(Untitled)

[rithi]

firstly, in response to deepa's questions: song of ice and fire is about... that's actually a big question. it's the story of a kingdom in turmoil, in the middle of a war of succession, and a kingdom that does not recognize its real peril, the Others. or the Other. depending on which religion you choose within the story. it's about a noble

Comments

[lessthanpleased]

George R. R. Martin uses the framework of the War of the Roses to tell a story of Byzantine politics: the Starks' (Yorks, perhaps...) conflict with the Lannisters (Lancasters, perhaps...) is a conflict that goes back approximately one generation, and is based around a bloody war to usurp the last king of Westeros

[lessthanpleased]

I can give more explanation about specific theme, metaphysics of the world, etc. etc. if necessary to sell someone on it. This really is my favorite fantasy series (although the Malazan series by Steven Erickson is a close second, and that one will be finished relatively soon: in a month or so, seven of the ten books will be published). Malazan is for people who like George R. R. Martin and also really, really like Jungian archetypes as an existent mechanic by which the universe functions.

If you'd like to chat about the stuff that pissed you off, create a journal entry set to "Closed/Private" screened so only I can see it to avoid spoiling stuff for your friends who you want to read this.

A review of the book which actually serves as a good analysis of why it works (Part One):

[lessthanpleased]

http://www.sfreviews.net/gameofthrones.html... )

Review (Part Two):

[lessthanpleased]

A host of brilliantly drawn characters brings the saga to life. Among the more memorable are Tyrion Lannister, the black sheep of the Lannister clan, stunted by dwarfism. At first the one member of Cersei's family remotely sympathetic to the Starks, he finds himself swept up in the growing turmoil between the two families until all of his skills at conniving must be brought to bear simply to stay alive. Jon Snow, a bastard son of Eddard's, rejected by Catelyn, joins the Night's Watch, a legion whose duty it is to guard an immense wall far to the north, beyond which lies a fearsome supernatural threat to the Seven Kingdoms. And in a fascinating subplot, we meet princess Daenerys Targaryen, one of the last surviving heirs to that unseated regime. Living in exile in a land far across the ocean (the book doesn't even provide a map to it) and having been wedded to a savage but noble warlord, she dreams of returning to her homeland one day and seeing the Targaryen name and its power restored

[anonymous]

Sounds fascinating. I'll have to pick it up sometime!
Deepa