Bec Wilkinson

Game of Thrones Books – Synopsis & Reviews Before it was a prime time television show, Game of Thrones was a legendary book saga (released as ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series), enjoyed by everyone from teenagers to stay at home parents to retirees. Since the first book was released back in 1996, American author George R. R. Martin has published a total of 5 award winning novels, with another 2 proposed to finish off the series. What is it about this series of high fantasy novels that readers find so utterly compelling, so impossible to put down? And perhaps more importantly, what is the correct Game of Thrones book order?! Game of Thrones Books in Order Part 1 – Game of Thrones Books in Order A Game of Thrones – first published in 1996, winner of the 1997 Locus Award and New York Times bestseller. A Clash of Kings – first published in the UK in 1998 (1999 is the USA) and winner of the 1999 Locus Award. A Storm of Swords – first published in 2000, winner of the 2001 Locus Award, the 2002 Geffen Award for Best Novel and so long that it’s paperback edition was published as two separate books in some countries (Part 1: Steel and Snow and Part 2: Blood and Gold). A Feast for Crows – first published in 2005 and nominated for a total of 4 literary awards. A Dance with Dragons – first published in 2011, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and winner of the 2012 Locus Award. The Winds of Winter – expected to be released sometime between-, with the novel estimated to be over 1500 pages. A Dream of Spring – unknown release date, but the author has been firm in his conviction that this will be the final book. Part 2 – An Introduction To Each Book A Game of Thrones – Book #1 How do you summarise an 800 page book? The first novel in the Game of Thrones book order is actually composed of three stories, told from the point of view of eight separate characters. The main portion of the book reads like a medieval court drama, highlighting the politics and conspiracies of the noble Stark family who live in the mythical Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The second story follows the life of exiled Princess Daenerys, descendent of the last royal family and exiled on another continent. The final story arc follows an illegitimate son of the noble Stark family, Jon Snow, who is a member of an elite military unit known as the Night’s Watch. Reader Reviews: This book polarises readers – goodreads.com seems almost entirely comprised of either five or one star reviews. Perhaps it was best summed up by reader ‘Lisa’ who wrote the following: “I loved it, I hated it, I couldn’t put it down, I vowed never to pick it up and read another chapter…I went on an emotional roller-coaster ride.” A Clash of Kings – Book #2 Book two in the Game of Thrones book order, A Clash of Kings delivers on the titles promise. A bleeding star causes differing cultures to believe alternate prophecies are being fulfilled, leading to five separate kings clashing for power. Meanwhile, rumours are drifting across the sea that exiled Princess Daenerys has dragons at her disposal, creatures believed extinct for over 100 years. As the kingdom is ripped apart by chaos, riots and dissent spread amongst a people. All of this conflict climaxes in the epic Battle on the Blackwater, the outcome of which will decide the ongoing fate of the land. Reader Reviews: Perhaps because those who didn’t enjoy the first book didn’t go on to read the second, A Clash of Kings enjoys a much higher reader rating on goodreads.com (4.38 stars out of 5). Reader ‘Melissa’ said that the things “that utterly enthralled me from the first book—the complex and endearing characters, the mystery and intrigue…—was there in the second, and was amplified.” A Storm of Swords – Book #3 In a word: regicide. This theme recurs throughout A Storm of Swords, which takes place in the aftermath of the Battle of Blackwater from book two. A series of marriages, designed to cement peace and forge alliances within the Seven Kingdoms, instead are met with treachery, deceit and murder. Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea Princess Daenerys purchases an army for herself and sets off on a determined conquest of Slavers Bay, sacking cities and taking on the title ‘Breaker of Shackles’. To the North, Jon Snow and the members of the Night Watch face treason within the ranks and an enemy they are ill prepared to battle, culminating in the selection of a new Lord Commander. Reader Reviews: Given 4.5 stars out of 5 (based on over 344,000 ratings on goodreads.com), A Storm of Swords continues the success of this series, although one fan described reading it as being akin to the horror and morbid fascination that comes from witnessing a car accident. Reader ‘Nataliya’ said this book “made me root for the death of a child…, love a hated character, cry angry tears, and bite my nails because of all the suspense.” A Feast for Crows – Book #4 Focusing more on the lesser characters of the Seven Kingdoms, A Feast for Crows continues with the themes of royal intrigue, plotting and betrayal. Legendary stories of the conquests of Princess Daenerys grow more epic in their re-telling, as she continues to defeat her enemies in Essos. Meanwhile, the bloodshed of the previous novel has left a power vacuum within the kingdoms, leaving royal households and their many rivals scrambling for power and greater military advantage. This lust for power results in a kidnapping, the unwise revival of a disbanded military order and a kingsmoot calculated to provide the Iron Islands with a new king. Reader Reviews: Not rating quite as high with fans as previous books in the series (but still a respectable 4 out of 5 stars on goodreads.com), A Feast for Crows was essentially written as one half of a two book volume. For this reason, reader ‘Justin’ describes it as “by necessity filled with unresolved storylines, AWOL main characters, and lengthy travelogues where nothing of importance happens.” A Dance with Dragons – Book #5 In a departure from the previous novels, the fifth book in the Game of Thrones book takes place concurrently with its predecessor and focuses on some of the characters whose stories were omitted from the previous book. Jon Snow is shown struggling with hard choices as the new Lord Commander of the Night Watch, facing a looming and deadly threat to the North. Meanwhile, Jon’s younger brother (previously assumed dead) journeys north of the Wall in search of a creature he sees in his dreams. In the South, Daenerys has declared herself Queen but, finding her new subjects opposed to her liberal policies, agrees to marry in an effort to stop the bloodshed. Reader Reviews: The recurring theme amongst the reviews on goodreads.com (where A Dance With Dragons rates a 4.2 out of 5), is that this book includes a lot of necessary but not overly interesting plot lines. It was described by many as a necessary chore to read, and by reader ‘Joel’ as resembling an episode of Lost - mainly a bunch of nothing but then ending on an epic cliffhanger that leaves you thinking “I can't wait to see what happens next!”