With the anticipated arrival of The Hobbit to cinema screens, Leeds Student delves into the modern world of literary fantasy and A Game Of Thrones.
A Game Of Thrones, the first epic novel in the ‘Ice and Fire’ series by George R.R. Martin is a book that lives up to all the hype, and dazzles in its breath-taking scope. Set in a fictional world reminiscent of J.R.R Tolkein’s ‘Middle Earth’, this sprawling saga includes a vast array of fascinating characters, intense and exciting action sequences, and fleshed-out, diverse locations. Within the first gripping chapters readers will be hooked, desperate to see the expansive story unravel; momentum gained.
The story follows the Stark family of Winterfell. Ruling over the northern tip of the kingdom, they live in chilly but peaceful surroundings until Ned Stark’s brother, the King, visits and requests Ned to become his personal aid. Tensions are mounting between Starks and the Lannisters, the family of the queen, and the king’s visit threatens to push them to breaking point. There are many houses throughout the land, each containing their own individual history and custom, and each one vying for their leader to be sat atop the Iron throne; to be ruler of the land. As inter house relationships begin to stretch thin, secrets are exposed and the story takes various shocking turns on route to an equally shocking finale.
The stunning length of the book (nearly 800 pages), allows each character to be highly developed; rich detail is spread across Martin’s vast land and he breathes life easily into each competing House. Despite the length of the book however, the plot never seems to run thin; chapters focus on the interweaving lives of key characters and so as the book progresses, there is a strong sense of everything coming together. Expertly employed cliff-hangers make the book captivating to say the least. The daunting looking page count may be a hindrance to some, but with a little perseverance this can be recognised as a modern-day epic well worth the time.
In the run up to anticipated film-release of The Hobbit, A Game Of Thrones is ideal for anyone interested not only in fantasy and science fiction, but also anyone looking for a grand and brilliantly written new series.
A Game of Thrones is available now from Harper Voyager
Words: Charlie Holden