A Game of Thrones

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was absolutely breathtaking. I LOVED it. The characters were memorable and had distinct voices. The plot line of this book held my attention and was unique, and the pacing was fantastic. These books often stay with me for a long time. After finishing, I can't stop thinking about it. An absolute must read, and now a favorite of mine. Highly Recommended!

This was literary perfection. The characters, the plot, the drama, the intensity. All of it was beautifully written.

This was the first fantasy book I've read and I was not disappointed. I can't wait to continue the series.

Finalmente, um monumento em construção de mundo e uma técnica de múltiplos pontos de vista muito apurada.

I wish more people knew about this book, it could really go places and do things.

This is a second re-read for me and I kinda want to start reading it again right away. Still the best first book in series ever.

World building, characters, plot and writing are exquisite! This book is an absolute masterpiece and the most 5-stariest 5 star I have ever read!

If this series never gets completed, it wouldn't matter one bit. I would be happy to re-read the already published books till my last day.

4.5/5

“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone if it is to keep its edge.”

I can see how this series influenced so many modern fantasy books. I enjoyed the political storyline and intricate worldbuilding. I'm also a sucker for backstabbing and betrayals and it appears that this book doesn't shy away from all sorts of things. There were quite too many perspectives for my taste and but I understand it's a grand story that needs to be told from more than just one party.

“If I look back I am lost”

Ned Stark is probably the best character in fictional history. If everyone was like him the world would be so much better. This book is full of characters you love, characters you love/hate, and even more characters to despise. Sansa Stark is the worst child ever. Although if it weren't for her actions the story might not have been as interesting

7/10

Really enjoyed the art.

This book is very dark and has some disturbing content. I did find that I could see the content coming and I could skip the paragraph or page without losing the content of the story. I would caution more conservative readers that there are discussions of rape and a lot of death and violence. I did not think it was as bad as many other books I've encountered and I suspect that the HBO show may have made the content worse than it was presented in the book.
As far as the story line, characters and wold building it was excellent.

I would completely recommend this book. I was afraid that the multiple POVS would leave me confused but I was proven wrong. The characters are so unique in their voices and thoughts that they're hard to mix up. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Ok I finally gave in and jumped on the GOT wagon (peer pressure is real haha). I'm glad I did. I absolutely love the writing, scenery, era and touch of fantasy. There are a lot of characters and history to the different houses, but I actually enjoy it when books have so much to them, as long as it doesn't overtake and disrupt the book itself. Thankfully this one did not. I am excited to get moving on the other books in this series!

I HATED THIS APPROXIMATELY 2% LESS THAN WHEN I READ IT AT 18

I WOULD DIE FOR SANSA STARK

Okay, this did make me recollect a lot of season one :)

Forgot that Danny had killed Drogo herself. Fierce.
Thought I would be bored to read about a show I've already watched, but nope.
The books are always better than the movie, or in this case, the TV show.
Very interesting to read from character's perspective. To know more about the Robert's rebellion and Rhaegar. Although the dialogue was the same, what the character is thinking and going through was described, which the show couldn't capture.

Can only wonder how amazed D&D would have been to read this story, and to want to make a series on it. Then again, who wouldn't.

After the disappointing end to the show I finally decided to pick up the original story and damn... I'm so glad I did. I was anticipating to like it as I loved the show so much before it fell from grace but I'm still pleasantly surprised by how good Martin's writing and imagination is. The hype behind ASOIAF is truly justified so far from the first book alone.

As I read I couldn't help but still be in anguish and worry as I followed certain characters take their gradual steps towards their fate. I knew everything that was coming as the first season follows the first book to a tee but I still couldn't help but feel for the mourning characters I love.

The heightened detail that George shares in the book is mesmerizing and I've never read anything like it. The characters that I hated and love from the show only had me love and hate them even more.

Can't wait to continue on my journey through the series and maybe if I take my time The Winds of Winter will be close once I reach A Dance of Dragons but somehow I don't think it will take me long.

The King in the North!

El libro, en mi opinión, es completamente elaborado para ser un libro de suspenso, acción, guerra, muerte y fantasía. Narra la guerra de diferentes casas en diferentes localidades (norte, sur ,etc) que pelean para obtener el trono. Primero la historia nos lleva a conocer un poco de Winterfell y la casa que gobierna ahí, que es la casa Stark. Luego nos presentan al rey y a su esposa que es de la casa Lannister, ellos llegan a Winterfell de King's Landing. A medida que la trama va evolucionando se van presentando algunos augurios, traición, rendición, separación y muchas muertes que conllevará a la guerra por el trono como mencioné.

El tema del libro no es original en sí, creo que deben haber muchos libros sobre guerras territoriales, reyes, dragones etc. Sin embargo la forma en la que está escrito, el contenido de la historia y los caminos en los que nos lleva el autor son extraordinarios y hacen que quieras más, más y más; así como que quieras tomar bandos y que tengas sentimientos muy fuertes por los personajes.
Es una perspectiva sumamente planificada para lograr el entretenimiento del lector a toda costa. Hay muchos elementos que logran que este libro sea inolvidable y sumamente devorador.

Con respecto al comienzo, conflicto, suspenso, y todo para mí en realidad, fue increíble. Todo marchó a su tiempo, así como todo estaba muy bien planteado. El suspenso estaba siempre, desde que empieza el libro en el prólogo te quedabas como “¿Que acaba de suceder?“. Los conflictos entre personajes eran exquisito, tenías que elegir bando y comerte las uñas esperando que tus personajes favoritos no mueran o caigan en alguna miseria. El clímax fue algo brutal, a mí lamentablemente me spoilearon mal, muy mal y justo la parte que yo categorizo como clímax lo cual para mí no fue una sorpresa pero aún así me impactó muchísimo. Y la conclusión realmente no fue una conclusión porque es el agarre al siguiente libro.




Leer más...

This is going to be an unpopular opinion. I've put off reading this series for a long time because it didn't sound enticing to me. And especially since I heard some people compare it to Tolkien or name it “the best fantasy story”. I was skeptical; and after finally finishing book 1, I was right - I don't like it. I don't hate it, but I don't quite like it (not-quite-3 stars). As a side note, I did watch the first couple of episodes of the oh-so-popular TV series, but I didn't like that either.

First off, I would praise the writing and the coherency of prose. The book introduces a staggering number of important characters, supporting characters, side characters, and once-off characters. But I didn't find myself losing track. It's almost like the writing itself kind of hints to the reader which characters you should hold in your long term memory. Or maybe the prose just makes it easy to recall who a character is. This part was done really well, even with the chapters frequently switching to a different plot arc.

Now comes the primary reason why I don't like it - generally-speaking, this is less epic adventure and more political drama slash court intrigue. It's almost medieval fiction, except set in a completely different world, with a smattering of mystical and supernatural elements thrown in. Maybe it's just the first volume and winter hasn't arrived yet. I hope volume 2 picks it up a bit. As it is, I would say it's comparable to Tolkien's works only on the details of the setting, but not the story.

Also of note is that this book targets a mature audience. There's a fair bit of brutality, oppression, and perversion going on throughout the book. The writer has no problems killing off characters whom you thought might become rather central. In a way, I'm kind of enjoying myself trying to predict who will die and who won't, and predicting who gets a chapter with their name on it. At least he hasn't killed off my favourite ones yet - but he also hasn't killed off the ones that annoy me. Oh well.

I do look forward to seeing more of what “winter is coming” means, especially with regards to “the Others”, as this feels like the most promising part of the story to me.

In conclusion, this book is very obviously just part 1, as almost nothing concludes here. Every single major plot arc is still ongoing and nowhere near finishing - like a TV-series soap drama, small wonder it so succeeded on TV.

I have started this series around four times over the years, and always I have only managed the first book. This reread was fantastic.

I enjoyed every aspect of the book, and have no complaints. I thoroughly enjoyed comparing scenes to the TV show as I remembered it and gaining the broader idea of the world as a whole.

I only have this four stars so that the following books could have the chance to beat its rating.

Such a good book, worth all the ime it took me to read it. Definitely a masterpiece

I have been doing really well with my good reads challenge this year, having read 49 of the 52 books I hoped to achieve over the course of 2017 and so I decided to invest some time and read one of those really big books that I've been putting off for a while and one that I've always thought of as somewhat of a challenge, Game of Thrones, the first of George R. R. Martins' A Song of Ice And Fire series.

I have been a viewer of the HBO show for the past few years and so I wasn't coming to the story fresh, I had a full and open awareness of exactly the story I'd be reading and so I was waiting for all the big plot points throughout and there were no surprises in store. The only surprise I found was that whilst I'd expected quite a wordy and highly overwritten book I found instead one that was much more accessible than I'd expected and written in a style that would lend itself to a variety of readers and not just those who enjoy high fantasy tales alone.

I had anticipated that I might struggle to find the characters I'd loved within the pages, lost among long and complex descriptions of their houses allegiances and lots of background that the show had chosen to discard and instead I found that this book had some serious pace. The chapters were long but really very engaging and the action moved along at a pace that surprised me. Each chapter is written from a different character's perspective and so we hear the voices of the characters we love in turn from Eddard, Tyrion, Jon, Daenerys and Arya along with others we hold such affection for. Often when authors attempt to write from multiple points of view we sometimes lose the essence of the characters but Martin does a wonderful job and each holds their own voice and individuality and make it an exciting and gripping book to read.

There is no secret that Game of Thrones has become one of the most read books of all time since the release of HBO's groundbreaking series and often we will find that huge fans of the show, such as myself, will never choose to delve into the written version preferring instead to follow the action on screen but it would seem that millions of fans have found joy in the written versions too and it is with that in mind that I decided to explore the books. I sought to find more than I had in the screen version, to expand my understanding of the world and background of the Seven Kingdoms and the families therein. It didn't let me down, I loved every second of reading this book. It is a hefty book at nearly 800 pages and yet it didn't once feel like a chore to get through. I flew through it, when I wasn't reading it I wanted to be, not because I needed to know what happened next but just for the sheer joy of the character's narration and the world Martin has built that I longed to be back in.

It seemed strange to be back at the start of the story again, many of the characters within have been on so many journeys since then that you almost forget where they started out. You have differing opinions about so many of them now and some have been long departed due to gruesome ends and it's been nice to go back and relive their stories again. I for one had forgotten how much I adored Lord Eddard Stark, what a magnificent character he is and how important a part he played in starting the Game of Thrones. All the clues for what will follow are there, especially regards the huge plot reveal that was made at the end of Season 7 of the show regards Jon Snow. It makes you view him somewhat with more respect and sympathy when you understand the secret he held of his sisters.

I am quite sorry to have finished this book, thrilled to know I have so many more to go in the series and keen now to go back and review the first season of the show again. It's been a wonderful read and this may very well be one of my favourite reads this year.

Akhirnya selesai juga. Aku antara cinta & benci sama seri ini.
Sejujurnya aku terlalu depresi untuk menulis review, karena Eddard Stark mati. Jadi ak pending dulu reviewnya, mau nangis di pojokan dulu sampe rasa nyeri di hatiku hilang.

What is left to be said? Better than the tv series, I like the tv series and understand that it is just one interpretation. So setting aside the GRRM's bit I do want to talk about the performer Roy Dotrice. His reading is a barrier, not a complete barrier but an annoyance. The esteros characterizations are just a bit too cliche for me and overall well he feels a bit ponderous these ears but that may be the material. So I sped it up to 1.35 speed playback and that sorted it out for the most part.

Préambule : cet avis a été écrit il y a plusieurs années, avant l'arrivée de la série TV “Game of Thrones” sur HBO.A Game of Thrones est le premier volume de la saga « A Song of Ice and Fire » de l'auteur américain George R.R. Martin. Paru en 1996, ce roman a apporté un peu de sang neuf et un souffle nouveau dans le monde de la fantasy. Certains y voient même une véritable révolution, je me contenterais de parler de renouvellement bienvenu et très réussi pour un genre parfois convenu et insipide.En français, le premier tome A Game of Thrones a été traduit en deux volumes distincts intitulés « Le Trône de Fer » et « Le Donjon Rouge ». J'ai découvert cette saga en français, je crois avoir lu en VF les 5 premiers volumes, qui correspondent aux 2 premiers tomes en VO : A Game of Thrones dont je parle ici et [b:A Clash of Kings 91973 A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2) George R.R. Martin https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386092380s/91973.jpg 3272005], le deuxième volume de la saga. Depuis, j'ai recommencé ma lecture de la saga en VO et j'ai relu plusieurs fois les 6 tomes parus à ce jour : je connais donc mieux les termes VO qu'en VF, ce sont donc ceux-là que j'utiliserai dans cet avis si je ne me souviens pas de leur traduction dans la version française.L'action de A Game of Thrones se déroule dans un monde médiéval-fantastique mais la dimension fantastique y est d'abord très discrète, au profit des intrigues entre les différentes factions qui dominent Westeros, le continent au centre du récit. Ici, pas d'elfes, d'orques ni de gobelins, mais des humains qui ne croient plus à la magie depuis la disparition des derniers dragons.Quinze ans après la rébellion qui a mis fin au règne du roi fou Aerys II et à la domination de la dynastie Targaryen sur les Sept Royaumes, le roi Robert Barathéon fait appel à son ami d'enfance Eddard Stark, Lord de Winterfell dans le Nord, pour l'aider à gouverner son royaume après la mort de Jon Arryn, leur mentor et ancien titulaire de la fonction de Main du Roi (un rôle ingrat que l'on pourrait comparer à celui de Premier Ministre). La mort (naturelle ?) de Jon Arryn et le départ d'Eddard Stark pour King's Landing, la capitale des Sept Royaumes sont le point de départ d'une histoire parfois surprenante et souvent passionnante.La saga A Song of Ice and Fire a pour particularité de narrer l'histoire à travers le point de vue de différents personnages. Chaque chapitre commence en effet par le nom du personnage qui en sera le narrateur. Dans ce premier roman, on dénombre ainsi le point de vue de 9 personnages qui se partagent 73 chapitres :- Will, un ranger de la Night's Watch (Garde de Nuit) que l'on suit uniquement dans le prologue, qui paradoxalement est le chapitre qui contient le plus d'éléments de fantasy classique- Eddard Stark, Lord de Winterfell, chef droit et honorable de la maison Stark qui domine l'ancien Royaume du Nord désormais intégré dans les Sept Royaumes- Catelyn Stark, née Tully (une autre maison noble de Westeros), épouse aimante d'Eddard Stark, mère attentive de ses cinq enfants légitimes, et soeur aînée de Lysa Arryn, veuve de Jon Arryn- Sansa Stark, fille d'Eddard et Catelyn Stark, une demoiselle tout juste âgée de treize ans qui rêve d'amour et chevalerie- Arya Stark, l'autre fille d'Eddard et Catelyn Stark, un véritable garçon manqué, l'exact contraire de sa grande soeur Sansa- Bran, deuxième des trois fils d'Eddard et Catelyn, un garçon de sept ans qui veut devenir chevalier et rêve d'aventure en escaladant les tours de Winterfell- Jon Snow, fils illégitime d'Eddard Stark qui a toujours refuser de révéler l'identité de la mère de l'adolescent- Tyrion Lannister, un nain, frère de la reine Cersei et fils de Lord Tywin Lannister (l'un des hommes les plus puissants du royaume)- Daenerys Targaryen, seule survivante de la dynastie Targaryen avec son frère aîné Viserys, exilée dans les Cités Libres, loin de Westeros et de la haine du roi Robert BarathéonL'alternance entre les différents personnages narrateurs présente à la fois des avantages et des inconvénients : certains chapitres sont moins intéressants que d'autres (selon ce qui s'y passe mais aussi de l'intérêt que l'on a pour tel personnage ou tel autre) mais le récit est bien construit et le suspense habilement mené, jusqu'à un final qui révèle son lot de surprises. Le scénario est très riche et les personnages ont une vraie profondeur à laquelle nous ne sommes pas forcément habitués dans les romans de fantasy.J'ai particulièrement apprécié les intrigues à la cour entre les différentes familles proches du Trône de Fer, il est très facile de se prendre au jeu et de prendre parti pour telle ou telle faction. A ce petit jeu, je dois avouer avoir un petit faible pour la famille Lannister, de brillants intriguants qui sont un peu présentés comme les « méchants » de l'histoire, même si la notion de « gentils » et de « méchants » n'existe pas vraiment dans l'univers de George R.R. Martin : rien n'y est tout blanc ou tout noir, tout y est gris et nuancé. Hormis Tyrion et Daenerys, tous les narrateurs appartiennent au « clan » Stark, ce qui fait de cette famille les principaux protagonistes de ce roman. Dans les romans suivants, d'autres personnages n'appartenant à la maison Stark vont apparaître et nous faire découvrir d'autres points de vue comme le font déjà merveilleusement les excellents chapitres de Tyrion Lannister dans ce premier épisode.Autre point fort de ce roman et de la série A Song of Ice and Fire : avec George R.R. Martin, aucun personnage n'est immortel, mais je n'en dis pas plus pour ne pas gâcher la surprise de celles et ceux qui voudraient découvrir ce roman après lu cet avis.A Games of Thrones est un excellent roman, une pièce maîtresse dans la bibliothèque d'un amateur de fantasy. Ce n'est que le premier volume d'une série, encore inachevée à ce jour, qui devrait en compter sept : nombreux sont les fans qui maudissent George R.R. Martin pour l'attente insoutenable entre les tomes successifs. L'intérêt de ce premier volet, outre sa qualité intrinsèque, est évidemment de poser les fondations, solides et prometteuses, pour la suite de la saga. Je l'avais découvert il y a quelques années et j'avais été totalement emballé, le situant au niveau du Seigneur des Anneaux. Je l'ai relu trois ou quatre fois depuis et mon plaisir ne s'est pas émoussé. Si vous aimez la fantasy et que vous cherchez une oeuvre passionnante et riche, je vous conseille vivement de vous jeter sur ce roman qui sort des sentiers battus.

Story: 7 / 10
Characters: 8
Setting: 9
Prose: 7

Sadly not the “best fantasy book ever”, as I was told. However, certainly a contender for my Top 5. Although I did love the book, there are a few overwhelming issues with the plot that limited my enjoyment.
1. The story has no central character. The saga centres on the Stark family as a whole, thus denying the reader a central conflict to maintain interest. Since most of the characters are children, they are simply victims of pomp and circumstance. A third of the way into the book, it looked as though Lord Stark was the main player. However, the conflict he was following immediately changes form. Ultimately, there isn't a single story being told; the story is multifaceted, but at the expense of its clarity.
2. Two characters besides the Starks are followed: Tyrion and Daenerys. Why are they there? One of them is especially problematic for the reader.

Certainly not going to continue with the literary series. Nevertheless, now that I've invested so much time in the book, I can endure the lacklustre first episode and watch the TV series.