Dark tales of ice and fire

A Song of Ice and Fire starts out with the Seven Kingdoms under one rule – the Iron Throne at the capital, conveniently called King’s Landing. The ruling House is the Baratheons, who deposed of the Mad King Targayen. Troubles stir as rumours arise that the wealthy and ambitious House Lannister are plotting to take over the throne. After the mysterious death of the King’s Hand (prime minister), Lord Eddard Stark of House Stark, a close friend and confidante of King Robert is summoned to King’s Landing to take over the job of the King’s Hand. So begins a series of events which would lead you through a murder mystery, an incestuous secret, lots of Machiavellian political play and backstabbing as everyone wants the Iron Throne for him/herself.

For such a complex backdrop, it takes a while for the characters and the world to be introduced, which makes the first fifty pages or so of the first book seem a little dull. But bear with it and you will be rewarded, as when the conspiracies and drama takes off, you are in for a roller coaster ride as Martin drives you through cliffhangers and hair-raising thrills.

The story is told from first person POV of different characters from both Starks and Lannisters. Every character has their own narrative arc, and the breath and variety keeps the story fresh. Join the honourable Lord Eddard Stark as he navigates the treacherous political landscape in King’s Landing; follow the exiled young princess Daenerys Targaryen as she seeks to reclaim the throne that was rightfully hers and loses her innocence on the way; partake with the witty dwarf Tyrion Lannister in his decadent indulgences, misadventures or just revel in his razor-sharp wit and equally sharp tongue. Those are but a slice from the large pie of characters. And as you progress from book to book, more new characters are introduced. But fear not, you wouldn’t end up with having to read and memorize 20 character’s worth of story – for when you play the game of thrones, you either win or you die. That brings me to another aspect of Martin’s writing: people die in his story.

Going against conventions of popular entertainment, Martin does not stay the guillotine with some conceived dues ex machina just because the character in deep shit is a main character. In a recent interview with the New Yorker, Martin stated that he wanted the readers to feel that “they love the characters and they’re afraid for the characters.” The fragility of the character’s fate makes you more sympathetic to the characters’ lives and you gasp when the characters gasp.

Adventures and all, the heart of the story is the drama between the characters. The complex interplay between the relationships and motivations of the characters is one of the books’ strength. In some way, the books feel like a narrative in Machiavellian politics, with each party conniving in their own plot to get into power and trying to call the bluff of their enemies. It is a smart thriller and if you are one of those who enjoyed the intricacy of Inception, you would probably enjoy the intricate web of politics in A Song of Ice and Fire.

George R. R. Martin may be called the American Tolkien, but his writing is certainly not Tolkein-esque at all. The subjects Martin deals with in his book would probably rile Tolkien’s sensibility. He shows medieval life the way they are – sometimes romantic, but most of the time harsh and cruel. There is a lot of sex in the story too. It makes you wonder sometimes, when reading Tolkien, where are the whorehouses in Gondor? How do hobbits do it? How about the elves, what does being immortal do to your sexual urges? Well, Martin does not answer those in his books, but his characters are like you and I, and they do think of sex quite a lot.

There is also a characteristic lack of magic in Martin’s books. Unlike archetypical fantasy books, magic is very sparse in Westeros. It is like our world, where magic is a thing of legend and superstition. That is why when magic is mentioned; a sort of awe accompanies it, as if it is a miracle.

Every once in a while, there comes an author with an imagination so verdant, and the skills to bring the story alive and inhabit it with an intriguing cast of characters as rich and complex as a rainforest. George R. R. Martin is one such. A Song of Ice and Fire was the herald of an age of fantasy writing that is darker and feels more ‘real’.