From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

George R.R. Martin

Start date: June 9, 2011

Finish date: July 1, 2011

Discussion: Previous BOMs - Authors; A - D

Why we're reading this: Here is a link to the discussion:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5... Started as a buddy read and lat…more
[close] Here is a link to the discussion:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5... Started as a buddy read and later was voted to be part of our third series read.

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Previous BOMs - Authors; A - D

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What Members Thought

Apr 03, 2015 Trisha rated it liked it · review of another edition

"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

I'd started this one a year ago, almost to the month, and stopped after being half way done. It's a daunting book, with a cast of characters that is massive and intertwined. I found that it's a book I need to devour quickly, in just a few sittings, getting through as many pages uninterrupted as possible. Because to put it down is to start losing all the connections and intricacies of the relationships, the sly wor ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

May 27, 2012 Jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fantasy, five-stars

I will tell you all the truth: I do not like fantasy. Truly. I don't know if I'm still scarred by the summer I forced my way through all of Tolkien, but I do know that the barest mention of elves or knights or fair maidens will send me scurrying away. In addition, I'm not a fan of political intrigue, nor of really long books that start really long series. So why did I try this one?

I don't like the feeling of dismissing an entire genre based on a few bad apples, so I was looking for some good fan I will tell you all the truth: I do not like fantasy. Truly. I don't know if I'm still scarred by the summer I forced my way through all of Tolkien, but I do know that the barest mention of elves or knights or fair maidens will send me scurrying away. In addition, I'm not a fan of political intrigue, nor of really long books that start really long series. So why did I try this one?

I don't like the feeling of dismissing an entire genre based on a few bad apples, so I was looking for some good fantasy. I knew about Game of Thrones from the tv show (which I haven't seen) so I clicked on the page. I read the first few reviews and noted a few others like me - not fans of fantasy - who had liked the book. I took it with me out of town and gave it a try (this may or may not have led to me reading at 3 am in a hotel bathroom so I wouldn't wake my husband... I'm not saying!)

Simply put, this is a great book. It isn't without flaws, but none of those flaws bothered me in the least while I was reading. I loved all the characters, even the ones who seemed unloveable at first(Sansa!) The female characters were well drawn - not just for a fantasy, but in general. Martin chooses to tell the story POV style, with each chapter a different character. I loved that because it allowed the characters to feel real.

The plotline is interesting - political intrigue with some light fantasy (there is magic and fantastic creatures, but they aren't the focus of the story, nor do they solve all the problems/cause all the wars.) The politics did not bore me, though I confess by the end I was forgetting who belonged to which house (there are too many names that begin with T!)

My favorite character, without a doubt, was the dwarf Tyrion. He was wonderfully grey (neither evil nor good) and his dialogue felt more real than any of the other characters (they were not bad, but occasionally trended towards the overly formal language often used in these novels.)

I'm looking forward to the next in the series - and I'm thinking of trying some other fantasy novels soon! ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 09, 2012 Rachel N. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

There's a lot going on in this book so it's not easy to summarize. Robert Baratheon king of the seven kingdoms travels to Winterfell and enlists Ned Stark to be hand of the king. Meanwhile the two remaining taergearyns, whose father was the former king, are teaming up with the dothrakis across the bitter sea to reclaim the throne. I enjoyed this book but it's very dense and it took a really long time to finish it. I definitely want to know what happens to the characters so I am going to continue ...more

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Aug 03, 2013 Rebekah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: rating-4, genre-fantasy, genre-adventure, genre-adult, genre-science-fiction-fantasy, genre-fantasy-epic-fantasy, series, genre-epic

Ugh!

Okay I have not watched the television show and I prefer to read the source material prior to doing so, but GoT is all anyone is talking about, so I bit the bullet and started reading this series.

This book is frustrating! If you like women and/or children, then parts of this book are going to disgust you. Seriously, almost every woman and child is tortured, killed, raped, or all of the above. The misogyny is rampant. I am praying that the television show does not legitimately show children b ...more

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Mar 30, 2014 Snuffles rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy-horror, f-m, 2016

This took me a long time to finish, but since it's around 800 pages, it's pretty much the equivalent to four books, I suppose.

It took me a while to get into it, since I had seen the first season of the TV show and thought I pretty much knew exactly what was going to happen (especially since the beginning of the show is still rather close to what happens in the book), but then I got into it and reading became 'easier'. I have to admit that my impatient side has issues with books that long, becaus ...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Patti rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Imagine my surprise when I finally picked up this book and found myself totally involved in this story. No one was more surprised than I!!!!!

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Feb 03, 2012 Christal marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-aka-swords

Mar 13, 2012 Cider Morten rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-reads

May 06, 2012 Beverly rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Jun 16, 2012 Not Now...Mommy's Reading marked it as to-read

Shelves: kindle, a-song-of-fire-and-ice-series

Jul 19, 2012 Kayla rated it liked it · review of another edition

Aug 19, 2012 Wende rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-favorites, paranormal-vampire-witches-fantasy

Aug 28, 2012 Shanda Morency rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Oct 21, 2012 Jennifer Rodgers- Cabrera marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Oct 24, 2012 Cora rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, kindle, 1st-in-series, betrayal, epic-fantasy, animal-bonding, assassination, series, lost-in-fire

Dec 02, 2012 Michelle marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: on-the-back-burner

Jan 15, 2013 K Crickmore rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Jan 31, 2013 Kim DeCina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fantasy, amazing-characters, magic, dark, characters-of-color, fantastic-worldbuilding, beautiful-language, speculative-fiction, drama