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Parents' Guide to

A Song of Fire and Ice (A Game of Thrones) Series

By Michael Berry, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Dark, violent epic upends the usual fantasy clichés.

Book George R.R. Martin Fantasy 1996
A Song of Fire and Ice (A Game of Thrones) Series Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 14+

Based on 19 parent reviews

Dan Andreeson
Dan Andreeson Adult
January 23, 2020
age 14+

A good read, but be cautious

The book is an overall very good read, and hard to put down at certain points. While it does contain violence, sex, etc, the descriptions are not nearly as graphic as in the show and usually very brief. The sex scenes are not worded as they usually are in other books and the language is not anything a teen would hear at school. It is a very engrossing book, but it ultimately depends on the maturity of the child in question.
Larnell J.
Larnell J. Parent of 9, 14 and 18+-year-old
July 2, 2023
age 10+

Amazing dark fantasy with great rich story.

I think kids are a lot more mature than most adults and parents give them credit for. Though many children and adolescents seem to have a sense of humor that may seem to make them not old enough for certain things. I find that if we look back to our childhood days we will find that we were way more mature than adults. As an adult I know how scary it may seem to teach your child to be safe and smart sexuality, sexual activity and looking and consuming contents of gore and violence, however if we do not teach children about this they will pick it up at school and learn the wrong things on their own without help or support. If we don't teach are kids at an appropriate age about these things. They may resort to the sexual actions and violence in this book such as incest and murder if they do not know it is wrong. The last factor is to get to know exactly how mature your child is because age doesn't matter in this matter. Maturity is about how mature your child is not how old the child is. This book is an amazing read and sparked my love for the fantasy genre as a child.
See all 19 parent reviews

What's the Story?

After his predecessor is murdered, Eddard Stark reluctantly agrees to serve as "the Hand" to his good friend, King Robert Baratheon. His honorable decision has far-reaching consequences for his family. After King Robert dies, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are plunged into civil war, thanks to the plotting of the Lannisters, and the Stark children and their mother are scattered in all directions. Each must find a new way to survive in a rapidly changing world, even as magic grows stronger, a new peril approaches the Wall that protects the kingdoms, and the threat of the ultimate weapon -- tame dragons -- grows in the East.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (19 ):
Kids say (58 ):

There have been many fantasy sagas published in the last half century, but few can boast the scope, depth, and attention to detail of A SONG OF FIRE AND ICE. George R. R. Martin is a master plotter, moving his huge cast of characters from one harrowing situation to the next and keeping readers anxious and surprised again and again. Some of the first five volumes work better than others (A Feast for Crows leaves many readers disappointed), but all add new elements that only increase the complex richness of the narrative.

This book series is certainly not for sensitive readers. The language is rough, the violence is brutal, and the sexual content sometimes veers into the perverse (including brother-sister incest). But readers with the maturity to handle adult material will be amply rewarded. Martin is a serious storyteller of the first order, and A Song of Fire and Ice is his masterwork.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why fantasy sagas have become so popular in books, in movies, and on TV. What aspects of them appeal most to readers and viewers?

  • Why do some writers choose to include profanity in their dialogue and descriptions? Does it add a sense of realism to emotionally charged situations?

  • What role does violence play in the story? Would some of the characters be better off if they had not resorted to violence so quickly?

Book Details

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