Everybody who knows me knows that I'm OBSESSED with Game of Thrones. I adore the show (not the ending…), so of course I had to buy all the books and read them. This book felt like rewatching the entire show for the first time again. I was able to see every single scene in my mind because it was so similar to the show (obviously). I really like that the show didn’t change a lot of things, it was basically the same for the first book. I’m really excited to see the differences though because I’ve already read that there are some characters and events in the books that didn’t make it into Game of Thrones . Reading everything that happens in Season 1 was so much more intense than watching it. My heart was pounding so bad with every Ned, Arya and Sansa chapter. George Martin is truly an incredible writer! The emotions and thoughts of the characters make the story so much more real. I loved Arya and Jon’s relationship in the book. I feel like we didn’t get to see how close they were in the show but with the books you can see how much they cared for and loved each other. These two are my favs right now! »He would give anything to be with her now, to muss up her hair once more and watch her make a face, to hear her finish a sentence with him.« Basically, I enjoyed every single thing in this <3 I can’t wait to read the next books!! 4.7/5

Diese Welt ist ein einziges Rabbit Hole! Ich LIEB'S! Am liebsten hätte ein ganzes Buch allein zu den Familien Lannister, Arryn, Stark und natürlich Targaryen. Von Anfang bis Ende. I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING! Anfangs war es alles sehr (!) verwirrend und ich habe nun doch deutlich länger gebraucht als gedacht wegen all der Namen und immer wieder zu überlegen okay wo gehört der jetzt dazu, oder welche ist nun ihre Familie?! Aber es war auch einfach so gut! Es war fantasy, es gab so viele Familiendynamiken die mich völlig eingenommen haben, die verschiedenen Orte und auch wie sowohl die männlichen als auch die weiblichen Charaktere dargestellt wurden.... wie gesagt ich finde die Welt die George R.R. Martin da geschaffen hat ist ein einziges Rabbit Hole in dem es grausig, widerlich, aber auch schön und so bittersüß zugeht, das dich hineinzieht und nicht mehr loslässt, wenn es denn deinen Geschmack triff. Ich liebs auch dass es einfach so viel zu analysieren gibt. Gerade die Charaktere der POVs wir bekommen... Allerdings werde ich definitiv erst weiterlesen wenn ich wirklich alle Bücher habe also bis auf den letzten - vielleicht hat er es ja endlich fertig wenn ich dann alle Bücher habe ^^ Dennoch GROßE EMPFEHLUNG!

“A Game of Thrones” is the first book in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. Set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, the novel introduces a world where noble families vie for control of the Iron Throne, the seat of power in the Seven Kingdoms. Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, is appointed Hand of the King, leading him into a dangerous political game filled with betrayal, alliances, and dark secrets. Meanwhile, in the North, the ancient threat of the White Walkers begins to stir, and across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen embarks on a journey of her own, seeking to reclaim the throne her family lost. It‘s an impressive start to an epic series that immediately captivates with its complex world and well-developed characters. The slow pacing and detailed exploration of political intrigue particularly appeal to me. Martin takes the necessary time in the first book to lay the groundwork, which pays off later in a highly intricate storyline. I appreciate that the narrative allows room for gradual growth—both in terms of character development and interpersonal relationships. The variety of perspectives, including Catelyn, Daenerys, Arya, Sansa, Jon, and Tyrion, provides a unique insight into themes of power, identity, and survival. Particularly notable is Martin’s ability to center marginalized characters—such as women, bastards, and disabled individuals—which adds significant depth to the story and sets it apart from many other fantasy works. However, there is some criticism regarding how Martin portrays these marginalized characters. Some readers argue that female characters are often relegated to victim roles and that the repeated depiction of violence and trauma—especially against women—can be problematic. While these themes underscore the dark, realistic tone of the series, it may be difficult for some to reconcile the fact that marginalized characters are often faced with so much suffering. Nevertheless, Martin succeeds in giving these characters complex and multifaceted personalities, making the story even more compelling. The first book lays a strong foundation for the events to come, and I’m eager to continue the story in the following installments.

I love how Game of Thrones weaves together the stories of many different characters across the world, creating a rich and intricate tapestry. The world-building is exceptional, and the characters are complex and compelling. It's a truly immersive experience that I highly recommend for anyone who likes high fantasy or wants to get into it.

A real page-turner - epic rivalries, court intrigue, and lurking ancient powers. I was particularly impressed by the battles scenes. It's quite rare for me to relate to the excitement of some knights and lords going to war, thinking of it as some kind of a game. On the other hand, I did not really relate to most the characters, and I can see why some feminists are not too impressed. Fun to read, but I don't know when I'll get around to reading the second part.

I have finally finished this book and I really loved it. Some times it was quite boring for me to read some scenes because I watched the first season of the TV series at least 4 times. But still a fantastic good book with amazing characters. I am really excited for the second book in the series

5+⭐️ HIGHLIGHT Wow, I can‘t remeber any book that could catch me the way A Game Of Thrones did. I loved the different point of views and how every character had their own way of thinking. The plot twists were cruel and the book was full of surprise, grief, anger, hope and courage. I loved how unpredictable the story is and how there was no assurance that any of your beloved characters would get what they deserved. I‘ve never read a story that complex in English before, though I understood everything really well and I enjoyed reading any page. There were so many places, houses and names and nevertheless I was always able to follow the story. Big recommendation!❤️‍

Wow. What an epic book. I've watched the series and I love that but this was soooo much better. It was brilliant to see more detail in the story where the series had glassed over things, this had an almost behind the scenes perspective to it and filled in all the gaps. I had read a few reviews where the person didn't like the narrator but I really liked him. It took a while to get used to the different voices when they are so much different to what you see on the screen but it was still very good. I was expecting good before I read this but I got so much more. Loved it. It was epic and I am certainly carrying on with the next one.

I read this book in English and somehow expected it to be more complicated, but I understood it quite well. (Except that in my mind “after a fortnight” was on the day after tomorrow and not in two weeks…) With relatively short chapters it was nicely split and I could read at least one during a bus trip. At first I thought – as many have warned me about this – it would be confusing to read about all these different characters, from all these different angles, but it wasn't. I was quite captivated by the story and barely wanted to put the book away. The only thing that bugged me about the reading was that there were barely any – if at all – paragraphs and a chapter was a complete block of writing and all this with a rather small font. Martin is praised for his portrayal of strong female characters (read actual women) and I agree with this. His cast is that varied that you have all kind of different personalities and amongst them those highly praised strong women, but his men are just as diverse. I really enjoy the portrayal of the characters in the book so far, especially Arya and Daenarys. As for the men, I don’t know what to make of Tyrion. He’s an interesting character, with good advise and clever lines, but he still seems a bit too superior to me at times. I still enjoy the scenes he’s in though. Jon on the other hand is one of those characters that I don’t want to like, due to a possible death, but still do. I know I should not get too attached to the characters, but I already have a couple of favourites. With my luck in these kind of things will pretty much all of them die… I did not expect to like the book as much as I did, but it became the highlight of the books I read last year. I’m really curious how this story will continue and if those characters that I now know will even make it the the currently last book. Full Review: A Game of Thrones

I give Game of Thrones 4 stars because I think it was awesome and nice to read but outstreched at the same time. Sometimes I got tired of everything and sometimes the plot was really exciting and breathtaking. The POV's of each character were interesting to read and you were able to get a good look at each character's personality.

Omg, I've finally finished it after almost a year. I've read a few chapters every now and then cause this isn't something I could binge read. The writing style is really slow and not that passionate (?). Like it didn't get me emotional often. Maybe that's also because I already know the story from the series, but I feel like the emotions of the characters aren't described in such detail. It's more just telling what is happening (with much detail of the setting). The conversations are way better (best ones with Littlefinger. Only time I had to laugh, I think xD). I like the POV style of the chapters, and the length of them is also fine, but of course, there are more and less interesting ones. We get the POV of Eddard, Catelyn, Tyrion, Jon, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Daenerys. Since I already knew the story, I think the ones that are mainly focused on everything surrounding the actual "game of thrones" were the least exciting ones for me. So I liked the ones of the younger characters more. There were more insights that weren't in the series (though it was generally a pretty close adaptation so far), and the characters seemed a bit more emotional. Jon has always been one of my favorites, and I love his friendship with Sam. Everything around the wall is also pretty interesting to me, but moreso in the later story. That's why I also like Bran, whose story connects to the fantasy elements with his dreams, and so on. Arya is also a favorite of mine, as a girl who wants to fight instead of just becoming someone's wife. I just love characters that go against the norm of the world they are put in. Surprisingly so, I also really enjoyed Sansas chapters. She is annoyingly naive, but it is realistic for the young girl she is, and interesting seeing her perspective in contrast to the others. In terms of realism and ages, though, I am glad the series aged them up, especially Daenerys... Besides Sansas naiveté, which would also fit a 13 years old, she and the other children act more mature than they are. One could argue that fits the world they live in, but I don't know. Their thoughts just let them seem older to me, especially the really young ones. Anyways, I am not sure how to rate this book. Maybe I would've liked it more if I didn't know the series, but I am not sure if I would have even made it through without that. There are so many characters, and I was happy to at least have a picture for some of them and knew who was important (if I remembered). It was slow, and therefore sometimes boring, though the worldbuilding is great, and I like many characters. I hope the next books will be better since this is only the beginning. I wanted to read the books cause I know it differs from the show a lot later on, and especially after that butchered ending, I wanted to know what was really going on. Hope the next volume doesn't take me a year again, but I am also in no rush xD

Haven’t watched the series which i felt made the story even better! A long read and sometimes tough but once i got into the flow of it, it was a really exciting read. The different point of views from different characters aided the story incredibly and pushed the plot along well. This also made me personally feel more connected to the characters. I will most definitely be reading the entire series after this book!!

Sehr guter Einstieg in die Reihe Ich lese Fantasy eigentlich nur ab und an mal, aber aufgrund des Hypes wollte ich mir GoT nicht entgehen lassen - und zum Glück. Denn es ist nicht so fern der Vorstellungskraft wie High Fantasy. Man kann sich sehr gut in die Szenen in Westeros und herum einfühlen. Ich weiß gar nicht, ob ich es wirklich als Fantasy bezeichnen würde, manchmal fühlt es sich für mich eher wie ein historisches Drama an. Die Kapitel sind immer aus Sicht eines Protagonisten geschrieben und damit wirkt das Buch sehr kurzweilig. Dies führt dazu, dass die verschiedenen Handlungsstränge - die auch immer an anderen Orten stattfinden und weitere Charaktere vorstellen - von verschiedenen Perspektiven erläutert werden und die Personen zum Teil selbst nicht wissen, was der Leser bereits aus anderen Kapiteln weiß. Außerdem gefällt es mir für den Lesefluss sehr gut, dass die einzelnen Kapitel nicht zu lang sind. Und häufig endet das Kapitel mit etwas Überraschenden oder einem Cliff Hanger, sodass man immer wissen will, wie es in dem jeweiligen Handlungsstrang weitergeht, aber dazwischen liegt nun mal ein anderer Protagonist. Dieser Aufbau ist aber auch einer der wenigen Kritikpunkte, die ich an dem Buch habe. Denn durch diese Struktur wurde ich häufiger herausgerissen und habe die kurzen Kapitel dazu genutzt, dass Buch häufiger mal aus der Hand zu legen und nicht weiter zu lesen, weil ja nun eh ein anderer Handlungsstrang im nächsten Kapitel anstand. Sicherlich ein besonders Highlight in Game of Thrones sind die Charaktere. Diese sind wirklich eindrucksvoll vorgestellt und durch kleine Sub-Texte und Dialoge werden immer wieder einige weitere Charakter-Eigenschaften offenbart. Ich weiß von einigen, dass sie die vielen Charaktere, gerade zu Beginn, sehr verwirrend fanden. Ich liebe allerdings Geschichten über Adelsgeschlechter ("Häuser") und ihre Verbindungen, sodass ich mich gut in diese Szenen rein versetzen konnte. Häufig musste ich schmunzeln, wenn innerhalb weniger Absätze die Hochzeiten und Verwandtschaftsbeziehungen der letzten Jahrzehnte, gar Jahrhunderte erläutert wurden. Am Ende des Buches gibt es aber für jedes Haus eine Art Stammbaum zum Nachlesen.

Just gave the english version of the books a chance; read the german version some years ago. Apart from the amount of pages that I am saving now, it is way better to read than the translation. Still, the books really miss any real climax and just float by. Let's see if I manage to read all of them. Oh, and so far the show from HBO really resembles the story of the book.

Actual vote: 4.5 stars Martin è senza dubbio un bravissimo scrittore. Delinea i personaggi in modo cosi dettagliato che sembrano veri, umani, con i loro pregi e difetti, doppiogiochisti, onorevoli, orgogliosi o umili. Ti ci fa affezionare o te li fa odiare, ma come se fossero persone, quindi quello che sta simpatico a me può non stare simpatico ad un altro e via discorrendo. Di questo libro mi è piaciuto quasi tutto, in primis la scrittura o lo stile, per intenderci. Ciò che non mi è piaciuto non sono le morti che già sapevo perché ho visto la serie TV (anche se fino all'ultimo speravo che non accadessero), bensì i POV di alcuni personaggi prettamente noiosi o paranoici. Tutto cio, però, lo considero relativo. Mi spiego: anche in quei capitoli dove mi sono rotta le scatole succedeva qualcosa o veniva spiegato qualcosa di importante, infatti per questo li ho apprezzati. Ciò che mi ha fatto tentare il suicidio più volte è il modo in cui alcuni personaggi metabolizzano gli eventi (avete visto che sono veri? Vi prego, ditemi che non sono l'unica a pensarlo). Ad esempio, Sansa! Spero che si dia una bella svegliata prima o poi perché è tutta un "Joffrey mi ama e anche la regina mi ama" oppure "ripeti a memori tutto quello che ti hanno insegnato a dire in queste situazioni". Oppure Catelyn! Miiiii! "Devo essere una Stark". I personaggi che dicono questo tipo di frasi ("devo comportarmi da...devo dimostrare di essere qui, là e insà") mi stanno sulle balle. Cara Catelyn non sarai mai una Stark, ma un l'insopportabile e rompipalle Tully! Oppure Bran... Martin, ma ti pare?! Non era meglio fare morire lui e tenere in vita Khal Drogo?! Perché devi storpiare un ragazzino che da paralizzato è inutile come una nutria e mi fai morire Khal Drogo per una morte stupida?! vabbe tralasciamo, tanto è inutile parlare con Martin... Insomma il tutto per dire che i personaggi sono vivi e sono legati da intrighi politici di tanto di cappello. Consigliato? Assolutamente si! Anche a chi non è amante del fantasy dato che di Fantasy ha relativamente poco. Passatemi il concetto. Gli elementi fantasy in questo libro non sono portanti. I personaggi sono umani e la trama si snoda tra intrighi di corte, non attraverso un sistema magico.

3,75 Stars I think it took me more than 4 years to finally finish this book. I made the mistake of watching a few episodes of the TV Show before starting the book and therefore it was so boring to me in the beginnig. This changed after I finally pulled through the first half of it. Thank you to my fellow Buddy Readers!! After that I was really into it and started to find the story even exciting :D But there were still so many names at some points, that made it really hard to focus and follow the plot. And there were twists I didn't expect! Book 2 is alraedy waiting in shelf :D Hopefully it doesn't take another 4 years for me to read it !