Things I Like: A Song of Ice and Fire

The first article in a series called Things I Like.

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The first three books in the series. The fourth, "A Feast for Crows", is not pictured.

What it is

A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of books by George R. R. Martin. He’s written standalone novels and edited collections of short fiction and written/produced for television, most notably running the USA series Beauty and the Beast which starred Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton. Ice and Fire is his most ambitious work: it was originally planned as five books, but after a creative detour I think it’s supposed to end up as seven. The first three which are pictured above were released in 1996, 1998, and 2000. The fourth, detour stop #1, came out in 2005, and the fifth is due (finally! ) this July.

I wouldn’t be intimidated by the number of books or backlog of pages to read, though. If you’re a fan of dynamic and interesting characters and unpredictable storytelling from multiple viewpoints — if you miss Lost one quarter as much as I do in other words — I recommend that you give it a try, one page at a time. There’s plenty of story left for everyone to experience, and if this is for you (only one way to find out!) you will be glad you tried it.

Ice and Fire is being adapted to a series called Game of Thrones on HBO that will premiere April 17. It appears the plan is to do adapt one book each season. Based on the trailers (1 2 3) and screener impressions I think it is going to be very literally adapted and very good.

What it’s about

I won’t reveal anything in the plot past page 90, and due to the multiple-viewpoint storytelling that is less plot than it sounds like.

Westeros is a body of land similar to medieval Europe that was recently ruled by a violent family called the Targaryans who decorated themselves with imagery of dragons. In the distant past they literally used dragons to wage wars, but dragons like all other fantasy elements in this world only exist in legends. Robert Baratheon is the current king — in the war where the Targaryans were taken out he carried a warhammer that I don’t imagine I could lift off the ground but now he’s a drunk. His wife belongs to a family called the Lannisters who, for the most part, are beautiful, rich, and treacherous. Her twin brother was a member of the last two kings’ royal guard of seven knights, the earlier of whom he betrayed and killed on his own throne to end the war. The story in the first book revolves around Robert’s friend from the war, Ned Stark, who rules in the cold north. Robert visits him and makes a life-altering offer that he’s unable to turn down.

The entirely non-fantasy story of this kingdom and the various families who plot to take over would be enough, but as it turns out all of these guys should really chill out and prepare to deal with a threat in the “Free Cities” in the east (think historical Middle East or just Egypt in Raiders of the Lost Arc). The last two Targaryans who weren’t slaughtered, a teenage brother and sister, have been sneaked over the water and raised by a wealthy merchant. The brother wants his kingdom and to that end he arranges for his sister to be married to a chief of a savage, horse-worshiping people (think Native Americans crossed with Mayans I guess) who can raise an army of thousands.

But as it turns out, everyone mentioned should chill out and prepare to deal with a threat in the north beyond The Wall, a massive… wall that divides the kingdom from forests to the north where mythical creatures were supposed to have lived. The Wall is manned by an order called the Night’s Watch who wear black and are not allowed to have families or take sides in any war, only guard The Wall and freeze their fingers off. Their numbers have dwindled (because who wants to do that?) and the men that they are sent are for the most part rapers and thieves. Their ranging parties have been disappearing in the forest, and the un-ruled people that live north of The Wall and even some brothers of the Night’s Watch have been fleeing south even though the punishment if they’re discovered is execution.

I’m glad to report that in writing the last two paragraphs the obvious reason that the series is called A Song of Ice and Fire (the snowy north and dragons) just dawned on me. So this blog was good for something! [Update: or not. Thanks @Brandon_Postal ].

Anyways, what’s unique about this story is the way that it’s told: bit by bit through focal-point characters from all over the world. Each chapter heading is the name of one of these characters: “Bran”, “Eddard” (Ned), etc… and in that chapter we’re in a tight point-of-view of that person. Among others, most of Ned’s children get story lines and each is a fleshed-out character in a unique situation. Villains in earlier books become focal point characters in later ones and you see another side to them.

How I discovered it

During one of my co-ops at IBM I met a smart and extroverted, some might say cantankerous, fellow intern who recognized me as a smart and introverted, some might say submissive person. Out of the blue one day he said “Do you read?”. I said “yeah” and he said, “Well, you should read A Song of Ice and Fire, it’s really good.” He gave me a pitch similar to the one you just read or skipped over, and out of a mix of intimidation and free time (in future articles I’ll explore what else I did with that precious time in Durham) I picked up A Game of Thrones the next weekend at the mall. The following weekend I picked up the next two books; not because I’d finished Game of Thrones but because I’d read enough to know that I would read as much of this series as was available at the time. The intern asked me how I was liking it and I told him with pride that I was getting through 50 pages each night. He scoffed, “I used to read 50 pages during one class at school“. Oh well.

Why I like it

I like books with a lot of dialog, all of the more when it’s between unique characters. They can be especially devious, humorous, etc… I mentioned the author’s background as a TV writer; I think that experience shows in the many memorable conversations between characters.

The best example is the character that is obviously the author’s favorite (and it would be obvious even if he didn’t share that fact in interviews): Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion is the younger brother of the beautiful to look at and conniving twins I described above, but while he’s conniving enough he’s a dwarf — a human midget, not a cave-dwelling Tolkien/Disney creature — who is referred to condescendingly as The Imp. He’s aware of his deficiencies but also of his strengths: an intelligent mind and tendency to be underestimated. Unlike his siblings and father his moral compass definitely leans closer to good than evil, but at the same time he’s loyal to his family and has no mercy for his enemies: the gold-loving family’s motto is the doubly interpretable “A Lannister always repays his debts.” When I’m ready to take a break and turn the page to find the beginning of a Tyrion chapter I have a hard time not staying up to read it immediately.

I picked an excerpt before my self-imposed limit of page 90 (this is 47). Tyrion is talking to Jon Snow, a bastard that Ned brought back from the war 15 years ago:

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    "You're Ned Stark's bastard, aren't you?"
    Jon felt a coldness pass right through him. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.
    "Did I offend you?" Lannister said. "Sorry. Dwarfs don't have to be tactful. Generations of capering fools in motley have won me the right to dress badly and say any damn thing that comes into my head." He grinned. "You are the bastard, though."
    "Lord Eddard Stark is my father," Jon admitted stiffly.
    Lannister studied his face. "Yes," he said. "I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers."
    "Half brothers," Jon corrected. He was pleased by the dwarf's complement, but he tried not to let it show.
    "Let me give you some counsel, bastard," Lannister said. "Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your stength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."
    Jon was in no mood for anyone's counsel. "What do you know about being a bastard?"
    "All dwarfs are bastards in their father's eyes."
    "You are your mother's trueborn son of Lannister."
    "Am I?" the dwarf replied, sardonic. "Do tell my lord father. My mother died birthing me, and he's never been too sure."
    "I don't even know who my mother was," Jon said.
    "Some woman, no doubt. Most of them are." He favored Jon with a rueful grin. "Remember this, boy. All dwarfs may be bastards, but not all bastards need be dwarfs." And with that he turned and sauntered back into the feast, whistling a tune. When he opened the door, the light from within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king.


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What I can’t share are the plot twists, betrayals, and deaths that occur and are well-earned in every case. If you want to talk about them with me I’ll be more approachable than my intern friend .

How I’m liking it again

I enjoyed the first three books immensely and began checking George R. R. Martin’s website and later blog for updates on the fourth frequently. And checking. And checking. The fourth book was released after I returned from the co-op in Durham, graduated, got married, moved back to Durham, and bought a house a year later. I enjoyed it less: it’s heavier on passages of description that earn the title “A Feast for Crows”. The excellent characters are there (with one memorable new viewpoint), but some stories were left out completely to be included in this Summer’s “A Dance with Dragons” which takes place in parallel to Feast. Worse, I had forgotten the details of the plot and names of most of the characters since so much time had passed.

When the fifth book was announced last month, I decided to read the series again from the beginning. Excitement for the HBO series might have been a supporting factor . In another example of serendipity that gives me pause to think, the re-read coincides nicely with my family’s plan for another big move in May, from Raleigh, NC to Portland, OR. We recently moved into an apartment and I wanted to do something by myself to mark the weeks, like watch an episode of a favorite show or short season every weekend. After the book announcement I risked life and limb to unpack the Ice and Fire books from their prison under layers of boxes in a small closet. I have Feast for Crows in hardcover and it was in another box that I couldn’t reach, but as it turns out that’s for the better (coincidentally?) because when I counted the pages in the first three books I found that I could read a manageable 30 each day to finish on the day before we move. Then I can read Feast in June and be completely ready for Dance in July. My plan in picture form:

I will never claim to not be a nerd. I will wear it as my armor .

What I like that’s similar

The imagery in the trailers for the show and casting of Sean “Boromir” Bean might lead to comparisons to The Lord of the Rings, and ok the author likes to quote Tolkien’s “The tale grew in the telling” frequently and might include “R. R.” in his name as an homage, but when I describe this series to people I tend to downplay the fantasy elements. They’re there, but pop up infrequently so far. In terms of what I like the most, I’d compare Ice and Fire to the shows Lost or The Wire or the book The Stand which all feature multiple viewpoints, memorable dialog, and engaging story lines.

A few years ago I read the series Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams because I’d read that it inspired Martin to write his own epic series. I think the mixture of real history and cultures and fantasy elements is what he wanted to try himself. It’s a more straightforward story with fewer viewpoints and more clearly defined good/bad characters, but I was engaged enough to read all of the books. The first book of three (really four since the third book is in two volumes or one giant tome) is The Dragonbone Chair.

Where to read more about it

One more time, the author’s blog. If you’re a fan of football and especially the Jets or Giants you might have fun looking through his archives.

More information about the books and series than I can share is at fan-site Westeros.org.

Information and trailers for the series are at HBO. Sunday April 17

Most importantly, the first book (or audiobook).

Thanks for reading!