A Game of Thrones

     Warning: this post contains vague, general spoilers.

     The first book in A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, lays the ground rules for a truly magnificent series. You learn quickly to correct your thinking from the lazy "How on earth will our hero make their way out of this one? Cause I know he will." to the more realistic excitement and terror of "Wait, could they really die? Is this really happening? I THOUGHT YOU WERE PROTECTED BY MAGIC MAIN CHARACTER FORCEFIELDS."

     A Game of Thrones is told from changing character perspectives with each chapter, which is one of my personal favorite ways to tell a story. Winters can last decades, rumors of lost heirs and dragon eggs are whispered about the kingdom of Westeros, a 700 foot wall keeps whatever may lurk in the wild, terrible north at bay, and murderous plots change loyalties and spark rivalries between the great houses of the unyielding Starks of the cold north, and the powerful Lannisters of King's Landing (and don't forget about the Baratheons, and the Targaryens, and...).

     I always get a little hesitant when recommending this series to anyone because it is so graphic and explicit in pretty much every way you can think of. If you're bothered by explicit language, violence, or sexual content I would most likely steer you in another direction, and that's ok. I never thought I would be such a big fan of something that came with that disclaimer, but here's why:

     Those things are not glorified. They are purposefully depicted as complicated and messy, and they have lasting consequences.

http://iceandfire.wikia.com/wiki/A_Game_of_Thrones

     I don't feel like I'm exaggerating when I say Martin is a genius. Yes, all authors create worlds when they write. But Martin creates worlds that are large and complex enough to be real. He truly thinks of everything from filling out realistic social classes (rather than just having a fantasy world of royalty, knights, and peasants and calling it a day) to proving that there are rippling consequences to everything (which sometimes take several books to come to fruition). The amount of characters to keep track of is like keeping track of every person you've ever met in real life, but his writing is so brilliantly detailed that you will actually surprise yourself with how many you can keep straight.

     I love how there are no "throw away" characters, either. Every innkeep, servant, and soldier on the battlefield has a name, a family, and a backstory. The scope of his focus extends further than what is typical in the fantasy genre - heroic men have very real weaknesses and emotions, and women and children are written with just as much strength and intelligence as the men - aka, they are also written as real people (gasp!). Families have realistic problems, and the characters you want so badly to label as villains have surprising humanity (with the exception of maybe a certain blond tyrant...).

     And the plotting! I can easily say this is the most complex series I have ever read. It's not a simple good vs evil plot line, although there are reflections of that at times. I've noticed he has taken some inspiration from European history as well as Biblical accounts, which I think is always fun to notice as a reader. A Game of Thrones is packed with political intrigue and conspiracy where EVERYONE is a key piece in the game, and thankfully everyone has a realistic and for the most part understandable motivation to what they do, and somehow he managed to brilliantly weave them together to create a fantastic tapestry of ill omens, old magic, and fierce battles for the ultimate seat of power.

     I realize that this seems like it could easily be a review for the entire series, and I can say that everything I said here rings true for the books to follow as well. The first book introduces the world with a bang, and somehow the momentum gains with each new installment. Future posts regarding the books to follow will be more specific, but just as a reader exploring the wide world of Westeros for the first time, it's hard not to just stand back in awe at the sheer scope and brilliance of this creation.