By: George R. R. Martin
Published: September 1996
Published by: Bantam Books
Description: 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.
My Thoughts: Most of you know all about A Game of Thrones, so I'll make this quick. I loved reading about it and learning things about the characters I didn't already know from watching the HBO show. That being said, this is one book-to-screen adaptation that sticks close to the book. Besides the inner thoughts and a few unnecessary scenes in the book, the show is pretty much the exact same. For that reason, the audiobook of this book bored me at times (never mind the calming effect of the narrators voice. I loved him, but still, his voice was too relaxing and comforting). I already knew what was going to happen. I think I'll be reading the next ones, and probably not too deeply. Still, George R.R. Martin is a genius! 5 Stars!
2 comments:
I read this book long before the TV series was ever dreamed of. I loved the gritty feel of it and the "Wars of the Roses" flavour. And yes, it did transfer well to film and I thought the casting very well done. Be warned if you're going to read the lot, it does start to feel like an admittedly gory mediaeval soap opera after a couple of volumes. I prefer his standalone books, my very favourite being Fevre Dream (the ante-bellum Deep South with vampires and a river steamboat). Not sure if it's still in print, but well worth reading.
I have been tossing up whether to read this series or just watch the show. I've seen the first series and wanted to read the book but if it's so closely based on the book I might skip it. I just don't want to miss out on any important little details!
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