A Game of Thrones

Here's yet another awesome thing that I heard about because of that one forum I go to. I might have been introduced to it pretty soon anyway because they're going to start shooting a pilot for a possible HBO adaptation next month, which I hope gets picked up for a series because it seems like a perfect fit. A Game of Thrones is the first novel in a saga called A Song of Ice and Fire, with four volumes released and three more planned. It's a fantasy series for adults, hinging not so much on a magical quest for goodness but a huge cast of complex characters, who meet and argue and screw and fight. It's very slow going, taking its time to develop the world and main players instead of diving into the action. The paperback version is over 800 pages, and this is the shortest entry yet, so you can already guess at how epic the story will end up being.

Despite the immense length and lack of immediate action, I was engrossed in the story right from the prologue to the final chapter, both of which contain the most "fantasy" of the story's fantasy elements. The story is told from the perspective of several different characters, with each chapter focusing on one. It's an effective way to tell the story, covering all the different locations of importance while capturing different aspects of the plot from different points of view. The setting is pretty interesting; the main action takes place on one continent, where seven kingdoms are united under the banner of a single king in the south. To the north is a great ice wall beyond which lies the remnants of many creatures of legend, and to the east over the sea is another land where the children of the last king to be deposed are exiled.

The weather is unique, with seasons being of indeterminate length, oftentimes lasting for years. When the story begins, a summer that has lasted nearly a decade is showing signs of ending, and by the end the winter is inevitable. It adds a nice sense of dread as things go from bad to worse for the protagonists. Despite the slowly developing plot, things are in full gear by the end, as the inevitable clashing of armies begins, and you can see it all building towards something amazing and terrible at once. You really don't know what's going to happen, as it becomes clear relatively early that no one is safe and things can become disastrous very quickly and without reason. I was growing depressed by the end at some of the events, but some of the final words gave cause for hope, and George R. R. Martin has really established one of the best, if not the best beginnings to a fantasy story I've ever read. I have the next two parts sitting on the shelf, and I know I'm going to be ripping into them as soon as I can.

Note: I wrote this last week while sitting next to my dog, who wasn't feeling well. Yesterday, she got worse suddenly and we had to put her to sleep. This post is dedicated to her.