By George R.R. Martin

Rating: 5/5

Three-Word Summary: Winter is coming

About ten years ago, I was given A Game of Thrones as a gift. I’d never heard of the book, the series or the author.

But I read it and enjoyed it. I bought the next three books in the Song of Ice and Fire saga and fell in love with the characters, the world and the stories.

A decade later, George RR Martin’s books are world renown, thanks primarily to the wildly popular HBO series of the same name.

I have an odd sense of pride associated with the fact that I was well aware of this book series before most of the general populous. For that reason, I’ve had to wait longer in anticipation as the jovial author has taken his time writing the series.

With the publication of the next installation, Winds of Winter, imminent, I decided to re-read the books from the beginning. Partially because I really enjoy reading them. Mostly because I’ve forgotten most of what’s happened.

I’m hoping to time my finishing of the first five books just in time for the sixth book to be released, hopefully sometime next year.

In the meantime, it was interesting to experience the story again, now knowing what cruel fate befalls most of the characters. One of the reasons that I was drawn to the book initially was how unflinchingly Martin was willing to kill of his protagonists.

It was much easier to comprehend and follow the intricate details the second time around. I was able to pick up on more the subtle foreshadowing rife in the pages.

No wonder why it takes so long to write — these books are so lengthy and yet so packed with information. Despite the 1,000+ pages of each volume, the plot still moves along at a good pace.

Re-reading A Game of Thrones only helped confirm what I already knew before: A Song of Ice and Fire is the preeminent modern day fantasy series.

It’s also very clear from reading it that Winter is Coming. I can only hope that the Winds of Winter is coming soon as well.