NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES
From a master of contemporary fantasy comes the first novel of a landmark series unlike any you’ve ever read before. With A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin has launched a genuine masterpiece, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill the pages of this magnificent saga, the first volume in an epic series sure to delight fantasy fans everywhere.
A GAME OF THRONES
A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: BOOK ONE
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. To the south, the king’s powers are failing–his most trusted adviser dead under mysterious circumstances and his enemies emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the frozen land they were born to. Now Lord Eddard Stark is reluctantly summoned to serve as the king’s new Hand, an appointment that threatens to sunder not only his family but the kingdom itself.
Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his thro≠ a child is lost in the twilight between life and death; and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.
Unparalleled in scope and execution, A Game of Thrones is one of those rare reading experiences that catch you up from the opening pages, won’t let you go until the end, and leave you yearning for more.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Sexual Content - 5/5
5/5
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Violence - 5/5
5/5
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Language - 3/5
3/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 2/5
2/5
Summary
Review by caipie@hotmail.co.uk: Overall The books have you hooked from the 12nd chapter. Initially you have to try and keep up with the characters and where each of the settings are, thankfully the books include a map in the beginning and a family tree at the end. The story lines are brilliant and the twist happen when you least expect it. I found it useful to have read the books before watching any of the TV episodes. The author makes up names and places but it feels as if it was set on Islands in Europe. When you see the set of 7 books (actually 5 as 2 of the books are split) you may think that will take a long time to get through but actually you can't put them down as the story and adventure has you hooked. By the time I got to the last book I was a little sad to know that the books were ending. The story is literally about the game of thrones and the different families fighting to be king or queen. The story also has a second thread running through it about the 'winter' coming and what that might bring with it. There are battles, feuds, weddings and funerals throughout. If you have the time and are also intrigued about what everyone is talking about then it is a good read. However be warned that the content is full on and is in no means mild.
Violence Graphic scenes of torture, graphic battle scenes, lots of gore and violence throughout all of the books. Some of it is unnecessary but a lot of it is part of the plot and story. If you do not approve of violence in books than this is definitely a series of books to avoid.
Language Crude language is used in the book as part of the settings but the author is very good at writing without having to use vulgar language.
Sexual The sexual content although high is not constant, it follows certain individuals. However the content that it has about sex is a lot and graphically described. It goes into great detail about many sexual encounters.
Drug & Alcohol There is drinking I the book but it is fitting within the settings and does not depict any current drinks etc. The author tends to show drinking in a bad light as in every time someone was drunk or had been drinking they would get themselves into trouble, be it saying too much, ending up in a fight etc. So there may be drinking in the book it however does nothing to promote it.