective) third-person narration to allow the reader into the mindset of a broad range of characters, the majority of whom are Lord Eddard's kin - his daughters Arya (a personal favourite) and Sansa, his bastard son Jon, trueborn son Bran, and wife Lady Catelyn. We are also led into the mind of one who appears to be on the other side of the battle lines: the dwarf Tyrion Lannister, who quickly becomes one of the most uniquely endearing figures in the series with his wit and resourcefulness. Finally, we follow the iconic Daenaerys Targaryen, the thirteen year old issue of dead Prince Rhaegar, as her vicious brother sells her into marriage to win an army. Her chapters are perhaps most shocking, as they are so sexually charged and she is so very, very young. Her hardships, however, make her the novel's most enduring and resounding character, a female protagonist so strong it's hard to believe she does not have a novel all to herself***.
And there is the crux of things - A Game of Thrones understands that there is strength in numbers, and it brings them into play at all times. This world is cruel, and no-one - absolutely no-one - is safe when swords are unsheathed. Those who seem painted villains at first have unplumbed depths of character that will drive future events, and those who may seem closest at heart to both author and audience may be doomed before they even begin.
HBO's adaptation, known simply by the moniker Game of Thrones (something of a catchphrase in the novel), is superb, mostly because of Martin's close hand in its conception. It boasts some of the best casting in the channel's history, with Sean Bean as the noble Eddard and the Emmy/Golden Globe winning Peter Dinklage as Tyrion. Both genders are well-represented, though the show does suffer from an excess of unnecessary nudity - there are many whores in the novel, but nearly twice as many in the series. Gender representation would perhaps be more of an issue if it weren't so damn well historically contextualised, and Martin goes to great pains to give equal representation to the powerful women of Westeros, with Lena Headey (the villainous Cersei Lannister), Michelle Fairley (Catelyn), Maisie Williams (Arya) and Emilia Clarke (Daenaerys) leading the charge. The wait between series one and two has been unbearable, but is almost over.
There is no room for weakness in this series. As an audience, you must steel yourself. The land of Westeros is on the verge of anarchy and chaos, and beneath the political turmoils of this first installation boil blood and steel and fire. When the highborn lords play their game of thrones, people of all classes suffer alike. Be well prepared.
* The similarities are striking when you compare family names: the two key families in Westeros' struggle are House Lannister (read: Lancaster) and House Stark (read: York).
** If one seeks a little more magic in their fantasy, I highly recommend David Eddings' excellent series The Belgariad, followed closely by The Mallorean. There are ten books in all, which should keep you enthralled while you wait for the next installment in A Song of Ice and Fire.
*** In a way, Daenaerys does have her own novel - her chapters were condensed into a novella called Blood of the Dragon, which won the Best Novella Hugo Award in 1997.
Comments
Post a Comment