A Game of Thrones
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Book Details
Written by George R.R. Martin.
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($7.99)
Editorial Review (from Amazon.com)
Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.A Game of Thrones
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.
User Reviews (3) Login or create an account to write a review.
WriterDan thinks this book is Good.
This is the first novel in George R. R. Martin's fantasy series. I have to say that this guy writes just brilliantly. The world, the characters, the plots, the twists... just great. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but Martin does an excellent job of keeping them separate and distinct. The only problem that I had with this series, was how long it got to be. I got about half-way through the second book, and just couldn't handle the lengthy, boring story lines. It seems that he has soooo many characters to balance that he just can't keep the story exciting. This is definitely what I'd call EPIC fantasy. It's huge to the point of unwieldiness. I really think that this was a great book though. I would have loved to read the entire story as it's continued in the series, but I just couldn't slog though all of the boring to get through to the excitement. Too much for me. So, this book is "Good", but unless you can really buckle down for a LONG story, I wouldn't plan on going any further in the series.
Gabriel thinks this book is Good.
Game of Thrones, the first book of the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin is something of an oddity within the fantasy genre, though admittedly this is becoming less the case than at the time the book was released. Certainly of an epic scope, I believe the novels were originally intended as a trilogy but now fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the fifth book. Perhaps the greatest draws for the novels in this series are the characters, and the complexity and completeness offered by the imagined world.
The oddity within the genre mentioned earlier has been something of a hurdle for many readers. The caveat emptor for readers here is that “goodâ€/likeable characters are not safe in these books. Bad stuff happens to people; just because a character is "good" or fun does not mean the fickle finger of fate will not jab them. This has been a blessing and a curse for these novels. Although this tactic infuses a genuine tension into the suspense of the stories, I have known several readers who have put the book down because they found themselves becoming too high strung about it. Personally, I think it more of a plus than a minus, and found the series to be well worth the read.
Za thinks this book is Excellent.
A Game of Thrones is the first book in George R. R. Martin's highly acclaimed fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. It is absolutely terrific. It's a long but absorbing read, but be warned of the numerous star characters, because I found myself tripping over the storyline at some points. Honestly, not since Tolkien has the writing of fantasy been extended to where GRRM has managed to take it -- he actually manages to excel in a genre (which for me has always been dominated by Tolkien and apers of Tolkien) with a highly original series of plots. One of the things that's most exciting about the book is that GRRM has no loyalty to his characters, so to speak -- he bumps off even those one might think are protagonists indispensable to the story.