Epic read. “A Game of Thrones” is one of the few novels that wore me out (in a good way) after reading it. The gripping plot, the evolving characters, the overlapping deception, and the picturesque narrative of George R. R. Martin took me to a series of emotional highs and lows. Martin led me deeply to the land of kings and queens, lords and ladies, heirs and usurpers, even traitors and allies.
I didn’t watch the HBO series because I don’t want to miss the opportunity of conjuring my own images of the kingdoms and the characters depicted by the author. Actually, it was only when I finished the novel that I searched for the pictures of the actors and actresses in the series. Some actually fit the character I had in mind like Ned Stark, Daenerys, Drogo, and Cersei Lannister.
It’s hard to do a review when there’s so much to tell. I’ll probably do this the character sketching way. 🙂 All the characters playing in the game of thrones have one thing in common. They all gambled. They all risked something valuable to them. Some of them won, others lost. Not all of the characters wanted the throne but all of them swore allegiance to someone.
Ned Stark
Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell is the epitome of honor and loyalty. He became the right hand of King Robert Baratheon and stood by his side to the very end. His devotion to his family is poignant. He tried to protect them as much as he can even if it meant having to do something against his will. He is husband to strong-willed Catelyn Stark and father to Jon, Robb, Bran, Rickon, Sansa and Arya. Each of his children stood out in the novel. I love the feistiness of Arya, the faithfulness of Jon, the determination of Bran, and the coming of age of Robb. Sansa’s blind naiveté is intolerably annoying while Rickon’s innocence is heart-melting.
Cersei Lannister
Queen Cersei Lannister is married to King Robert. She is a blatant schemer and a very effective antagonist. She is twin to Jaime Lannister with whom she is having an incestuous affair. Her son Joffrey is the heir to the throne. He is a brat prince who knows nothing but make decisions to bloat his ego. Her other children are Myrcella and Tomnen, both of whom played minor parts in the story.
Daenerys Targaryen
Daenerys Targaryen, also known as Dany, is the last surviving member of the Targaryen dynasty. For the longest time, she has been used as a ploy by his brother Viserys to bring about his revenge to King Robert, who usurped the Iron Throne from them. I fell in love with Dany’s character. There’s strength in her vulnerability and tenacity in her distress. She married Khal Drogo, the chieftain of the Dothraki. Dany loved him with reckless abandon to the point of crossing realms that she shouldn’t cross for her beloved’s sake. The growth of her character was significant in every turn of the story.
Cersei aptly said, “When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.” Characters were pushed to both sides in this game. No one stayed in the middle ground. As a reader, I’ve won and lost as I took sides with some of the characters. It was an intense game to play and the element of surprise never ends. I’ll probably take a “breather book” before I continue with “A Clash of Kings”. It’s a hefty 800-page novel but I’m most definitely sure that it will be as epic as “A Game of Thrones”. 🙂
The Book Vineyard 