Well ok... I finally did it. I read (listened to) A Game of Thrones. A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the few remaining fantasy series I knew next to nothing about going in, which made this adventure quite fun. While I had the context of a few cultural references

as well as the death of Eddard Stark

, the politics, plot, and characters of this world were all new to me.

The universe Martin develops in this story is fascinating. As I jotted down as I started the book, "what the hell is going on in the North? Are there dragons? Lots of magic." While not important to every element of the plot, the through line of mystery and past magic in Westeros was intriguing throughout. With the book's dramatic end, this device only promises to become more engaging over the next books.

While politics is this story's strong suit, it also can hold it back. Much of the middle section of the book felt bogged down in a murder mystery that I didn't find very compelling. While the audiobook narrator effectively portrays simple yet distinct character voices, I think the fact that I listened to A Game of Thrones decreased my investment in these elements of the story. Particularly, I struggled throughout the book to keep track of the myriad side characters (and even the protagonists when the book started). 

The characters themselves are perhaps my favorite part of this world. By bringing point of views from all over the map, Martin establishes a diverse cast who you really don't want to see fight each other. Each character is individually compelling and adds to the overarching narrative of these books. A Game of Thrones is dark, both sexually explicit and graphically violent, but in a way that feels depressingly possible in this Middle Ages setting.

I look forward to continuing to A Clash of Kings, and I'll have to think about whether or not I feel like listening to it or waiting to read it.