A Game of Thrones

George R.R. Martin launches a new fantasy series with "A Game of Thrones", first in a five-book series. (Book 5 is not yet published.) I usually resist reading series until all the books are available, if I can help it, ever since I got hooked by David Gerrold's War Against the Chtorr series, which the author still has never finished writing. Be that as it may....

Martin's approach to this wide-ranging tale of kingdoms, lords, direwolves, dragons, and war is to write from multiple characters' viewpoints, rotating chapters so we see events as they unfold from different viewpoints. We get to know the characters not only by what they do, but by how they interpret what they witness. It's a good device if used skillfully, and in Martin's case, it is.

Also helpful is a map of the Seven Kingdoms, which helps the reader place the events. It takes a good while to work through the various characters and their alliances, but the method of storytelling allows this to unfold naturally. The reader never feels as if s/he is subjected to what I call "info dump". (Less skillful authors resort to this from time to time, especially in SF/fantasy, where the reader is forced to swallow myriad pages of history or other background information in a huge undigestable lump. Martin, thankfully, spares us this.)

A Game of Thrones is primarily concerned with the Stark family, holders of the northern kingdom of Winterfell. There is Ned Stark, father and lord, friend to the high king. Other chapters introduce us to his wife, Catelyn; bastard son Jon; legitimate son Bran; and daughters Sansa and Arya. In the north, even in summer, it is cold and snowy, and the summer has lasted nearly ten years, but soon real winter will be coming.

The king, Robert, comes to Winterfell to ask Ned to serve as the Hand of the King, the second in command in the Seven Kingdoms. With Robert comes his wife, Cersei; Cersei's twin brother Jaime; and their dwarf brother Tyrion, all from the house of Lannister which is known for its treachery. When Bran Stark, seven years old, sees something he should not, he suffers a fall that is meant to kill him.

A great start to what promises to be an absorbing series.