A Game of Thrones - Review
A Game of Thrones (Book 1) was an amazing opening book in this series.
It's a great introduction to this world and it's characters. Yes, there
are tons of characters and locations but George R.R. Martin does a good
job of slowly introducing new locations and characters and each
character/location has distinct descriptions/personality traits that
make them all stand out and unique in their own way so that you're never
confused. I'm going to break down this review into 6 brief sections.
Characters, Plot, Setting, World-Building, Prose, & Pacing. Since
this book (and series) is really old and popular, this review will
contain light spoilers. I blank out the spoilery events (e.g. ____ ) but
I cover some events that occur early on in the book. On to the review.
As I said previously, there are tons of characters in this book but the ones that are crucial to the story are outlined clearly throughout the book. There are 8 POV characters in the book but I would say there about 15 main characters overall. The characters are the most important element in 'A Game of Thrones' and it's what makes this book better than most. There are no "Mary Sue" type characters in this book. There are no overpowered characters that are too strong or too smart, they all have flaws that are believable. There are also no black and white characters in this book, they are mostly grey. There are good characters that have done slightly questionable things in the past and there are bad characters who also have believable motivations (except Joffrey, he can drown in his bathtub for all I care). Some negatives I had were with Sansa and Catelyn. It felt a little bit of a slog to read through Sansa's chapters. I didn't really like Catelyn because she makes some stupid decisions throughout the book but mainly because she's just unnecessarily being a prick toward my favorite character (Jon Snow). My favorite POV characters/chapters are Jon, Eddard, Tyrion and Daenerys.
The main plot of this book is told in Eddard's (and a bulk of Catelyn's) chapters. I really enjoyed the main plot as it felt like a mystery thriller and I just wanted to keep going to the next Eddard's chapters to find out why _____ died in the beginning of this story and what was so important in the book Eddard was reading, which was connected to the reason ____ died. I didn't like Catelyn's character but I enjoyed her storyline as her and Eddard were investigating the same mysteries but taking 2 different approaches to it. She also had the added incentive to finding out who tried to assassinate one of her children and who owned the Valyrian-steel dagger which the assassin used in his attempt.
I also enjoyed the side plots such as Daenerys and Bran's storylines. I particularly enjoyed Daenerys's storyline a lot because it gives backstory on this world and how her House (Targaryen) used to rule the continent of Westeros for almost 300 years but ever since she was born, she's been bouncing around from city to city in a whole other continent with her older brother and they are the last of the Targaryens, fleeing from the current King (Robert Baratheon) and his assassins to finish off their bloodline. 90% of this book takes place in the continent of Westeros so it was awesome to get a glimpse of the different cities and places in Essos through the Daenerys chapters. Bran's storyline was also really interesting because of his connection with his wolf. At first he has these dreams of being a wolf which are very gory and brutal but then you realize something about these dreams (which I will not spoil), but it is AWESOME. We also learn in Bran's chapters, some backstory about the big bad which was introduced in the prologue so it added more intrigue to his chapters as well.
Aside from the main plot and side plots, we also learn about the backstory (Robert's Rebellion) that immediately precedes the events of this book. We only get bits and pieces but that's what makes this book so intriguing and hooks us in to read the rest of the series. There are a lot of mysteries set up in both the main plot and the backstory lore so I'm very interested to find out the answers. There's a huge twist that happens to one of the POV characters (I won't say which one) and it was literally jaw-dropping. I've never seen any book, TV show, or movie have the balls that George R.R. Martin had when he executed this shocking twist. I was absolutely stunned.
The setting of this story takes place in medieval times and in a brutal, dark world but it feels incredibly lived in and real. Winterfell, King's Landing, the Wall and the various places Daenerys visits in the continent of Essos feel real, which is funny because some of these places are enormous in scale and there is no way some of these places are possible structurally and architecturally. You will drool at how marvelous "The Eyrie of the Vale" is when you get to that part in the story. I want to visit that place right now.
George R.R. Martin does a wonderful job by world-building without info-dumping. He sprinkles backstory, lore and the description of places here and there but also when it's most necessary to the story. I read 'The World of Ice & Fire' before I read this book so that was like reading world-building, lore and histories for 330 pages straight and it never once bored me or overwhelmed me. So whereas some people might not like the required world-building portions in fantasy books and sees it as a chore, I actually cherish the moments where 'A Game of Thrones' gives bits and pieces of the world-building because it's so interesting and it leaves me wanting to know more.
George R.R. Martin's prose is fantastic. He writes in such a descriptive and detailed manner and he has a beautiful way with words that I felt like I was in the world with the characters. I could easily visualize the monstrous castles and wonders of this world, I felt like was spectating the battles a few feet away from it, and after a while, I understood the layouts of certain cities or castles pretty easily because it was described so vividly. There's a slight learning curve with George's writing style because he likes to use archaic/medieval words and jargon so it might feel a little jarring at first but after about a 100 pages, you get used to it and it's fantastic.
The pacing of this book was great. I give it a little bit of leeway because it's only the 1st book in a series so by default, the book needs to do a lot of introductions, setup and world-building but I still thought it was very well-paced. I never felt any boring or slow moments throughout the book other than the Sansa chapters. However, there is an avalanche of action and suspense that hits you about 2/3's of the book and it was awesome.
A wonderful introduction to a fantastic world with believable characters, intriguing backstory/lore, suspenseful plots, shocking twists/turns, and stunning locations that would require an Avengers-level budget to bring to life on a movie screen. It leaves some mysteries and questions unresolved but I am more than excited to keep on reading the series to find out the answers.
[Characters]:
As I said previously, there are tons of characters in this book but the ones that are crucial to the story are outlined clearly throughout the book. There are 8 POV characters in the book but I would say there about 15 main characters overall. The characters are the most important element in 'A Game of Thrones' and it's what makes this book better than most. There are no "Mary Sue" type characters in this book. There are no overpowered characters that are too strong or too smart, they all have flaws that are believable. There are also no black and white characters in this book, they are mostly grey. There are good characters that have done slightly questionable things in the past and there are bad characters who also have believable motivations (except Joffrey, he can drown in his bathtub for all I care). Some negatives I had were with Sansa and Catelyn. It felt a little bit of a slog to read through Sansa's chapters. I didn't really like Catelyn because she makes some stupid decisions throughout the book but mainly because she's just unnecessarily being a prick toward my favorite character (Jon Snow). My favorite POV characters/chapters are Jon, Eddard, Tyrion and Daenerys.
Favorite POV Characters - Jon, Daenerys, Eddard, Bran, & Arya.
Image: Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo.
[Plot]:
[Plot]:
The main plot of this book is told in Eddard's (and a bulk of Catelyn's) chapters. I really enjoyed the main plot as it felt like a mystery thriller and I just wanted to keep going to the next Eddard's chapters to find out why _____ died in the beginning of this story and what was so important in the book Eddard was reading, which was connected to the reason ____ died. I didn't like Catelyn's character but I enjoyed her storyline as her and Eddard were investigating the same mysteries but taking 2 different approaches to it. She also had the added incentive to finding out who tried to assassinate one of her children and who owned the Valyrian-steel dagger which the assassin used in his attempt.
I also enjoyed the side plots such as Daenerys and Bran's storylines. I particularly enjoyed Daenerys's storyline a lot because it gives backstory on this world and how her House (Targaryen) used to rule the continent of Westeros for almost 300 years but ever since she was born, she's been bouncing around from city to city in a whole other continent with her older brother and they are the last of the Targaryens, fleeing from the current King (Robert Baratheon) and his assassins to finish off their bloodline. 90% of this book takes place in the continent of Westeros so it was awesome to get a glimpse of the different cities and places in Essos through the Daenerys chapters. Bran's storyline was also really interesting because of his connection with his wolf. At first he has these dreams of being a wolf which are very gory and brutal but then you realize something about these dreams (which I will not spoil), but it is AWESOME. We also learn in Bran's chapters, some backstory about the big bad which was introduced in the prologue so it added more intrigue to his chapters as well.
Aside from the main plot and side plots, we also learn about the backstory (Robert's Rebellion) that immediately precedes the events of this book. We only get bits and pieces but that's what makes this book so intriguing and hooks us in to read the rest of the series. There are a lot of mysteries set up in both the main plot and the backstory lore so I'm very interested to find out the answers. There's a huge twist that happens to one of the POV characters (I won't say which one) and it was literally jaw-dropping. I've never seen any book, TV show, or movie have the balls that George R.R. Martin had when he executed this shocking twist. I was absolutely stunned.
Favorite Storylines - Eddard, Catelyn, Daenerys, & Bran.
[Setting]:
[Setting]:
The setting of this story takes place in medieval times and in a brutal, dark world but it feels incredibly lived in and real. Winterfell, King's Landing, the Wall and the various places Daenerys visits in the continent of Essos feel real, which is funny because some of these places are enormous in scale and there is no way some of these places are possible structurally and architecturally. You will drool at how marvelous "The Eyrie of the Vale" is when you get to that part in the story. I want to visit that place right now.
Image: The Eyrie (a castle in the Vale).
[World-Building]:
George R.R. Martin does a wonderful job by world-building without info-dumping. He sprinkles backstory, lore and the description of places here and there but also when it's most necessary to the story. I read 'The World of Ice & Fire' before I read this book so that was like reading world-building, lore and histories for 330 pages straight and it never once bored me or overwhelmed me. So whereas some people might not like the required world-building portions in fantasy books and sees it as a chore, I actually cherish the moments where 'A Game of Thrones' gives bits and pieces of the world-building because it's so interesting and it leaves me wanting to know more.
[Prose]:
George R.R. Martin's prose is fantastic. He writes in such a descriptive and detailed manner and he has a beautiful way with words that I felt like I was in the world with the characters. I could easily visualize the monstrous castles and wonders of this world, I felt like was spectating the battles a few feet away from it, and after a while, I understood the layouts of certain cities or castles pretty easily because it was described so vividly. There's a slight learning curve with George's writing style because he likes to use archaic/medieval words and jargon so it might feel a little jarring at first but after about a 100 pages, you get used to it and it's fantastic.
[Pacing]:
The pacing of this book was great. I give it a little bit of leeway because it's only the 1st book in a series so by default, the book needs to do a lot of introductions, setup and world-building but I still thought it was very well-paced. I never felt any boring or slow moments throughout the book other than the Sansa chapters. However, there is an avalanche of action and suspense that hits you about 2/3's of the book and it was awesome.
Image: Jon Snow presenting Arya Stark her new sword (Needle).
[Final Thoughts & Rating]:
A wonderful introduction to a fantastic world with believable characters, intriguing backstory/lore, suspenseful plots, shocking twists/turns, and stunning locations that would require an Avengers-level budget to bring to life on a movie screen. It leaves some mysteries and questions unresolved but I am more than excited to keep on reading the series to find out the answers.
Rating: 9.25/10
*My Rating System*
5 Stars (9-10): Amazing
4 Stars (7-9): Very Good
3 Stars (5-7): Average to Good
2 Stars (3-5): Bad to Mediocre
1 Star (1-3): Terrible
5 Stars (9-10): Amazing
4 Stars (7-9): Very Good
3 Stars (5-7): Average to Good
2 Stars (3-5): Bad to Mediocre
1 Star (1-3): Terrible
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