I know, I know, I'm really late to the game on this one. Although I wonder how many people have even attempted this mighty tome vs watching the TV show? A second disclaimer for this post is that I'm not actually a massive fan of the series. I've watched bits of it, dipping in and out, but I've always had the idea of reading the books first in the back of my mind.
These bits aside, I was determined to read A Game of Thrones in 2018. It's the biggest book I've read all year so far, weighing in at almost 800 pages, and I'm pretty sure it's the biggest one that I'm going to have read before the new year. Usually I'm not a fan of long books, simply because they can drag, and I'm keen to get cracking on the next read. But, this was something I loved.
The first book takes you through the first season of the show, ending in the same place. The level of detail in it was intense, but it was something that really spoke out to me because it meant that I could truly integrate myself into the world of the book.
A Game of Thrones tells the tale of Robert Baratheon, the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and his friendship to Ned Stark. Robert's wife Cersei is a malicious character, and Ned is determined to protect his king against her. When he fails to do so and Robert passes away, the whole kingdom is thrown into turmoil. At the same time, Ned's bastard son Jon Snow (you know nothing) joins the night watch, to protect the North against invaders from beyond the wall. Daenerys Targaeryn is also fighting her own battles, after being forced to marry Khal Drogos against her will.
The book is told from a variety of narratives that fit together seamlessly, and the strands of plot I've mentioned above are only a small part of all the different aspects of plot in the book. I honestly think it's a testament to Martin's writing that despite the masses of plot lines that we weave in and out of, and the intense number of characters, everything is clear and easy to follow.
It's the first fantasy novel I've read in a while, and reminded me of why I love the genre. I've now purchased the second book in the series, and if I do read another lengthy book this year, you can bet that's going to be it.
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