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| | Location: Home » Fire » General » A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) | January 9, 2009 |
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| A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) | 
 enlarge | Author: George R.r. Martin
Publisher: Spectra
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
Buy New: $5.94
You Save: $10.06 (63%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $5.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (1522 reviews)
Sales Rank: 2316
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 704
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0553381687
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780553381689
ASIN: 0553381687
Publication Date: May 28, 2002
Release Date: May 28, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin?s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin?s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.
A GAME OF THRONES
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 bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry 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 counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.
Amazon.com Review
Readers of epic fantasy series are: (1) patient--they are left in suspense between each volume, (2) persistent--they reread or at least review the previous book(s) when a new installment comes out, (3) strong--these 700-page doorstoppers are heavy, and (4) mentally agile--they follow a host of characters through a myriad of subplots. In A Game of Thrones, the first book of a projected six, George R.R. Martin rewards readers with a vividly real world, well-drawn characters, complex but coherent plotting, and beautifully constructed prose, which Locus called "well above the norms of the genre." Martin's Seven Kingdoms resemble England during the Wars of the Roses, with the Stark and Lannister families standing in for the Yorks and Lancasters. The story of these two families and their struggle to control the Iron Throne dominates the foreground; in the background is a huge, ancient wall marking the northern border, beyond which barbarians, ice vampires, and direwolves menace the south as years-long winter advances. Abroad, a dragon princess lives among horse nomads and dreams of fiery reconquest. There is much bloodshed, cruelty, and death, but A Game of Thrones is nevertheless compelling; it garnered a Nebula nomination and won the 1996 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. So, on to A Clash of Kings! --Nona Vero
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1517 more reviews...
 Excellent series! January 3, 2009
This series was recommended to me by a friend and I fell in love with them. They're not always the happiest of books, but that keeps me guessing as Martin seems willing to part with some general fantasy norms. Definitely a good read.
 A Blend of Tolkien and Shakespeare December 29, 2008
I finished this book last night and have already purchased the next. A Game of Thrones has single-handedly renewed my voracious reading habits.
First off, this book is very unique. I have read quite a bit of fantasy and I have never read a book like this. After finishing it, I'd say it's a mix of Tolkien and Shakespeare. There will be tragedy and characters you love will die and not be revived with magic or some other poorly contrived plot twist. It's also harder to tell who the good guys and the bad guys are. It feels as if this book mirrors real life in that everyone has their own ambitions and reasons. It's a very fresh take on fantasy.
Character development is superb and I have never cared about characters so much before in any book. Not even The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, which are (were) my two favorite books of all time. You will really grow to care about these characters.
That all being said, I can see why some people wouldn't like this book. For starters, it's fairly long and lacks constant action of some newer fantasy novels: Forgotten Realms/Dragonlance etc. You have to invest some time reading before you get a pay off. Also, it has some very adult themes (incest, forced sex, to name a few).
I've read stacks and stacks of generic fantasy books and they are great if you just want to read about some Orcs getting beat down all day long. But if you want to read a masterpiece and truly be moved by some literature then I whole-heartedly recommend this book.
At last, at last!! December 27, 2008
"The horrible monster with red glowing eyes made its way towards the heroes, howling in a manner that was quite evil and horrifying!"
That, friends, is an example of what you will NOT find in a George R. R. Martin book (although you probably have a 50% of finding a similar sentence in most any other contemporary fantasy novel). That's because Martin is a genuine writer, a true storyteller who just so happens to love fantasy. If he were to change genres, I have no doubt that he could be heralded as the next John Irving.
Now, if you're reading this review, chances are you're a fan of the genre. If you're like me, though, you've had your fill of dime store heroes and villains, quasi-desperate quests to regain a lost sword/ring/crystal/deep fryer, etc, and you want something more. Well, at long last, an author with imagination AND the ability to craft a coherent sentence has arrived to revitalize this ailing genre.
In an age where near-illiterate plagiarizers like R.A. Salvatore laugh all the way to the bank, I am heartened by the number of sterling reviews written for THIS book--a true book, in every sense. You've probably read at least a few of these reviews before coming to mine, so I won't waste your time with an additional rehash of plot points (such as Martin's great use of POV). Suffice to say, Martin has a poet's ear for alliteration and rhythm, which gives his prose a smooth, vibrant feel. He also steadfastly avoids the usual deux ex machina tactics so often employed by today's hackneyed fantasy writers, in which a cackling wizard SUDDENLY descends from the clouds on his carpet/chariot/flying frog and SUDDENLY blast the heroes with lightning/fire/tapioca pudding then, while cackling maniacally, SUDDENLY steals the princess and soars off to await the sequel. Nope, none of that.
Instead, Martin gives you complex characters riddled with hopes and insecurities, pride and shame, grief and exaltation. This comes at a price, though. As other reviewers have stated, this is NOT "beach reading", nor is it for the faint of heart. The villains here actually ACT like villains, meaning they do more than just cackle as they stroke their dark crystal balls (no, don't reread that). If you want a quick read in which you can pretend to be the lone, flawless hero fighting an inexplicably evil force, you best look elsewhere. This is a brutal book, the kind of book that--if you let it--will coax you into investing more than just your time, then shake you to the core.
"A Game of Thrones" is written with what could be called a "tender mercilessness", a kind of raw wisdom that is both entertaining and enlightening. Take, for example, this quote from the character, Tyrion Lannister, who is a dwarf (no, not the subterranean kind) and often the object of ridicule: "Never forget who you are, for surely the world won't. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."
Not saying George R. R. Martin is the first author to have one of his characters speak such a sentiment, but you'd be VERY hard-pressed to find a character in any other novel--fantasy or otherwise--who says it more eloquently than that. Eloquence aside, though, we also see a lot of wisdom in Martin's writing. There's wry wit here, too, like this statement from Varys, another complex character: "There is no creature on earth half so terrifying as a truly just man."
There are many more grand quotes in this book (and its sequels) but I don't want to spoil anything. I'll wrap this up by adding that, honestly, I'm a very tough audience. I read a lot of contemporary fantasy and poetry and I probably toss aside or loathe 75% of what I read because it's riddled with cliches and/or just plain badly written. Martin's books, on the other hand, kept me reading until dawn more than once.
Sidenote: I've also listened to some of these books on tape during car rides/business trips. Makes the time fly!
I HATE FANTASY!! December 19, 2008
But I absolutely loved this book. I have never liked reading about kings, knights, war, blah blah blah... I could never follow the story. But this book is very readable. I became consumed with the characters, I found myself wanting to know everything about them, like they became a kind of family for me. I couldn't believe how swiftly I read this book. I love how the chapters are a different view point from a different character everytime, it became hard to pinpoint the bad guy right away. I loved this book, I can't wait to read the next one, and I really can't wait for the series to come to television. Good show George!! You have made the top ten for sure, possibly even my top five!
A Winter Is Coming December 17, 2008
A Game of Thrones is the first book of George R.R. Martin's masterpiece, fantasy epic. The good news for those familiar with this series (no A Dance with Dragons is not yet finished) is that the series is being brought to the small screen by HBO. If you are a fan of Rome or the Arthurian legends keep your eyes and ears open.
For the last year I have been living without cable, but I will once again be swimming in the deep end when this amazing work is brought to life. Like much of the other series on HBO, this will be a story for mature viewers. It is a story of hard living in a kingdom very much resembling England during the Wars of the Roses. There is a touch of fantasy but it is not heavy handed. The main characters are all human insofar as they are from the human species. Another difference is that this story is not the standard Good vs. Evil. It is a human story and in that sense it is a contemporary tale.
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