My Reviews of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Last night I finished reading A Game of Thrones, the first novel of the A Song of Ice and Fire series and one of the best fantasy novels I have ever read. I'd even chance to say that is better than Ender's Game, another awesome book I've read in the past few months.
A lot of the reason AGoT is so good is that it doesn't follow that predictable and cliched Lord of the Rings forumla like a lot of other modern fantasy novels. In all honesty, except for a fictious kingdom and the mere mention of fantastic creatures, AGoT is more like a realistic fiction set in medieval times. There are a few instances where it is undeniably fantasy, mostly near the end, but the rest is far from it.
The book also doesn't have a single hero in whom's shoulders everyone's hope rests on. The book follows the perspectives of multiple characters: some good, some bad, some a mixture of both. It never lingers too much on one. It gives you a lot of freedom to choose who you should root for. Although there is an undeniable bad guy, there are multiple characters who could qualify as a "good" guy. Although this has been criticized in other reviews I've read, I consider a huge plus.
The lack a real main protagonist also takes away that "invincible" feeling you get about the true main hero. The author isn't afraid to kill off his characters or do really bad things to them and does so. It adds another wonderful realistic touch to the novel.
The only real gripe I have about the novel is that it is a very long book (over 800 pages) and only the first in a series of longer books (the second is almost 1000 pages). Although the length of the first novel was great (I was still wanting more when it ended), I'm a little fearful about whether the author is able to keep the story interesting without falling into contrived "surprises" and cliches. I have high hopes, though, and am going to start reading the second novel once I finish Star Wars: Cloak of Deception.
*shrugs and walks away*
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