Friday, April 1, 2011

A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Series

Yay! The first day of the A to Z Challenge has begun! Today, I'm cheating a bit with my letter but that's okay because I'm a rebel and here's me having a rebellion...


Day 1: A Song of Ice and Fire

In a land where seasons span years and summer has lasted far too long...Winter is coming...


A Song of Ice and Fire book series is written by George R.R. Martin. It is a fantasy series unlike any you have read before. It's raw, real, and completely head turning. Currently there are four books: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows. Last month we received the release date for the long awaited, A Dance with Dragons!

What first turned me on to the books was not only the depth of the story, but the amazing ability of GRRM to write in various voices. From a coming of age young lady to a stunted and disgruntled dwarf and back to a protective mother of five and on to a father just trying to live his life honorably and prepare for the coming winter, GRRM gives them all a uniqueness all their own. Instead of being broken up by chapters the books switch narrative and as the series progresses readers gain access to a growing number of characters which causes viewpoints and truths to shift and twist.

If the bookworm in you still isn't screaming to pick up these books, perhaps this will persuade you. If you haven't heard, HBO has picked up the story for their show "Game of Thrones" on April 17th. To say I'm excited for this show is putting it lightly. What I'll Be Looking for in HBO's a Game of Thrones. (no book spoilers in link) The network has put in a large chunk of cash into creating this world and has come up with some of the most creative marketing strategies I have ever seen. You may not have time to finish the books before the premier, but it's never too late to start reading!

Also, I always feel like I should warn people before picking up these books. They are not for the faint of heart. If you love fantastical romance where nothing bad ever happens, you may not take to this story. These books capture the reality of the politics of war and the fight for power while also bringing in an element of magic and fantasy. I've enjoyed them for their truth and for the underlying social statements that are portrayed, but that's not to say I've been frustrated by several plot twists.

If you happen to pick them up or have read them, let me know what you think!!
(Also, welcome to all my new followers! I hope you like it here!)

Awesome deal for all four books:
George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones 4-Book Boxed Set: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire)

11 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. (Sorry for the deleted comment--needed to fix my misuse of simple words. >_>)

    They sound very interesting! I think I'll give the first one a try and see what it's like.

    I have to ask, though--when you say the stories aren't for the faint of heart...well, I can handle a lot in books, but there are some I've come to the conclusion are not for me. For example, Terry Goodkind's "Wizard's First Rule" was too detailed on some horrible aspects of things. Can I ask how explicit these books might be? (Like...are there detailed torture or rape scenes? 'Cause I don't know if could handle that. Torture, okay, I can handle if it's not every. single. detail and drawn out forever. I can't watch movies that have this sort of drawn-out, detailed thing, either.)

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  3. The books don't got into too explicit of detail in either of those subjects. Although both topics are alluded to and mentioned with some description, but it's not too vivid or drawn out. There are murder scenes that can be intense. GRRM doesn't hold back in the way of handling those issues, but he doesn't dwell on them either. Hope that helps!

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  4. That helps a lot, thank you! I'm going to go order the first one from my library right now and give it a try. :)

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  5. Were you able to sign up at the A-Z Challenge blog? No way am I going to look at all 1000+ names to try to find you, LOL.

    I've added you to my writing blogroll.

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  6. I did sign up at the challenge blog(#703), but I forgot to let you know on your blog until just today.

    I wouldn't want to look back at all those names either! I can't believe how big this thing has grown. Your blogroll really helps condense the list. Thanks for signing me up! :)

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  7. Great tip--always looking for good books! (=

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  8. The series sounds great. I might just watch for the show on HBO too and see how it is! I need a new show to watch.

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  9. Hee hee, I should have known you would choose this for "A"! :D

    I tried hard but I couldn't take to the books at all. I still have them and I have thought about trying them again but I haven't got around to it yet :(

    Great first post for the challenge! I am looking forward to reading more! :D

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  10. I love the name of your blog. As soon as I saw it, I could hear the song in my head. I grew up in the Flower Child years and have fond memories of the hopes of that time!

    I haven't read fantasy in a while, but did you ever read the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey? I did enjoy reading that back in the day.

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  11. I normal don't read fantasy books so i was very new to these types of books. I love that althought the story is very involed and detailed he breaks it up so that the story moves along.great for new and old lovers of fantansy genre.

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