A Game of Thrones- Book One of A Song of Ice & Fire

Summary of Book One of Song of Ice & Fire

After putting off reading this series for literally over a year, I finally got down to its first book in the month of May. Well, to a large extent, the lock down due to Covid got me doing a whole lot of things I seldom did before and so this big fat book came out of the closet to be read by me. I suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to get started and actually complete this series. Oh yes, the feeling is still intact. For after completing the first in the series, and having watched the entire tele-series, I am sure going to read it all up.

Whats in the Game of Thrones book?

If you have followed the tele-series, book one almost goes in sync with season 1 and it’s episodes. It follows three main story lines simultaneously. It begins with the the “Wall”-the ancient barrier of stone and ice that protects the Seven Kingdoms from the wilderness that exists north of it. Manned by the brave and courageous Night’s Watch that follow a strict order having sworn to protect the realm. Moving over to Eddard Stark the King of the North at Winterfell, the story moves to speak about the events that lead to him moving over to King’s Landing. As the Hand of the King at King’s Landing, Eddard unearths a bitter truth that would eventually lead to unpleasant events, triggering off a battle that would rage across the Seven Kingdoms. Across the narrow sea Viserys gets his sister Daenarys  married to the nomadic Dothraki king Khal Drogo. Initially terrified of her new husband and his people, Daenerys eventually embraces her role as Drogo’s queen.

Getting started and staying on

It did take me a while to get started. The first few chapters moved at a rather sluggish pace. But by sticking on, I was soon in its grip. There was no way I was going to put this down. It reached a stage where I found myself wishing for more hours in a day so that I would be able to read more of it through the day. During the twenty odd days I sat reading the book, I did it all the time. I would pick up the book, first thing in the morning and catch a few pages before folks woke up. I read between chores and while I watched television as well(don’t ask me how I do this, I sure multi-task quite well). I basically read throughout the day until I fell asleep. But that’s what the series does to you.

Frankly I have seldom been a fan of fantasy fiction. Harry Potter- I seldom got past Book 3. I didn’t go beyond the first few chapters of the Hobbit and with regards to The Lord of the Rings Series, well, the lesser said the better. So what explains my infatuation with this particular series?

The Game of Thrones is addictive

Yes, it does have a plethora of characters, but these multi-faced humans with their schemes and hunger for power are portrayed in a way that’s almost believable. Their acts are brutal, no doubt, and most go to any extent to shed blood. But such gory acts have always existed and have been part of historical timelines across the globe. I wouldn’t say the gore didn’t put me off, but there was also a sympathy I developed towards the victim in each of these sections. If I hated Joffrey the proclaimed king of Kings Landing in the tele-series, I hated him even more in the book. If I had earlier sympathized with the Starks, I felt their pain in the book. This is probably the first time I truly believe that the tele-series has done complete justice to the book. I could picture the characters, their faces and expressions bit by bit.

What captivated me the most is the excellent pacing with oodles of twists and turns. Simply put, I have fallen in love all the more with the series after reading Book 1. And that’s pushing me ahead to read the next in the series- A Clash of Kings

Getting on to it

• Read at your own pace.
• Somewhere I believe, you need to be ready for this series mentally.
• If at any point you find it going a bit over the top, stop, close and read after a while.

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Book review| Game of Thrones| Book 1 Summary| A Song of Ice and Fire