This book is an absolute necessity for anyone looking to really delve into the world of the ASOIAF series. Attewell knows Westeros extremely well, which can be invaluable in unraveling and understanding the political and personal motivations of a diverse cast of characters in an extremely complex and sometimes intentionally chaotic setting. What's more, his position as a historian allows him to draw instructive parallels between the medieval period as experienced in real life and the world Martin has skillfully interwoven through an amalgam of ancient, medieval, modern, and fantastic events and stories. The analysis progresses chapter by chapter, providing favorite quotes, an (often humorous) synopsis, political analysis, historical analysis, what if scenarios, and a brief comparison between the events in the books vs. how they are presented in the Game of Thrones television show. Some thoughts on each:
Political Analysis
This is the substance of, and to me the most valuable aspect of, the book. Attewell breaks down character decisions while providing the context for how the various political, religious, etc. forces function in the world of Westeros and beyond. There is A LOT going on in this series. The multiple conspiracies (Littlefinger, Varys/Illyrio, Lannister, Renly/Tyrell) alone are sometimes dizzying in their complexity. Attewell deftly maneuvers among them, explaining motivations while never losing sight of Martin's genre deconstruction and the powerful human element of the book. He also brings up and recommends research by other writers in the ASOIAF community. Best of all, rather than be a Stannis or Robb Stark booster, Attewell is decidedly on Team Smallfolk. This allows him to both objectively analyze story lines and acknowledge the absurdity and atrocities of war on a basic human level.
Historical Analysis
Here is where the author's educational background really comes into play. A number of historical events and individuals are examined as inspiration for book events. In particular, there is much discussion of The Wars of the Roses and Richard, Duke of York. It's interesting to see how Martin chose aspects of various historical periods to create an original yet familiar setting. While enjoyable, these sections can be somewhat dense for non-history buffs. As Attewell points out, if you think Westeros is complicated, the dynastic system of the Middle Ages is Westeros on steroids!
What Ifs
At turns tantalizing and heartbreaking, the book explores alternate scenarios for many of the major and minor choices throughout "A Game of Thrones". They range from the incredible (King Eddard Stark on the Iron Throne?!?!) to the terrifying (White Walkers overrun the North!) Some of them are more minor in nature, such as varying levels of troop strength or the sequence of events. Ultimately it's hard to tell how likely many of them are, but they are still fun to think about!
Book vs. Show
For me, this was the only lacking section of analysis. Part of that is the nature of the first season of the show, which often stays pretty faithful to the book with some key exceptions. There are some good points made, however, and I feel like this section will become more robust and satisfying as the analysis continues into the future books and seasons.
I decided to give this book 4 stars. The quality of the writing and its content is 5 star material, but there are a few issues that brought down the final score. In addition to the Book vs. Show section, the lost star ultimately came down to:
Formatting and Grammatical Issues - As I understand it, this book is a collection of essays originally posted on the author's blog. That being the case, I think there could have been a little more care taken in the transition to ebook. There are a fair amount of typographical errors in the text, and sometimes in quotations from "A Game of Thrones" and other books. Also, while there are many helpful links to wikis and essays around the web, some seem not to have been functioning (though this could just be a problem with my Kindle).
No Concluding Statement - Maybe it's too much to ask/overkill after such an exhaustive analysis, but I thought it would have been nice for Attewell to offer a few closing thoughts on the book as a whole and how it fits into the series. It also would have been nice to hear a few teasers about where things are heading in "A Clash of Kings".
No Bibliography or Recommended Reading - This is a minor gripe, but I would have liked for the author to provide some resources for readers looking to further explore the ASOIAF universe and the historical events brought up throughout the book. There are a few sources sprinkled throughout the book and in the notes, but a central list would have been great.
That's it for my review. All told this was a great read! I underlined many choice quotes, and I intend on referencing it extensively the next time I start a reread of the series!
UPDATE 10/18/17 I've just completed a re-read of this in conjunction with a re-read of A Game of Thrones. I read them in tandem, reading the AGOT chapter first and then reading Steven's analysis of the chapter. I found it to be hugely helpful in gaining an in-depth understanding of both the political and military situation in the novel. He also does a great job of explaining some of the literary techniques, specifically involving Sansa's storyline. My biggest criticism is that he sometimes fails to appreciate the importance of the more fantastical storylines (specifically Bran's). Also, I must admit that I skimmed or skipped a lot of the historical analysis of the War of the Roses the second time through. It's good, but a little too extensive for my taste. To give you an idea of how helpful I find the book, my Kindle version contains 407 separate highlights!