A Song of Ice and Fire I: A Game of Thrones

In the far north, supernatural forces are slowly approaching the border with the kingdom, in the south, the king is threatened by betrayal, and one family will find itself in the middle of a conflict against its will.

Eddard Stark becomes King's Palatine at the request of King Robert, his longtime friend and comrade. Meanwhile, his bastard Jon Snow goes to the Wall to swear to the Night's Watch, celibacy, guarding and defending the kingdom. The boring everyday life on the Wall is interrupted by the appearance of the walking dead. And the Wall is the last line of defense. On another continent, the son of the deposed Mad King sells his sister to the leader of a barbarian company of riders in exchange for an army with which he intends to conquer the throne.

Many plots and intrigues lead to a deadly conflict - the game of thrones.

The novel tells the story of princes and ladies, knights and witches, murderers and bastards, whose lives are unexpectedly intertwined due to terrible omens that threaten the whole country. Plots, tragedy, betrayal and bloodthirsty crimes are the backbone of this novel in which the author questions the price of honor in the cruel game for the throne.

George Martin has a strong gift for characterizing characters, who may seem one-dimensional at first, but as the plot progresses and relationships become more complicated, and destinies turn, his characters weave the story of the Seven Kingdoms and other continents more and more realistically and vividly. The dialogue is quick and surprisingly witty, and the depictions of battlefield conflicts, death sentences and duels are drenched in gory and cruel detail. No one is spared, neither children nor the elderly. The reality of the war is expertly portrayed, as well as behind-the-scenes scheming and political intrigue.