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SETTING: The story takes place in three separate settings, following three separate, yet connected, story lines:
- The Seven Kingdoms, a nation on the continent of Westeros.
- The Wall (an actual wall made of ice, stone, and magic) that separates the Seven Kingdoms from the North.
- The East, in various areas, following the Dothraki people.
SUMMARY: Ongoing unrest between all the different houses in this fictional world, and the looming arrival of a harsh winter (seasons last for years; the novel begins near the end of a decade-long summer), motivate the various characters to face a difficult crossroad: fight for what they believe in or take the easier route and follow those who will give them the best reward, either monetary or, in most cases, the option to keep their life.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "'The heart lies and the head plays tricks with us, but the eyes see true.'" - page 532.
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Like many other people I know, I've been in a frenzy to jump on the Game of Thrones bandwagon. Apparently HBO has done an exceptional job translating this story into a TV series, and I'm missing out on a whole lot! But, as usual, I REALLY wanted to read the books before diving head first into the show, and a friend was kind enough to lend me the first book! Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to read in between school and other personal projects I had going on, so it took me a very long time to finish the novel. Hopefully though, now that I'm on summer break, I'll have the chance to zip through the other four. I am a little bummed out that the remaining two haven't been written, and considering the author has a history of taking years to finish one novel, I'm already anticipating how disappointed I'll be once I reach the end of the fifth book. I can't even begin to imagine how the patient fans, who began this journey in 1996 with the publication of the first novel, must feel!
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Things I liked about this book:
- IT'S AWESOME! First time I've ever audibly said "wow" after finishing a book.
- The author doesn't hold anything back. He doesn't feel the need to censor ever.
- The emotions! Because the author is not afraid to introduce very taboo and horrifying subjects, I became overwhelmed numerous times while reading and had to set the book down to take a breather. I even abandoned it for an entire two-week period because my mind kept wandering back to what I had read when I was supposed to be studying.
- The multiple third-person narratives. The author gives a well-rounded view of what's going on.
- Strong character development. Multiple characters, but because of the use of third-person narratives, I felt that I had a clear idea of each character's personality.
- The strong female characters. It's a man's world... ruled by women (except on the Wall- no women allowed).
- "Winter is coming." A simple, eerie, and forceful statement echoed throughout the entire book. It's brilliant that the author was able to create such a memorable, meaningful phrase with three words.
Things I didn't like about this book (but not in terms of content):
- Many of my favorite characters died, and the amount of death took a little getting used to. Again, this book's style was something I hadn't ever encountered.
This is the first fiction book I've read that mentally challenged me to keep going, even with all the abovementioned positive points (I'm mentally challenged by nonfiction all the time, mostly because I find it boring and tedious). Some of the themes are really disturbing, but because it is written so well and the story line is fantastic, I had to keep going. The list of likes is much longer than dislikes, and I could easily continue with the likes, but long posts are a drag. I hate buying books, but if I can't find book 2 at my local library, I'm definitely going to cave in and buy the lot. I have a precious two months to spend as I'd like (for the most part), and reading the remaining four books are at the top of the list. YAY SUMMER :D
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Recommend? YES. PLEASE READ.
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