A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin · 15 May 2007
I’ve read a lot of High Fantasy in my time. I read the first eight of the Wheel of Time series before I stopped caring about the characters and said “to Hell with it.” I read the first six of the Sword of Truth series before getting outraged at Goodkind for ripping off Ayn Rand in Faith of the Fallen, and said “to Hell with it.” I read a smattering of Feist’s Riftwar books before I got bored and said “to Hell with them.” And, I’ve read a number of other stand alone books, less memorable series, and short stories in the High Fantasy tradition.
So, even though everyone I’d talked to that has read A Song of Ice and Fire series has loved it, I was a bit reluctant to pick it up. At four installments long, the series is already at the point which I become very skeptical that the later books have anything to add to the previous expect continuation of the author’s bankroll and the fan’s relationships with the characters.
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) took my preconceptions and smashed them to pieces. This isn’t your average “save the kingdom” story. Yes, it’s epic. Yes, the fate of the throne and the future of the world depend on the actions of a small group of people. But, in A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin does what so few fantasy authors accomplish in epic fantasy; he creates characters that have motivations and personalities outside their quests.
Instead of feeling like you’re reading a book about people hurtling toward “the goal” that’s been forced on them by some outside force, you feel like you’re reading about people who are acting rationally based on their personalities and their circumstances.
The story starts in the north with the Stark family. Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfall is the guardian of the North and nominal head of one of the previous seven kingdoms, now held under the joint rule of Robert, Ned’s boyhood friend. The Starks have been raised in the north, far from the intrigues of the southern court. After a prologue that foreshadows the underlying message of the book, “Winter is coming,” we are introduced to the Stark brood at the scene of an execution. After dispatching justice, Lord Ned asks his young son Bran:
“Do you understand why I did it?”
“He was a wildling,” Bran said. “They carry off women and sell them to the Others.”
His lord father smiled. “Old Nan has been telling you stories again. In truth, the man was an oathbreaker, a deserter from the Night’s Watch. No man is more dangerous. The deserter knows his life is forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime, no matter how vile. But you mistake me. The question was not why the man had to die, but why I must do it.”
Bran has no answer for that. “King Robert has a headsman,” he said uncertainly.
“He does,” his father admitted. “As did the Targaryen kings before him. Yet our way is the older way. The blood of the first men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.”
Ned and Bran are just the first of many characters to keep track of, but Martin keeps you invested in all of them by telling each chapter from a different perspective. The story progresses linearly, so this technique doesn’t fragment the pacing or the plot and it gives depth to each player’s motivations in the titled Game of Thrones. Each character is unique, but the central characters all have uncommon strength and vigor to their morals and actions, no matter which side they are motivated to assist.
Martin sets up a lot of stories without feeling like he’s doing set up work. The kingdom is poised on the brink of Winter with a capital “W.” Direwolves have traveled south of the Wall in the first time in memory, and there are rumors of old folktales coming to life. The Night’s Watch, charged with defending the Wall against invaders from the North, has lost an alarming number of men, seasoned men who went into the woods and never returned.
Meanwhile, King Robert sits uneasily on his throne, at odds with his wife, and bereft of his oldest councilor. Lord Ned Stark knows his place is in the north, preparing for the coming Winter, but when Robert offers him the position of the Hand, he is duty-bound to accept it. Ned divides his family for the sake of duty, and travels south to become the only honorable man in the king’s court.
On another continent, the heirs of Robert’s conquered enemy are alive and dreaming of recapturing their lost glory.
Martin uses the rich tapestry of politics, magic, weaponry, and husbandry to weave together an eclectic mix of characters that behave in realistic manners. This is not a cliché fantasy work, nor is it a romanticized story. The plot is gritty and Martin does not hesitate to revel in the flaws of his characters in order to advance it. There are no knights in shining armor (okay, there is one, but he’s not the epitome of goodness) and no decrepit evil magicians. The good guys have their bad moments, and the bad guys have their good moments. By the time I finished the book, if you had asked me to split the good characters from the bad, there were a number that I would have to pile in the “unknown” category.
The book concludes with a minor resolution. Based on the stated intentions of the characters, there are a few directions that the next book could go. One of the possibilities is predictable, and I hope that Martin choose to veer away from it, as that option will turn the story towards the epic battle genre. But anything is probable at this point, especially since the main characters of two separate threads of the story have yet to meet. Martin has made his story so character driven, I imagine anything and everything could happen once they become aware of each other. I’ll be tearing through A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2) as soon as I get my hands on it in order to find out.
This book was reviewed for the 2007 Once Upon a Time Challenge.
A Game of Thrones,
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Nymeth · 16 May 2007, 00:35
I’ve been highly recommended this series many times. I’m not a big fan of high fantasy – not that I don’t like it, but it’s my least favourite type of fantasy. This, however, really sounds like something I’d enjoy.
Thank you for your excellent review.
Kim · 18 May 2007, 14:08
I felt exactly the same Nymeth, and I’m glad I decided to give it a chance.
I’ve got Book 3 ready to go and it’s sooooooooo tempting to just pick it up, but I know I’ll regret it if I skip Book 2.
Dark Orpheus · 15 June 2007, 00:25
I’ve been following the series for more than 7 years. There a few things that seem almost predictable with the series – but the truth is, it is so rich and epic, and George R. R. Martin is willing to sacrifice characters to plot – that there will always be something to shock/surprise you.
I ended “Feast of Crows” with a heavy heart – the ending just caught me off guard. I feel “A Song of Fire and Ice” is worth waiting for, and I’m still waiting for the next book.
Chris · 15 June 2007, 13:05
What a great review Kim! I’m looking forward to your review of the second book. I’m really tempted to go out and buy it and jump into it right now. Hope I’m not disappointed. I was going to jump into Jordan’s Wheel of Time series as well but I’ve heard the same from everyone else…it’s a waste of time. That’s so sad…oh well.
Kim · 16 June 2007, 09:00
I’m a big fan of works that are willing to take drastic measures for the sake of the plot. I’m glad to hear that Martin continues to do so throughout the series.
Chris, I’m warming up to the second book. Hopefully I’ll have a review up in July, but . . . summer school starts next week, so I’ll have a bit less time than I’d like to read and write. Maybe you’ll beat me to the first review!
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