A Game of Thrones (Part One): Book 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire (Unabridged) [Audio Download]

 

 

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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. It charts the progress of the barbarian race of the Dothraki and their uneasy alliance with the last of the Targaryens, the family that were all but destroyed in a battle with the current head of the kingdom.

As in most fantasy, there are apparent good and evil sides, but most of the characters have a certain ambiguity which results in them doing something that you would not normally expect. This ambiguity is a neat way to make you connect with characters from both sides in a way that you wouldn't usually do and although it may be a little uncomfortable, it also provides a better immersion for the reader.

Another surprise is that magic is scarcely involved. It is only hinted at in the first two storylines and is only fully in evidence at the end of the third; I suspect that this will become more prominent in the following books.

Non-human creatures are also in short supply, but again, I believe that they will play a larger part as the series progresses.

To close, I would like to mention that there are a couple of plot twists that left me open-mouthed, a fact that I found most satisfying (after I'd recovered:-). Also, there are a couple of particularly grisly deaths and this combined with some of the more mature language and themes, indicate that this has been targeted at an adult audience.

I have tried to avoid any plot details since the impact of the book comes from not knowing what is going to happen next. it has introduced all the storylines and got them to a point where they are all about to explode into action. If you fancy something a little more complex and with a definite adult bias, this could very well be the book for you.

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.

As advertised, this is an incredibly good book - believe all the hype and purchase it immediately!

My one gripe is the format of the Kindle edition which is literally covered with typos e.g. 'Tf' for 'It', 'boh' for 'both' and quite frequently 'bum' or 'bumed' for 'burn' or 'burned'.

My suggestion, as this sort of poor quality production detracts from George Martin's text, is to purchase the hardcopy and forego the Kindle. You'll likely be pleased, as I imagine (in the hardcopy) that candles won't be 'buming' anything.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
I love the TV show and I adore the book, I cannot put it down bought the second in the series A Clash of Kings straight away. Perfect in every way. I could not recommend this more!

Published 1 day ago by Ros

5.0 out of 5 stars game of thrones
I never watched the tv series on sky but my brother did and told m e how good it was so i decided to get the book. i wasnt disapointed. Read more

Published 4 days ago by nathan994

5.0 out of 5 stars Book 1 of a Song of Ice and Fire
Sometimes you watch some series/film that have missed out some parts from the book and become disappointed; well with Book 1 of a Song of ice and Fire that is not the case. Read more

Published 6 days ago by Kat

2.0 out of 5 stars Beware the series is faltering
I've now read the first four books in this series. This, and the two that follow it, are great. The unconventional character point-of-view writing style really works well. Read more

Published 6 days ago by N. Phillips

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes. Yes. YES.
This is one of those books where you can't just read a few pages. Once you pick it up, you can't put it down until you literally can't keep awake anymore. Read more

Published 10 days ago by Jac

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping story
[...]

What is Game of Thrones? Think Dynasty but with added swords, extra double-crossing & a sprinkling of incest. Read more

Published 10 days ago by Kate

2.0 out of 5 stars Eastenders Done Fantasy Style
I was hooked to this story but I won't be reading any more in the series.

I'd seen it in a review elsewhere and I have to say it's true - that basically, Game of... Read more

Published 12 days ago by Kublai Dom

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping and Epic
This novel immediately grips the reader and draws them in, and quickly asserts itself as a legend in the making. Read more

Published 13 days ago by Jam

4.0 out of 5 stars Uneasy Lies The Head That Wears A Crown
Shakespeare had abject Richard II say:

For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of kings;
How some have been deposed; some... Read more

Published 15 days ago by Horatio Bannister

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing but what next?
Absolutely love these books, but what to read until Winds of Winter is released? I've started the Eragon series, which i'm enjoying. Any recomendations appreciated.

Published 16 days ago by Edd

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