Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Kindle
$8.99

Available instantly

Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial

Hardcover
$27.32

Paperback
$12.55

$12.55 with 30 percent savings

List Price: $18.00

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Monday, May 13 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 9 hrs 9 mins

Select delivery location

In Stock

$$12.55 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$9.74

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery May 18 - 21 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery May 18 - 20

Select delivery location

Usually ships within 11 days

$$12.55 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by ZBK Wholesale and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (191) from $5.96 & FREE Shipping

Follow the author

George R. R. Martin

+ Follow

More books from this author

"Game of Thrones: Raven"Merchant Video

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

7 VIDEOS

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) Paperback – May 28, 2002

by George R. R. Martin (Author)

4.7 76,353 ratings

Book 1 of 5: A Song of Ice and Fire

See all formats and editions

Save 50% on 1 when you buy 2 Shop items

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$12.55","priceAmount":12.55,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"55","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"VZZ%2Fj5gFwbLIn6hTdzKBsGeTUpHnlyPMsBwzDJ0NtfjBQshIE9sTaQpfNYP9Ua6vtWouZTwgAsh1QGKauuRon6MQYH9g5Odirb77lG6O1aei6DDIL%2FD0vfbP%2BYwe8ol3wui20KAxAcI%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.74","priceAmount":9.74,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"74","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"VZZ%2Fj5gFwbLIn6hTdzKBsGeTUpHnlyPMyxejE7Xm%2F2FF8O4NNnq2Re0vOFuzc9XjWP7Fnp7vf1wMWMeSoWnOqcYl37l3zJdQw8%2B9Cv5%2FM15Xit%2B73qHEtBG44XMXp8%2FTjNhfe4NJ5B8G2RfVaJMUHc0re52rOz%2Bkj0TUQifJndm9tIucAHgnOtPUM2D79778","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES—THE MASTERPIECE THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON

Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse—unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season.

Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen’s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister—the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms.

Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki—whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innocent sister, Daenerys.

Frequently bought together

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)

$12.55

Get it as soon as Monday, May 13

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2)

$10.71

Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

A Storm of Swords: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Three

$13.38

Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

Choose items to buy together.

George R. R. Martin
42,071
Paperback
184 offers from $1.58
George R. R. Martin
52,696
Mass Market Paperback
116 offers from $12.72
George R. R. Martin
33,688
Paperback
152 offers from $0.17
George R. R. Martin
1,884
Hardcover
61 offers from $13.52
George RR Martin
213
Hardcover
21 offers from $68.07
George R. R. Martin
290
Mass Market Paperback
41 offers from $2.07

Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy.
Highlighted by 11,195 Kindle readers
Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word.
Highlighted by 10,936 Kindle readers
“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”
Highlighted by 6,458 Kindle readers

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Grabs hold and won’t let go. It’s brilliant.”—Robert Jordan

“Reminiscent of T. H. White’s The Once and Future King, this novel is an absorbing combination of the mythic, the sweepingly historical, and the intensely personal.”—Chicago Sun-Times

From the Inside Flap

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.

About the Author

George R. R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire—A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons—as well as Tuf Voyaging, Fevre Dream, The Armageddon Rag, Dying of the Light, Windhaven (with Lisa Tuttle), and Dreamsongs Volumes I and II. He is also the creator of The Lands of Ice and Fire, a collection of maps from A Song of Ice and Fire featuring original artwork from illustrator and cartographer Jonathan Roberts, and The World of Ice & Fire (with Elio M. García, Jr., and Linda Antonsson). As a writer-producer, Martin has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The morning had dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at the end of summer. They set forth at daybreak to see a man beheaded, twenty in all, and Bran rode among them, nervous with excitement. This was the first time he had been deemed old enough to go with his lord father and his brothers to see the king's justice done. It was the ninth year of summer, and the seventh of Bran's life.

The man had been taken outside a small holdfast in the hills. Robb thought he was a wildling, his sword sworn to Mance Rayder, the King-beyond-the-Wall. It made Bran's skin prickle to think of it. He remembered the hearth tales Old Nan told them. The wildlings were cruel men, she said, slavers and slayers and thieves. They consorted with giants and ghouls, stole girl children in the dead of night, and drank blood from polished horns. And their women lay with the Others in the Long Night to sire terrible half-human children.

But the man they found bound hand and foot to the holdfast wall awaiting the king's justice was old and scrawny, not much taller than Robb. He had lost both ears and a finger to frostbite, and he dressed all in black, the same as a brother of the Night's Watch, except that his furs were ragged and greasy.

The breath of man and horse mingled, steaming, in the cold morning air as his lord father had the man cut down from the wall and dragged before them. Robb and Jon sat tall and still on their horses, with Bran between them on his pony, trying to seem older than seven, trying to pretend that he'd seen all this before. A faint wind blew through the holdfast gate. Over their heads flapped the banner of the Starks of Winterfell: a grey direwolf racing across an ice-white field.

Bran's father sat solemnly on his horse, long brown hair stirring in the wind. His closely trimmed beard was shot with white, making him look older than his thirty-five years. He had a grim cast to his grey eyes this day, and he seemed not at all the man who would sit before the fire in the evening and talk softly of the age of heroes and the children of the forest. He had taken off Father's face, Bran thought, and donned the face of Lord Stark of Winterfell.

There were questions asked and answers given there in the chill of morning, but afterward Bran could not recall much of what had been said. Finally his lord father gave a command, and two of his guardsmen dragged the ragged man to the ironwood stump in the center of the square. They forced his head down onto the hard black wood. Lord Eddard Stark dismounted and his ward Theon Greyjoy brought forth the sword. "Ice," that sword was called. It was as wide across as a man's hand, and taller even than Robb. The blade was Valyrian steel, spell-forged and dark as smoke. Nothing held an edge like Valyrian steel.

His father peeled off his gloves and handed them to Jory Cassel, the captain of his household guard. He took hold of Ice with both hands and said, "In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, I do sentence you to die." He lifted the great sword high above his head.

Bran's bastard brother Jon Snow moved closer. "Keep the pony well in hand," he whispered. "And don't look away. Father will know if you do."

Bran kept his pony well in hand, and did not look away.
His father took off the man's head with a single sure stroke. Blood sprayed out across the snow, as red as summerwine. One of the horses reared and had to be restrained to keep from bolting. Bran could not take his eyes off the blood. The snows around the stump drank it eagerly, reddening as he watched.

The head bounced off a thick root and rolled. It came up near Greyjoy's feet. Theon was a lean, dark youth of nineteen who found everything amusing. He laughed, put his boot on the head,and kicked it away.

"Ass," Jon muttered, low enough so Greyjoy did not hear. He put a hand on Bran's shoulder, and Bran looked over at his bastard brother.

"You did well," Jon told him solemnly. Jon was fourteen, an old hand at justice.

It seemed colder on the long ride back to Winterfell, though the wind had died by then and the sun was higher in the sky. Bran rode with his brothers, well ahead of the main party, his pony struggling hard to keep up with their horses.

"The deserter died bravely," Robb said. He was big and broad and growing every day, with his mother's coloring, the fair skin, red-brown hair, and blue eyes of the Tullys of Riverrun. "He had courage, at the least."

"No," Jon Snow said quietly. "It was not courage. This one was dead of fear. You could see it in his eyes, Stark." Jon's eyes were a grey so dark they seemed almost black, but there was little they did not see. He was of an age with Robb, but they did not look alike. Jon was slender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quick where his half brother was strong and fast.

Robb was not impressed. "The Others take his eyes," he swore. "He died well. Race you to the bridge?"

"Done," Jon said, kicking his horse forward. Robb cursed and followed, and they galloped off down the trail, Robb laughing and hooting, Jon silent and intent. The hooves of their horses kicked up showers of snow as they went.

Bran did not try to follow. His pony could not keep up. He had seen the ragged man's eyes, and he was thinking of them now. After a while, the sound of Robb's laughter receded, and the woods grew silent again.

That was when Jon reappeared on the crest of the hill before them. He waved and shouted down at them. "Father, Bran, come quickly, see what Robb has found!" Then he was gone again.

Jory rode up beside them. "Trouble, my lord?"

"Beyond a doubt," his lord father said. "Come, let us see what mischief my sons have rooted out now." He sent his horse into a trot. Jory and Bran and the rest came after.

They found Robb on the riverbank north of the bridge, with Jon still mounted beside him. The late summer snows had been heavy this moonturn. Robb stood knee-deep in white, his hood pulled back so the sun shone in his hair. He was cradling something in his arm, while the boys talked in hushed, excited voices.

The riders picked their way carefully through the drifts, groping for solid footing on the hidden, uneven ground. Jory Cassel and Theon Greyjoy were the first to reach the boys. Greyjoy was laughing and joking as he rode. Bran heard the breath go out of him. "Gods!" he exclaimed, struggling to keep control of his horse as he reached for his sword.

Jory's sword was already out. "Robb, get away from it!" he called as his horse reared under him.

Robb grinned and looked up from the bundle in his arms. "She can't hurt you," he said. "She's dead, Jory."

Bran was afire with curiosity by then. He would have spurred the pony faster, but his father made them dismount beside the bridge and approach on foot. Bran jumped off and ran.

By then Jon, Jory, and Theon Greyjoy had all dismounted as well. "What in the seven hells is it?" Greyjoy was saying.

"A wolf," Robb told him.

"A freak," Greyjoy said. "Look at the size of it."

Bran's heart was thumping in his chest as he pushed through a waist-high drift to his brothers' side.

Half-buried in blood stained snow, a huge dark shape slumped in death. Ice had formed in its shaggy grey fur, and the faint smell of corruption clung to it like a woman's perfume. Bran glimpsed blind eyes crawling with maggots, a wide mouth full of yellowed teeth. But it was the size of it that made him gasp. It was bigger than his pony, twice the size of the largest hound in his father's kennel.

"It's no freak," Jon said calmly. "That's a direwolf. They grow larger than the other kind."

Theon Greyjoy said, "There's not been a direwolf sighted south of the Wall in two hundred years."

"I see one now," Jon replied.

Bran tore his eyes away from the monster. That was when he noticed the bundle in Robb's arms. He gave a cry of delight and moved closer. The pup was a tiny ball of grey-black fur, its eyes still closed. It nuzzled blindly against Robb's chest as he cradled it, searching for milk among his leathers, making a sad little whimpery sound. Bran reached out hesitantly. "Go on,"Robb told him. "You can touch him."

Bran gave the pup a quick nervous stroke, then turned as Jon said, "Here you go." His half brother put a second pup into his arms. "There are five of them." Bran sat down in the snow and hugged the wolf pup to his face. Its fur was soft and warm against his cheek.

"Direwolves loose in the realm, after so many years," muttered Hullen, the master of horse. "I like it not."

"It is a sign," Jory said.

Father frowned. "This is only a dead animal, Jory," he said. Yet he seemed troubled. Snow crunched under his boots as he moved around the body. "Do we know what killed her?"

"There's something in the throat," Robb told him, proud to have found the answer before his father even asked. "There, just under the jaw."
His father knelt and groped under the beast's head with his hand. He gave a yank and held it up for all to see. A foot of shattered antler, tines snapped off, all wet with blood.

A sudden silence descended over the party. The men looked at the antler uneasily, and no one dared to speak. Even Bran could sense their fear, though he did not understand.

His father tossed the antler to the side and cleansed his hands in the snow. "I'm surprised she lived long enough to whelp," he said. His voice broke the spell.

"Maybe she didn't," Jory said. "I've heard tales . . . maybe the bitch was already dead when the pups came."

"Born with the dead," another man put in. "Worse luck."

"No matter," said Hullen. "They be dead soon enough too."

Bran gave a wordless cry of dismay.

"The sooner the better," Theon Greyjoy agreed. He drew his sword.

"Give the beast here, Bran."

The little thing squirmed against him, as if it heard and understood.

"No!" Bran cried out fiercely. "It's mine."

"It be a mercy to kill them," Hullen said.

Bran looked to his lord father for rescue, but got only a frown, a furrowed brow. "Hullen speaks truly, son. Better a swift death than a hard one from cold and starvation."

"No!" He could feel tears welling in his eyes, and he looked away. He did not want to cry in front of his father.

"Lord Stark," Jon said. It was strange to hear him call Father that, so formal. Bran looked at him with desperate hope. "There are five pups," he told Father. "Three male, two female."

"What of it, Jon?"

"You have five true born children," Jon said. "Three sons, two daughters. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord."

Bran saw his father's face change, saw the other men exchange glances. He loved Jon with all his heart at that moment. Even at seven, Bran understood what his brother had done. The count had come right only because Jon had omitted himself. He had included the girls, included even Rickon, the baby, but not the bastard who bore the surname Snow, the name that custom decreed be given to all those in the north unlucky enough to be born with no name of their own.

Their father understood as well. "You want no pup for yourself, Jon?" he asked softly.

"The direwolf graces the banners of House Stark," Jon pointed out. "I am no Stark, Father."

Their lord father regarded Jon thoughtfully. Robb rushed into the silence he left. "I will nurse him myself, Father," he promised. "I will soak a towel with warm milk, and give him suck from that."

"Me too!" Bran echoed.

The lord weighed his sons long and carefully with his eyes. "Easy to say, and harder to do. I will not have you wasting the servants' time with this. If you want these pups, you will feed them yourselves. Is that understood?"

Bran nodded eagerly. The pup squirmed in his grasp, lickedat his face with a warm tongue.

It was not until they were mounted and on their way that Bran allowed himself to taste the sweet air of victory. By then, his pup was snuggled inside his leathers, warm against him, safe for the long ride home. Bran was wondering what to name him.

Halfway across the bridge, Jon pulled up suddenly.

"What is it, Jon?" their lord father asked.

"Can't you hear it?"

Bran could hear the wind in the trees, the clatter of their hooves on the ironwood planks, the whimpering of his hungry pup, but Jon was listening to something else.

"There," Jon said. He swung his horse around and galloped back across the bridge. They watched him dismount where the direwolf lay dead in the snow, watched him kneel. A moment later he was riding back to them, smiling.

"He must have crawled away from the others," Jon said.

"Or been driven away," their father said, looking at the sixth pup. His fur was white, where the rest of the litter was grey. His eyes were as red as the blood of the ragged man who had died that morning. Bran thought it curious that this pup alone would have opened his eyes while the others were still blind.

"An albino," Theon Greyjoy said with wry amusement. "This one will die even faster than the others."

Jon Snow gave his father's ward a long, chilling look. "I think not, Greyjoy," he said. "This one belongs to me."

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bantam; Reprint edition (May 28, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 704 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553381687
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553381689
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 830L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.49 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.17 x 1.21 x 9.22 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #6,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #227 in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy (Books)
- #688 in Epic Fantasy (Books)
- #927 in Science Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 76,353 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

George R. R. Martin

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

George R.R. Martin is the globally bestselling author of many fine novels, including A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons, which together make up the series A Song of Ice and Fire, on which HBO based the world’s most-watched television series, Game of Thrones. Other works set in or about Westeros include The World of Ice and Fire, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. His science fiction novella Nightflyers has also been adapted as a television series; and he is the creator of the shared-world Wild Cards universe, working with the finest writers in the genre. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

76,353 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all photos

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Hannibal0020

Let the Games Begin

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2012

Verified Purchase

If you're going to consider reading `The Song of Ice and Fire' series, then be prepared for an investment. These books aren't for casual readers, but rather slower and more methodical ones. Requiring a great deal of your time, attention to detail, and the memorization of various characters' political and social associations. The amount of content the book contains is equal to the level of commitment you are willing to give. This may sound intimidating to some people, but Games of Thrones is able to deliver a very deep story targeting a mature audience because of this, though this also means the book's level of comprehension and adult content may become a deal-breaker to some people. Persevere and you'll enjoy one of the best fantasy epics in quite some time.

As I previously said, the narrative of A Game of Thrones can be quite cumbersome to comprehend at the very beginning, and the faint synopsis doesn't exactly paint a very big picture of what's to come. So I've decided to provide a brief synopsis of my own.

With the murder of King Robert Baratheon's Hand `Jon Aryn', his Majesty himself has requested that his old friend Eddard Stark, head of House Stark take up the role at his side in King's Landing to help him properly govern the realm. Of course taking up this honorable task would mean Eddard, `Ned' must leave the sanctity of Winterfell and his family. But he soon realizes that treachery and deception have consumed the nobility, no one can be trusted, everyone is trying to seize power by any means necessary; particularly the cunning Lannister family. The book doesn't just follow the character Ned, but rather a large collection of personas, some intertwine with the central story arc involving Ned, others involve their own. Daenerys Targaryen, one of the last of the feared House Targaryen, is forced into a marriage with a savage Dothraki warlord in order to gain in army for the means of reconquering her rightful throne. The last major story arc involves Ned's bastard son `Jon Snow' and his indoctrination in the enigmatic `Night's Watch', where desertion is punishable by death.

While the plot of A Game of Thrones is truly an epic piece of fiction-writing, it would be nothing if the characters weren't believable. George R. R. Martin has established himself as a very strong character-driven author, one who focuses on the problems of these people and how they affect them. While there are characters which are not affiliated with Eddard Stark, the majority of the major characters can be allocated into the two major noble families: the Starks and the Lannisters. The Starks characterize honor, duty, diligence, and integrity, making them the primary protagonists. They're opposed by the ambitiously materialistic Lannister family, who seem like Martin's equivalent of the Borgia's. Though if there's a weakness in the characterization department, it would be that not enough is done with characterizing the Lannister family. The Stark family makes up the bulk of the story's protagonists, but they aren't exactly perfect. They can be rude, selfish, jealous, and even bratty at times, they're delightfully flawed characters. With the exception of the great character `Tyrion Lannister', we're given very little insight into the life of the family aside from their obvious immoral tendencies. The Lannisters, while morally vague, come off feeling much less defined. I really wish more could have been done with them when compared to the excellently characterized Stark family.

In a seemingly endless miasma of betrayal and deceit, the only beacon of hope comes in the form of family. The Starks, particularly the Stark children felt like the real heart of the book for me. Their precious innocence helps invest the reader in the story even further, especially since they're among the victims in this malicious game that the adults are playing. It only reinforces the insurmountable stakes and that nobody is truly safe or completely innocent.

Even the world itself feels like a character that helps ground the reader in the author's fiction. Martin's `Seven Kingdoms' are vividly brought to life with intricate detail that makes it really pop off the pages. Its geography, political structure, and the dominant noble houses are all elaborated upon in surreal detail that really gives the reader a feeling of place. Less reliance on more fantastical elements like elves and dwarves gives Martin's world a pinch of reality that most authors tend to avoid. With the exception of the `White Walkers' and the extinct dragons, all mystical aspects are kept at an all-time low, favoring words and steel over mysticism and spells. The outcome is a fantasy world that surprisingly, comes off as genuinely plausible. The Seven Kingdoms feels like a realm that very much could have existed. It's an interesting divergence from the typical high fantasy settings.

There's going to be the inevitable comparison between Martin's work and the legacy left behind by Tolkien as the great forefather of fantasy writing. The notion of comparing the two is entirely misguided, simply because Martin's writing is completely different from Tolkien's in nearly every angle. Tolkien emphasized the ongoing struggle between good and evil, the thrill of high adventure in a fantastical world, and the triumph of great heroes over terrible villains who would do the world harm. Martin on the other hand is much less black and white with his delivery. There are obvious characters you can label as `dishonorable', while others stand atop a pedestal as paragons of altruism. But are these characters truly evil for trying to secure the benefit of their family and future generations to come? And are these characters considered good if they're ensuring the stability of the realm by dishonest methods? Martin chose to forgo typical fantasy conventions of magic and obvious morality in the favor of characters who feel genuinely believable in all the most despicable ways. They're not the great heroes Tolkien illustrated; they're morally ambiguous human beings. That's the defining characteristic which separates these two giants of fantasy, the selfless heroes and the morally grey humans. Comparing these two juggernauts is completely irrelevant, for Martin isn't trying to replicate Tolkien but rather make his own beast.

Yet, I never like to jump on a bandwagon and proclaim with the rest of the world that a novel is absolutely perfect. Of course these critiques are personal ones and admittedly border on flat-out nitpicking. The first is the absolutely insane overabundance of minor characters. I'm not referring to the central characters that the various chapters shift between; they're all perfectly characterized and fascinating. I'm referring to the endless onslaught of characters that overcrowd the book, but serve little importance in the greater scheme of things. Every story arc is jam-packed with so many characters that range from semi-important to useless. I usually wouldn't mention this, but with a book of this magnitude it really became an issue with me, though it may not for other people. The second issue is the lack of a proper climax to the story. I'm all for having an intriguing plot over a mindless slog of action scenes, but with a book of this size, it would have been nice to have it end with a bang. It's little things like these that stand out when the rest of the book is just so good.

When Hollywood absolutely bastardized the final Harry Potter novel by splitting it into two movies in order to fill their glutinous craving for money; I became somewhat of a skeptic to segmenting visual adaptations of popular literature. Creating a television show made me raise an eyebrow, "instead of making a movie they're going to milk it with a whole season of episodes" I thought. After reading A Game of Thrones, I realized that making a television show out of the book isn't just a good idea, it's absolutely mandatory. This book and its sequels have so much content in them that a movie would never do the plot and its various characters justice. It's the perfect source material for an epic fantasy television series, which is great considering we don't exactly have many of those.

A Game of Thrones is the start of something special. The beginning chapter of an epic tale that needs to be read by everyone of age who can truly appreciate its complexity. Read the book first before you watch the show, only then can you truly appreciate George R. R. Martin's natural talent for weaving such incredible stories.

22 people found this helpful

Helpful

Katrin von Martin

Refreshing and Edgy with Great Characters

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2014

Verified Purchase

I love fantasy; ever since I was a kid, stories set in creative worlds featuring varied groups of characters fighting to save the world, overcome evil, or even resolve some political matter have always captivated me. As such, I've read many fantasy novels over the years...and doing so has made me notice a rather unfortunate trend: the genre as a whole often relies too heavily on the same cliches and plots, which makes many of the stories presented seem tired, predictable, and overdone. As a result of this, I decided to take a break from fantasy; one can only read the same story so many times before getting fed up. I started "A Game of Thrones" very tentatively, partially because of the all the hype around the series and partially due to my own wariness regarding fantasy novels. My fears were completely unfounded; "A Game of Thrones" is a breath of fresh air for the genre, and is easily one of the best books I've read in recent years. Spoilers follow.

The novel contains three story lines. The first and most heavily focused on is that of the Kingdom of Westeros, its political structure, the ruling family's potentially reputation-destroying secret, and the beginning of conflict after the king dies. The second plot is that of the Wall and the constant struggle of the Night Watch to defend Westeros against the wildlings and more sinister creatures that reside beyond the Kingdom's border. The third takes place away from Westeros and follows the story of Daenerys, the last of the Targaryen family, and the start of her rise to power. The first story is clearly the main plot, while the second and third receive a little less attention, yet are no less important to the overall story.

The story presented here isn't that which is typically found in your common fantasy fare. This is not a tale of sword and sorcery, wizards and heroes enacting the traditional yarn of Good versus Evil, or of an impoverished farm boy discovering that he comes from a lofty background and is destined for greatness. Instead, this is largely about politics and political intrigue with a dash of magic and the unknown thrown in to give the novel a unique flavour. Perhaps the most noticeable element of the plot when compared to other fantasy books is the lack of magic; it does exist in Martin's world and he indicates that it can be a very powerful force, yet its role in this particular book is very small. This makes the few instances where it does appear very significant. Martin has said that he based "A Song of Ice and Fire" on the War of the Roses, and as such, more attention is given to the politics and the crisis of succession when Westeros' king dies. This makes for a story that avoids the traditional fantasy cliches while still having a distinctly fantasy feel.

The primary focus may be on political intrigue, but the book is hardly boring or overly mired solely in scheming. With all this political conflict come battles, fights, beheadings, and conquest, and Martin writes all of them exceedingly well and believably. This is a very gritty world that Martin has created, and he certainly doesn't shy away from showing how brutal life can be for his characters. Both rape and violence are present and are portrayed in a much blunter, starker light than in most novels. If there is a battle, you will see characters suffer gruesome ends, and the spoils of conquest are not glossed over. Yet, the use of such elements doesn't come off as gratuitous nor do they seem unnecessary; instead, they serve to characterize the world in which the characters go about their lives. Indeed, this is a dangerous place with far-reaching consequences and risks. It certainly puts a darker spin on the plot, but as someone who quickly bores of overly optimistic characters and stories, this darker, grittier fantasy very much appeals to me and gives the book a certain edge that sets it apart from others.

Accompanying this dangerous, sometimes terrifying world is the idea that no one is safe...and that includes main characters. Martin doesn't hesitate to take characters you've grown close to throughout the book and run them through the wringer, sometimes going as far as to kill them off. One of the main point of view characters is beheaded toward the end of the book, not because he is a terrible person or because he is in some way marked as being a "bad" character. On the contrary, he's the most honest, reasonable character in the book, and it's his own honesty that leads to his demise. This is the point that makes you realize that "A Song of Ice and Fire" will pull no punches or give anyone immunity based solely on whether they are a positive or negative character, a primary character or a background character. When characters, regardless of their role in the story, enter into a conflict, whether it's physical in the form of a fight or battle or more complicated through scheming and deceit, you genuinely fear for their safety. While the traditional fantasy novel may put the main character through trials and hardships, you know he'll make it through in the end, but that's not the case here. The reader is always on edge, worrying for their favourite characters or rooting for the demise of their most hated, but you never know how it's really going to play out. It's a completely different reading experience from most books out there, putting a real sense of danger into the book's events and a feeling of suspense into the story.

Another standout aspect of "A Game of Thrones" is the world building. Martin has not only created an intriguing world of politics, kings, deceit, battles, conquest, magic, and gritty reality, he has done it in a masterful manner. It's become something of a pet peeve of mine when authors are so proud of the world they've built that they dump pages and pages of their world's landscape, history, government, culture, etc on the reader in the middle of the story; it's a heavy-handed, clunky way of developing the backdrop of a novel. Martin manages to keep his world richly detailed while avoiding info-dumping by slipping in brief descriptions of how Westeros works in dialogue or when the subject in question appears. He doesn't appear to be in a hurry to reveal everything and instead lets things unfold in their own time. He knows his world from front to back, and he knows when it is appropriate to explain something and when it isn't.

The character setup of "A Game of Thrones" is also pretty different. Instead of having one protagonist whose story is the focus of the book, we get 8 different characters that provide 8 unique points of view. The perspective switches in every chapter, so we often see one event thoroughly told from two or three different characters. This is a great way to keep the story from getting stale or repetitive, as all of the characters have a distinct voice or bias and no character ever receives two chapters back to back. On the downside, however, it can be a little frustrating to be enjoying the perspective of one character, only to turn the page and see that you'll be finishing the issue at hand through the eyes of a different figure. That aside, having 8 point of view characters works very well for the novel because it keeps each chapter fresh and allows the reader to thoroughly get to know multiple characters rather than just one.

What is particularly great about Martin's characters is, as I said above, that they're completely distinct. They're so well fleshed out and have so many realistic motivations, feelings, and actions that it could be easy to forget that they are fictional characters rather than real people. While some characters may seem to fall into a broad archetype of character, pretty much none of the characters can be summed up on one or two words. Equally as impressive, whether you'll like or dislike a character will be dependent on how well they or part of their personality resonates with you personally, instead of whether they are "good" or "bad." Even the characters that seem to be cast in a more negative light have positive personality traits that make them likable and relatable. It also seems that what one reader appreciates about one character, another reader may dislike. The characters in "Game of Thrones" are so well fleshed out and realized that they sometimes seem as realistic as flesh-and-blood people, and like real people, your reactions to and liking of the characters will be based almost entirely on their complex personalities.

The secondary and side characters also receive a lot of care. Although we don't get to know them as intimately as the point of view characters, we still often see enough of them to get a sense of who they are. There are a lot of side characters in the novel, with possibly hundreds of names being tossed around depending on whose point of view the chapter is told through...so you do have to pay attention to who is who. Most characters, however, appear fairly frequently and are distinct enough that it's easy to keep them straight. And those who aren't seen as often tend to come with a little reminder of who they are when they do show up. Even though there are a lot of secondary and side characters, they are given a lot of thought, making for a rich variety of figures to populate the novel's setting.

To reiterate what I mentioned earlier, no one is safe. This can make for some emotional reading when the characters are so unique and well thought out. It must always be remembered that anything can happen to the characters and any chapter could be their last. Characters can meet their end very quickly or very slowly, and there's really no way of predicting if a figure will survive or not.

As a side note, despite the length of "A Game of Thrones," it is only the first book of a long series. This means that while this novel contains its own well-told story, it also does a lot of setting up for the overarching plot and leaves more questions than it answers at its conclusion. If you begin to read this series, you will likely become hooked on it and rush out to get the second book after you finish this one.

Overall, "A Game of Thrones" is one of the best books I've read in recent years. It bucks the trends and cliches of modern fantasy novels and offers up something that is unique, but still contains the mystical flavour of the genre. The world presented is violent and gritty with a no-one-is-safe policy that leads for some edgy, often tense reading. The characters are wonderfully developed and fleshed out so well that they could easily be real people, and the different points of view throughout the novel offer unique perspectives on the story's events. This is perhaps the first book I've read in a long time about which I can't come up with something I don't like, aside from a couple characters...but, as I said earlier, not liking certain characters for aspects of their complex personalities is part of what makes the novel so, well, likeable. Five stars happily given for the above and for reviving my interest in fantasy.

54 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Jose M BP

Para aprender inglés

Reviewed in Spain on October 14, 2023

Verified Purchase

Aunque la letra es pequeña sirve para echar un buen rato aprendiendo inglés

Translate review to English

E.J.C. Bos

Great book for a great price

Reviewed in the Netherlands on September 13, 2023

Verified Purchase

Love this book!

Elessar III

El gran inicio de la saga

Reviewed in Mexico on March 17, 2020

Verified Purchase

Disfruté cada momento de esta novela, no hay mucho que decir ya que su fama la precede. Es un libro lleno de eventos que pueden causar incomodidad en los lectores, la violencia física y sexual es completamente explícita. En mi opinión esa es la mejor forma de hablar de estos temas, ya que si se caricaturiza o suprime el impacto de estas acciones, no se puede entender la gravedad de las mismas.
No es una novela de fantasía para todos, pero si estás dispuesto a enfrentar el realismo que pinta, definitivamente empezarás una increíble aventura.

3 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

Daniel Weiler

Releitura em inglês!

Reviewed in Brazil on June 14, 2019

Verified Purchase

Eu já havia lido todos os livros em 2015 e, com o gosto amargo deixado pelo final da série, resolvi reler cada um dos livros - mas dessa vez em inglês. Eu tinha uma certa apreensão de me sentir perdido, mas não achei uma leitura tão complicada. Existem alguns termos bem antigos, raramente utilizados na língua inglesa hoje, (se tratando do contexto medieval, isso é bem compreensível) que acabaram exigindo uma consulta ao dicionário uma ou outra vez.
No geral, foi uma leitura muuito boa. Poder ler na sua língua original, da forma com que o Martin escreveu, é extremamente gratificante e ler pela segunda vez essa obra tão complexa permitiu perceber detalhes que antes passaram despercebidos.
Sobre a qualidade da edição, adquiri a versão mais básica, a econômica. Sendo sincero, ela é bem ruim - a lombada quebra facilmente e a capa ficou toda arranhada e rasgada. Como eu queria uma edição pra levar pra cá e pra lá, acabou sendo perfeita, principalmente pelo custo.
E sobre o conteúdo dos livros... é uma leitura obrigatória para qualquer amante de fantasia. Se você assistiu a série e quer se aprofundar na história de verdade, vai sem medo. Não deixe o tamanho dos livros te assustar!

33 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

Enrico

ottimo per rispolverare l'inglese divertendosi

Reviewed in Italy on December 15, 2018

Verified Purchase

Se siete appassionati della serie TV e siete giù di corda perchè quest'anno finisce, beh vi consiglio di comprare i libri di Martin, vi faranno rientrare nel mondo del trono di spade! Beh Questa è la versione in lingua originale (inglese), in versione "tascabile" nel senso che è in formato A5 ma è abbastanza spesso! Ho deciso di comprare per ora il volume 1 per vedere quanto fosse difficile affrontare la lettura di questo libro in lingua originale.
Le mie conoscenze di inglese sono scolastiche, livello poco sotto il FIRST visto che ormai da anni non lo pratico in maniera continuativa! Grazie a questo libro sono riuscito a riprendere un po' le mie conoscenze di inglese, ampliando molto il mio vocabolario. Il lessico è molto specifico, diciamo che è molto direzionato al mondo medioevale, quindi a volte è un po' ostico, ma dopo le prime cento pagine in cui si fatica un po' ad entrare nel setting del libro, si riesce a gestire bene e si divora pagina dopo pagina! Consiglio vivamente l'acquisto di questo testo, soprattutto a chi ha delle conoscenze buone di inglese e a chi ha tempo da dedicare per leggere un bel librone e aprirsi il mondo dei volumi del trono di spade! All'inizio non sarà semplici e vi pentirete ma se riuscirete a superare la prima fase di sconforto riuscirete ad andare avanti senza problemi!

Fatemi sapere se questa recensione vi è stata utile! E se aveste qualche domanda da porre, fate pure qui sotto!

12 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

See more reviews

Amazon Prime includes:

Follow the author

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) Paperback – May 28, 2002

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Similar items that may ship from close to you

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the Inside Flap

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Product details

Videos

Videos for this product

WATCH BEFORE YOU BUY real review and video

Videos for this product

A Game of Thrones Review!

Videos for this product

George R.R. Martin on "A Game of Thrones"

Videos for this product

George R.R. Martin on "A Dance with Dragons"

Videos for this product

George R.R. Martin on "A Storm of Swords"

Videos for this product

"Game of Thrones: Raven"

Videos for this product

George R.R. Martin on "A Clash of Kings"

Videos for this product

"Game of Thrones: Behind the Scenes"

Videos for this product

George R.R. Martin on "A Feast for Crows"

Videos for this product

"Game of Thrones"

About the author

George R. R. Martin

Customer reviews

Reviews with images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries