The Fantasy Review’s brief guide to everything you need to know before reading A Game of Thrones.
George R.R. Martin‘s epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the greatest fantasy series of all time. Starting with A Game of Thrones, this colossal world has an incredibly rich history, amazing characters, and a plot that will keep you guessing!
Check Out: our Review of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The Setting
A Game of Thrones takes place on the continent of Westeros which is made up of seven main kingdoms ruled by one monarch from King’s Landing.
To the north of Winterfell stands The Wall, a massive wall of ice that protects the seven kingdoms from the Others. Across the Narrow Sea to the east is the continent of Essos, but you don’t need to know much more than that about the locations before reading A Game of Thrones.
The Great Houses of Westeros
Westeros is ruled by many noble houses, each controlling a region and having their own bannermen. The main houses you’ll meet in A Game of Thrones are:
- House Stark: Lords of the North – their House Words are: “Winter is Coming.”
- House Lannister: – their House Words are: “Hear Me Roar.”
- House Baratheon: The current royal house – their House Words are: “Ours is the Fury.”
- House Targaryen: The former royal house
Memorable Locations in Westeros
- King’s Landing: The capital of Westeros built for Aegon the Conqueror. It is here The Iron Throne sits, made from the swords of his conquered enemies.
- The Wall: A massive ice wall defending the realm from threats in the far north. It is manned by the Night’s Watch.
- Winterfell: Home to the Starks. Once where the Kings of the North resided, now the Starks are the Wardens of the North and subjects of the ruler of Westeros.
Check Out: A Game of Thrones Chapter Summaries and Analysis
Why Should You Read A Game of Thrones?
Despite A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin not being completed, and perhaps it never will be, A Game of Thrones is the start of one of the best fantasy series of all time.
This book is all about the political intrigue, morally ambiguous characters, and genre-bending archetypes. There are twists and turns you will never see coming, and as the series goes on the subplots continue to thread a complex pattern through the main story.
If you pick up A Game of Thrones expecting something more like Tolkien’s work, you will be in for quite a shock! This is a grimdark, dark fantasy that has some focus on realism, so anyone can die at any moment, and not come back to life (like Gandalf!).
