A Dance With Dragons

A Dance With Dragons
by George R.R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5
read: 2014

There's some stuff that happens in this book, like the introduction of "Young Griff," that makes me think George R. R. Martin might be making things up as he goes along. That doesn't bode well for him finishing the series.

A Feast for Crows

A Feast for Crows
by George R.R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4
read: 2013

The first three novels of A Song of Ice and Fire move the plot forward continuously, but George R.R. Martin takes the series in a different direction for book four, A Feast for Crows. Several of the point-of-view characters from the first three novels don't appear here, and the story spreads out in scope to encompass some settings that had been largely ignored in the earlier books, notably the Iron Islands and Dorne.

We also see more detail on two elements that had been touched on in the previous books. One is religion. Arya takes refuge at a church of the Many-Faced God in Braavos, and the head there suggests that the Many-Faced God (death) is worshipped in all religions, for instance as the Stranger in the Faith of the Seven. We also get some insight into the Drowned God and the Storm God and the religion of the Iron Islanders. The leadership of the Faith of the Seven changes, and we see both Cersei and Brienne interacting with the new, more pious heads.

The role of the "common man" also comes to the forefront. The changes in the Seven are propped up by popular support, Doran Martell is very concerned with the popular reaction to his moves in Dorne, and Aeron Greyjoy calls a kingsmoot where the new King of the Iron Islands is elected by popular acclaim. "It is being common-born that is dangerous, when the great lords play their game of thrones," a character says at one point. By this, the fourth novel, the common folk are tired of being trampled on and less interested in who has the best "claim" to the throne than what is best for their well-being. It will be interesting to see if this populist movement continues in the remaining books.

A Storm of Swords

A Storm of Swords
by George R.R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3
read: 2013

Damn. What a bloodbath.

A Clash of Kings

A Clash of Kings
by George R.R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2
read: 2013

I started watching the HBO series Game of Thrones before reading the books in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, so I have the perspective of knowing some of what's going to happen. It's interesting where the book and series differ. The first season of the show tracks the first book A Game of Thrones, pretty well. Season 2, based on A Clash of Kings, deviates a bit more. I'd say there are two main impulses: 1) cutting on down on elaborate battle scenes, I'm guessing primarily for cost reasons but also because of time and maybe also because there aren't a lot of little person stunt doubles for Peter Dinklage, and 2) cutting down on the sheer number of characters in Martin's series. Rather than introducing a whole bunch of minor characters and historical characters throughout the series, it's just easier to ascribe actions to more-established characters so we don't have to constantly ask, "Wait, who is that guy?" There are enough characters, honestly. I would probably be pretty lost reading the series if I hadn't seen it on TV already.

A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones
by George R.R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1
read: 2013

Professor Corey Olsen, in his course on J.R.R. Tolkien, starts the class by talking about medieval literature. One of the characteristics of medieval literature is an affection for the past: modern life is decayed, corrupted, and generally inferior to days of yore. In George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, we see some themes along this line - the disappearance of dragons, the loss of magic, the softening of youth who have never seen winter - but it's impossible to argue that the novel glorifies this era. The world is dirty. Poor people eat raw rats. Even kings die of infection. Death by freezing, hunger, and exposure is everywhere. Incest, rape, and bastard children abound. We mostly see Martin's world through the eyes of the kings, lords, and knights, but we're reminded throughout that the poor are starving, freezing, miserable, and constantly at the mercy of those who play "the game of thrones."

Moral ambiguity also sets A Song of Ice and Fire, the larger group of novels A Game of Thrones is part of, apart from other fantasy worlds. There isn't a dark evil force that the good guys are battling. The Lannisters do some awful things, but Tyrion Lannister is one of the most sympathetic and likeable characters. The morality is a lot less black-and-white than in most novels of the genre, and that sets up some interesting dynamics, where characters the reader likes are pitted against one another.