A Game of Thrones Book Review

     The book I read and thoroughly enjoyed was A Game of Thrones, an 807 page novel By George R.R. Martin.  The story takes place in a World split into two parts, Westeros and Essos.  Each chapter in the book follows the perspective of a different character, giving you many different point of views.  The book makes it clear however that the true main protagonists are the Stark family as well as the Targaryan Siblings.  These two families are on Westeros and Esssos respectively, and are faced with multiple challenges among their travels.  The first main trouble that is encountered by the Stark family would be the attack on young Bran Stark, the prince of the Stark household.  When climbing along the towers and holdfasts in Winterfell, his home castle, he had witnessed something he shouldn't have, and was pushed from the high tower and sent into a coma once landing.  They had repeatedly attempted to assassinate young Bran in his comatose state because of fear that he might know something that could usurp the crown, but all assassination attempts fail.  However, when Bran does wake up he does not remember anything that took place before the fall.

     A second perspective can be viewed from Daenerys' eyes, all the way in Essos.  Daenerys is the daughter of the old Targaryan king, before the now king waged a rebellion and murdered him.  She was forced into hiding in Essos and is working on Gathering up an army for her brother to assist him in becoming king.  In order to do so she was forced into marriage with a barbaric ruler of a tribe in order to gain his army.  The trouble begins when Daenerys learns that she has more power than her now wimpy and abusive brother, and also begins to love her new husband.  This ends in her brother's demise and she ends up ruling the tribe alongside her husband.

     Daenerys is easily my favorite character.  Her character development shows her evolve from a weak, easily manipulated individual to becoming the strong leader she is at the end of the book.  She deals with so many shortcomings and bounces back from them so easily that it's hard to not admire her.  She was pushed around, forced into marriage, witnessed multiple deaths and adapted to a barbaric culture unknown to her, and still reigned as their queen on top of all the shortcomings.