Dying of the Light

by George R.R. Martin
339 pgs

Nearly twenty years before A Game of Thrones was published, George R.R. Martin's first novel Dying of the Light was released. Having taken a sabbatical from reading his "A Song of Ice and Fire" series until Martin finishes it (or dies first), I decided I'd go back into his earlier catalog and see what he wrote back when he was releasing books at a less infuriating pace.

Dying of the Light is a science fiction story set in Martin's "Thousand Worlds" universe, in which I understand several of his other earlier works also take place. Worlorn is a dying planet. it doesn't revolve around its own star like most planets do. Instead, a decade or so ago, its took it temporarily near enough to a red giant star for the planet to become temporarily inhabitable. Terraformers, biologists, and architects from neighboring worlds came to Worlorn and formed a civilization. But now, Worlorn has moved further and further away from the red giant, the civilization built there has almost completely died off.

The story Martin sets on this unique planet is ambition and quite entertaining. But for myself, I inevitably compared it to the ASOIAF books, and not surprisingly, I ended up feeling a little let down. Martin's potential as a writer and storyteller is evident in this book. But the book shows he had a long way to go before he was ready for the magnitude and scope of the series that solidified his place among the greats in the genre...a series I hope both of us live long enough to complete.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

A Feast for Crows

by George R.R. Martin
(753 pgs  A Song of Ice and Fire series #4)

I love this series, and it's become the quintessential series for fantasy readers since it began several years ago. But that being said, A Feast for Crows fails to deliver. Maybe Martin is a victim of his own success with this one and it's just that the three previous books were each so fantastic, that this one pales by comparison. Nevertheless, it wasn't what I've come to expect from him.

It's well written, and I'm sure the events that take place will end up being important to the over-arching story of the series. But as an individual book it's missing several important qualities. It doesn't answer any of the lingering questions from the previous book, some of the most important characters in the series (ahem, Tyrion!?) never show up at all, and the book doesn't contain a complete story. All necessary, in my mind, to every book in a series. Especially one that its readers have been forced to wait years in between books.

But it's a testament to just how good the series is, that my frustrations with the weakest of the books so far only makes me that much more excited to read the next one.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

A Storm of Swords

by George R.R. Martin
(924 pgs  A Song of Ice and Fire series #3)

When I reviewed A Clash of Kings I said I'd try to wait about eight months before I read the next book in Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. My goal is to pace myself so that I finish the last book written shortly before the next book is published. I hate to wait on books in a series, and Martin is no "a book every year" author. I actually made it 10 months this time, so I'm pleased with my strength and internal fortitude.

That being said, the book was fantastic! The series gets better with each successive installment, which is saying a lot. I won't bother with a summary, since the book is just part of a much bigger story. Rather, I'll give a couple quick reasons why I'm so impressed with Martin and the books.

First, people die. I'm not talking side characters either. There are hundreds of characters in this series (enough to fill several pages of "who's who" at the end of each book) and dozens of them are central to the story. But none of them are safe. I should have learned that lesson while reading the first book, but I still find it startling and surprisingly rewarding every time it happens.

Second, stuff happens. These are not 800-page Tom Clancy books that you have to wade through the first 400 pages of before something significant to the plot happens. Martin successfully manages to keep several plates spinning at once with all of his characters and subplots and he maintains a relentless pace for each one.

I can't recommend these books enough, but I do so with the warning that they're not for the frail or easily offended.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A Clash of Kings

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
(728 pgs  A Song of Ice and Fire series #2)

In general, I'm not a very patient person. But with reading GRRM's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, I'm not going to have much of a choice. He's written five of the seven books so far, but the last couple have come at a rate of one every 5-6 years. So I'm trying to space them out as I read them. My goal is to stretch it out so that I finish the fifth book around the time the next one is published. We'll see. I read the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones eight months ago and have been waiting patiently to read book two, A Clash of Kings.

I hesitate to say too much about the story itself, since it's a series in progress and I can't say much without revealing plot points from the first book. So rather than provide a summary, I've decided to explain why I'm liking the books as much as I am.

First of all, for a fantasy story it has an overall sense of realism. There are elements of the fantastic throughout, but so far they haven't played a major role. Instead, it's the depth of the host of central characters that GRRM writes so well that drives the story. The characters are never either good or evil, they're always both. There is no quest to destroy a ring, nor is there the journey of an orphan prophesied to save the world. At the center of the series is a throne - made of iron spears. Surrounding that center are the machinations of both men and women who want the power that comes with it.

Next, GRRM doesn't follow the traditional formula for a character-driven saga. No character, no matter how central to the story thus far, is guaranteed to still be living by the end of the chapter. At first it was a little jarring when a major character was lost, but it gives the story a sense of uncertainty that compels the story along. And it emphasises the fact that the story is not about a central figure.

Next, GRRM's writing is head and shoulders above almost all others in his genre. I mentioned it when I reviewed AGOT, but I compare his writing to what I usually only find when I read classical literature.

Overall, a great book, a great series. I'll be patiently awaiting next spring when I'll allow myself to read A Storm of Swords.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A Game of Thrones

by George R.R. Martin
(674 pgs  A Song of Ice and Fire series #1)

I hesitated when I went to the label of this post in order to identify this book's genre. Before beginning the book, I thought it would be pretty straight forward. It's the first in Martin's epic fantasy series: A Song of Ice and Fire, and not having watched any of HBO's new series based on the books, I assumed it would be similar to Lord of the Rings or one of the other fantasy series I've read. This one is different. Not to detract from anything else in the genre, but A Game of Thrones possesses a maturity that its counterparts and most books of any genre don't usually have. It's a maturity that I usually only read in classic literature.

While there are still elements of the fantasy genre in it, these elements are not the prevailing characteristics of the book. The book lacks orcs and elves, and while there is a dwarf, he's the type of dwarf you see on TLC these days and not the battle-axe-wielding type in a Tolkien book. (Although Martin does arm Tyrion with an axe during one battle scene, maybe as a tongue-in-cheek nod to Gimli?) 

It takes place in a time when things are out of balance. Summer has persisted over the past ten years, but an equally long winter is anticipated. And just as the warmth of the summer is ending, so too is the precarious peace that has existed under the reign of Robert Barathean, King of the Seven Kingdoms. A game is being played by some - the game of thrones. And as Martin mentions several times in the book, when you play the game of thrones, you either win or you die.

If you enjoy fantasy books, you can't do better than A Game of Thrones and you probably know that already so I'm preaching to the choir. If you don't typically enjoy or read fantasy, I am confident that you will enjoy this one. If you're going to read the series, and I strongly recommend you do, be prepared to make a significant commitment. So far there have been five books published with two more anticipated. Each of them is a doorstop - at least 700 pages long, and there is a phone-book-size list of important characters to keep track of. But it's worth it. Don't believe me? Take some other peoples' word on it. James Rollins, or this Deseret News Review. 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★