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liz_ross's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness."
You know what this book has granted since the start? The love of all the readers out there who enjoy political intrigue. I have never read a book so full of political intrigue and where it is so well done as happens with this one. For lovers of political intrigue there's no better book than A Game of Thrones.
But it's not only lovers of political intrigue that will like it. The book has so many good aspects that there's no way you won't find at least one thing you like about it. It is a true, extraordinary masterpiece.
There's just so many things Martin deserves to be praised for in this book that I don't even know where to start. I guess I will choose the one I believe he deserves the most praising for - his unbelievable set of characters. It is just mind-blowing how Martin managed to insert so many characters in one book and give every single one of them complexity, depth and even at least a bit of backstory, making all of them unique. It's the characters who set the pace for the entire book, who give life to it and make it as interesting as it is.
They are dynamic, complex, credible characters that are so finely created you can't help but react to their presence. Whether hating, disliking, adoring or absolutely loving. Truth is, just like people in real life, I am pretty sure few are the characters in Game of Thrones that everyone feels the same about. But, no matter what you feel, the point is you feel. You can't stay indifferent when you read about them. AND THEY ARE SO MANY. More than anything, it's the massive amount of characters, all with their own traits, that proves of much Martin cares about the story. It's the ultimate proof of his effort and the time he spent working on the book, because otherwise more than half the characters that showed up would have been forgotten or two-dimensional. They are not.
It gets better. This set of characters, with complex lives and even more complex personalities, is used to populate an extraordinary world that may seem like your standard fantasy world in the beginning, but that has so much backstory to it that you quickly start feeling like it is one of the most original and unforgettable worlds you have ever had the chance to see.
And the best part about it is that even if you get a lot of information about the world, it never feels like that information is being dropped on you for the sake of it. Martin found such a perfect way to insert those informations in the plot that it feels like the scenes wouldn't even make sense if the information wasn't there.
With such an amazing world and characters so complex as Martin's, it's not a surprise that the plot is just as perfect. An intricate plot of conspiracies, court intrigues, lies and games of power that bring a new meaning to the expression "nothing is what it seems". I found myself in my own personal, dystopic paradise while I was reading this book. So many betrayals, people that cannot be trusted, lies and conspiracies!! 🤤🤤 It is just perfect for me.
But it also has its fair share of violence and gore, which makes it not such a good choice for some people, which is perfectly understandable. However, for someone who doesn't mind the violence, which is my case, I think it even adds more realism to the world. We are talking about a world that is crude, medieval and merciless. If it didn't have its share of violence, would it even be believable?!
However, and no matter how highly I am willing to praise Martin, there are things in this book that he did not handle well. Rape and forced marriage are not handled well. If you ask me if I have any idea why Martin chose to include them, I will tell you yes, I do. For the same reason he included gore and violence. If you ask me if I think it was really necessary, my answer is no, not really. But I don't think I have ever had or ever will have a problem with these matters being included in any book, whether I think it had a reason to be there or not, for as long as they are handled well. I don't think Martin did handle it well, but at the same time I think he is aware of that and wished he could have done more.
Let me try to explain. Most times when these matters are not handled well, I think the authors don't even realize that or care about it. I don't think that's the case with Martin. I think he included them because they were sort of commom in the world he created and he felt like he had no other choice. But even if he felt that way, I still think he could have done things differently. Let's take the girl whose forced marriage we witness in the book (let's try to avoid spoilers) as an example. All the first times when she had sex can and should be considered rape, because that's what it is. Rape. And Martin dealt with that so lightly, making her embrace, start enjoying and wanting and welcoming the sexual relationship with her partner that by the end of the book, I am sure many people have probably forgotten how it all started. But then, I don't think it was Martin's intention to dealt with it so lightly. I don't think he saw that as something normal or correct or that should be forgotten. He was the one who made sure to remind the readers she was only 14 when most readers probably no longer remembered that. And he did it in a way that left me with no doubts it was his way to show us he didn't agree. His way of screaming it was wrong, without really putting it into words. And later he does it again, with other character who was also raped; his new way of reminding us rape isn't right.
So, no, I don't think he didn't handle it better because he didn't care, but rather because he didn't know how to do that in a world that thought all of that was normal. And even if that makes him a better person, I don't think it justifies the way he handled things. It is still wrong. And if he didn't feel like he could handle it right, he shouldn't have included it.
Overall, I had the upmost pleasure of reading one of the most extraordinary masterpieces of nowadays, the number one book for anyone who likes political intrigue. An excellent book with an unforgettable world povoated with the most exquisite and complex set of characters whose dynamics result in an intricate and rich plot that will delight any reader. If only Martin had handled rape in the right way, this book would have got all the 5 stars.
"Can a man still be brave if he's afraid? That is the only time a man can be brave."
You know what this book has granted since the start? The love of all the readers out there who enjoy political intrigue. I have never read a book so full of political intrigue and where it is so well done as happens with this one. For lovers of political intrigue there's no better book than A Game of Thrones.
But it's not only lovers of political intrigue that will like it. The book has so many good aspects that there's no way you won't find at least one thing you like about it. It is a true, extraordinary masterpiece.
There's just so many things Martin deserves to be praised for in this book that I don't even know where to start. I guess I will choose the one I believe he deserves the most praising for - his unbelievable set of characters. It is just mind-blowing how Martin managed to insert so many characters in one book and give every single one of them complexity, depth and even at least a bit of backstory, making all of them unique. It's the characters who set the pace for the entire book, who give life to it and make it as interesting as it is.
They are dynamic, complex, credible characters that are so finely created you can't help but react to their presence. Whether hating, disliking, adoring or absolutely loving. Truth is, just like people in real life, I am pretty sure few are the characters in Game of Thrones that everyone feels the same about. But, no matter what you feel, the point is you feel. You can't stay indifferent when you read about them. AND THEY ARE SO MANY. More than anything, it's the massive amount of characters, all with their own traits, that proves of much Martin cares about the story. It's the ultimate proof of his effort and the time he spent working on the book, because otherwise more than half the characters that showed up would have been forgotten or two-dimensional. They are not.
It gets better. This set of characters, with complex lives and even more complex personalities, is used to populate an extraordinary world that may seem like your standard fantasy world in the beginning, but that has so much backstory to it that you quickly start feeling like it is one of the most original and unforgettable worlds you have ever had the chance to see.
And the best part about it is that even if you get a lot of information about the world, it never feels like that information is being dropped on you for the sake of it. Martin found such a perfect way to insert those informations in the plot that it feels like the scenes wouldn't even make sense if the information wasn't there.
With such an amazing world and characters so complex as Martin's, it's not a surprise that the plot is just as perfect. An intricate plot of conspiracies, court intrigues, lies and games of power that bring a new meaning to the expression "nothing is what it seems". I found myself in my own personal, dystopic paradise while I was reading this book. So many betrayals, people that cannot be trusted, lies and conspiracies!! 🤤🤤 It is just perfect for me.
But it also has its fair share of violence and gore, which makes it not such a good choice for some people, which is perfectly understandable. However, for someone who doesn't mind the violence, which is my case, I think it even adds more realism to the world. We are talking about a world that is crude, medieval and merciless. If it didn't have its share of violence, would it even be believable?!
However, and no matter how highly I am willing to praise Martin, there are things in this book that he did not handle well. Rape and forced marriage are not handled well. If you ask me if I have any idea why Martin chose to include them, I will tell you yes, I do. For the same reason he included gore and violence. If you ask me if I think it was really necessary, my answer is no, not really. But I don't think I have ever had or ever will have a problem with these matters being included in any book, whether I think it had a reason to be there or not, for as long as they are handled well. I don't think Martin did handle it well, but at the same time I think he is aware of that and wished he could have done more.
Let me try to explain. Most times when these matters are not handled well, I think the authors don't even realize that or care about it. I don't think that's the case with Martin. I think he included them because they were sort of commom in the world he created and he felt like he had no other choice. But even if he felt that way, I still think he could have done things differently. Let's take the girl whose forced marriage we witness in the book (let's try to avoid spoilers) as an example. All the first times when she had sex can and should be considered rape, because that's what it is. Rape. And Martin dealt with that so lightly, making her embrace, start enjoying and wanting and welcoming the sexual relationship with her partner that by the end of the book, I am sure many people have probably forgotten how it all started. But then, I don't think it was Martin's intention to dealt with it so lightly. I don't think he saw that as something normal or correct or that should be forgotten. He was the one who made sure to remind the readers she was only 14 when most readers probably no longer remembered that. And he did it in a way that left me with no doubts it was his way to show us he didn't agree. His way of screaming it was wrong, without really putting it into words. And later he does it again, with other character who was also raped; his new way of reminding us rape isn't right.
So, no, I don't think he didn't handle it better because he didn't care, but rather because he didn't know how to do that in a world that thought all of that was normal. And even if that makes him a better person, I don't think it justifies the way he handled things. It is still wrong. And if he didn't feel like he could handle it right, he shouldn't have included it.
Overall, I had the upmost pleasure of reading one of the most extraordinary masterpieces of nowadays, the number one book for anyone who likes political intrigue. An excellent book with an unforgettable world povoated with the most exquisite and complex set of characters whose dynamics result in an intricate and rich plot that will delight any reader. If only Martin had handled rape in the right way, this book would have got all the 5 stars.
"Can a man still be brave if he's afraid? That is the only time a man can be brave."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism and Misogyny
Minor: Domestic abuse, Slavery, and Animal death
elizlizabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Always a favorite, do yourself a favor and read this if you're a fan of fantasy and/or political intrigues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, War, Violence, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Pedophilia, Incest, Miscarriage, Trafficking, Slavery, and Torture
Minor: Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Animal death
bookishgoob's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
i love game of thrones. this book is so good and imaginative. there are problematic things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Slavery, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Torture
poigraph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I read A Game of Thrones based on a recommendation so I finished the whole book because of that as well as the fact that its an easy read despite its length. However, compared to other books in this genre I would rather have spent the time on other books including rereading The Lord of the Rings or Dune again for the umpteenth time. I realize this isn't a popular view and I don't know if my high expectations for it influenced my reading when I should have just enjoyed it for itself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, and Toxic relationship
thedorkside's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Violence
lysac382's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Abortion, Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
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