I've long loved fantasy as a story medium. The first books that I can actively remember reading were The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. Even though I didn't comprehend the religious and socioeconomic themes at hand, I was immersed in their worlds-- the Riders of Rohan, the various animal factions, and the vast geographical locations were enthralling to a kid. I've recently revisited LOTR, and I still find myself getting lost in the mythology that Tolkien created. It seldom feels antiquated, and as I've grown older, I see more and more of our world trapped in his creation. One of the virtues of fantasy and science fiction is that they can detach the societal constraints that limit "literary" fiction to allow for pure philosophical theories to grow. While this can be exhaustively obvious (and in many occasions, is), when done correctly, allegory and symbols shine and connect with the reader in a much less convoluted way than, say, Dickens or Steinbeck.
A Game of Thrones deals with heavy themes such as the nature of power and honor, and it also develops a rich world of myth and intrigue, but at its core, its successes lie in its characters. In many fantasy books I've read, characters feel wooden, with inane motivations. Desire drives A Game of Thrones, and its characters all succumb to baser natures in varying degrees. Why people do what they do fascinates me, and it's evident that George RR Martin takes care to ensure that his characters act according to what they want, whether it be what they want for themselves, the kingdom, their family, or a myriad of other darker things.
The primary plot of A Game of Thrones is fairly streamlined: The Hand of the King dies, and King Robert Baratheon comes to the northern stronghold of Winterfell to recruit his longtime friend Eddard Stark to rule as Robert indulges in all kinds of revelry. The plot accelerates when Brandon, Eddard's son, takes a mysterious fall. Along with an ominous letter from his wife's sister, the Starks become suspicious of the Lannisters, the family of Queen Cersei. The book excels at creating a cultural divide between the cold, honorable Starks and the devious Southerners at King's Landing. In fantasy books I had previously read, the honorable, just characters came out on top. In A Game of Thrones, the Starks struggle to find a balance between what is right and what will get them ahead in the world. They share a complicated history with the royal houses of the south, and Martin summarizes through flashbacks and conversations. It's explained with a great deal of economy, and it never detracts from the present story. It's somewhat easy to follow for the attentive reader, and the relative challenge rewards those who invest themselves in the story.
A Game of Thrones also succeeds at something I haven't seen a lot of: creating a story that's almost completely disconnected from the main plot: the rightful heir to the throne, Viserys Targareyn and his younger sister Daenerys. Their goal is simple: retake the throne that is theirs by birthright. Throughout A Game of Thrones, the question of who should rule is asked and asked again, without a clear resolution. This is clearly intended to be a long series, and while the various plots running through the book don't ever fully intertwine, the developments and twists that the story takes provide enough catharsis for the reader to see their way to the end. Daenerys is one of my favorite characters of the series, and her glimpse into a culture that's so different from that of the main plot makes a richer world. As the book hints more and more at an intersection of the two continents, one of its themes betters itself: the clash of people's motivations. The interactions between the characters is always fantastic, and previous grudges play out as new rivalries develop. A Game of Thrones quickly draws you into its world and keeps you there as the plot goes everywhere you expect that it won't.
As nearly everything that's so complex, A Game of Thrones runs into hiccups. The Wall, a gargantuan blockade for the horrors of the wild north, runs around in tired fantasy tropes. Some characters are intrinsically more interesting than others. Martin is a better storyteller than writer, and his descriptions go on for too long at times. I felt myself having to drive through at certain parts, but the highs of the surprises and heavy themes outweigh the occasional black hole. Martin manages to beat down tired cliches and create a world that's comparable to a Machiavellian Middle-Earth, a place where the good guys don't always win. It's a bear of a novel, and it rewards those who thrust themselves into it with an experience that's hard-pressed to be replicated.
Final Grade: A-
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