Did you know that the series originated with George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series? I (Julie) just finished the first book in the series, which is appropriately named A Game of Thrones.
.jpg)
The first book is an epic in itself. The medieval setting has elements of fantasy, but is very similar to a world set in 15th Century England. In the Seven Kingdoms all of the lords serve one king, Robert Baratheon. In times past, Robert was a mighty warrior and wrested the throne from Aerys II. However, the years of the kingship have not improved King Robert. He has become lazy, and more interested in pursuing pleasures of every kind than ruling his kingdom.
After the death of his King's Hand, Jon Arryn, Robert appoints his old friend Eddard Stark of Winterfell to the position. Eddard must negotiate all of the perils and pitfalls of politics at court while trying to protect his family from the tumultuous environment of life at court. Ambitious lords from several houses as well as the king's own wife have plans and schemes that could topple the kingdom. Meanwhile, across the narrow sea, the last surviving descendants of Aerys II are plotting as well.
I really enjoyed this book, and plan to read the rest in the series. There's war, romance, treachery, and loyalty. It is not for the faint of heart, however. Mr. Martin does not skimp on the blood and gore, there is bad language and there are sexual situations as well. I found it similar to Phillipa Gregory's books. There are lots of characters to keep up with, but Mr. Martin provides a few helpful charts and maps in the back of the book. The first book is 694 pages long. So far George R.R. Martin has written five of the planned seven books in the series. All of the books are available at Franklin County Library.
No comments:
Post a Comment