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A Game of Thrones (Hardback reissue) (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) [Hardcover]

George R. R. Martin (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,285 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Publication Date: 10 Nov 2011 | Series: A Song of Ice and Fire (Book 1)

HBO’s hit series A GAME OF THRONES is based on George R R Martin’s internationally bestselling series A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age. A GAME OF THRONES is the first volume in the series.

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plot, lust and intrigues; to the vast frozen north, where a 700-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond.

As Warden of the North, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must…and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.

The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, a vengeance-mad boy has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities beyond the sea. Heir of the mad Dragon King deposed by Robert, he claims the Iron Throne.

In the game of thrones, you win or you die.

Product details

  • Hardcover: 864 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Voyager (10 Nov 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0007459483
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007459483
  • Product Dimensions: 16.2 x 24.1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,285 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 124,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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› Visit Amazon's George R. R. Martin Page
George R. R. Martin
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Review

‘After five volumes Martin is, if anything, a better writer than when he started. If you're watching A Game of Thrones on HBO, you're foregoing the great pleasure of Martin's deft prose…’
Time Magazine

'A Game of Thrones has captured the imaginations of millions for the same reason the archetypal dramas of Homer, Sophocles or Shakespeare have lasted for millennia. They show us the conflict between self-sacrifice and self-interest, between the human spirit and the human ego, between good and evil. And when we look up from the page we recognise those same conflicts in the world around us and in ourselves'
The Guardian

‘It is hard to accept that something that enormous and that popular is as good as people tell you it is’
Independent

‘A Game of Thrones grabs hold and won’t let go. It’s brilliant.’
Robert Jordan

‘Colossal, staggering… Martin captures all the intoxicating complexity of the Wars of the Roses or Imperial Rome in his imaginary world… one of the greats of fantasy literature.’
SFX

‘Fantasy literature has never shied away from grandeur, but the sheer-mind-boggling scope of this epic has sent other fantasy writers away shaking their heads… Its ambition: to construct the Twelve Caesars of fantasy fiction, with characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias.’
Guardian

‘Such a splendid tale. I couldn’t stop till I’d finished and it was dawn.’
Anne McCaffrey

From the Back Cover

A MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER

'A Game of Thrones' begins a new fantasy trilogy, 'A Song of Ice and Fire' We think it is a wonderful book, perhaps the best of its kind since 'The Lord of the Rings' itself. We are convinced that once you start to read George R.R. Martin's story, you won't want to rest until you have finished it.

But for you, the reader, a new book is a substantial investment. How do you know that we aren't exaggerating its merits? To answer that question, we came up with the idea of this special preview edition, which enables you to read the early chapters of the book at a very low cost. If you like it – as we're sure you will – then you can return to the bookshop from which you bought this preview edition and you will be able to buy the complete novel at a special price. You really can't lose!

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
611 of 620 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and surprising 23 Aug 2006
By Steven Baker
Format:Paperback
On my latest foray to buy some new fantasy, the till assistant suggested that I might like to try George R. R. Martin. I had seen his books before, but had never committed to reading them, but on this recommendation, I picked this book up for my summer holiday. Over 800 pages and less than 5 days later it was finished.

Although somewhat slow in starting, the storylines soon become engaging and you really do want to find out what happens next. The book also contains a large number of surprises and means that you're never really certain where each story will lead.

For me, the biggest surprise was in the unusual structure. As has been mentioned, each chapter is named after the character whose view it is written from. This is not something I have encountered before, but I enjoyed the format. It gave a nice insight into characters from all "sides" and allowed a good deal of depth to be included for them.

The book as a whole is almost three independent stories. Firstly, the "Game of Thrones" is the nickname of the power struggle between high-born families to influence or take the throne. As usual, we have the good (Starks, Tullys), the bad (Lannisters) and the undecided (Baratheon). This covers the majority of the book and has only an initial interaction to one of the other storylines,

The second storyline has minimal interaction with the first and follows a sworn brotherhood that forego all previous ties and become a new "family". They are sworn to defend the kingdom and man the vast wall that separates it from the wilds to the North.

The final storyline does not interact with the others and is only hinted at by the telling of rumours in the kingdom.... Read more ›
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333 of 344 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Melancholic fantasy 1 Sep 2006
By J.Yasimoto
Format:Paperback
I bought this book on the strength of previous reviews and am pleased to say I was not disappointed. As has been stated, GRRM's style is one of multiple viewpoints (initially confusing although by the middle of the book you know who's who, and in which 'house' they belong), within a continuous time thread. The writing is dark, gritty, and melancholic.

This isn't a 'quest' book; more of a history. And a realistic one at that. Although there is a complete lack of elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins etc, this book should be classed as high fantasy. Dragons, monsters, and magic exist in this world but they are relegated to the background. Nine tenths of this book deals in the down to earth machinations of the various courts. Heroes and villains do not exist. Everyone is painted in shades of grey. (Some greyer than others).

In the last 20 years there have been two books that completely blew me away. The first was Magician by Raymond E Feist, the second was Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. A Game of Thrones is the third. If you enjoyed either of the first two you will surely enjoy this.

Having read the rest of the books in the Song of Fire and Ice sequence, I can reassure you the standards set by A Game of Thrones are maintained.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars the most realistic fantasy ever, more like something from the dark ages! 30 Jan 2007
By Sapphire fox
Format:Paperback
If you want fairies, elves, dwarfs and goblins turn away and flee from this saga! This is a gritty,dark and very deep story not for the light hearted. expect violence, sex and death. I know it doen't sound great but the storyline is excellent with plenty of twists and the characters could be real people from older times. Some parts are so upsetting you might cry, this author has a fettish for killing off characters. A good read though with knights and castles and a little bit of dragons. a worthy but gritty read.
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207 of 218 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Not for the kids 3 July 2002
By Fad
Format:Paperback
Suffice to say, from the top marks I'm awarding this book (and the whole series thus far) I found it to be an excellent read. No, that's insufficient, this is not only the best written Fantasy series (by far surpassing Tolkien in my opinion) I've read, it's almost certainly the most enjoyable book of ANY kind.
The writing style is intelligent and treats the reader accordingly, which is a refreshing change in the Fantasy genre, and the sheer bloody-mindedness of the plot subverts every preconception the reader may have while maintaining the traditional escapist elements familiar from 'lesser' works. The world of Fire and Ice is so fully realised it's hard to keep track of the history and vast array of characters but Martin guides you through it effortlessly and seems to have known from the first line exactly what is going to happen in every subsequent paragraph. His attention to detail is almost scary. The series also (incredibly) manages to improve with subsequent readings as the reader gets to grips with the innumerable plot developments and realises that the most unexpected of events was probably sign-posted ten chapters back.
One note of caution to perspective buyers however is that despite it's Fantasy trappings this is NOT a series suitable for children. Mr Martin does not shy away from explicit descriptions of horrific violence and sex and the language is frequently of the four-letter variety. Equally disturbing is the brilliant realisation of the multitude of characters in these books where the 'Heroes' prove capable of horrendous atrocities and the 'Villains' sometimes act with compassion and honour.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars brillant!
Fabulous book, can't wait to start the next one! Totally captivating, suitable for all ages. My family love this series.
Published 5 hours ago by Hellsbells
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Great reading!!....and you get hook form the begging!......if you like the series then you should read the books :) .
Published 8 hours ago by Jerico
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest things I've ever read
I read 'A Game of Thrones' after watching the first season of the TV adaptation, so I more-or-less knew what was going to happen. Read more
Published 10 hours ago by Jonathan R
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply a Great Story
Easy to read story with lots of depth. I already had watched the tv series, which follows this book extremely closely but still enjoyed reading the book.
Published 15 hours ago by Dean Linko
5.0 out of 5 stars If only I could.of.put it down
Brilliantly captivating and got better and better after each chapter.
The only problem now is I have to read the whole set!
Published 18 hours ago by trystan bevan
4.0 out of 5 stars A game of thrones, book 1
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to starting book 2. I had expected it to be a hard read when I first started but it most definitely hasn't been.
Published 1 day ago by margy1892
5.0 out of 5 stars Thrones
An easy to read book just like the series. Got this on kindle as my local library demanded the only copy they had be returned. Wil be reading the next installment for sure. Read more
Published 1 day ago by mick
5.0 out of 5 stars so much better than TV
Decided to read this after watching the tv version. So glad I did, it really is much better. So much is missed out in the TV version.
Published 1 day ago by annie
5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put it down
Loved this from start to finish, it does take time to work out who is who but the story is full of twists and turns and surprises.
Published 2 days ago by Jaded2
1.0 out of 5 stars I am a g-o-t widow
Totally low-brow and seemingly addictive- I think my husband just reads and watches this for the full-on sex and blonds... Read more
Published 2 days ago by josiealive
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