Though the books are technically in the fantasy genre, the stories are not about magic. They are more about the character's struggles and the politics of love, war and power. There are mythical creatures in these books, but they are not the center of the story. They are there to add to something that is already intriguing and enthralling on its own.
Those who have not read the books may already be familiar with some of the characters. The HBO series Game of Thrones is based on the series and the first season is the first book, also entitled Game of Thrones. As Martin is one of the co-executive producers, the series holds true to the stories. The actors in this series are fantastic, and the cinematography is phenomenal. As they have in the past with shows like Deadwood, HBO is able to deliver a show that is both fantastical an grounded by realism. Each character is fully developed with both endearments and flaws.
After watching the series and reading the books, there are a few characters who really stand out for me. One of them is Daenerys Targaryen. Daenerys is the exiled princess of Westeros. After being smuggled out of Westeros with her brother Viserys during the uprising that left her an orphan, she has been living in the Free Cities beyond the narrow sea. Daenerys is a character who we see grow from a shy and scared child at the beginning of the first book to a powerful queen who is determined to take back what she sees as rightfully her's.
Here is my amigurumi of Daenerys Targaryen. I don't have a pattern for this one yet, because I made it up as I went along. I didn't notice any patterns on Ravelry either, but I'm sure there will be as more people discover the show and the books.
