The Right Book at the Right Time

Title: A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook

Authors: Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer

Publisher: Random House, 2012

Summary/Review: What sets the compelling books of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R.R. Martin apart from so many typical swords and sorcery stories is the author’s extreme attention to the little details. Precise depictions of clothes, architecture, the nuances of battle and for many readers, the detailed descriptions of the food of his imagined worlds of Westeros and Essos are what make these books feel more like literary fiction than high fantasy. Each of the kingdoms and cities have their own distinct culinary flair, from the frozen wilderness of the Wall to the desert landscapes of Dorne. And now you can cook your own feast inspired by Game of Thrones.

Bloggers and superfans Monroe-Cassel and Lehrer have combed through medieval cookbooks looking for inspiration for their recipe blog, The Inn at the Crossroads (named for a particularly infamous location in the book series.) The resulting cookbook is terrific. Organized into geographical locations from the books, most recipes are presented twice: Once using the traditional medieval instructions followed by a modern spin suitable for today’s kitchens. The inclusion of the old-world recipes make this cookbook useful for students who might need to prepare authentic medieval food for school assignments in addition to traditional culinary historian-types. If you are as big a fan of ASOIAF as I am, you can look forward to preparing lemoncakes, Tyroshi honeyfingers and even a pot o’brown for your next viewing party or re-read of the books.

Who will like this?: Fans of the series who are interested in what their favorite characters would be eating.  Anyone who is interested in the Medieval times and are curious about the cuisine.  Anyone looking for a fun way to try something new!

If you like this, try this:  If you enjoyed the food and are interested in seeing what other cookbooks are out there, you can try an “unofficial” Game of Thrones cookbook.  One title is “The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew – More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond” by Alan Kistler.  You can also try “The Medieval Cookbook” by Maggie Black, though this is completely unrelated to the show.

If you are interested in the series and haven’t read the book, it’s about time you tried!  Also, check out one of our previous reviews for the game of thrones graphic novel!

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

If this looks like a book you would be interested in, visit the Fairfield Public Library catalog to check its availability and place a hold [link will open in a new window]

Title: Game of Thrones, Volume One: The Graphic Novel

Author/Illustrator: Daniel Abraham/Tommy Patterson

Publisher: Random House, 2012

Summary/Review: How many times can an original work be successfully adapted? In the case of George R. R. Martin’s sprawling (and still continuing) epic, A Song of Ice and Fire, the answer seems to be at least twice: First into a popular, Emmy-nominated HBO series and now as a planned series of graphic novels. If you saw the show and are intrigued by Martin’s medieval fantasy world or have heard about it and are intrigued but don’t feel like you have the time to read the massive books, this graphic novel adaptation would be a great choice for you.

Daniel Abraham does a great job of adapting the book into the graphic novel format while preserving Martin’s signature point of view writing style. Patterson is a skilled illustrator who has woven his own distinct style into each full-color panel. Like the TV show, the creators have chosen key scenes to tell the story and manage to pull it off without sacrificing too much detail. This is not a novelization of the HBO series: It features scenes omitted from the show and presents others in a way that more closely matches Martin’s work in its intensity, brutality and mature content.

This graphic novel tells about half the story of the first book and another volume is planned for later in the year. And while I would recommend reading Martin’s books first – yes: all 3000 pages and counting – this graphic novel is the next best thing.

Who will like this?: Fans of the TV or book series might be interested in giving this different take a try. Those who enjoy graphic novels, who aren’t afraid of some intense content.

If you like this, try this: If you are interested in the content, try out Martin’s other books, if you have the time to devote to them.

If you are interested in getting into more graphic novels, “Watchmen” by Alan Moore, “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi, and “Maus” by Art Spiegelman might be a good place to start. These are popular staples of the genre.

If you’re interested in the fantasy/science fiction aspect, some other great books in that genre are J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Hobbit”/”Lord of the Rings” series. For younger readers, “Harry Potter” by J.K Rowling.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

You can visit the Fairfield Public Catalog to check availability, or to place a hold on this book! [Link will open in a new window]