I have a knife. We all have knives. It's 1183 and we're all barbarians!

I finished up my reread of A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin. I found that going back to reread this series was harder than I had expected it to be. The first time I read the books they were great. A fantasy series by the man who wrote the Wild Cards series? A fantasy series with little to no magic, where the real villains and heroes are all human? And it's based on the War of the Roses? There was no downside to beginning to read these books.

The writing in them is very well done. The characters act like real people. They have flaws, and merits, and often they come from the same traits. Life isn't idyllic and kind, and people die with realistic regularity. The politics of the kingdom that Martin creates is convoluted and realistically portrayed, with favors and knowledge used to usurp the throne. The characters all change, and there are few if any mono-dimensional people in this world. At times that feels like it's almost getting out of hand, but Martin does maintain the primary plot and works to limit the desire to wander, following the next interesting lead.

I have a vision of the perfect Game of Thrones experience. I doubt that it's actually possible, but I'd love to be able to see the stories in the form of the giant web that they create. With each chapter a thread, and the stories twisting together and then moving apart. It's what happens in the books, but I'd like to see it graphically, and be able to jump from one section to another or follow a story from start to finish.

There still isn't a downside to reading these books. So go out and read them. I'll wait here until you do.

Did you? Good.

A few points on rereading the books: The mysteries in the books are much more notable and I noticed peoples flaws much more than I did the first time through. I also had more trouble following characters who I knew were doing to be dead soon. This is especially difficult when the first book can be aptly subtitled "The Tragedy of House Stark." Stark also being portrayed as the "good guys."

In John Snow news I'm more convinced than ever that he's the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, and that Lyanna went away willingly with the crown prince. When King Robert is talking about avenging Lyanna's capture at the battle of the Trident, Eddard's first thought is of the secret that Lyanna made him promise to keep. Not of pleasure in revenge, or duty to family, but Lyanna's final secret. Combined with Starks answers about John - "he's of my blood" not "he's my son" and his anger at the besmirching of anyone else’s honor with rumors that they're John's mother... because he knows who John's parents are and can't tell anyone, but can't let a harmless lie circulate either.

Ok, now I really want the next few books to come out. Argh.