A Game of Thrones

George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy novel was first published 15 years ago, but between the HBO series and A Dance With Dragons due in July, awareness is at an all-time high. Copies of the book have been flying off the shelves on leathery wings and magically appearing in eReaders everywhere. Cries of "For Winterfell!" have been heard reverberating across subway platforms and mall parking lots. Portly gentleman with chin-beards walk the streets with confidence. It is a glorious time to be a geek.

With weekly installments being parceled out by Home Box Office, I will offer only the most general of summaries. Thrones takes place predominantly in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, a land where there are no set seasons and winter can last for years. The narrative is comprised of three main storylines- that of a sacred brotherhood patrolling a gigantic wall of ice, a spoiled exile and his sister attempting to raise an army in a foreign land, and a power struggle over the coveted Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Like the Holy Trinity, the three stories are one, and a complex history is shared between them. It is a history that lays the groundwork for the thousands of pages and hundreds of characters to come. read more »