“Prepare yourself for the hard times. For the cold and harsh days ahead, for the days of darkness when all men must take a stand against what lurks in the night. Prepare yourself, for Winter is Coming.”

I picked up A Game of Thrones many months ago after reading about it on the internet, and learning the fates of several key characters but such is inevitable when you try to read about a book that’s thirteen years old. I was enchanted with the series and immediately went onto the second novel which I had ordered with the first, and ordered the third and fourth novels together.

The story of A Game of Thrones is told from the point of views of many characters so we get multiple stories. When Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, is called by his old friend Robert Baratheon the First of his Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, to be his Hand and rule side by side, it is the last thing that Eddard wants. But the king is surrounded by the Lannisters, a scheming family with more money than the kingdoms themselves, and whom Eddard does not trust. But the court of King’s Landing is a dangerous place for an honorable man like Eddard, and when he can trust no-one he must rely on those who he distrusts.

Far north at the Wall, the largest structure in the world, where the men of the Night’s Watch guard against the return of the mythical White Walkers, bastard Jon Snow prepares to undertake a life of service to the Watch. But he quickly learns that the Night’s Watch has fallen far in centuries past, and that this may not be the life he seeks.

Meanwhile across the Narrow Sea the dethroned royal heirs Daenerys Targaryen and her abusive elder brother Viserys, the rightful king, live in exile. Marrying Daenerys to a Dothraki Warlord, Khal Drogo, Viserys plans to retake the Seven Kingdoms with an army, but Daenerys will soon learn that it may be her who will return the Dragons to their rightful place as rulers of men.

The characterization in the novel is fantastic. From the honorable Eddard Stark who serves as a main character, his wife the loyal Catelyn Tully, to his children the feminine Sansa Stark, the wilful tomboy Arya Stark and the inquisitive Bran Stark, the crux of the cast are Starks. But the witty Imp Tyrion Lannister shows us the story from his side, and offers up many laughs along the way. And across the sea we have Daenerys Targaryen, who transforms through the book from a meek young girl into a strong confident woman.

And of course the characters in the background like the drunken king Robert, his manipulative wife Cersei Lannister and her twin brother Jaime Lannister, the infamous Kingslayer. With Jon at the Wall we see the fat craven Samwell Tarly, the cruel master-at-arms Alliser Throne and Lord Commander Jeor Mormont who takes a great interested in Jon. And with Daenerys we see her cruel brother Viserys Targaryen, the exiled knight Jorah Mormont, and Daenerys’ husband Khal Drogo, a fierce warrior and a loving husband.

The action in the novel is quite impressive. Swords clash in plenty of bloody scenes in the novel, at tourneys, skirmishes in the city streets and all-out war across the Seven Kingdoms. No guns are present but that makes the sword battles more impressive as we see them in more detail and number than most would expect.

The pacing is very good, considering that this is a long book and will take you some time to read. It keeps the reader interested with battles, treachery and an excellent story. No slowing down here.

The ending is brilliant. Not only setting the stage for the next book but going out on an incredible note, scene and final line. Delivering a brand of magic that is hard to replicate, Ser Martin has written a truly amazing ending that is very hard to top.

I give A Game of Thrones a 10/10 for a fantastic story, a wide cast of characters of which all are interesting, even the supporting cast, and for being the start of a truly wondrous series that has brought many new fans to fantasy.

Should you buy this book? YES! This is a fantastic series that is a must-read for any fan of fantasy and for any who want to read fantasy. Those who bitch about long periods between releases should be ignored, the books will take as long as they take and this is a series that’s worth the wait.

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