Medieval-styled fantasy novels, such as The Lord of the Rings, often have a very one-sided narrative and focus on magical elements. This is not true about the fabulous George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. The book and its following sequels give us each and every drama, war, and political struggle as several men (and women) compete in a deadly battle for the Iron Throne in the fictional land of Westeros. The narrative switches from character to character each chapter, so that in one chapter we may see Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark try to discover why his surrogate father has died, then read on about Jon’s adventures on the foreboding Wall to the North, and in the very next chapter we can follow the tale of the dwarf Tyrion Lannister as he tries to save himself from the deadliest of situations. It flows smoothly between events, and Martin writes each character beautifully and with different consciousness, attitude, and motivation. The events of A Game of Thrones begin when King Robert Baratheon’s Hand of the King, Jon Arryn, mysteriously becomes sick and passes away. Robert visits his old friend Lord Eddard Stark, lord of the great castle Winterfell, and asks him to take the role as his closest assistant. Lord Eddard decides to accept for investigatory purposes after his son Bran is crippled, pushed from a tower. Ned Stark did not realize that the events transpiring in Winterfell would affect the kingdom forever. Obstacles stop the peace from being kept under Ned’s watch, including turncloak knights, murderers, and worst of all, Lannisters. Also in center-stage of the story are the tales of Ned Stark’s six children: brave Robb, shy Sansa, tough Arya, kind Bran, stubborn Rickon, the bastard Jon, and all six of their direwolves, giant beasts who are as close as siblings to them. Each of them undergoes their own journey, struggling to stay safe while surrounded by enemies in the South. While the men are playing their politics, something vile is stirring beyond the great Wall. An ancient evil has awakened, and it has the capacity to kill every man, woman, and child in Westeros. When the die is cast and the time comes to vie for power in the game of thrones, can the Starks stay together— or even alive?