A thoroughly entertaining book; fun to read even though it is rather brutal. I wish I had not seen the TV show before reading the book, though - the show followed the book so closely that I knew almost exactly what was going to happen at every point along the way.

I’m curious to know what Martin’s theory of power is, as he seems to have a very sharply defined theory of how politics works. He doesn’t seem particularly keen on nobility in politics; nor, for that matter, brute force and raw evil. Instead he seems to value cunning in politics, I suppose much like Machiavelli.

I do think what’s terrific about this particular book is how well it explores the shifting sands of politics. Because although it’s written largely from the point of view of the Starks - a noble, sympathetic family in Westeros - by the end of the book I’m very much in Danaerys’s camp. (Though I admit, that’s probably because of the way the characters are depicted in the show.)

Highly recommended.