Nerds of the world!!! Pay close attention. I just finished the first book in the Epic Fantasy Series, A Song of Ice and Fire. It is a seven book series. There are currently four books published, number 5 comes out this Fall, and the last two will be out probably in the next three or four years. There are three main story lines throughout the series which are: a vast Civil War between several feuding families, fighting for control of the Kingdom of Westeros, the rising threat of the Others, a race of towering Giants and demon like creatures who live beyond the great Wall of Ice which is at the end of the Northern Border of Westeros, and the journeys of Daeneryes Targaryen, the exiled daughter of the rightful king who was killed in another Civil War 15 years previously and now plans to return to Westeros and claim her rightful throne. The Series was written by George R.R. Martin. Martin has stated that he and the series were greatly influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, the biggest difference between Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire is that Rings was influenced greatly by Mythology, whereas, Ice and Fire was influenced by Medieval History.
Book One, A Game of Thrones, takes place on the fictional continent of Westeros. There is also another unnamed continent to the East. The seasons on the continent of Westeros last for thousands of years. Summer is ending, and the freezing Winter is about to begin. This book was definitely not what I expected when I bought it. I was really excited to read a book full of dark magic, mythical creatures, and creative made up races of people. These items are found in book one, but I would say that it only makes up about 10% of the 700+ page book. At first I was disappointed and frustrated, but once I realized that these things were not going to be a major part of book one, I accepted the story for what it was and really began to enjoy it. Rather than a Fantasy feel, the book has more of a medieval feel. The story is full of knights, castles, sword and axe fighting, feuding, betrayal, and a touch of incest.
There are a lot of things that I really loved about this book. The fight scenes, whether they involve a couple of knights or entire armies, are told in vivid detail, are full of blood and gore, and plenty of creative strategy. The good guys don't always win. There are plenty of deaths in book one, including those of major characters. The diabolical and ruthless plotting of individuals to gain control of the Throne of Westeros is full of twists and surprises.
I'm not comparing this series to Harry Potter, but ever since that series ended, I've been craving another long fantasy book series. I'm happy that I decided to start the Song of Fire and Ice. If you are really looking to improve your Nerd Cred, I would recommend that you stop reading crap like Pride and Prejudice, and
start this series ASAP.
This Series has a huge following. Enjoy some of the Ice and Fire culture.
Fan Art
These handsome young men are engaging in the Game of Thrones Board Game/RPG
1 comment:
I stab you with my sabersword
Post a Comment