A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin
In honour of the upcoming television show and in honour of the soon to be released 5th book in the series (and because I feel wrong not to not have any sort of tribute to one of my all time favourite authors), here's my post and thoughts about why you should read the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin.
The series consist of
A Game of Thrones (1996)
A Clash of Kings (1998)
A Storm of Swords (2000)
A Feast for Crows (2005)
A Dance with Dragons (forthcoming, July 12, 2011)
And further two books are planned.
Set firmly in the fantasy medieval genre these books are brutally realistic. War, intrigue, back stabbing, rivalry and, shortly put, the game of thrones, is a bloody mess and Martin isn't afraid of writing it so.
All of the books are incredibly well written and the characters are beautifully portrayed and seem incredibly real. There are several point of views that evolve throughout the books and all are an exciting read. There was never a dull moment reading these and I can whole heartedly recommend them.
Personally I can't wait to get my hands on the fifth book, A Dance With Dragons, and I really should reread the other four again before that, but I'm not sure if I have the time, as they are very long books and not of the kind that you can burn through in a day or two. If I were to rate them right here and now I'd say they're all somewhere in the 4-5 stars category. Martin is a superb author and his books loved around the globe.
The series consist of
A Game of Thrones (1996)
A Clash of Kings (1998)
A Storm of Swords (2000)
A Feast for Crows (2005)
A Dance with Dragons (forthcoming, July 12, 2011)
And further two books are planned.
Set firmly in the fantasy medieval genre these books are brutally realistic. War, intrigue, back stabbing, rivalry and, shortly put, the game of thrones, is a bloody mess and Martin isn't afraid of writing it so.
All of the books are incredibly well written and the characters are beautifully portrayed and seem incredibly real. There are several point of views that evolve throughout the books and all are an exciting read. There was never a dull moment reading these and I can whole heartedly recommend them.
Personally I can't wait to get my hands on the fifth book, A Dance With Dragons, and I really should reread the other four again before that, but I'm not sure if I have the time, as they are very long books and not of the kind that you can burn through in a day or two. If I were to rate them right here and now I'd say they're all somewhere in the 4-5 stars category. Martin is a superb author and his books loved around the globe.
I love these books. I love the characters. I love the universe.
SvarSletIt is incredible how Martin keeps coming up with new and exciting stories and the way he put's you in the shoes of the characters.
The villians are not just evil because the book says so. When reading from their point of view you can really relate to them and even sometimes understand them.
And the way some characters goes from complete bastards to become anti-heroes, and vice verca, is magnificent.
And lastly the fact no mercy is show. Noone is spared. Not women, not children.
I have personally felt sick several times when children get hurt in so many many horrible ways in the books. But at the same time that realism is what really make Ice and Fire stand out.
Great review. Keep up the great work.
Part of me wants to read these. I studied Arthurian literature at university so the whole medieval fantasy aspect really appeals.
SvarSletUnfortunately, after reading several books of bad fantasy (think elves, orcs and pointless quests that go on for 700 pages), I swore off the genre.
Read them!
SvarSletThey are like no fantasy ever before. The fantasy elements are actually rather rare. Nor Orcs, Elves and Wizards all over the place.
Hardly any magic at all.
@Shaz - I'm agreeing with Dennis here, you should definitely try these. They don't contain the usual fantasy elements like that, no orcs no elves, nothing like that.
SvarSlet@Dennis - Thank you :D
Another medieval fantasy? Awesome. I will certainly have to look this guy up the next time I am at a bookstore. :)
SvarSletI've been trying to reread all four of them but have had a rough time getting started with A Game of Thrones, especially because of the darkness of the story which is something I'm not in the right mood for at the moment, but I can definitely recommend them. If you like Arthurian mythos you will find that this series has many elements reminiscent of those from Chretien de Troyes, and the tone is close to that of Mallory's La Morte D' Artur; this is some of the best Fantasy I've read.
SvarSletOh my gosh I got the first book for Easter and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!
SvarSlet@Cat - Awesome! :D
SvarSletI can't wait for A Dance With Dragons. I've been re-reading the other books in the series so I'm ready for when it comes out. I've been surprised by just how good the books are. To manage to sustain a readers attention for thousands of pages is a remarkable achievment. I can't recommend these books enough.
SvarSlet@James - they are utterly brilliant. I can only admire Martin for being capable of writing like that. Can't wait either for the next :D
SvarSlet