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IS A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE BY GEORGE R. R. MARTIN FOR YOU?. Warning : while there are no real spoilers, there are basic details about the series, to help you make a choice on whether or not it is for you.
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Warning: while there are no real spoilers, there are basic details about the series, to help you make a choice on whether or not it is for you.
The hit television series Game of Thrones was derived from a series of novels by George R.R. Martin, who has created a world of high fantasy and excitement that remains unrivaled in the world of both reading and television. The series of novels, entitled collectively A Song of Ice and Fire, was originally planned to extend to three volumes, yet the success of the series, and the sheer breadth of the cast of characters involved, has seen the author extend the series to a planned seven volumes, five of which have so far been published to great acclaim.
The world in which the novels are set is inspired greatly by medieval European history; indeed, Martin traveled the many ancient sites of Europe – especially those in Great Britain – and studied historical events carefully to lay the groundwork for the books. The detail is impressive, and scholars of English history will notice that the main plot lines are very much drawn from the Wars of the Roses, which took place between the feuding houses of York and Lancaster.
The novels mainly cover the ongoing feudal battles and intricacies of the great noble houses Westeros, the Wall, and the Targaryens. The many threads that link these three have their roots in genuine events from history, and the wonderfully rendered descriptions of the continent on which they live – Westeros and Essos – paint a picture of a time very different to today. Writing in an engaging and fast paced style, yet managing to keep us informed as to the minute details that make the land so real, the books add an aura of sense and understanding that is sometimes lost in the necessarily compacted world of the TV series.
The first book in the series, A Game of Thrones introduces the reader to the main characters and branches out across three central plot lines: In the Seven Kingdoms tells the tale of the Lord of Winterfell, Eddard Stark, and his convoluted and troubled family. Eddard has six children – five legitimate, one not – and the plot involves incest, murder, and a clutch of Direwolf puppies, which are central to the story. As with all good yarns, the battle for the head of the house is the central point.
On the Wall makes up the entrance to the novel, and introduces us to the wonders of the magical, 300 mile long wall of ice and stone that protects the Seven Kingdoms from the wilderness beyond, and the Night Watch, who are detailed to man the defense. Eddard’s bastard son, Jon, joins the Night Watch, which allows the reader to see its many flaws.
The third thread is In the East which is set in the Free City of Pentos, and covers the initial story of the Targaryen. It also introduces us to one of the most important figures in the whole series, Daenerys, sister of ‘mad king’ Viserys, who uses her to secure an army intended to overthrow the throne of Westeros. Other themes include magical treasures, execution and, as is the norm, a battle for the crown.
It is notable that the book differs from the television series in its approach, with the plot lines delivered in a less detailed manner and the entire story contracted for television; also, elements of the first book spread beyond the first series of the TV series, while there are other elements that we have not yet read – they appear in later volumes – woven into the opening series. Overall, the books give a better depiction of the timeline.
As with the first novel, the second – A Clash of Kings – takes us through the three main plot lines of the Seven Kingdoms, the Wall and the East. In the former, a civil war rages with the North and South at loggerheads; Rob Stark – son of the now dead Eddard – is declared King of the North, while three of the Baratheon family all have designs on the throne of Westeros. The war that ensues is bloody and tireless, and results in many changes in the family hierarchy.
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