My Friday Shout Out post is where I like blog about some books from the past. Not necessarily from the distant past but something that isn't current. A book that I feel is worth mentioning and it being rediscovered.
This weeks Shout Out goes to George R. R. Martin
A Game of Thrones (A song of ice and fire, #1) by George R. R. Martin
Release Date - January 1st 1996
Paperback, 864 pages
Published by Bantam Books
Buy it on Amazon.com
Add it to goodreads
Description (from Goodreads)
"Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.
Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones."
My Review
I first read this story when I heard it was being made into a HBO television show so of course I had to read the book first. Set in a fictional medieval land, this story has everything, battles and violence, sex and love even tenderness and loyalty. The chapters rotate between many characters in the story of ice and fire series, in A Game of Thrones we are introduced to Jon Snow, Tyrion, Cersei, Arya, Bran and many others.
Because the chapters change back and forth with the characters you get a much more rounded story and experience it through each of their eyes.
Daenerys Targaryen has to be one of my top two favorite characters. She is so brave at facing her fears forced upon her by her own brother. She embraces her life and forever holds on to the hope of avenging her fathers death and returning to Westeros as its queen.
Perhaps on the back of a long extinct dragon.
Jon Snow is another favorite. Branded a bastard and therefore never allowed to be a real part of the family. He was treated with ugly glares and a cold shoulder from Catelyn, his stepmother. Although he was still loved by his half brothers and sisters these are probably the reasons why Jon volunteered to swear a vow and become a man of the nights watch up north to the Wall.
He is also the one who found the direwolves that each of the Stark children possess. Jon's was the runt of the litter with all white fur and red eyes, his name is Ghost.
Would I ever love to own of just like him :-)
There are so many more characters but I will just mention a few.
Arya is for sure a little boy trapped inside a little girls body. She wants nothing to do with girly things and would much rather wrestle or sword play with the boys.
Eddard is a very honorable man and will never do something that he feels is wrong.
Joffrey, what an asshole. Enough said.
Little Finger, watch out for this slimy guy. He's incredibly intelligent and does a very good job of playing the game of thrones.
The television show did an excellent job of creating this wondrous world and stayed right on track with the book. I am eagerly waiting for the season 3 première. With A Storm of Swords, book #3 sitting beside me.
I give this story a 5 out of 5 stars.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯✯
Definitely an exciting adventure.
Something that else that I feel is worth mentioning about this series is that two of my favorite book quotes ever come from A Clash of Kings, book #2 and A Storm of Swords, book #3. I will share them with you.
"A bear there was,"
"A bear, A BEAR!
"All black and brown,"
"And covered with hair!
"Oh come they said,"
"Oh come to the fair!"
"The fair? said he,
"But I'm a bear!"
"All black and brown,"
"And covered in hair!"
"And down the road,"
"From here to there,"
"From here!To there!"
"Three boys, a goat,"
"And a dancing bear!"
"They danced and spun,"
"All the way to the fair!"
"Oh! sweet she was,"
"And pure and fair,"
"The maid with honey,"
"In her hair! Her hair,"
"The maid with honey,"
"in her hair!"
The bear smelled the scent,
"On the summer air!"
"The Bear! The Bear!"
"All black and brown,"
"And covered with hair!"
"He smelled the scent,"
"On the summer air,"
"He sniffed and roared,"
"And smelled it there!"
"Honey on the summer air!"
"Oh I'm a maid,"
"And I'm pure and fair,"
"I'll never dance,"
"With a hairy bear,"
"A bear! A bear!"
"I'll never dance,"
"With a hairy bear!"
"The bear,the bear!"
"Lifted her high,"
into the air!"
The bear, the bear!"
"I called for a knight!"
"But you're a bear!"
"A bear! A bear,"
"All black and brown,"
"And cover in hair!"
"She kicked and wailed,"
"The maid so fair,"
"But he licked the honey,"
"From her hair!"
"Her hair! Her hair!"
"He licked the honey,"
"From her hair!"
"Then she sighed and squealed,"
"And kicked the air,"
"She sang: My bear so fair,"
"And off they went,"
"The bear! The bear!"
"And the maiden fair!"
Loved this song that first appeared in A Clash of Kings but is repeated through the series. It makes me smile.
“You know nothing, Jon Snow ” - Ygritte
Love this line from A Storm of Swords! Whenever my hubby is wrong about something I say this to him.
Other books in the song of ice and fire series.
Definitely an exciting adventure.
Something that else that I feel is worth mentioning about this series is that two of my favorite book quotes ever come from A Clash of Kings, book #2 and A Storm of Swords, book #3. I will share them with you.
"A bear there was,"
"A bear, A BEAR!
"All black and brown,"
"And covered with hair!
"Oh come they said,"
"Oh come to the fair!"
"The fair? said he,
"But I'm a bear!"
"All black and brown,"
"And covered in hair!"
"And down the road,"
"From here to there,"
"From here!To there!"
"Three boys, a goat,"
"And a dancing bear!"
"They danced and spun,"
"All the way to the fair!"
"Oh! sweet she was,"
"And pure and fair,"
"The maid with honey,"
"In her hair! Her hair,"
"The maid with honey,"
"in her hair!"
The bear smelled the scent,
"On the summer air!"
"The Bear! The Bear!"
"All black and brown,"
"And covered with hair!"
"He smelled the scent,"
"On the summer air,"
"He sniffed and roared,"
"And smelled it there!"
"Honey on the summer air!"
"Oh I'm a maid,"
"And I'm pure and fair,"
"I'll never dance,"
"With a hairy bear,"
"A bear! A bear!"
"I'll never dance,"
"With a hairy bear!"
"The bear,the bear!"
"Lifted her high,"
into the air!"
The bear, the bear!"
"I called for a knight!"
"But you're a bear!"
"A bear! A bear,"
"All black and brown,"
"And cover in hair!"
"She kicked and wailed,"
"The maid so fair,"
"But he licked the honey,"
"From her hair!"
"Her hair! Her hair!"
"He licked the honey,"
"From her hair!"
"Then she sighed and squealed,"
"And kicked the air,"
"She sang: My bear so fair,"
"And off they went,"
"The bear! The bear!"
"And the maiden fair!"
Loved this song that first appeared in A Clash of Kings but is repeated through the series. It makes me smile.
“You know nothing, Jon Snow ” - Ygritte
Love this line from A Storm of Swords! Whenever my hubby is wrong about something I say this to him.
Other books in the song of ice and fire series.
A Clash of Kings, #2
A Storm of Swords, #3
A Feast for Crows, #4
A Dance with Dragons, #5
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