A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, 703 pages

So that's what all the fuss is about! Seriously, this book has been on my to-read list for quite some time, but I was admittedly hesitant to pick it up because of the size and the genre. It's been a while since I've read high fantasy, and I know that books in the genre tend to take a while to pick up steam, what with all the world-building. (Also, my husband read this book last year and it took him three months to get through. Granted, he had other stuff going on, and he's a slower reader than me, but still... three months. It scared me off!)

Thankfully, all of my fears were misplaced, as Martin does a wonderful job of building the world of the Seven Kingdoms (and what a world it is!) while keeping the plot moving; there is action right from the start, and, unlike many other books in this genre, little walking and no songs (yes, that's right, I'm talking to you, Tolkien). I particularly like how he switches points of view between characters, allowing us to hop back and forth among story lines that are happening concurrently. There's plenty of political intrigue, some double-dealing, and a heck of a lot of death. Really, if you take away the fantastical creatures, it could easily be a political thriller. Can't wait to see what's next in this epic tale.

Also of note: the version of Game of Thrones that I read had a nine-page preview of the graphic novel, and since that's what puts me over the 700 mark, I want to quickly mention that as well. The preview at least seems to hew pretty close to the book plot- and dialogue-wise, though I wasn't overly impressed with the art. It could be, however, that the fantastic art of the later Sandman books (which I finished right before diving into GoT) spoiled graphic novels for me for a while. See my next review for a further example.