Pop culture sensation, Game of Thrones, needs no introduction; It’s been (almost a) decade long reign makes it, so you know of it, even if you’ve never hopped on the train.

GOT’S book series, A Song of Ice And Fire, consists of 7 books (the 8th book has been in the works for…awhile now). But ASOIAF appeals to both old fans and new!

Book #1: A Game of Thrones:

“In the mythical continent of Westeros, nine families of higher nobility (Targaryen, Lannisters, Starks, Tyrell, Martell, Greyjoys, Baratheons and Boltons) scramble bitterly to gain power over the seven kingdoms and the Iron throne….Nine noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros.“

835 pages, medium paced, and driven by plot and characters equally. The series offers you an expansive world, rich with different cultures and customs, action, three dimensional characters, and politics.

I would give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars! Read TWS before reading!

For old fans, the show’s first season is a faithful adaption to Book 1, but getting to see the thought processes of the characters and spotting the major and minor changes that occurred makes it so worth it!

Fellow Season 8 ANTIS, fret not, for as the seasons go on, they become less and less accurate to the books. For example, you’ll find characters alive in the books while dead in the show and vice versa. That’s especially awkward for the former who go on to play larger roles in the story….

Another treat for you begrudging stans are fan favorite characters being less likable (understatement) in the books. The biggest example is Tyrion Lannister. Widely beloved for his quippy one liners and realist outlook on life, you’ll be shocked to find out that Tyrion is…really unlikable (morally reprehensible) in the books.

Potential new fans, avert your eyes, unless spoilers don’t bother you much. Watch Alt Shift X’s hour long video, “The real Tyrion Lannister” to find out what exactly I mean.

That video pushed me to start Book 1 and presents the thing I hail GOT the most for: morally grey characters.

I only like consuming media with fleshed out characters, so A Game of Thrones was like a goldmine for me with its diverse and dispersed cast of complicated characters that can’t be written off as totally bad or totally good.

Well.

Characters like Joffrey are square on the black side of the morally grey gradient. I don’t like him, no one does, but Martin’s Campaign to Create A Cast of Complicated Characters, came through to me in one brief scene, where I began to feel bad for Joffrey, seeing him as a product of his environment. That of course doesn’t excuse his heinous deeds, but things would’ve been undoubtedly different if he grew up in a different household.