A Game of Thrones - Reception

Reception

A Game of Thrones received a very positive reception from reviewers. Writing in The Washington Post, John H. Riskind commented that "many fans of sword-and-sorcery will enjoy the epic scope of this book" but felt that the book "suffers from one-dimensional characters and less than memorable imagery." Phyllis Eisenstein of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that although the book used many generic fantasy tropes, Martin's approach was "so refreshingly human and intimate that it transcends them." She described it as "an absorbing combination of the mythic, the sweepingly historical, and the intensely personal." John Prior, writing in the San Diego Union-Tribune, called Martin's writing "strong and imaginative, with plenty of Byzantine intrigue and dynastic struggle" and compared it to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books, "though much darker, with no comedy or romance to relieve the nastiness." Steve Perry told readers of The Oregonian that the plot was "complex and fascinating" and the book was "rich and colorful" with "all the elements of a great fantasy novel". Lauren K. Nathan of the Associated Press wrote that the book "grip the reader from Page One" and was set in a "magnificent" fantasy world that is "mystical, but still believable."

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