Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings : A Song of Ice and Fire books 1 & 2 by Geroge R R Martin - Book Review (no spoilers)

These books were really good. They were gigantic and as exciting, and I loved every bit of them. The second book I liked more than the first, but that seems to be the case with many series, especially long ones like this. And I liked the first book a great deal too.

I had heard a lot about these books from various sources. From what I had gathered, it was about a bunch of people fighting for a throne. The author introduced characters only to kill them off, and violence and gory details of battle ensued. They sounded nice enough. And for the most part, they are like that. Only, I had not expected the characters to be likeable and the world of Westeros to be so vivid. Every person has been thought out and written very well, and I can even imagine myself being there among them, even though their world differs greatly from ours.

In the first book, we are introduced to most of the main characters and told about their lives. It moves a little slower than the others, but it's for our good. I was slightly confused in the beginning since there were so many people and places to keep track of, but it was intriguing. After reading the second book, I found the first a bit dull, but I had enjoyed it then. The book has various people like kings, queens, knights, children, servants, a dwarf, and people holding numerous other posts. The author had written them such that everyone seems as central to the story as the last. He has included the points of view of a vast range of people, and all the events are described from different perspectives.

I had not expected to like most of the people I did. My favourite character was Arya, and I liked Jon Snow too. Tyrion was witty and entertaining, and it was fun to read his chapters. The chapters having Eddard Stark's viewpoint were very happening, as they told us about the internal workings of the court at King's Landing. Daenerys was always across the seas from the rest, and her life was aptly shown different from theirs.

In the second book, the real action began. There were outright wars and conflicts between houses. Even the Night's Watch, or the people who guard the Wall in the north, ventured beyond and discovered new things. The whole story may not be too fast-paced, but the author has given us tons of details about everyone's life, and the individual chapters seem to move fast enough. Since many things are happening in different places at once, the overall plot is slightly slow. I was drawn into the world of even the characters I disliked and was interested to know more about everything the author has created. He has scattered the Starks such that we know a little about what is happening everywhere, and there are other people for the rest. 

I loved these books and am looking forward to reading the next ones!