Review:

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Format (That I Read):

Book

Challenge Completed:

A top 100 fantasy novel 

Summary:

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 bears swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carries 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 counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hang perilously in the balance, as each endeavor to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

Initial Thoughts:

I've watched the entire TV shows and I've always meant to read the books but they were very intimidating. I had been putting off reading the series for I believe two years even though I was given the first four novels all that time ago. Then I made it a goal to at least start reading the books this year.

Review:

★★★★★
I will say the show followed the book very closely. It has been years since I watched the first season of Game Of Thrones so reading the book was a good refresher. While I knew all the major shocking moments I had forgotten the small details. It wasn't as intimidating once I started reading it. The only real issue I had was trying to keep all the side characters sorted in my mind. Some of them blurred together. It helped to remember their faces from the show (well some of them anyway). Overall the experience was fantastic. I still love all the characters that were my favorite from the show (Jon, Tyrion, Arya, and Dany). The book had a lot going on and still it kept me interested and engaged, It was a little slow when I had to read from Points Of Views of characters I disliked but even then I knew if I pushed on through I could read from my favorites. George R.R. Martin really knows how to write people that you just ended up loving and then those people you absolutely hate a *cough, cough* Joffrey. And of course, he writes strong women. I can't wait to get to the next book whenever that may be.