A Game of Thrones

R.R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones” is a complex fantasy (part of his lengthy “A Song of Ice and Fire” series) following in the footsteps of many classic works. And although it might appear at the surface to be merely a homage to past novels, “Game of Thrones” twists the genre entirely, combining fantasy elements with plot devices reminiscent of a good detective novel. There’s twists and turns, false leads and slow-revealing clues; all of which add a new layer of depth to which might have been considered a standard fantasy novel.

The characters are another aspect which make this novel more modern and interesting. Ned Stark, who could be considered the lead, is the basic hero-type , but without the willingness to become the hero. He realizes the futility of a life in service to honor (in this case, the king), and instead chooses in many cases to do what he considers is best for his immediate family and his subjects. In a world coming out of a great war for the crown, Ned just wants the peace he fought for to be maintained. Amidst his strange setting, Ned is ultimately a realist and prizes his family’s well-being above any thought of personal glory.

Dany is also an interesting and unlikely hero. Once a princess, she and her brother were cast away from the throne as infants and sent into exile. They now live on the outskirts of “civilization”, and she is wed to the leader of a war-like band of nomads. Although this might seem like a typical role in fantasy novels, Dany is neither the shy, modest princess nor the warrior queen seen in many novels. When we are first introduced to her, she is nothing more than an emotionally and physically abused child who bends to her brother’s will to survive. However, she eventually breaks free of his control and comes into her own power as she learns how to use her intelligence to change her situation.

“Game of Thrones” has the potential to redefine the modern fantasy epic through it’s imaginative characters, captivating plot and epic length. It’s nod to more traditional works help to win over readers immediately, and the new twists it incorporates keep them intrigued for thousands and thousands of pages.

This novel shows that there are a lot of different ways fantasy can be presented, and that not every part of it has to be far-fetched. While the setting and many of the scenarios are fantastical, Martin’s characters stay very real and grounded. Even at 400 pages into the book, I was unsure of which characters I should be cheering for; they all had good qualities and dark secrets, and many of them had circumstances which might explain their behavior. I think that Martin’s characters have the kind of personalities which are often neglected in literature in general; there’s really no boring characters or stories going on.