A Game of Thrones

Book 1 of a Song of Fire and Ice, by George. R. R. Martin

• Crucial reading.

• Story

  • A phenomenal example of medieval fantasy, the first book of a Song of Fire and Ice follows a wide cast of characters as they play or are played by the game of thrones (the continuous struggle for power on the continent of Westeros).

  • Iconic for making no characters safe and knocking them off suddenly, which does wonders for the tension in each scene.

  • The interrelation between characters, history, families and each thread of this world are astounding. This gives Game of Thrones a realistic complexity and richness that is rarely achieved in fantasy.

• Characters

  • I don't like any of the characters, but through some magic, Mr. Martin has made me care about them and keep wanting to find out what will happen.

  • Characters are deep and developed, all with a unique voice and a distinct 'engine' for their behavior.

  • There are also plenty of small 'markers' that stand out as unique without being overused. For example, when in Winterfell, Tyrion orders burnt bacon for breakfast, but he doesn't do this at every meal.

• Worldbuilding

  • While not my favourite fantasy world, it is constructed with incredible detail and flawless consistency. It is so well fleshed out that every character, location or event, no matter how insignificant, seems real and and a part of the whole.

  • Mr. Martin has cleverly revealed the depth of his worldbuilding through dialogue and action, rather than long expositions that jolt you from being spellbound by the story (he 'shows' well, almost never 'telling').

  • I think this is a great example of a valuable skill - to know your world inside and out , while only revealing what is necessary for the story. 'Iceberg worldbuilding', we could call it. I said it here first.

• Prose

  • The writing is exceptional. Even when I think I should be bored by the content, the prose keeps me turning pages.

  • On that note, some sections can drag on a bit or seem slow compared to others.

• And also,

  • I find it hard to kill off characters I like, so hats off to you, Mr. Martin, for being so courageous. In doing so, you've created real page-flipping tension.

  • While I'm sure the medieval period had a lot of grim moments, there seems to be an overwhelming number of capricious and cruel characters. At times it seems unrealistic, or at least paints an image of humanity that is unforgivingly dark and malicious. That might just be me though.