A Game of Thrones is the first book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series that is now three books long and expected to number between six and seven books. Following this book are A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords, and there are two short stories taking place in Westeros (the continent this book is primarily set in) a century before in the fantasy anthologies Legends and Legends II edited by Robert Silverberg. The books introduce us to the low magic fantasy world in which the stories take place, namely the lands of the Seven Kingdoms on a continent known as Westeros.
Background
Westeros is a continent of seven former kingdoms united hundreds of years ago by Kings (The Targaryens) from the East who came to conquer with the flame and fury of the dragons. The dragons have all since died out, but the family maintained its power, jealously guarding its blood, its sons and daughters marrying one another, eventually damning the family to madness. It was this madness, and an episode in the past (of which the details are still murky) that drove a number of nobles to rebel against the Targaryens and overthrow the legitimate King, and now in Westeros the Usurper, one Robert Baratheon sits upon the throne.
Westeros has the medieval Western Europe feel, but there are no real world analogues. While the story has one storyline that takes place outside of Westeros, it is north and central Westeros that is at the center of this novel. In the north, Westeros has its great Wall, built to keep out the barbarians of the north, the Wildlings, and other evils long forgotten. Another feature of the world is that seasons may last years, and that the Kingdom has long enjoyed a summer and it is feared that a long winter is before them.
The Protagonists
A Game of Thrones is primarily a story of the crises afflicting Westeros as experienced by the children of those who rebelled against the true king. Most of the story is told through the eyes of the Stark family, the nobility of the north, a family that is sober and steadfast. The story is told in chapters, each chapter the perspective of one the story’s participants, mostly Stark children, but there are other voices, some perspectives are from rival Westeros families and another perspective that I found surprising enough that I won’t divulge it.
About the Review
The story is well told with a surprising number of plot twists, revelations, and new descriptions of unforeseen aspects and parts of the world and cultures, so rather than reveal any of this and spoil the surprise for any potential readers, I will set up the mystery that launches the story and go on to share what features I enjoyed about the book. If these same elements appeal to you, this book may be of interest to you.
The Premise
The Starks of the North, victims of the cruelty of the fallen King and stalwart supporters of Robert Baratheon’s Rebellion find themselves entertaining their King Robert at their stronghold of Winterfell on one of his tours. It is not merely a visit for pleasure between two old comrades at arms, Eddard Stark lord of House Stark and Robert Baratheon a drunk and a king, for the intrigue and plotting of the court comes north with the Usurper’s entourage.
The King’s advisor, known as the King’s Hand, an old comrade of both men, has died and foul play feared. The Kingdom is becoming unruly under Robert Baratheon’s neglect, and he urges Stark to join him in the south, at the capital of King’s Landing to help guide the country and uncover the villainy responsible for the murder of their friend. Eddard Stark makes the fateful choice to become the next King’s Hand, beginning his journey southward with some of his family and setting off a chain of events resulting in a catastrophe for his country and his family.
Details… Details… Details….
This book is rich in details, from the heraldry of the nations to the food being served at dinner, and these serve to give a sense of verisimilitude to the series. As you read the book, you become more knowledgeable about the cultures of the Westeros and the sheer level of detail suggests how much work and imagination has been put it into the world. The details are not tedious or boring, they’re portioned out in a relevant context that steep the story in atmosphere.
Better, the book rewards careful reading. You need not pay attention to all the details, but for those who read closely, details foreshadow events and episodes to come. A second reading of the book shows the nuances and details in the book, and how many hints and clues the author gives. I have found that on these later readings, I have enjoyed the book even more, quite an accomplishment for any writer.
Unfolding Events – Historical and Contemporary As the story unfolds, it does so in two parts – the events occurring in the present and a simultaneous unfolding of the past. There are a number of mysteries regarding the past of Westeros and the events leading up to and after Robert’s Rebellion, and historical revelations come slowly, some of them ultimately leading to some doubts and suspicions as to what has been commonly accepted as the truth in Westeros.
It may aggravate a few, but most of the revelations and recollections are partial and subjective, creating more questions than they answer, and some of the important events of the past have still not been answered yet in any of the published books. This I consider yet another strength of the book, building suspense and creating moral ambiguity in the story.
Ever-Broadening Horizons
As the book begins, it fleshes out central and northern Westeros, and as the story continues, more and more areas, characters, politics, and other aspects of life are revealed to the reader. Existing areas and characters are embellished upon in detail, newer areas and characters are first hinted at, perhaps by rumor or tales, and then later developed. It’s a gradual and natural process, I was so engrossed in the story that the absence of these places wasn’t noticed, and the introduction to these places and characters simply deepened my appreciation for the world and its inhabitants.
Interesting Characters
With this many characters and view points, you will like some characters more than others, but I have found all the characters interesting and memorable, each contributing a perspective and witnessing a different range of events. The protagonists with whom we share their perspectives are intriguing and their varied experiences engaging. The characters grow and develop over time, becoming more complex, guided by changing goals and intentions, and responding to their changing world around them. Some of the secondary characters in the book are just as fascinating and intriguing, and it is my opinion that some of fiction’s most memorable characters are appearing in this series.
Some characters are more passive than others, a criticism of the story, but I find it hardly credible that everyone in the book act with the same degree of agency. Some are more witnesses to history than participants, and this I find acceptable. Each character eventually has a role they play to some degree or another in the book, a point where they must make a moral choice that shapes their future.
Protagonists and Secondary Characters
The events in the book are not guided by merely the main characters. Secondary characters that come and go, perhaps only playing a bit part, shape the world as well. For me, all too often in fantasy the world and its inhabitants merely serve as a backdrop to the actions of the main characters – in this book the protagonists are part of the world, shaping it and being shaped by it in turn.
One of the things that irked me about the Dune series (the first two books of which I am quite fond of) was that anyone who had any importance seemed to come from the original stock of characters, this creates a bounded world where only a few are active agents of change – in A Game of Thrones the acts of a nameless stable boy or a chance encounter with a sell sword can change a character’s life or introduce us to a minor but pivotal character respectively.
Wonders
The world seems at first quite conventional, but as the story develops, a number of stories, myths, historical events and characters, as well as places are quite imaginative and wondrous, a trend that continues in later books. The world is quite far from mundane, although it should be noted that the world is far from high fantasy.
Low Magic – Gritty World
This book is very low fantasy –magic is nearly a myth in the world. The dragons are long dead, spells are merely ceremonial, and the magics of the past are little more than legends. With the exception of the prologue, a good portion of the story more resembles well-written historical fiction rather than fantasy, although as the story progresses the fantasy element becomes more apparent. Watching the gradual reintroduction of magic, and speculating to the reasons for its reappearance is one of the delights of the book.
The world is also a gritty one, where suffering is commonplace and sustains the pomp and privilege of the wealthy. The book is far from sanitized and gives us a view of the world from bottom to top, while avoiding being sadistic or merciless in its portrayal.
Humor
While the humor in the book is contingent upon the perspective of the person, a handful of the characters are exceedingly witty and the humor in the book does much to allay its relative grimness. Despite the book’s shock and surprises, I found it to be one of the most witty and humorous of fantasy books I have read.
Story Telling
There’s no omniscient narrator, everything you witness is filtered through the prejudices and perspectives of the chapter’s narrator. The chapters often end in cliffhangers, and I found that once I read through the first slow one hundred pages or so, his story telling was one of the book’s greatest strengths.
Twists
This book has a number of twists and unforeseen plot developments. I found it impossible to guess what fates would eventually befall the protagonists. I cannot think of a book that has constantly left me as surprised or stunned as this book. The most similar example, in terms of plot twists and reversals of fortunes would be the play and movie The Lion in Winter, and I consider such a comparison the highest praise.
Some Shortcomings and Reservations
This book is not flawless, but I found my issues with the book to be mere quibbles, small things I overlooked or were explained or dealt with as the story advanced.
Children’s Perspective Granted it is difficult to write from children’s perspectives, and perhaps in Westeros children mature far more quickly, but the actual voice and thoughts we have of the children are not entirely convincing. Perhaps it might have been better to have advanced the age of the characters, but nonetheless these children seem quite mature. While this may irk some readers, I found myself overlooking it, and the events the children suffer through are likely to either mature them quickly or turn them into very traumatized and maladjusted individuals!
Non-Westeros Perspective One character is not in Westeros and upon my first reading I found her story more peripheral and less important, after all the bulk of the activities are happening in Westeros. I was less enthused about being torn away from the actions in Westeros to follow seemingly less apparent details on a more minor character. However, as the story progresses, this character’s story becomes more important, and as the series continues the two plots, the Westerosi one and the non-Westerosi become entangled and this “diversion” seems fated to become one of the major plot elements of the book. So chalk this initial reservation up to one of misguided preference: I have heard from many people that this non-Westeros perspective is their favorite in the book.
Details… Details… Details…
There are a lot of details to the book and a large cast of characters. I found this a strength, but many people get lost in the sheer number of names and historical details. For those concerned, there is an appendix with a listing of the characters of the various houses, so this should mitigate some of the confusion that people may experience.
Traumatic for Some
The book may be traumatic for some. Westeros is a bloody and dangerous place and ill befalls many in it. Interesting and intriguing characters are not above mutilation or death, both of which seem commonplace in Westeros. If you identify closely with the protagonists in books that could be a problem in this series, although I found the choices the author made to be refreshing. Furthermore these books have very little black and white, good versus evil, themes to it. In this book, and the others that follow, bad things do befall the good, and justice is a rare thing. In other words, this book can be quite grim and dark.
Summation
I thoroughly enjoyed a Game of Thrones and it is one of my favorite fantasy series, up there with a select few: Vance’s Dying Earth, the first Earthsea books, Howard’s Conan, and Leiber’s Fafhrd and Grey Mouser books. Few books have been such a delight to read, and it is in my opinion one of the most important and most entertaining fantasy series of the last two decades, with enough innovation and masterful story telling that I think any interested in fantasy should at least consider reading the series.
As noted, the series has not been completed, it is nearly half done, with its fourth book A Feast for Crows tentatively to be released in 2004. Two short stories in Westeros have been published, one of them turned into a comic book, Dragon magazine had a novella published in one and articles on d20 Westeros in another, while Guardians of Order are releasing two versions of the role playing game, d20 and tri-stat. Furthermore there is the A Game of Thrones card game and the A Game of Thrones board game released by Fantasy Flight Games. So if you do read and enjoy the system, there is a wealth of game related material for you to enjoy as well.
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