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Game of Thrones A-Z: An Unofficial Guide to Accompany the Hit TV Series
HBO's lavish adaptation of George R.R. Martin's series of fantasy novels features a stellar cast, including Aidan Gillen, Peter Dinklage and Leba Headey, and chronicles the violent struggles between the kingdom's noble families as they attempt to control the Iron Throne. Hailed by critics and dubbed Sopranos meets The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones has cast its spell over audiences thanks to its memorable characters, surprise deaths and violent action - and this exhaustive guide will document the background dramas that have helped make Game of Thrones such as hugh success. You'll also find biographies of the main actors, episode guides, an overview of how it has already become part of pop culture and an in-depth look into the compelling world that George R.R. Martin created, and much, much, more.
- GenresFantasyPop Culture
272 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
7 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 13, 2016
Before you consider reading this you must first answer two questions:
1.Are you a idiot?
2.Is your name Sansa Stark?
If you’ve answered “yes” to either question, then this is the book for you. If your struggling to understand the differences between Stark and Lannister, then this is the book for you; if you don’t know what the words “fantasy” and “adaption” mean, then this is the book for you; if you cannot perceive that there are obvious parallels with A Song of Ice and Fire and the Wars of the Roses, then this book is for you; if somehow you’ve forgotten what The Hand of the King actually does, then this is the book for you. So, if you cannot see the most obvious details in the television show, and the books, then this book will assist you tremendously. It will explain the details in an infantile way, and better yet, it will actually give away major plot spoilers. That way, when the Red Wedding comes up, and various other dramatic events, you will know exactly what happens and you will not be remotely surprised at the horror of them: they will be ruined for you. What a, truly, helpful guide.
Needless to say, after my sarcastic rant, this book is completely, and utterly, useless. It is a simple cash grab; it’s another minor writer trying to ride the wave of success, which is George R.R Martin and the television adaption, by writing a crappy little book. Simply put, this is garbage. Don't read it.
1.Are you a idiot?
2.Is your name Sansa Stark?
If you’ve answered “yes” to either question, then this is the book for you. If your struggling to understand the differences between Stark and Lannister, then this is the book for you; if you don’t know what the words “fantasy” and “adaption” mean, then this is the book for you; if you cannot perceive that there are obvious parallels with A Song of Ice and Fire and the Wars of the Roses, then this book is for you; if somehow you’ve forgotten what The Hand of the King actually does, then this is the book for you. So, if you cannot see the most obvious details in the television show, and the books, then this book will assist you tremendously. It will explain the details in an infantile way, and better yet, it will actually give away major plot spoilers. That way, when the Red Wedding comes up, and various other dramatic events, you will know exactly what happens and you will not be remotely surprised at the horror of them: they will be ruined for you. What a, truly, helpful guide.
Needless to say, after my sarcastic rant, this book is completely, and utterly, useless. It is a simple cash grab; it’s another minor writer trying to ride the wave of success, which is George R.R Martin and the television adaption, by writing a crappy little book. Simply put, this is garbage. Don't read it.
April 3, 2013
My wife bought me this book for my birthday in anticipation of the new season of Game of Thrones starting up. This book looks primarily like an attempt to capitalize on the return of the TV show for Season 3. There is no new information here and all of the quotes are simply pulled from interviews the actors and creators have done with various media outlets and online fan communities. The writing is all over the place too with some sentences and quotes coming to strange sudden stops in the middle of a thought.
The first 2/3 of the book purports to be an encyclopedia, with entries sorted by letter. There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason for inclusion here though. Some characters get a full entry, others get entries based on the actor's name, and others are shoehorned into wholly unrelated entries. "Vampires" is included for some reason. That entry talks entirely about another book George R.R. Martin wrote and has nothing to do with the Ice and Fire series or the television adaptation. My first guess was that the author was reaching for a "V" entry, but then he goes on to write a page about Varys. Throughout this section there are boxes surrounding some text purporting to contain spoilers. I don't know how much knowledge the author presumes the reader has though. There are definitely spoilers for those who have only watched the television show throughout the book that aren't marked.
The last 1/3 of the book is a recap of each of the first two seasons' episodes. There's really not any new information here and the summaries are less detailed than what you can find on Wikipedia. The entries also don't necessarily match up with what happens in each episode. The synopses are generally fine, but the "trivia" sections that follow tend to refer to plotlines that weren't presented in the particular episode they purport to refer to. Also, instead of providing his own thoughts, the author simply reprints reviews from around the internet.
I'm not sure why anyone would want to read this book. It doesn't do a very good job of anything and spoils some pretty major plot points that come up later in the books. Some of the spoilers are marked but there are plenty sprinkled throughout the text that are not. Maybe if you've already watched both seasons and read all of the books, this book might contain some new information. However, if you're already that big a fan, odds are you probably have read all of the information in this book elsewhere. The author's business model looks like the slightly more grown-up version of a fourth grader's history report. Punch in a character or actor's name to Google, find some quotes, cobble them together semi-coherently, provide minimal citation so you can't be accused of plagiarizing, ???, profit.
The first 2/3 of the book purports to be an encyclopedia, with entries sorted by letter. There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason for inclusion here though. Some characters get a full entry, others get entries based on the actor's name, and others are shoehorned into wholly unrelated entries. "Vampires" is included for some reason. That entry talks entirely about another book George R.R. Martin wrote and has nothing to do with the Ice and Fire series or the television adaptation. My first guess was that the author was reaching for a "V" entry, but then he goes on to write a page about Varys. Throughout this section there are boxes surrounding some text purporting to contain spoilers. I don't know how much knowledge the author presumes the reader has though. There are definitely spoilers for those who have only watched the television show throughout the book that aren't marked.
The last 1/3 of the book is a recap of each of the first two seasons' episodes. There's really not any new information here and the summaries are less detailed than what you can find on Wikipedia. The entries also don't necessarily match up with what happens in each episode. The synopses are generally fine, but the "trivia" sections that follow tend to refer to plotlines that weren't presented in the particular episode they purport to refer to. Also, instead of providing his own thoughts, the author simply reprints reviews from around the internet.
I'm not sure why anyone would want to read this book. It doesn't do a very good job of anything and spoils some pretty major plot points that come up later in the books. Some of the spoilers are marked but there are plenty sprinkled throughout the text that are not. Maybe if you've already watched both seasons and read all of the books, this book might contain some new information. However, if you're already that big a fan, odds are you probably have read all of the information in this book elsewhere. The author's business model looks like the slightly more grown-up version of a fourth grader's history report. Punch in a character or actor's name to Google, find some quotes, cobble them together semi-coherently, provide minimal citation so you can't be accused of plagiarizing, ???, profit.
October 2, 2013
I really wanted to give this more stars, but I just can't. First off, if you are expecting a complete A to Z guide, you are out of luck. Important characters and events are glanced over or even missing, and many of them do not even have their own entry. Also, you can find a character under their own entry or under their actor's entry or sometimes under a completely different character's entry, and you never know which one it will be. The author uses a lot of quotes from other sources so it would appear he has not had any interaction with the cast or crew and there is no way to know whether his quotes have been taken out of context. My advice would be to find a different guide to the world of Game of Thrones. This one is just very disappointing.
February 10, 2017
Good for minor information if you haven't read the books. Poorly edited, though. Would not recommend.
July 13, 2015
Reseñado en mi blog Nanny Books:
Como seguramente sabrán, de la saga Canción de hielo y fuego. solamente leí los dos primeros. Así que antes de leer Breve enciclopedia de Juego de tronos, la leyó mi papá, quien se encargó de bloquear los spoilers con papelitos de colores (ya saben, los post-it). Todo un amor, ya sé. Pero es que él es re fanático de la saga, así que lo leyó también por placer propio.
Hay dos cosas que decir: Si no has leído la saga o como yo, solo la has leído en partes, te aviso que está completamente lleno de spoilers. Sí, en cambio, eres fan de la saga y te has leído o visto todo, no tienes nada que temer.
A través de entradas alfabéticas (sí, como una clásica enciclopedia), nos vamos enterando de diversas cosas, aquí les dejo el índice: Adaptación, Arya Stark, Boda roja, Brandon Stark, Canción de hielo y fuego, Casting, Davos Sea Worth, Drogo, Emilia Clarke, Exteriores, Fantasía, Gary Lightbody, George R. R. Martin, Guardiade la noche, Guerra de las rosas, HBO, Hombre bondadoso, Illyrio Mopatis, Jaime Lannister, Jon Nieve, Jorah Mormont, Lengua Dothraki, Mance Rayder, Mano del rey, Meñique, Ned Stark, No recomendada para menores de 18 años, Peter Dinklage, Piloto original, Premios, Rebelión Greyjoy, Rey loco, Rhaegar, Sansa Stark, Trono de hierro, Tyrion Lannister, Tywin Lannister, Usurpador, Vampiros, Varys, Vestuario, Ygritte, Zombis. Guía de episodios (hasta la cuarta temporada).
A pesar de que el libro es sumamente entretenido (incluso para mí, que temía a cada rato, spoilearme con algo importante), hay un par de erratas que no puedo creer que no se hayan dado cuenta de que estaban ahí antes de salir el libro a la venta. Son muchas y según lo que debatí en familia, no solamente a mí me parecieron, sino que ellos también pensaban como yo. Eso es un fallo muy importante. A pesar de los errores ya mencionados, la edición es bastante bonita, tiene recuadrado algunos spoilers importantes en un marquito, detalles en cada inicio de sección, etc.
Breve enciclopedia es lo que apunta su título, una guía para fans perdidos, para lectores lentos, para fanáticos de la serie (que ignoran completamente la existencia de los libros), para fanáticos de las dos versiones que quieren refrescar la memoria o encontrar el "detrás de escena". Un libro sencillo, de lectura rápida y entretenida, para fans de la serie Juego de tronos.
Como seguramente sabrán, de la saga Canción de hielo y fuego. solamente leí los dos primeros. Así que antes de leer Breve enciclopedia de Juego de tronos, la leyó mi papá, quien se encargó de bloquear los spoilers con papelitos de colores (ya saben, los post-it). Todo un amor, ya sé. Pero es que él es re fanático de la saga, así que lo leyó también por placer propio.
Hay dos cosas que decir: Si no has leído la saga o como yo, solo la has leído en partes, te aviso que está completamente lleno de spoilers. Sí, en cambio, eres fan de la saga y te has leído o visto todo, no tienes nada que temer.
A través de entradas alfabéticas (sí, como una clásica enciclopedia), nos vamos enterando de diversas cosas, aquí les dejo el índice: Adaptación, Arya Stark, Boda roja, Brandon Stark, Canción de hielo y fuego, Casting, Davos Sea Worth, Drogo, Emilia Clarke, Exteriores, Fantasía, Gary Lightbody, George R. R. Martin, Guardiade la noche, Guerra de las rosas, HBO, Hombre bondadoso, Illyrio Mopatis, Jaime Lannister, Jon Nieve, Jorah Mormont, Lengua Dothraki, Mance Rayder, Mano del rey, Meñique, Ned Stark, No recomendada para menores de 18 años, Peter Dinklage, Piloto original, Premios, Rebelión Greyjoy, Rey loco, Rhaegar, Sansa Stark, Trono de hierro, Tyrion Lannister, Tywin Lannister, Usurpador, Vampiros, Varys, Vestuario, Ygritte, Zombis. Guía de episodios (hasta la cuarta temporada).
A pesar de que el libro es sumamente entretenido (incluso para mí, que temía a cada rato, spoilearme con algo importante), hay un par de erratas que no puedo creer que no se hayan dado cuenta de que estaban ahí antes de salir el libro a la venta. Son muchas y según lo que debatí en familia, no solamente a mí me parecieron, sino que ellos también pensaban como yo. Eso es un fallo muy importante. A pesar de los errores ya mencionados, la edición es bastante bonita, tiene recuadrado algunos spoilers importantes en un marquito, detalles en cada inicio de sección, etc.
Breve enciclopedia es lo que apunta su título, una guía para fans perdidos, para lectores lentos, para fanáticos de la serie (que ignoran completamente la existencia de los libros), para fanáticos de las dos versiones que quieren refrescar la memoria o encontrar el "detrás de escena". Un libro sencillo, de lectura rápida y entretenida, para fans de la serie Juego de tronos.
June 1, 2015
Barely worth the time it took to read it. If you have watched anything beyond the first episode, don't bother reading this.
July 1, 2020
If you're a fan, who knows a lot about the series and books already or someone, who doesn't know anything about it, then this book is definitely wrong for you.
However, if you already know the show a bit and just want to revisit it for fun, then it is really enjoyable. Because of that, I really liked it. I have watched the show once and just started reading the first book. And apart from that I haven't really dealt with GoT so it was very interesting to also read a lot about the behind-the-scenes and how the actors and producers view their characters and the show.
So all in all, I really enjoyed reading it, it was fun and interesting but I don't think I'd read it again, due to a lack of detail. But the overall is great.
However, if you already know the show a bit and just want to revisit it for fun, then it is really enjoyable. Because of that, I really liked it. I have watched the show once and just started reading the first book. And apart from that I haven't really dealt with GoT so it was very interesting to also read a lot about the behind-the-scenes and how the actors and producers view their characters and the show.
So all in all, I really enjoyed reading it, it was fun and interesting but I don't think I'd read it again, due to a lack of detail. But the overall is great.
December 15, 2018
Martin Howden, Game of Thrones, A-Z (London: John Blake, 2102)
“Part of the appeal is that each chapter takes on the perspective of another point of view, thus changing the characters from hero to villain and vice versa, as we hear people's inner thoughts. 'We all have reasons for the things we do, even the things that might look evil from the outside,' explained Martin. 'Sometimes they're based on mistaken assumptions or innate selfishness or psychological compulsions, but they're still reasons.'” (p14)
“I have names for these types of writers - I call them architects and gardeners.” (p17)
“Part of the appeal is that each chapter takes on the perspective of another point of view, thus changing the characters from hero to villain and vice versa, as we hear people's inner thoughts. 'We all have reasons for the things we do, even the things that might look evil from the outside,' explained Martin. 'Sometimes they're based on mistaken assumptions or innate selfishness or psychological compulsions, but they're still reasons.'” (p14)
“I have names for these types of writers - I call them architects and gardeners.” (p17)
April 27, 2019
I bought this book for my kindle. I planned to use it as a guide for character references during the series. We just started the series, just got to season 2. The book was a HUGE disappointment. For example under the letter B there was only one character- Brandon Stark. How could there only be one character starting with the letter B🙄 My advice is Do Not waste a few dollars on this book. U can google more information in a short period of time.
October 23, 2017
This is definitely a "fan" book. I am a fan, so I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stuff. If you're not already into Game of Thrones, this won't really do much for you. But it's a good book; it's an easy read.
October 13, 2013
Despite some who devalue this book because the information and quotes are taken from interviews gathered from all corners of the Internet, I still found it an interesting read as I don't read those corners, and I've not read the books; so this book fills a gap for someone like me in compiling it in a handy volume. I wish the spoiler boxes, littered throughout, were not so easy to glance at (printed upside down would be better!) as I came across a few spoilers, but by the time I finished the book I'd forgotten them.
I thought a few a-z things were missing, more info on things like Westoros and Kings Landing would have been nice, if available; also I wished there were family trees with cast photos so I could get a better visual map of who's who.
On the whole, despite my small niggles, I really enjoyed the book and it certainly encourages me to start reading the books themselves.
I thought a few a-z things were missing, more info on things like Westoros and Kings Landing would have been nice, if available; also I wished there were family trees with cast photos so I could get a better visual map of who's who.
On the whole, despite my small niggles, I really enjoyed the book and it certainly encourages me to start reading the books themselves.
July 29, 2014
Martin howden is the only Reason this Book collapses like a Deck of Cards. I dont understand who is meant to read this Book ? People who hv already Read the whole Game of Throne Series or those who cant afford the luxury of reading a 1000 page Book coz there is nothing new to offer for people who have read the Series while those who haven't wont grasp much of the Storyline due to Confused writing & mismashed Timeline. Author Martin rambles like a Robot through the pages making no sense most of the time. Its like Talking to a Normal Person in Klingon language. He also provides Interviews, Trivia, Tit bits, behind the scenes work that goes into making the TV series which either is Boring or had been read before. Skip this Book like a Plague !!
October 2, 2015
Una "enciclopedia", por llamarlo de alguna manera, bastante mediocre. Realmente son un montón de apuntes sobre las tramas de Juego de Tronos (sólo la serie) con alguna referencia a como se desarrollan las tramas en la saga literaria.
La segunda mitad del libro, se centra en hacer un pequeño resumen de la serie (hasta la cuarta temporada, incluida) capitulo por capitulo, contando alguna curiosidad sobre el rodaje y desarrollo.
Si no has leído los libros quizás te pueda sorprender y ayudar a entender un poco mejor la saga, pero si estás al día con las novelas es un despropósito. Tiene bastantes fallos, no se si de traducción o de documentación, pero fallos que para alguien que esté un poco atento, son bastante graves.
La segunda mitad del libro, se centra en hacer un pequeño resumen de la serie (hasta la cuarta temporada, incluida) capitulo por capitulo, contando alguna curiosidad sobre el rodaje y desarrollo.
Si no has leído los libros quizás te pueda sorprender y ayudar a entender un poco mejor la saga, pero si estás al día con las novelas es un despropósito. Tiene bastantes fallos, no se si de traducción o de documentación, pero fallos que para alguien que esté un poco atento, son bastante graves.
June 17, 2015
Disappointing. Terribly written, rife with spelling and grammatical errors and sometimes even confusing the character names. The A-Z is far from completest and sometimes the choices made to fill each letter seem completely arbitrary. Yet…even though this book is basically an incompetent compilation/rehash of various other sources…I still found some parts very interesting…particularly the historical background to the current era (eg: Robert’s Rebellion, and stuff from before that) which I’d either missed in the series or wasn’t really emphasised there. Worth a look, I guess, but hardcore fans might find it insufficient, and wanting.
6/10
6/10
August 1, 2015
I love everything refers to #GOT. This book is great although I got a few spoilers from it and it wasn't great coz I hate spoilers and I haven't read the books yet but I will after show ends. I'd rated the book 5 stars if those details I learnt weren't about upcoming season 4 coz I read it in February.
May 9, 2016
Este es de esos libros que compras solo porque eres muy fan de la saga y sientes que debes tener todo por más inútil que sea. Acá encuentras curiosidades de los capítulos, entrevistas a los actores, descripción de personajes y escenas destacadas, como el de la boda roja. Es entretenido pero sentí que ya sabía casi todo lo que estaba leyendo.
Read
July 13, 2013I found this at my local library and thought "Why not. I have nothing else until season 4 of the TV show comes out."
My rating -meh. There are fun facts but like someone else said, a lot of it is from the Internet.
Still a good fix for a few days.
My rating -meh. There are fun facts but like someone else said, a lot of it is from the Internet.
Still a good fix for a few days.
April 10, 2015
Me gustó mucho! solo que hay varias cosas importantes que no se mencionan y me dio la impresión de que a algunos temas sabidos por todos se les daba demasiada importancia.
Pronto mi reseña♥ http://mimundoestaentuspaginas.blogsp...
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July 31, 2018
Un libro bueno, con mucha informacion. Pienso que en la enciclopedia, faltaron muchos personajes y muchas curiosidades y demas. Por fuera de eso, un libro util para personas fanaticas de esta serie o algun novato en ella.
March 11, 2019
Tiene datos muy interesantes sobre los actores, la serie de televisión y los libros... recomiendo que si quieres leer esto te hayas visto mínimo hasta la cuarta temporadas pues aunque da la advertencia contiene spoilers
May 13, 2015
i would like to read
July 30, 2016
Solo para fans de Games of Thrones. Me gusto la idea de un detrás de cámaras de la serie, con notas curiosas que desconocía, me sirvió para refrescar los temas ahora que se acerca la temporada 6.
July 13, 2017
Está bien hecho.
Describe a los personajes principales y tiene un resumen de todos los capítulos de la serie hasta la 4ta temporada.
Describe a los personajes principales y tiene un resumen de todos los capítulos de la serie hasta la 4ta temporada.
May 5, 2024
Encontré este ejemplar en un persa de libros usados. Es una lectura difícil de terminar por lo simplista que es. Lo dejé hasta la mitad.
April 8, 2017
This would be a good book for someone who has seen a little bit of the TV series and wants to learn more about the character backstories. However, there are some odd mistakes in it, such as near the end when the author writes that the common response to the Braavosi "Valar Morghulis" is "Memento Mori".
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews