George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) Review

Overall Rating

The point one immediately notices about this series is how very differently it is written. Very few authors and books can draw a person into the story and cut out the silly fluff of absolute characters or absolute power or on and on. Books like this one, the Harry Potter Series and Wish List by Eoin Colfer accomplish this; series like the Inheritance cycle, and the Golden Compass, while impressive for the imagination and volume, are repetitive in comparison. The main difference is that while all fantasy novels most make use of magic and, to some extent, dragons, the main theme does not revolve around a static character in a predictable and pointless roundabout fashion. Not to say those novels are bad, i have read them and like them a lot. However, they are not on the same level as the sheer romance, mystery, fantasy and intrigue that surrounds the writing styles of those previously mention. (All praise to the founder J.R.R. Tolkein). It is difficult to pull a bad point from a book such as this but if i must knit pick then i suppose that it must be the limited use of the prologue. That's really stretching though.