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4.51 AVERAGE
4.51 AVERAGE
Enourmously entertaining, entertainingly enourmous. Even though martin created an immense world, it never feels like it's too much. Contrary: after finishing the fifth book, I longed for more political intrigues, dragons and weights.
I was completely engrossed but Martin's depiction of female bodily functions made me laugh out loud a few times. The ending killed me, Daenarys walking into a fire with her breastmilk streaming down with absolutely no stimulation or reason??? Suckling dragons?? I was laughing too hard to feel fear.
Loved the book! Wish I had read the series before watching it though!
I know plenty of my other colleagues love this book. I thought it was good, and enjoyable, but I don't feel compelled to immediately continue on with the series (although, the ending with Dany does have me intrigued - I think she is my favorite character), and I'm not sure if I ever will. For those who like fantasy and epic tales, though, I would recommend this.
I will give Mr. Martin his credit. In this book, he crafted a magnificent world of unimaginably detailed reality for these people. Every character has their unique voice, perspective, and drive (which is largely unknown, for the better). Never once did I feel this book fell out of itself and into some other story I have read in a fit of lacked imagination.
My only critique could be that it did not hold me as a reader as many other books have done. I love books of exceptional lengths, but I need to be able to live in those pages as I do, rather than be consciously aware that every page turn is getting me closer to the end. I believe this was due tot he slow pacing of the story, which needed and deserved the time it took to set up the world and the paradigms of power and war.
As of now, it's very iffy as to whether I will read the rest of the series, but I am glad to have this challenge of a read under my belt.
My only critique could be that it did not hold me as a reader as many other books have done. I love books of exceptional lengths, but I need to be able to live in those pages as I do, rather than be consciously aware that every page turn is getting me closer to the end. I believe this was due tot he slow pacing of the story, which needed and deserved the time it took to set up the world and the paradigms of power and war.
As of now, it's very iffy as to whether I will read the rest of the series, but I am glad to have this challenge of a read under my belt.
this fantasy series are some of my favorite books ever. not only is the plot intriguing and gripping but my favorite part of GRRM'S work is his character work. the characters are just so beautifully written i don't think my review could do them justice.
I first read A Game of Thrones several years ago. I started A Clash of Kings, which I never finished. I felt like it was time for me to re-read what I had already read so that I could actually catch up on the series. The first time I read it, I enjoyed it. This time around, I absolutely loved it.
The entire world is fascinating. The history and family lineages and mythology is fascinating. The culture and the society, fascinating. It's so different from our own world, but it's so very similar all at once. The characters are excellent, and there are ones I love and ones I hate. The story is engrossing, and I enjoy every strand of it. This has completely become a thing I want to wrap myself up in and just absorb every detail of.
The one thing I wasn't totally in love with was the writing, which I found could be a bit juvenile in places. I actually don't remember that impression at all from my first reading of it. It doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the characters, the story, or the world, but I noticed it for sure.
Basically, this is a great book and a great start to the series. I can't recommend it enough, even though I could understand why it wouldn't be for everyone.
The entire world is fascinating. The history and family lineages and mythology is fascinating. The culture and the society, fascinating. It's so different from our own world, but it's so very similar all at once. The characters are excellent, and there are ones I love and ones I hate. The story is engrossing, and I enjoy every strand of it. This has completely become a thing I want to wrap myself up in and just absorb every detail of.
The one thing I wasn't totally in love with was the writing, which I found could be a bit juvenile in places. I actually don't remember that impression at all from my first reading of it. It doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the characters, the story, or the world, but I noticed it for sure.
Basically, this is a great book and a great start to the series. I can't recommend it enough, even though I could understand why it wouldn't be for everyone.
Why did I wait to read this? This book was amazing!! For the first quarter of the book I struggled trying to keep characters straight. There's so many! However, I was eventually able to remember them all and who they were. I know many people are wanting to read this but it's a little intimidating, do yourself a favor and start it. Just take it one chapter at a time. I never read fantasy, it's not a genre I can enjoy but this was amazing, well written, and heartbreaking. I laughed, cried, got angry, and stayed up many nights to read just a few more chapters. George R. R. Martin, you have written an amazing book and I can't wait to start the others!!
You know those tingles you get when you've closed your book after turning and reading the last page?
Well, I sure as hell have those now!
A Game of Thrones is what I'd describe to be a political high fantasy novel, the first in George R.R. Martin's acclaimed A Song of Ice and Fire series. It's by far one of the largest novels I've read, with the most perspectives I've ever read from too.
Loosely, it's about self titles Kings, Queens and Lords, slyly or blatantly fighting for what they believe is their rights to the iron throne and the seven kingdoms, so in this world, it is literally a game of thrones... You either win, or you die.
Although it's a hefty novel, I have to say I found it far easier to plough through than I was expecting, because the writing wasn't as intense as something, say, Tolkein would produce, which made it a far easier journey.
Usually, I dislike multiple perspectives, however in this case I loved it! We read from people's views such as the Starks, the Lannisters, and many more to boot and it made me crave more. I never felt confused or at amiss when we jumped from character to character because the story just flowed beautifully and everyone who we read from had a significant point to the development of the story. Even though we didn't read from everyone's point of view, I still understood side characters and their backstory's, due to being told from other perspectives. The only issue I had with many perspectives is I found that some characters were not given enough air time to flesh out as much, some got too much (and those were from characters I liked the least) and I found myself left at a cliffhanger, more times than one, that we wouldn't get back to until later.
My favourite character to read from has to be either Bran Stark or Daenerys Targeryn. I think this was because both characters had an air of magic to them, something I love greatly. Dany with her dragon eggs and maegi and Bran with his Old Nan stories of the children of the woods and his direwolf and mysterious crow. I would have to say my least enjoyable perspective was coming from Sansa Stark, just because I felt like what she had to say was petty and annoying when it came to others. However, I know her character was portrayed as if she was more highborn than her brethren, and almost as if she felt like she was more deserving and better than most people, so I knew any way that I would not enjoy reading her passages as much.
In saying this, I found all characters endearing and interesting and I know they all had a part to play. There were times I was stunned in disbelief and times I was laughing pretty hard, when I probably should not have. e.g. "Once you have taken the black, there is no turning back. ' -Lord Commander Mormont. ..... Heh, heh, heh! xD
I did struggle to realize when people were related to others, but that was fault of my own, so the only real faults I can see in this novel is that some characters were not described when I wanted them to and were left later, so I was left unknowing what they would look like for lengths at a time. For example, Jenye Poole, Sansa's tag-a-long. That and that I kept (in the beginning at least) relating the book to the TV show. Here I found differences concerning character appearance (e.g Dany) and age (e.g. pretty much everyone). This didn't really hinder my enjoyment, and overall it was a great book. I also loved the appendix at the back, explaining the history and relations to main characters. It makes everything more clear.
I'll have a video review up at some point in the future, so check my profile and keep an eye on my YouTube channel linked there.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
Well, I sure as hell have those now!
A Game of Thrones is what I'd describe to be a political high fantasy novel, the first in George R.R. Martin's acclaimed A Song of Ice and Fire series. It's by far one of the largest novels I've read, with the most perspectives I've ever read from too.
Loosely, it's about self titles Kings, Queens and Lords, slyly or blatantly fighting for what they believe is their rights to the iron throne and the seven kingdoms, so in this world, it is literally a game of thrones... You either win, or you die.
Although it's a hefty novel, I have to say I found it far easier to plough through than I was expecting, because the writing wasn't as intense as something, say, Tolkein would produce, which made it a far easier journey.
Usually, I dislike multiple perspectives, however in this case I loved it! We read from people's views such as the Starks, the Lannisters, and many more to boot and it made me crave more. I never felt confused or at amiss when we jumped from character to character because the story just flowed beautifully and everyone who we read from had a significant point to the development of the story. Even though we didn't read from everyone's point of view, I still understood side characters and their backstory's, due to being told from other perspectives. The only issue I had with many perspectives is I found that some characters were not given enough air time to flesh out as much, some got too much (and those were from characters I liked the least) and I found myself left at a cliffhanger, more times than one, that we wouldn't get back to until later.
My favourite character to read from has to be either Bran Stark or Daenerys Targeryn. I think this was because both characters had an air of magic to them, something I love greatly. Dany with her dragon eggs and maegi and Bran with his Old Nan stories of the children of the woods and his direwolf and mysterious crow. I would have to say my least enjoyable perspective was coming from Sansa Stark, just because I felt like what she had to say was petty and annoying when it came to others. However, I know her character was portrayed as if she was more highborn than her brethren, and almost as if she felt like she was more deserving and better than most people, so I knew any way that I would not enjoy reading her passages as much.
In saying this, I found all characters endearing and interesting and I know they all had a part to play. There were times I was stunned in disbelief and times I was laughing pretty hard, when I probably should not have. e.g. "Once you have taken the black, there is no turning back. ' -Lord Commander Mormont. ..... Heh, heh, heh! xD
I did struggle to realize when people were related to others, but that was fault of my own, so the only real faults I can see in this novel is that some characters were not described when I wanted them to and were left later, so I was left unknowing what they would look like for lengths at a time. For example, Jenye Poole, Sansa's tag-a-long. That and that I kept (in the beginning at least) relating the book to the TV show. Here I found differences concerning character appearance (e.g Dany) and age (e.g. pretty much everyone). This didn't really hinder my enjoyment, and overall it was a great book. I also loved the appendix at the back, explaining the history and relations to main characters. It makes everything more clear.
I'll have a video review up at some point in the future, so check my profile and keep an eye on my YouTube channel linked there.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén