A Song of Ice and Fire Review *SPOILERS*

First of all, I have to say that this series is not called Game of Thrones. I hate it when people assume that the whole series is called this, just because it's the title of the first book, and the name of the show. No! Get it straight. It's A Song of Ice and Fire.

Anyway, I started reading this series some time in April. I admit that I only got half way through the third book by September, when I had to put it down to concentrate on school. I started reading it again recently because I've had fewer larger projects, and I'm now almost done the third book. However, I think this break has made me realize that this book is actually pretty poorly written.

Don't get me wrong, I love the book, and I have read far worse, but more often I come along parts when I could write better. I feel like I should be going along and editing the whole thing. I don't know why I only saw it now (I saw it before, just not as much). You would think after reading things such as Beowulf, Sir Gawain, Canterbury Tales and King Lear, that I would want someone easier to read, but maybe that's the problem now it's become too simple.

The thing is, I love the plot... Kind of. I love how it hooks me in, despite the fact that I want to scream and rip the book apart. After Robb died, and it seemed like Arya died, I was prepared to throw the book across the room. I applaud George R R Martin for going against the norm and killing off almost all the characters that anyone could love, but I suggest that he gets back into what the readers want, and at least keep a few of the good guys alive. (Although I was extremely happy when Theon and Joffrey died. I wished I had cut them to pieces myself) I must admit though, when I found out Arya was still alive, I nearly cried with joy... Which would have been awkward, because I was sitting in the middle of a very full cafeteria at school.

And it's the fact that a book nearly incited such emotions in me that I love it. It proves that, although it may not be the best written book ever, Martin knows how to play with the heart strings of the readers. Most readers will see no difference in writing between A Song of Ice and Fire and something such as Tolkien's or Robert Jordan's works. They will only know that they want to read more, even if they hate what is happening in the plot.

It's also the realism that captures me. Everyone wants to read a book about love, adventure and wars, where the good guys always win. But in real life, that rarely happens. You cannot depend on a supernatural force to prove who is guilty or not, and even that comes up in A Song of Ice and Fire. People die, whether natural or not, and Martin does not skirt around that with miraculous recoveries and perfectly planned rescues. Everything is what it seems, most of the time being the death of a character.

So I hate and love this book at the same time, but I think anyone who has read the book will have to agree that the show is pretty bad. The producers are playing to the wants of a younger male audience. There are far more nude and sex scenes than in the books, very few of which actually add to the plot. Then they take out important scenes, or even whole characters. I have no idea where they will go with Bran, Rickon, Hodor and Osha without the Reeds. It's impossible to work from what they have done, and I have a feeling that it will only get worse. They have to go in a straight line to keep the story making sense, but that straight line is at a different angle from the book, and it'll only get farther from the real plot.