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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Have finished the first 4 books and have started the last one. Fantastic reads! Didn’t see the HBO Game of Thrones – but can’t been any better then the books for sure…
i read all five books before the HBO series started. They are long, about 900 pages each, but suck you in after you get started. The only negative is that he may never finish the book series, there should be 2 or 3 more, now that he finished the TV series. The books were much better.
Excellent
This gets 5 stars from me simply because of the sheer epic size of the story and the masterful intertwining of the many many characters’ stories and personalities. It’s different from the HBO version in some not so subtle ways. The standouts are Jamie and Tyrion Lannister and of course Jon Snow, but all of them have some kind of impact on the …
Greatest book ever
Wow! Now I know what the fuss was all about! An eight hundred page book that kept me turning the pages. Action, adventure, intrigue, family, friendship, romance, lust. This story has it all, but it’s not for the feint of heart. Lots of violence and sensitive topics, but excellent story telling overall.
Well deserving of its reputation. The only flaw is Martin’s chronic slowness and his failure to finish the story.
I just wish Marrin had finished the series.
I have read this book 3 times. It is the first book in A Song of Ice and Fire, and is the source for the blockbuster HBO series. Every time I read these books I learn something new that I somehow overlooked previously. #WindsOfWinter better come soon …
Didn’t watch the HBO series but now I’m hooked!
The first book is entertaining and better than the later. Each chapter follows a different character from his point of view, with many repeating in later chapters. First book is very similar to TV series, be diverges a bit in book 4, and end of book 4 is mixed with stories from season 5 & 6 (different characters stop at different points). The last …
“Game of Thrones” is everything I’ve ever wanted out of a book. I read the beginning a long time ago, and then put the book down for awhile, for no real reason. Don’t make the same mistake I did!
This story will leave you guessing as to where it’s going, which characters are safe and which will die, and what the metaphorical whispers could mean, …
N1
I had heard so much about the series I wanted to try the book. Never have seen the series but cannot get enough of the books. Cannot wait to read the prequel.
wonderful book!
Best read in years
I love this series. So many wonderful characters. The good guys don’t always survive ok who are the good guys?
I read this to get a good background on the T V series. I had not watched it until last year so the book was very Informative on all the characters in the series. It is highly recommended even if you had watched the TV series.
Outstanding!!! If you like the show read the the book!
Excellent. The book matches the HBO series and the characters, wolves and dragons become 3 dimensional.