Wednesday, April 1, 2015

A to Z Challenge 2015: A - A Song of Ice and Fire/A Game of Thrones

Happy April 1st, all you amazing A to Z Challangers! Today is the official beginning of the 2015 April A to Z Blogging Challenge, so welcome, welcome one and all!

As I revealed in my theme reveal, I'm switching it up a bit from the themes I have used in the past, and just focusing on great stories.

I like to focus more on visiting new blogs and meeting new bloggers than I do on my own posts, so I'll be keeping mine short and sweet, and just sharing a few details about some of my favorite stories that correspond with the letter of the day. So here we are, today's 2015 April A to Z Blogging Challenge story for the letter A:

A Song of Ice and Fire/A Game of Thrones

Technically, the name of the whole series is A Song of Ice and Fire. A Game of Thrones is the name of the first volume in the series, but Game of Thrones is also the title of the TV adaptation, so I've included it in the title of this post to avoid any confusion.

I love this story, obviously, but these challenge posts are the place to really go off about why, so I'll just include the plot synopsis from Wikipedia:

The story of A Song of Ice and Fire takes place in a fictional world in which seasons last for years on end. Centuries before the events of the first novel (see backstory), the Seven Kingdoms on the continent Westeros had been united under the Targaryen dynasty. As A Game of Thrones begins, it has been 15 years since the feudal lords led by Robert Baratheon killed the last Targaryen ruler and made Robert king.

The principal story chronicles a power struggle for the Iron Throne of Westeros after King Robert's death in A Game of Thrones. Robert's son Joffrey immediately claims the throne with the support of his mother's family, House Lannister. When Lord Eddard Stark, King Robert's "Hand" (chief advisor) discovers that Joffrey and his siblings are the offspring of incest by siblings Jaime and Cersei Lannister, Eddard is executed for treason and Robert's brothers Stannis and Renly lay separate claims to the throne. Several regions of Westeros attempt self-rule: Eddard Stark's eldest son Robb is proclaimed King in the North, while Balon Greyjoy re-establishes an independent Kingdom in his region, the Iron Islands. This so-called 'War of the Five Kings' is in full progress by the middle of the second book, A Clash of Kings.

The second story takes place on the northern border of Westeros, where an eight-thousand-year-old wall of ice defends Westeros from the Others. The Wall's sentinels, the Sworn Brotherhood of the Night's Watch protect the realm of Westeros (land of the seven kingdoms), whereas the "Free Folk" or "wildlings" are humans living north of the Wall. The Night's Watch story is told primarily through Jon Snow, who is introduced as the bastard son of Eddard Stark,[5] and who joins the Watch, rising quickly through the ranks. In the third volume, A Storm of Swords, this story becomes entangled with the civil war.

The third story is set on an eastern continent named Essos, and follows Daenerys Targaryen, isolated from the others until A Dance with Dragons. On Essos, Daenerys rises from a pauper sold into marriage, to a powerful and intelligent ruler. Her rise is aided by the birth of three dragons from eggs given to her as wedding gifts: used initially as symbols, and later as weapons.


Author: George R.R. Martin

And for the TV Show, here is the summary from IMDB:

Several noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros.

Creators: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
Stars: Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke

That's it! Hopefully the rest of these won't be so long. Be sure to visit my A to Z Challenge 2015 Assistants: Sylvie from Life from An Optimist's Point of View, and Carrie-Anne Brownian/Ursula Hartlein from Welcome to My Magick Theatre, and then I'm off to visit all the blogs!

33 comments:

Unknown said...

Martin's books are on my TBR list. The sheer size of the series has kept me from starting.

Good luck with AtoZ!
Elizabeth Hein - Scribbling in the Storage Room

Natalie Aguirre said...

Love the HBO series. If I read faster, I'd read the whole series.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

A is for Awesome, I always think which house I would be in...

Welcome in the "A"... thank you!
Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2015]

There's no earthly way of knowing.
Which direction we are going!

HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
Come Visit: You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?

Anything and Everything Paranormal Blog said...

Looks like you just gave me another reason to read this series. Thanks.

Timothy S. Brannan said...

I will be honest.
I tried to read the first book.

Twice.

It just never held my interest enough to make me want to go on.

I also tried to watch the HBO show. Same thing.

I *get* that they are both good. It just never grabbed me.

--
Tim Brannan, The Other Side Blog
2015 A to Z of Vampires
http://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/

mshatch said...

Boy do I love that whole series and the HBO show is so good - especially Tyrion. God I love him.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

It's a wicked cool show!

Wendy said...

Reading the books is on my to do list, then I'd like to watch it. Just have to speak nicely to my kids to borrow them! Just hope both live up to the hype.

Unknown said...

I haven't read any of these yet; but it looks like I need to. Thanks for sharing them. :)

Unknown said...

I've never read or watched the series. However, I keep hearing such good things about them that I really ought to. Thanks for the reminder!

Unknown said...

I've never read or watched the series. However, I keep hearing such good things about them that I really ought to. Thanks for the reminder!

Sylvia Ney said...

Great way to start this challenge!

Chrys Fey said...

I've never read A Game of Thrones, or watched the show because I don't have HBO, but I think I'd like both. :)


-Chrys Fey
Tremp’s Troops - A to Z Co-co-host
Write with Fey

Sarah Ahiers said...

I've only read the first book (before the show) and i loved it, but i honestly don't know if i'll ever pick of the others.

S. L. Hennessy said...

I wish he'd hurry up and finish writing then last few books already! Not likely.

Good luck with the 2015 A to Z Challenge!
A to Z Co-Host S. L. Hennessy
http://pensuasion.blogspot.com

Nadine_Feldman said...

I'm going to have to read this series. I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of great conversations.

Welcome to the A to Z Challenge! I'm excited about the first day.

cleemckenzie said...

I'm saving A Game of Thrones for a long vacation. Hope your A to Z is exciting!

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

OH and we get information that's not in the books in just two weeks! Yay for HBO's take on the series.

Denise said...

Sesame Street did the Game of Chairs today and I was lost, never having read or seen the series. Now I understand Grover being called Bluejoy and ending up as King. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I love the TV show and reading these has been on my to-do list!

David P. King said...

His books are on my radar for sure. Along with a few other doorstoppers. :)

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Awesome post. I am a major Game of Thrones fan. I hope to read the books someday.

Tamara Narayan said...

Love the books and the show. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

Susan Oloier said...

I read Game of Thrones last year. My only complaint was being able to keep track of so many different characters.

Unknown said...

It's been on my list - gotta move them up in the pile. Happy month of A to Zing

Thomas Charles MacInnes said...

Thank you for the warm welcome. It is nice to meet you through your blog. I really like how neatly organized it is. That must have taken some time. As for your choice of "A", hard to argue with Game of Thrones. Well chosen.

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

I'm looking forward to meeting new bloggers too

Dan Brown A-Z

Heather M. Gardner said...

One day I will give myself permission to take the time to read these.

Great theme idea!

Heather

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

All four of my children love the books and show since I introduced them to the books years ago. If we ever get the read the next one....

Bevimus said...

I know I will have to read these eventually simply because if the show is that astoundingly good the books it's based on must be the bet things ever written. But I have so many other things on my reading list I haven't started yet. We'll see what happens first- series end or me finally reading them all and getting caught up.

Michael G-G said...

Thank you for starting the challenge with one of my favorite series of all time. I am eagerly awaiting Book 6!

Not having cable, I rely on good friends who buy the DVDs and then loan them to me. I've just finished Season 4! It's almost enough to make me bite the bullet and subscribe to cable!!!

Lisa said...

I started this series, read the first book, watched the first season and then got "angry" when everyone I liked got killed off, well, almost everyone. Reading authors who do that is hard for me! Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com

Shell Flower said...

I am just finishing the first novel in this series, but I admit I ended up watching all the shows out on DVD while I was about 3/4 of the way through the book. Both the show an novel are amazing.