A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin | Teen Ink

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin MAG

October 26, 2015
By Caesar123 DIAMOND, Union Grove, Wisconsin
Caesar123 DIAMOND, Union Grove, Wisconsin
50 articles 7 photos 103 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Madness in great ones must not unwatched go" --Claudius in William Shakespeare's Hamlet


Ask any of my friends, family, or miscellaneous acquaintances and they’ll tell you I’m the “late guy.” It’s not just appointments; I also rarely am up with what’s current, especially pop culture. I’m never on the cutting edge of anything with a hashtag or big celebrity’s name on it.
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin was no exception, which was unfortunate for me because the first novel in Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It may be the best book I’ve ever read.
The story opens with the king of the Seven Kingdoms, Robert Baratheon, who has come to visit his childhood friend, Eddard “Ned” Stark, bearing grave news. Their mentor and the king’s chief advisor, Lord Jon Arryn, is dead. Dismayed, Ned offers condolences, but King Robert has another agenda in mind: he offers Ned the job of Hand of the King and invites him and his daughters to live in his palace. Ned agrees when word comes from Jon Arryn’s widow that Robert’s wife, Cersei Lannister, and her family poisoned Arryn and intend to kill the king too.
Loath to leave his wife and sons behind, Ned follows his king nonetheless, and so begins an epic saga of death, romance, jealousy, betrayal, and justice as a host of knights, ladies, and kings play the game of thrones.
It’s hard to pinpoint what makes this book so great. In part, Martin is successful because of his unique stylistic approach, telling the story from multiple points of view, allowing for (theoretically) objective viewing of the back-and-forth at hand and empathy with all of the novel’s colorful characters.
As much as I loved this book, it wasn’t merely for the shifting viewpoints; it was the craft of the story. A Game of Thrones is so detailed, so finely drawn with pinpoint accuracy that it is one of the few books I truly felt immersed in. I walked with the Dothraki in the bazaars of Vaes Dothrak, jousted with the Knight of Flowers, and clung to the side of a mountain with the Imp. Martin is so accurate with his fictional world, creating detailed histories for a vast array of characters, many of which are only mentioned in name or in a part of the story that is never brought up again. It is this attention to detail – and the fine-tooth combing that it takes to create – that got my attention.
Read this book. Whether or not you like fantasy or science fiction, this book’s craft is well worth it. The character development is the best I’ve seen in any book, and the richness of the world is so unique, so meticulous, that one wonders why it took an HBO series for it to get mainstream recognition. I rate it 5/5 stars.

The author's comments:

Honestly, I picked this one up as part of the hype that surrounded the TV show and thought I'd give it a try. I couldn't have been more pleased. It's probably not only the greatest fantasy novel I've ever read, but one of the greatest books I've ever read period. If you get nothing else from this, take at least this note: read this book.


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This article has 2 comments.


Hanban12 ELITE said...
on Nov. 4 2015 at 10:31 pm
Hanban12 ELITE, Lake Worth, Florida
133 articles 7 photos 631 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.&quot;<br /> Henry David Thoreau<br /> <br /> &quot;I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once.&quot;<br /> John Green

I completely agree with this review and your points that you made about Mr. Martin's plot and intentions. Thank you so much for writing a review that lives up to the book; it does it justice.

on Nov. 4 2015 at 7:40 am
Thefanatasticagirlie101 SILVER, Euless, Texas
6 articles 0 photos 59 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our mind. That&#039;s what I hope to give you forever.&quot; ~The Notebook

This makes me want to read A Game of Thrones right now. Thank you for your opinion on a book you've read.