I read a lot of fantasy, and I have to sing the praises of my favorite series.
In 1996, George R.R. Martin began his epic, A Song of Ice and Fire, which has quietly changed the fantasy genre for adults. The first book of that still-in-progress series is A Game of Thrones. At first look, Ice and Fire is similar to other fantasy epics, with a huge cast of characters in a series of long books fight with swords, magic, and shifting alliances across the detailed landscape of an author-created world. At the core of the story, four royal houses—the rugged, steady Starks from the frozen North country; the devious, Machiavellian Lannisters; the ruling Barrathaeons; and the deposed, dragon-breeding Targaryens—scheme and battle for control of the world of Westeros.
But Martin makes three subtle changes which work brilliantly and have been highly emulated by other fantasy writers ever since, changes that should make readers who avoid fantasy sit up and take notice.
First, Martin’s world is highly realistic. A violent lifestyle is dangerous for all of the characters, not just the villains. Martin isn’t afraid to kill off his leads. Martin never resorts to random magical acts to bail his characters out of jams. Magic rarely appears, and when it does it has limited power and double-edged consequences. In all senses, this is a believable world where stakes are high, raising the suspense of the writing.
Second, the characters are complex. “Heroes” have flaws. “Villains” have real motivations and depth of character that may surprise the reader. Martin is expert at exploring all of these shades of gray while putting his characters through believable life changes.
Third, Martin uses a third-person limited point-of-view, alternating chapters between the viewpoints of different characters. This technique increases variety in the novel and keeps the reader guessing at what will happen next, since they are never spoon-fed “the big picture.” When some authors use this technique, the narrators blend together or some narrators are less interesting, leaving the reader wanting to skip boring chapters. Martin avoids this trap. Each of his narrators is distinct and all are interesting.
Those who do not enjoy multiple subplots and those who do not like violence or rough language will not enjoy A Song of Ice and Fire, but readers who enjoy flawless prose, twisty-but-believable plotting, complex and varied characters, and first-rate world-building will find many hours of enjoyment here. If you like Game of Thrones, proceed to A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows. Dancing with Dragons is due next.
Check the WRL catalog for the book, A Game of Thrones
Check the WRL catalog for the audiobook, A Game of Thrones
