“Why is it always the innocents who suffer most when you high lords play your game of thrones?”
Varys the Spider, one of the many complex characters of the A Song of Ice and Fire universe, essentially encapsulated seven whole novels in a single quote. Trust me, I’ve read all of them!
OVERVIEW
Contrary to popular belief thanks to the famous HBO show, A Game of Thrones is the title of only the first book in a series widely considered to be George R. R. Martin’s magnum opus - A Song of Ice and Fire. Its gripping prologue is the perfect gateway into one of the most intricately woven worlds to ever grace the literary world.
From the very first chapter, readers are thrown directly into the kingdom of Westeros with little idea of what is going on. The first people we meet are the Starks, lords of the northern tundra of the realm.
With King Robert Baratheon’s eventual arrival at Winterfell, the seat of House Stark, we learn of the discord in the realm caused by the untimely death of Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King.
Suddenly, we’re taken across the sea to the Free City of Pentos, a powerful city-state in the east. We are introduced to Daenerys and Viserys, the last members of House Targaryen.
We learn that their primary ambition is to restore their fallen House to its former glory: a time when Targaryens rode atop dragons and ruled Westeros with a fiery hand. The last dragon had died almost 150 years prior, however, and the Targaryens had been usurped 15 years ago.
While Viserys prepares Daenerys for her strategic marriage to a fearsome Dothraki horselord, back in Westeros Eddard Stark is invited by his old friend, Robert Baratheon, to King’s Landing to serve as the next Hand of the King.
Despite great reluctance, the former complies and thus begins the ‘game of thrones.’ A tale of conspiracies, deceit, and lies, this deadly game shows us the rawest picture of humans competing for power.
From the Starks’ arrival at King’s Landing to the Lannisters’ clever ploys to consolidate power to the mysterious disappearance of Stannis Baratheon, the king’s younger brother, the realm is plagued by uncertainty and doubt. Yet, even though the game of thrones engages the minds of readers and the people of Westeros alike, one must never forget that winter is coming.
Map of northern Westeros
REVIEW
Although A Game of Thrones and the entire ASOIAF series are quite heavy reads (which may be a negative for some people), the world, complex characters, and realism drew me in so deeply that currently, half of the posters in my room are the various coat-of-arms of the many noble houses in the series.
Jaime and Cersei Lannister with their ‘complicated’ relationship, witty and sharp Tyrion Lannister, honourable and just Eddard Stark, military mastermind Robb Stark, cold and calculative Tywin Lannister, sweet and innocent Daenerys Targaryen, and shrewd and cunning Littlefinger are a few examples of the extensive roster of characters, each having their own complex goals, motivations, and intentions, given to us by George R.R. Martin.
The kingdom of Westeros, with its seven Great Houses, many smaller Houses, and various regions, could have been an entire world in itself, yet is only part of a much bigger one.
The realism of the world, with all its politics, geographies, religions, and cultures, interplays so well with the dynamics between the characters, leading to a universe in ASOIAF that is brimming with life.
The shocking plot twists throughout the first book, especially a certain one in King’s Landing towards the end, are all so immensely impactful and unpredictable that the many plotlines never get boring at any point in time. The moral ambiguity of the story also appealed to me greatly.
However, no story is without flaws. The book is equivalent in volume to heavy classics like Great Expectations and Moby-Dick. Fear not, you won’t have to study whale anatomy here, though!
Moreover, even though the list of characters is rich and many of them feel so realistic, there are simply too many characters. A lot of the lesser-important characters are barely developed and are nowhere near memorable. The character arcs of a few of the major ones are also sometimes completely neglected, as so many arcs are going on.
A lot of the female characters could have also done with greater depth. Although Daenerys and Brienne of Tarth are powerful female personas, many others play the role of cliche, helpless damsels in distress which can be quite underwhelming for some readers. Moreover, the sexual scenes in the book can seem a bit too much and are quite unnecessary most of the time.
Finally, the moral ambiguity of the story may not align with the interests of those readers who prefer a classic ‘Good vs. Evil’ story like Lord of the Rings. Much like real life, no one is inherently a hero or a villain in ASOIAF. Every character has their own reasons and ambitions that may sometimes be just and sometimes unjust, which all leads to a very morally grey tale.
Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon drinking together
SUMMARY
If you have read and enjoyed books like Dune and Mistborn, you’ll most definitely love A Game of Thrones, thanks to its wealth of characters and enchanting world. However, it is not as suitable for a younger audience due to the many sexual scenes and for those who are not able to develop an interest in reading long books.
Overall, I really enjoyed my reading experience of ASOIAF: A Game of Thrones, and even though there may be quite a few flaws, they aren’t as prominent as all of the things that the book does right. I strongly recommend this book and subsequently the entire series to people who enjoy a powerful hint of realism in fantasy stories, where politics and psychology perfectly blend in with dragons and prophecies.