"Book One: A Game of Thrones" in Review

Initially written (and perhaps even written in another context before) in 1996 by George R.R. Martin, "'When you play the game of thrones, you win or die.'"  Now it has become a go-to topic.  A Game of Thrones, the first book in "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, tells a sci-fi tale of kingdoms at war within themselves.  There is the major/main kingdom in the West, the Free Cities, the Dothraki Grasses, and the kingdoms in the East (which based on the first book seem to be under-developed compared to the West). The main kingdom is mostly divided into two parts, The North and The South; typically they don't get along very well.  Also, above The Northern portion, there is "the land beyond the Wall", which is not ruled by man; it is a land of magic and mystery (at least in the first book).

Until the above quote is said more than half-way through the book, it isn't the prevalent theme of the book(forgive me if this literary term isn't being used correctly).  You don't even really know where the book is going until that point.  The book is a little hard to get into because it jumps around and you don't necessarily care what's going on in each place until you get to the actual theme, then you can't put the book down, but that's 408 pages in!

Now, you either win or die.  There is no single victor in this book...  But the book doesn't end with the end of the game either; the throne has yet to be won.  Eddard dies as soon as he begins to play the game because he honorably reveals to Queen Cersei that he knows that her children are not actually the king's.  Nobody wins the game with honor, only deceit.  Khal Drogo dies after he agrees to take back the throne for his wife and future son.  King Robert obviously dies as he is unable to truly hold/keep/control/protect the throne.  Rhaegar's family is all eventually killed, excluding only Daenerys and Maester Aemon.  However, Daenerys did not decide to play the game truly until essentially the end of the book (on another note, notice that a total of three lives were lost in order to create her three dragons; her son, her husband, and the maegi).  Maester Aemon isn't playing the game because he stays out of it entirely, guarding the Wall.  Lord Arryn dies when also trying to crown the "true" king, while his wife and son live as they flee from the politics of the kingdom, hiding away in their mountain castle.  Lord Stannis doesn't die, but he stays out of it all at Dragonstone.  This leaves Daenerys, Queen Cersei and her family, and Lord Renly, plus the confusion of Lord Baelish and Lord Varys, to fight it out.

My prediction is that Daenerys will team up with Lord Stannis.  She has her three baby dragons; Lord Stannis is staying at Dragonstone.  In my oppinion, Lord Stannis does not believe himself to be the rightful heir either; I believe he believes that Daenerys is the true heir to the throne.  Daenerys also represents magic, the Free Cities, the main kingdom, and the Dothraki through her connections and experiences.  However, I don't know that it really matters who takes the crown in the end until the land beyond the Wall is taken care of...  Just based off of the titles of the other books, we've begun our game and the pieces have been narrowed down and have moved forward; Kings Renly and Joffrey and Robb will clash in the next book, leaving out Daenerys for now; swords will bring chaos with the problems on the Wall and beyond, plus the storm of swords that Daenerys will bring with her; crows will feast in the North when the Wall fails/falls (poor Bran!); and finally, Daenerys will win the crown with Lord Stannis' help and a new age of dragons will begin.

And now for my observations about how annoying the resemblances are in random details between A Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games.  For starters, both "A Song of Ice and Fire" series and "The Hunger Games" series call each of their installments "Book #".  With regards to titles, do I really have to say anything?  Another resemblance, is "the girl on fire".  Daenerys emerges from flames unharmed other than her burnt hair with her three baby dragons hanging on her, symbolizing her true entrance into the game and igniting rebellion against the norm of Dothraki customs while gaining the undying loyalty of the "underdogs" of society.  Katniss was set on fire and came out unharmed by it at the opening ceremonies before she literally steps foot in the games; she ignites rebellion and gains the loyalty of supporters through her fiery actions while in the Hunger Games.  In both games, you either win or die.  At the end of the Hunger Games, two victors emerge; at the end of this game, a few temporary victors emerge.  Lord Petyr Baelish's, the man in love with Catelyn Stark (think about the names...Katniss...Mellark...Peeta), who also cannot have her because she had to marry a Stark, sigil is a mockingbird.  He also is a great speaker and deceives others easily.  And just to mention the foil, Lord Petyr Baelish is the master of coin, while Lord Eddard Stark (Catelyn's husband and Lord of Winterfell) represents snow (bastards from the North are given the last name "Snow" and he does have a bastard).  On page 427, Lord Petyr Baelish is described as "clad in a blue velvet tunic with puffed sleeves, his silvery cape patterned with mockingbirds" just before Eddard begins the rebellion in the kingdom (book cover of Mockingjay?)  Lord Varys has his "little birds" who tell him secrets and information of the goings on in the kingdoms, much like the jabberjays.  Lord Varys also is initially described as "plump, perfumed, powdered...wore a vest of gold thread over a loose gown of purple silk, and on his feet were pointed slippers of soft velvet...flesh was soft and moist, and his breath smelled of lilacs" (pages 145-146).  Lord Varys is also described on page 161 as "smelled as foul and sweet as flowers on a grave."  Both quotes are similar to descriptions of President Snow in "The Hunger Games" series.  Also, in the main town where the Red Keep is and the king lives, the courtly people dress much more lavishly than anywhere else in the country, but I suppose that just may be more of something expected than something overly similar to that of the people of the Capital in Panem.  During the jousting tournament, a young knight dies and Eddard declares, "'This was needless.  War should not be a game'" (page 256).  I don't think that needs more explanation.  Eddard gets a leg wound that greatly debilitates him, like Peeta in "The Hunger Games" series.  As indirectly stated by Lord Varys on page 531, there are no scruples against killing children in this game.  Birds called "snow shrikes" warn in a line of calls from one to another of the impending attack on page 583.  Birds are essentially the main form of communication and warnings throughout both series.
*since reading further in the series and rereading this blog post, I have discovered that another similarity between Katniss and Daenerys is their braids.

And finally, Astrology:
Aries:
- Arya Stark
- Jon Stark
Taurus:
- Gendry, King Robert Baratheon's bastard
- Ser Kevan Lannister
Gemini:
- Jeyne Poole
- King Robert Baratheon
Cancer:
- Daenerys Targaryen (Capricorn Rising)
- Lady Lysa Arryn
- Lord Robert Arryn
Leo:
- Lord Jaime Lannister
- Mya Stone
- Queen Cersei Lannister
- Ser Rodrik Cassel
Virgo:
- Lord Tyrion Lannister (Gemini Rising)
Libra:
- Magister Illyrio
- Lord Walder Frey
Scorpio:
- Khal Drogo
- Lord Petyr Baelish
- Lord Roose Bolton
- Prince Joffrey Baratheon
Sagittarius:
- Rickon Stark
- Ser Jorah Mormont
Capricorn:
- Lady Catelyn Stark
- Lord Eddard Stark
- Lord Robb Stark
Aquarius:
- Bran Stark
Pisces:
- Sansa Stark
- Ser Brynden Tully