I
must apologize for being away so long. Between working two jobs,
applying for Grad school and trying to have at least a tiny bit of a
social life, I haven’t done much review writing. I’ll be honest
with you, friends, after I get home from a long day of working two
shifts, I basically just stare at my computer screen and do
absolutely nothing. I think about all the things I could be doing,
but the energy to actually do them is just not there.
I
have, however, managed to read a few books since my last posting. As
all of those books have been part of the Song of Ice and Fire series,
I’m going to do a general review covering books 2, 3, 4 and most of
5, as I’m still finishing that one.
A Song of Ice and Fire
Author: George R. R. Martin
Publisher: Bantam
George
R.R. Martin knows how to keep readers on their toes. This story is
not one where a reader can look at a certain character and just know
that they will make it to the end of the book. Just when the audience
starts to think to themselves, “Okay, this character is playing a
huge part in the story; there’s no way they’re going to die,”
Martin pens a scene that just destroys you as a reader. I have heard
friends say that when they had finished certain scenes, they slammed
the pages closed in anger and threw the book across the room. Those
are the kind of responses Martin elicits from his readers. And that,
I believe, is a testament to his ability to create lovable and
relatable characters.
As
mentioned in my review of A Game of Thrones, Martin’s story is more
about the politics of the fictional kingdom of Westeros than it is of
the few magical creatures that inhabit the lands. The young king
currently seated on the Iron Throne is rumored to not be the
legitimate heir of the late King Robert. This sparks a war in the
kingdoms, with multiple persons laying claim to the crown; Stannis
Baratheon, older brother of the late king; Renly Baratheon, Robert’s
younger brother; Robb Stark, son of the former Hand of the King, Ned
Stark; and across the narrow sea, Daenerys Targaryen, heir of the
former royal family of Westeros, is gradually making her way back to
her home land, gathering an army and raising the last three living
dragons in the world.
On
the other hand the kingdom is also dealing with the impending winter,
one that is expected to last for several, several years. In addition
to the cold weather and snows, there is something else lurking in the
northern lands, beyond the wall. Creatures that were long thought to
be extinct, after missing for a thousand years, are beginning to
resurface, killing every warm-blooded creature they come across. The
wall separates them from the rest of Westeros but with the worst
winter in centuries about to descend on the kingdoms, things are
changing – will the wall be enough to keep the people safe?
There
is never a dull moment, as Martin always ends a chapter with a big
reveal or on a cliffhanger. The novel is told in third person and
each chapter focuses on a different character. The only problem with
those cliffhangers is that you may go a hundred or so pages before
you get to see what happens next with each character. It does,
however, entice you to read the novel as quickly as you can, so you
can see what occurs. I am almost finished with the fifth book, “A
Dance of Dragons,” and this has been a big problem for me in this
installment. However, this isn’t a huge issue – because even
though I find it slightly annoying that I don’t know what happened
to Arya or Dany since I last saw them a few hundred pages ago, that
just keeps me wanting to read even more.
Martin
is a wonderful author who creates such dynamic characters – you
either absolutely love them and spend the days hoping and praying
that they will survive, or you hope they will get what’s coming to
them! As before mentioned, just because a character is
considered to be on the good side, that doesn’t mean they will
survive to the end. Martin’s style is very realistic – sometimes
good doesn’t win, people die and sometimes the bad guys are
successful. That’s why you can’t guarantee the safety of anyone
in the novels. When I reached the same scene in which my friend threw
her book across the room after reading it, I immediately understood
why. Though I didn’t throw my book, I was still shocked at what
took place on the pages in my hands. A character I was rooting for
and expected would survive throughout the entirety of the series
because they were one of “the good guys,” was suddenly killed in
the most horrifying way. It was at this moment when I realized that,
in keeping with the realistic medieval theme of the novels, no one
was guaranteed to survive.
I
can’t stress highly enough how much I recommend these novels. The
storyline itself is enthralling – who, in the end, will actually be
the king or queen of Westeros? Martin’s character development is
extraordinary. There are so many main characters in this series and
yet each of them has their own personality, their own goals and their
own breaking point. Not often do you see a novel or series of novels
in which you have some sort of attachment, whether positive or
negative, to nearly all the characters.
I
believe he is still working on book 6, which will be called “The
Winds of Winter.” I'm nearly finished book 5, “A Dance with
Dragons,” so in a few chapters time I will be one of those people
anxiously waiting for the publication date of the next installment.
The series, in general, is quite addicting and I encourage you to go
pick up a copy of the next book, or if you haven't started them yet,
do so! You will not regret it!
