The Holiday Season. A time synonymous with family and friendship, turkey and stuffing, drama and deceit, danger and…alright, time out for a moment. 

Okay, George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones isn’t a Thanksgiving story–or a Christmas story, or any other wintertime shindig…at least in the traditional sense. Published on August 1st, 1996, it is the first of five currently published fantasy novels in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. However, I find it impossible to read these books and not get into a festive mood. 

Martin’s knack for developing environments and creating iconic, awe-inspiring locales speak for themselves. Whether it be the icy-cold depths of The North with its 700-foot-wall, the dewy marshes of the Riverlands with the ruins of the ancient castle of Harrenhall, or the bustling streets of King’s Landing with the stupendous Red Keep, I find little competition in depth and scale when compared to other fantasy novels. However, real-life locales offer apt comparison, whether it be Canada’s Niagara Falls, Florida’s Everglades National Park, The London Eye, etc. These are also places families may visit on holiday vacation–on a quest to experience the fantastical off the page or screen. Such notices are not out of left field, either—Martin took heavy inspiration from real-life locales in constructing the world of Ice and Fire. Heck, part of Westeros is just Ireland upside down (This is true–look it up)! 

However, where I am truly reminded of the holidays is in the characters. While there are characters you root for, no character is wholly good or wholly evil. Each has their own motivations and character traits that invite conflict with others, which build throughout the first novel into an explosive finale, one begging for more. Though the plot’s a bit more elaborate than the typical drama of a Thanksgiving or Christmas table with your ol’ Uncle Fred, I can’t help but draw comparisons–and to be thankful for my own family, who prefers “All I Want for Christmas is You” over “The Rains of Castamere”.