June 5, 2012

Fans of HBO’s hit TV show “Game of Thrones” have started filling in the long waits between seasons with George R.R. Martin’s epic saga, titled “A Song of Ice and Fire.” The first installment of the seven-part series shares its name with the show and introduces us to the land of Westeros as well as the cast of characters readers will come to love and hate.

The book’s forte definitely lies in its detail. Giving readers as much information as possible in any setting allows them to imagine a mental picture of what they are reading. For Martin, the details are painstakingly accurate. From the Red Keep at King’s Landing where the king of Westeros takes his place to the armor of Tywin Lannister, one of the land’s most feared and respected commanders, the descriptions give viewers more than mental pictures; they instead wove a tapestry of images that brought the story together.

Since Westeros is a large piece of land, the best way for the reader to get a sense of all the events is to follow the many characters that make up the story. Fortunately, the book gives the reader multiple perspectives from different characters to progress the story. One chapter might give you the events at King’s Landing from Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, while another offers a glimpse of the exiled Daenerys Targaryen as she attempts to reclaim the Iron Throne of King’s Landing. Examining characters’ different viewpoints is greatbecause we get to see their motivations in life as well as major events that happen around them.

At first glance, seeing this behemoth of a book contains a page count in the high 600s might be intimidating. However, the content justifies the number of pages. Rich details appear in most pages that add color and life to these characters. It is very interesting to see the different backgrounds of people ranging from a bastard son to an exiled queen who make up the story. The appendix at the end of the book also provides much-needed information about the different houses that are involved in this intricately spun web of ambition, lies, honor and love. Whether you have seen the show before or you want to read the book prior to seeing the TV adaptation, “Game of Thrones” is a spectacular book that pits readers in the middle of a complicated but addicting story that never ceases to amaze.

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