A Game of Thrones⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Blurb: Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. To the south, the king’s powers are failing—his most trusted adviser dead under mysterious circumstances and his enemies emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the frozen land they were born to. Now Lord Eddard Stark is reluctantly summoned to serve as the king’s new Hand, an appointment that threatens to sunder not only his family but the kingdom itself.

Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; a child is lost in the twilight between life and death; and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

Review: I loved Fantasy books growing up. The world-building, magic, dragons, brave knights and ladies in distress...waiting to be saved. Loved it!! Then something changed. I was 15 when I read ‘A Game of Thrones,’ before the world knew the show ‘Game of Thrones.’

I'm not sure if I would call it fantasy as it felt more like historical fiction, but there were some fantasy aspects...but just minimal. It was refreshing and I liked the book anyway. If you don't like world-building and lengthy descriptions, you won’t like the book. I love it, so that was a plus. There are a lot of characters with their own POV, which did not bother me as it was done pretty well. I had a massive dislike for a lot of characters and was actually hoping for someone to kill them off...instead, the characters I liked were dying (like...wt...just happened).

There were some parts in the book that were disgusting (I can not stand rape...especially kids- and yes I know it was another time blablabla...but come on).
You need a bit of stomach to get through this book. So if you can't handle brutal and vicious behaviour....walk away.