You Win or You Die: Four Reasons to Read "A Game of Thrones"

I don't normally read fantasy. I traditionally prefer my reading to be comedies, mysteries or thrillers, with the occasional professional or sociological interlude. I don't mind watching movies about high fantasy, but reading about it is something I generally avoid. I don't know why, but the suspension of disbelief is harder for me when I'm reading about alternate universes rather than watching it – if that makes me unimaginative, so be it.

The only magical concept I have truly been able to accept in my reading is The Force due to my overwhelming love of Star Wars. Plus, most fantasy is semi-formulaic and centered around the hero's journey, which makes them easy to predict. Fantasy novels may not always end how you expect, but you can reasonably forecast that the hero to complete his or her epic quest and come out on the other side successful, however worse for the wear they might be.

As such, I was apprehensive at first about reading A Game of Thrones when a friend loaned me the behemoth of a novel a few years ago. I'm glad I gave it a chance.

The world in the A Song of Ice and Fire universe is intricate, sprawling and mercurial. The characters are deep, fully-realized and easy to love/hate. And at the onset of the series, there isn't a magic wand or spell-bound tome in sight. It is an epic fantasy, but aside from the facts that Westeros isn't Earth and that seasons last years instead of months, it's easy to mistake the world for medieval Europe with its knights, royalty and heraldry. The majority of the cast of characters are human with nods to existing cultures in "the real world." In short, Westeros is a lot more relatable than, say, Middle Earth. There are a number of reasons why I feel that the A Song of Ice and Fire series is both intriguing and enthralling.

1. It's fantasy that isn't fantastical
2. Political intrigue by the bushel
3. Interesting and huge cast of characters
4. No characters are sacred

1. Non-fantastical Fantasy

As mentioned above, the world isn't full of magic and wonder. The world feels familiar and real, with the relative absence of magic being a big contributor to this. The author, George R. R. Martin, eases the reader into the fantasy tropes very slowly. Magic is nigh non-existant at the start, and the characters mostly believe supernatural forces and spells to be the stuff of myth and legend. It isn't until later on in the series that those forces begin to awaken and assert their presence in the world of Westeros.

2. Intrigue

The central plot of the series is a struggle for power. Several powerful families and prominent figures in Westerosi society have plots, schemes and ploys to undermine the rest of the realm and lay claim to the throne (hence the title Game of Thrones), and the times when these plans come into conflict are what make for the tense, gripping scenes in the series. There are so many plots, sub-plots and counter-plots occuring simultaneously that it's enough to make heads spin. Some reviewers on the internet have referred to the HBO adaptation as "The Sopranos in Middle Earth," which I think is apt.

3. The Cast of Characters

There's a long list of well-realized characters that change, mature and grow (in some cases, grow up) over the course of the series. There are a lot of characters, so many that I found myself flipping to the back of the book to check the family trees in the appendix. Despite the incredible size of the cast, GRRM still managed to craft each personality so that it had depth and motivation, and so that it fit perfectly into the larger plot and intrigue.

And they're fun! Take Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf with a sharp wit and a love of wine and prostitutes. His dialogue is always sarcastic and entertaining. Or consider Daenerys Targaryen, living in exile and growing up in an alien land. Every character has a fully-realized backstory and has a crucial role to play in the interplay of the plots and schemes.

4. No Sacred Characters

Since there are so many of them, the author has absolutely no qualms with off-ing them, even the "main" ones. In an effort to avoid spoilers for the uninitiated, I won't make reference to who, how or when characters die, but it's nothing like Gandalf dying in Lord of the Rings only to be resurrected and soldier on. GRRM will take a character that seems central, set them on a path, and then snatch the carpet from under them in cruel and fatal ways. In most fantasy you have a main character and you know the main character will make it through to the end. One of the benefits of having so many characters and so many point-of-views in this series, though, is it makes people expendable. You can lose a point-of-view or a prominent figure and the narrative won't be hurt. There is no "main character" in Game of Thrones. It gives the series an "anything can happen" feeling that you don't get in other stories. When I read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, I hurdled toward the conclusion believing everything will resolve in a satisfactory fashion and that Robert Langdon would crack the code, keeping the world safe. When I read Game of Thrones, though, I turned pages with a deep-seated fear that things were about to go very, very badly for the protagonist. It makes for a very different reader experience. There's a reason the HBO series used the tagline "You Win or You Die."

Even if fantasy isn't your thing, Game of Thrones is a gripping read. I've recommended it to several friends over the last few years and nary a one have been disappointed. If you prefer to let your imagination rest and watch the story come to life on screen, you can watch the HBO adaptation, which is faithful to the story and is well worth seeing even if you've read the book(s). Whether you read, watch, or otherwise drink in the story, you won't regret it.