NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES—THE MASTERPIECE THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons … wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse—unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season.
Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen’s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister—the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms.
Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki—whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innocent sister, Daenerys.
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I read GoT when it first came out in the late 90s. Found the paperback on a shelf at Walden Books while browsing the fantasy section, and knew I had to read it. The TV show is great, but the books are even better!
Because winter is coming.
Literally. It’s a few days away.
Amazing. Captivating. So well-written.
I watched the first six seasons of the HBO show before I picked up the books, and while I knew everything that was going to happen in the first book beforehand, it allowed me to keep up with the characters much more easily (I’ve heard from several people that this is a big struggle for people who try to read …
I know. I know. It’s cliche to be recommending this book but dang it, it’s fantastic! Every bit as good as the show and helps me keep all the characters and back stories straight. If you are a fan of the series, read it!
Comparing the HBO series to the books is like comparing the smell of bacon and coffee to a full-blown breakfast: lots of anticipation in the HBO series, but not the satisfying meal of the books. If you enjoyed the HBO presentation, you owe it to yourself to read the books.
The story takes place in mideval times. Things we take for granted haven’t been invented yet. It covers the lives of the Stark family. Including a son Jon, who is his father’s bastard. The price of fame is more than I would be willing to pay. See what the family go through after being such a close loving family.
I am a Game of Thrones junkie!! I watch Game of Thrones on TV, so I thought I didn’t need to read the books. I was in a rut with trying to find something to read, so I thought what the heck. I’ll start reading the whole series. I am so glad I did! Not everything that happens on the show happens the same way in the books. So, if you are a fan of …
One of the best series to date. Also enjoy the HBO series because it stays true to the books and the actors chosen for the roles are just as I imagined them while reading.This is a MUST READ!!!!
I didn’t know much about this book when I first picked it up (obviously it was before the TV show) and I’m glad I didn’t, because it doesn’t sound like my kind of book, BUT it’s one of my favorites!
This series is rather intimidating with most of them over 1000 pages, but they’re actually relatively quick reads because of all of the points of …
Believe the hype. Excellent, excellent book.
Seven Kingdoms, one throne. Several families vie for rule.
Only one family will rule, for when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.
i suspect you’ll either love these ……….. or hate them
i have read every book (7 i think) twice, and would pay handsomely for 3000 more pages
the next closest epic for me – S. Kings: The Gunslinger series
I highly recommend all the above, and I am very smert……. realy
woooooooooooo
Of course, I’ve seen the show but also read all the books. This first book follows the first season rather closely and is a definite page turner. Martin writes a realistic medieval-ish fantasy world where you never truly know the what the characters will do next. Definitely a must read for show fans who want a more in-depth experience to the world …
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this book after watching the HBO series intermittently (and sometimes reluctantly). So glad I did, though. The tenderness that Martin has for his characters comes through. I found the book much less sadistic than the TV series, with a moral center and tragic overtones. From the way Martin describes his male …
Fantastic storytelling and deep, intriguing characters combine in a thoroughly engrossing story in a realistic fantasy world. The twists and turns of the story never stop, and keep the story moving without being tired and predictable. From a writing standpoint, George R. R. Martin stands as a master of creating a deeply compelling web of narrative …
Far better than the tv show, the books are wonderfully written…rich character development. You really fall in love with…or love to hate 🙂 all the characters.
I had to read the first chapter 3 times to get a toe hold on this book, but, as we all know by now, the rest keeps us rapidly moving along. Martin has a knack for making the reader mad when he kills off the good-guy, but but by then one just has to know what happens to the not-so-good-guys. While the TV series did a good job of casting for most of …
I’ve never seen a series where any character that is likable has their heads lopped off. The world is for miserable dicks only. Unless of course they are height impaired.
Other than Lord of the Rings – no one else’s work even comes close. If you like the TV series you will LOVE the books!
These books have everything and are beautifully written. Wasn’t my favourite genre until R R Martin changed my mind.
While it is snowing outside your place, it is snowing in the book too.