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.
more
The best at character development, continuity of plot and the twists. He writes like he’s known the outcome of the storyline forever.
Best book ever
Read the series. HBO did a pretty good job converting the 5 books to video, but the books gives you a much better background of the history of the battling 7 kingdoms
Sooooo much better than the tv series.
The kingdoms and characters created are so believable that you immediately take sides. It gets you involved in the success of the character that you care for, while at times ruthlessly killing it off. Great read with in-depth character details.
This book is long. It does Mirror the 1st season of the HBO GoT show pretty well. Read this book if you really are a fan of the TV Show
This has got to be the next best series beside Harry Potter ever written…..
Lots of sub-plots… pay attention. It’s a great series.
Love this book! Couldn’the get enough. I recommend it to anyone who lives fantasies. Can’t wait to check out the television series once I finish the book series.
Has several characters which can be hard to keep up with which could make a harder read, but very good! Don’t get too attached to the characters!
I never thought I would like swords and sandals yarns but he takes you to a different universe just as The Fellowship of the Rings.
I read these books way before HBO turned it into Fantasy Porn which I refuse to watch. I would recommend the first four books of the series, but avoid the rest.
I’m way late to the game but of course loved “Game of Thrones!” I’m caught up on the show so it was great to go back, get a refresher and hear it in much more detail. I have more respect for the people who have read that I watch with who don’t say “well in the book..” the whole show! Such immersive characters and impressive world building. Can …
Great series of books. Invest your time you won’t be sorry
I couldn’t put it down!
Loved the book so different than the series.
I loved these books. Unfortunately having read them before I tried watching the series made the hbo series seem kind of stupid. The characters in the book are so rich, hbo just can’t hold a candle to them.
I’m not into soap operatic melodrama, brutality for brutality’s sake, or ‘who gets killed next’ books. The writing is competent enough, but the plotting is not terribly original. My pervasive emotion was dread as the plot wheel clucked to its next foreshadowing of future brutalities. Didn’t buy the rest of the books. Avoided the HBO show.
Love this series of books! The political intrigue and surprising plot twists kept me turning pages late into the night. There is a lot of complexity, violence and some sexuality. I just hope George R.R. Martin finishes the series of books.
TL:DR
(Having a hard time actually reading the series. Have gotten it on audio and am listening to it in the car)