Review : A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Title : A Game of Thrones Author : George R.R. Martin Reading Dates : 23 Oct - 3 Nov 2012 Total Pages : 835
A Song of Ice and Fire A Game of Thrones A Clash of Kings A Storm of Swords A Feast of Crows A Dance with Dragons
From Amazon : Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

Book Review of A Game of Thrones.

I picked up Game of Thrones after I had caught bits and pieces of a few episodes of the series on television. It looked like it might be interesting and a part of me is glad I picked it up.The other part of me though is afraid that I’ll come to regret it later on.

The Game of Thrones is well written. The book isn’t fast paced but there is plenty of tension, intrigues and twists to keep me on tenterhooks. Boredom is the least of my worries. I can’t quite figure out what is going to happen next and why.

The characters are complex and varied too. The fact that I can keep track of who’s who is a credit to George R.R. Martin. There are characters I’d love to hate but can’t help but admire for their resourceful sneakiness. Then, there are some I love for their determination to always behave with honour but also recognize that those are the very reasons for their own downfall. And also a few that should have my sympathies but just leaves me annoyed and angry at their foolish naivete. Oh yes, I’m having a wonderful time getting closer to the Starks, the Lannisters and all their enemies and allies.

But here comes the kicker. The book and the story has me afraid, terribly afraid that the good guys (or at least the ones I consider to be the good guys), aren’t going to have a good end. How can they when even I agree with the Lannister thinking when it comes to gaining and keeping power? I don’t see how anyone can win the Game of Thrones without sacrificing at least a few of their scruples. And since I prefer happy endings, well …

So, right now, I’m in 2 minds. I want to know what happens next but I don’t want anything bad to happen to the characters I’m rooting for. In the end, I’m definitely going to pick up the books. But I’m just going to postpone it a while, get used to the fact that there is likely to be no happy ever afters here.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Yes.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? All fantasy readers.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? I can't say yet. It would depend on how the rest of the books in the series go.

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Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge; 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge