Sunday, November 22, 2009
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Fantasy Book Reviews

George R.R. Martin: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire Book 1)

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A Game of Thrones is the first book in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. Lord Eddard Stark is about to receive a promotion from his friend, his King, to the office of the Hand (as in the King's right hand man). Yet he can't help his sense of foreboding. The prospect of joining the Royal Court, with its politics, deceit and lethal cunning almost drives him to decline the offer, but with a sense of duty he accepts.

Stark is thrown into a world where words can kill you, friends are vital and knowing who to trust a matter of life and death. This is not a situation the honourable Stark can tolerate, and goes against his very nature. In this world is even a King safe?

A Game of Thrones is an excellent book. Each chapter is written from the point of view of each of the main characters, which helps you to get behind each one and understand the situations as they see them. Which is very important because it allows George Martin to show you the duality of their natures, good and bad, bravery and cowardice, honour and survival. In Martin's world the typical boundaries of "the good guys" and "the bad guys" are very much blurred, each character having likeable and despicable traits. This make each character and the setting much more real.

The political scheming and faction building that goes on will have you on the edge of your seat as much as any sword stroke. Martin also has the ability to throw a lot of balls in the air at once, allowing many interweaving stories to run at once, without confusing the reader. A Game of Thrones is truly excellent and I for one was left impatient for the sequel, A Clash of Kings.

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