George R.R. Martin - A Game of Thrones

My mum's great in my opinion because she actually remembered that I wanted the Song of Ice and Fire series, which were the series Game of Thrones was adapted from, and got me it for my birthday along with other random books, she is the person that encouraged me to read as a child after all.  I know I could have watched the Game of Thrones TV series without reading the books but I watch enough TV so I don't need more shows to watch at the moment, but I may just nick my sister's DVDs soon.  Now for the first book in the series.

A Game of Thrones is the first book in George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, which is also the basis of the HBO TV series, Game of Thrones which stars Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Kit Harington, and Sean Bean to name a few.  A Song of Ice and Fire is based in the world of Westeros and Essos with King Robert Baratheon on the throne, having usurped Aerys II Targaryen AKA "The Mad King" many years ago; the series focusses on multiple characters in various settings including the Wall where the Night Watch defend Westeros from those beyond and King's Landing, home of the King and his men and where Westeros is ruled from.  As well as in Westeros, Essos is seen from the point of view of Daenerys Targaryen where she and her brother have been exiled since their father was usurped and killed, but are on a quest to return to their home and reclaim their lost throne.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Epic fantasy fans

Favourite Characters: Jon; Ned

Favourite Part: There was no place for him in Winterfell, no place in King's Landing either.  Even his own mother had not had a place for him.  The thought of her made him sad.  He wondered who she had been, what she had looked like, why his father had left her.  Because she was a whore or an adulteress, fool.  Something dark and dishonorable, or else why was Lord Eddard too ashamed to speak of her? - Page 433

Good Points: Multiple narrators; the concept behind the throne; full of fascinating characters; engaging story

Bad Points: Multiple narrators

Game of Thrones begins in Westeros just before King Robert Baratheon and his court arrive in Winterfell, home of Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark and his family, including his wife, Catelyn, their five children - Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon, and Ned's bastard son, Jon Snow, so Robert can formally ask Ned to become the King's Hand - literally his right hand man - following the death of Jon Arryn.  Across the sea, in the Free Cities, Daenerys "Dany" Targaryen is sold by her brother to Khal Drogo, a Dothraki, as his wife in exchange for an army to take back the Seven Kingdoms after Robert and his fellow rebels overthrew King Aerys II Targaryen AKA The Mad King years before after Ned's sister Lyanna was kidnapped by the Mad King's eldest son and Dany's elder brother, Rhaegar.  Game of Thrones tells the story of the Seven Kingdoms and the Free Cities as the Baratheon household try to keep hold of their place on the throne while the Lannisters work behind the scenes to make it so they are on the throne and the Targaryens try to return home and the Starks try to maintain order as much as possible given the situations they are all in.

Very few authors I have read have never really had so many points of view in one book; the most I have read is three different points of view.  The multiple narrators allow Martin to explore a variety of different places, from King's Landing to The Wall or even across the Narrow Sea to the Free Cities where the Dothrakis are just by chanfing the characters and bring the reader to different events that are occurring over the course of the book.  This allowed me as a reader to become enthralled by the story and characters, getting to know every last one of them and bond with a number of them, mentally choosing a side.  It's also a great way to show that even though there are antagonistic characters no one is outright villain, though Joffrey is teetering on an edge, because every character has their own opinion of the truth and that can shape the view of the world we see as readers so showing more than one point of view enables us to gain a bigger picture of the world these characters inhabit.

The concept behind the Iron Throne of Westeros forged initially from the swords of the fallen foes of the first king, Aegon the Conqueror, when he united the Seven Kingdoms, is something that fascinates me about A Song of Ice and Fire series as well as the TV series.  Martin has created this fantastic symbol of power that has become iconic; whoever sits in the throne has the power but only those that are worthy aren't cut by the fallen foes' swords.  It's so simple yet conveys this great power, almost like it's a character all by its self, judging those that deem themselves worthy with this intimidating presence that few of the actual characters of A Song of Ice and Fire actually possess but pretend to have by fighting one another.  It is phenomenal that a book can be summed up by one item and I can't wait to see how the war over the Iron Throne turns out.

Martin has created a fascinating world where the reader can drive in and escape for a while and what makes it so interesting are the multitudes of characters that he has carefully constructed.  It may become complicated trying to remember who is who at first but once you've got your head around it, it is easy to know who is aligned with whom and where their own story.  One of my favourite things about A Game of Thrones, and probably the rest of the series, is that Martin has thought it all out and given each character, even those without their own point of view, their own agenda, something that other books can lack because they tend to focus on a smaller character group.

A Game of Thrones is a fantastic, engaging story with twists and turns I didn't expect especially the deaths, literally no one is safe in this world.  When I had the time to sit down and just focus on A Game of Thrones, the pages flew by because I was so enthralled with this intense story.  I have been captivated and intrigued by the story Martin has started and I can't wait to read more of it.  Granted, I could just watch the TV series but the books allow me to fully immerse myself in this strange yet intriguing world where there are epic battles over an iron throne and dragons exist.

A Game of Thrones is full of fascinating characters with their own opinions on certain situations/events so there were many to choose from and I couldn't narrow it down to just one which I don't tend to do unless I really force myself as anyone may have noticed.  Amongst all of these wonderful characters Martin has created for this world, Jon Snow stood out for me because he's not the typical epic fantasy hero who is brave and strong because of how his parents raised him; he is the outcast, the black sheep of the family because he is Ned's bastard child and even though he is raised alongside his half-siblings, he still doesn't completely fit in because he is not accepted by Catelyn.  This is what makes him interesting, he initially comes across as the typical hero yet there is a tragic quality to him that makes his side of the story juicier as he struggles with his inner demons that come from his abandonment issues.  It isn't just how much of a tragic hero he is, Jon also has some positive qualities that intrigue me and compel me to continue reading the series; he loves his brothers and sisters, even Sansa who is always stand-offish with him like her mother, and will do anything to protect and help them, even abandoning the Wall to do so but this becomes love for his Black Brothers and a loyalty to them in the end as they have given him a purpose.  Due to having a sheltered childhood in a way - even though he forced to grow up quicker than the other Stark children because he was never fully included - Jon comes across as naïve and cocky, an interesting combination, because Ned treated him as one of his legitimate child instead of a bastard, who are generally kept a secret or ignored as the bastard offspring of Ned Stark.  He can overpower his fellow Black Brother recruits but when called out on it, he is humbled by his superiors because he had more chances in life given his circumstances so he should be helping his fellow Black Brothers, not humiliating them; while this could make him unlikeable, he takes this advice on-board and is quick to help the others improve their swordsmanship and other skills.

Another part of Jon's character that fascinated me was his relationships with his family - Catelyn included, his direwolf, his Black Brothers, and Tyrion Lannister.  He loves his family, despite his bastard status, and most love him in return as they connect with him, understand him, and accept him and it is something he treasures.  Despite how much she loathes her husband's bastard son, Catelyn puts up with him because Ned demands it and it's this difficult relationship that seems to have shaped Jon more than his others because it has made him equally afraid of having intimate relationships and crave them at the same time because he has never felt truly loved which is something he wants.  One of my favourite relationships that Jon has is with his direwolf, Ghost, because they have this profound bond, an understanding which is meaningful and familial as they protect one another and care about one another; Jon has little comfort in this world as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark but he finds it with the runt of the direwolf litter, bringing a light to Jon's dark, loveless life.

It's hard to get certain images out of your head and even though I have yet to watch Game of Thrones, it's impossible to avoid knowing who portrays certain characters, such as Kit Harington as Jon Snow for example, and one of the most memorable actors that has taken on a role in Game of Thrones is Sean Bean as Ned Stark because he brings a presence to his roles.  Because I had Sean Bean in my head when I read Ned's chapters primarily, Ned grew on me more because Bean is one of my favourite actors.  However, it isn't just because I have Sean Bean in my head, Ned has a powerful, intimidating presence yet he is beloved and feared because of his reputation, something that is needed in this fragile world and why his presence in King's Landing bridges the gap between the vastly different North and South.  Eddard is a great, interesting character because he comes across as fair yet stern, strong, and dependable; he is a clear leader yet will follow his friend if it meant protecting his family and friends.  He may not be a great politician but he is wise enough to be a fantastic strategist, making him a formidable foe.  All these qualities are what make him a memorable character out of the many that are introduced but it is the dry humour that encases him that makes him one of my favourite because it allows the reader to have a laugh and a reprieve during this dark story.  There are many characters in A Song of Ice and Fire but Jon and Ned stood out to me because they bring more to the story that interested me, providing insight into two very different worlds where their characters struggle and thrive at the same time.

The multiple narrators are a positive and negative in my opinion because even though it was something I enjoyed about it thoroughly, it can be complicated to keep track of what has happened from each point of view and how they .  This may be because I tend to read novels with one or two narrators, rather than nine narrators so it's not a major bad point because I do love what it brings to the entire plot as I said earlier.

There was no place for him in Winterfell, no place in King's Landing either.  Even his own mother had not had a place for him.  The thought of her made him sad.  He wondered who she had been, what she had looked like, why his father had left her.  Because she was a whore or an adulteress, fool.  Something dark and dishonorable, or else why was Lord Eddard too ashamed to speak of her? - Page 433

I loved this part because it just summed up how Jon Snow perfectly as he is the black sheep of the Stark clan, with a mother no one will even acknowledge, and no one has helped dissipate these feelings of loneliness; for me, it is one of the reasons why Jon is such a great character as he could be a great hero but is so self-deprecating, it's tragic and therefore interesting as very few books have characters like this that plays a major part.  Hopefully Jon will be able to get past this feeling of uselessness now that he has joined the Night Watch and has gained a "family" there where they are all equal as it will be good to see him grow into himself and see his potential.

While the multiple narrators are a blessing and a curse in A Game of Thrones because it allows the reader to see more of the world of A Song of Ice and Fire and bond with the many characters but that can be complicated to keep track of them all, Martin has created an engaging, intriguing world, full of fantastic characters who have their own motivations which is a phenomenal thing to do in a book.  I love the concept behind the Iron Throne as well, made from the swords of the King's fallen foes hence why it's so large and the war over it is what drives my desire to continue the series.  I highly recommend A Game of Thrones to anyone especially those that enjoy fantasy books too as it is well written and an interesting story covering a vast land.

Predictions

1. Jon excels with the Black Brothers

2. Arya makes good on her promise to avenge her father eventually
3. Dany returns to the Seven Kingdoms with her army