Rating: 
Summary: Overrated and too verbous
Review: This book could have been cut by half. Full of insignificant descriptions, overly long conversations and paragraphs that do not add to the plotline or to the richness of the imagination. i found it extremely difficult to get through this book, and usually i have no problems getting through books - i read through terry goodkind's faith of the fallen and wizards first rule in one day each. I was very excited to receive this copy of storm of swords, hearing so much about it, and the first two chapters were quite promising. we are introduced to characters, there was a ton of potential conflicts...yet somehow by chapter 5 i was snoozing and feeling quite annoyed, bored, and cheated.orson scott card, terry goodkind, fiest, jordan, tolkien...all much much better, more engaging writers!
Rating: 
Summary: Sweeping, epic fantasy at its best
Review: Don't let the term "fantasy" fool you: this is not limp-wristed, frolic-through-the-trees stuff. All three books have been well-written, violent, consistent and quite addictive. Without going into a rehash of the plot of this book, let me just say that it stays true to the previous two novels and continues to develop the characters even more. Mr. Martin does an excellent job of fleshing out and making believable all of the main protagonists, and he clearly provides reasons for a character's growth and change, e.g. Jaime and Daenerys. The plot is well thought out, the action is well choreographed, the cliffhangers have caused many sleepless nights and I really like the fact that "magic" has so far played a minor role. HIGHLY recommended. In addition, I hope Walder Frey gets his just desserts, the Hound comes over to the side of "good," Daenerys kicks some butt, and Rand al-Thor gets run over by a farmer's cart and is killed.
Rating:
Summary: Afraid of silly reviewers!!
Review: First of all I love this whole series. It really is fantastic! However, I was really annoyed at the reviewer that stated we were afraid of saying this was better than TOLKIEN. You my friend need to GET A LIFE! OK! There is absolutely no reason to make that determination. Tolkien invented the genre for heaven sakes. Mr. Martin has had his influence and that of other fantasy writers and whatever else he is inspired by to help him along. So you would hope that he could add something to what has gone before him. I would agree that he has but I also feel it is a shameful waste of time to say that Tolkien is somehow less than Martin. BOO!
Rating:
Summary: This is the Series that Brought Me Back to the Fantasy Genre
Review: It used to be (and may still be) that you could read Tolkien, Jordan and maybe a few more authors and you would discover that you had read all the fantasy reading that was worth talking about. I don't claim to be an expert, but some fantasy authors just have no business writing books. So when I picked up George R.R. Martin's first book in the popular A Song of Ice and Fire series, I was understandably wary. Something happened along the way though, I found myself immersed in Martin's storytelling and falling in love with the characters, creatures and worlds he created. I couldn't put down the first book and after finishing, quickly purchased the next two books in his famous series. Not since the first three books in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series had I read a fantasy series that so completely overwhelmed me. Eagerly awaiting the fourth book which will hopefully reach publication by spring of 2004 and looking back on the first three books, I think there were three critical strongpoints that made me love these books: 1) Characters, Characters, Characters - How many fantasy books have you read which had all the great genre elements such as dragons, swords, magic, and so forth, but never one single interesting character to bring life to the novel? Martin doesn't just give us one hero, he surrounds us with an epic geneology of lords and kings. And not just heroes, Martin gives the villainy just as much attention and usually clouds the issues not providing you with a fine line of good and evil. Everyone is human in his stories and it may be the first fantasy series I've ever read where a cripple and midget play a huge role in the story. (No, not a halfling-hobbit midget, a real human dwarf!) No one is perfect and no one is free of error. Martin's characters surround themselves in epic power struggles that would make Shakespeare proud. 2) Detailed Geography and Histories - When I read the first book in Martin's series, I was almost overwhelmed. There were so many new people and places I needed to know but luckily the books are included with appendixes that you can easily flip through to keep you updated on all family and political ties. Also, how many fantasy books have you read in which travel feels like a day on a 21st century highway and the map doesn't seem to have a realistic scale? Martin avoids the common mistakes and not since Tolkien have I read a book in which so many details inhabit the lands inbetween cities and rivers. 3) Realism - Sometimes I'll pick up a fantasy novel and while I enjoy the story and central characters, I feel like "Joe Average" in today's world could easily fit into the author's world. In other words, I think a lot of fantasy authors rely on boring medieval cliches, that is if they even try to give their characters on authentic period feel. In Martin's books, I feel as though I'm exploring a world not too far removed from medieval Europe. Too often with today's popular fantasy material, creators add liberal amounts of magic and common fantasy elements. With Martin, I discover a world which has obtained the same balance that was felt in Tolkien's worlds. As one reviewer put it, wielding magic isn't the equivalent of blowing off a machine gun in Martin's books, even though most fantasy books today want to write it like that. Maybe the best part about Martin's books is that I know there is an impending grand finale. Remember when you read Jordan's Wheel of Time series and felt that way only to give up seven to ten books later? In A Song of Ice and Fire, you can sense everything getting closer to one final epic confrontation instead of the all too common trend of fiction authors to try and cash in on one more book to prolong the series. Martin has even announced that only six books are planned in his series and it's good to know that a compelling best-selling fantasy series actually has an ending in mind. All three books are in softcover now and Martin fans are anxiously awaiting the next addition. My advice would be to pick up the first book quickly because you'll find some of the best fantasy writing in recent years and a terrific story regardless of your interest in the fantasy genre.
Rating:
Summary: Another instant classic!!!
Review: R.R. Martin never ceases to amaze me. As in the previous two books in this series, A Storm of Swords kept my attention with its in-depth storyline and complex characters. You can't anticipate what will happen next in these books, because once you think things are going to work out as expected, the story begins to back-flip and cartwheel. All we can do is just hang on for the ride, and try to appreciate the genius that Martin has shown us through this literary masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: The Saga Continues
Review: This series is phenomenal. There are so many mediocre books in this genre, with cardboard characters and senseless plots. This book carries on a story which fascinates, as the characters flow through a variety of problems and challenges. I am looking forward to the next book, which will lead to new feints and goals.
Rating: 
Summary: long and vague
Review: While Martin has much to recommend his writing style including very good personality building in his books this series just doesn't seem to move ahead.
We begin the series with a scary dungeons&dragons chapter in the "enchanted forest" and warned that WINTER IS COMING but than the story gets bogged down in the mundane politics of the kingdom. And by the end of three heavy books we're just starting to see autumn!
Also Martin chose to write the series as a multi-point-of-view story making the story long, slow, and non-focused as each character develops a semi-independent story of its own. With several of them dying along the series and almost all of them losing their way (metaphorically speaking) the reader looses himself the larger picture and just hopes they would survive another day.
Aside from this I found his descriptions of sex, violence and the characters' constant thoughts of past wrongs and losses overlong, repetitive and tedious. So to summarize while I can't say I didn't enjoy the series character portrayal and vivid descriptions the series ultimately suffers from the lack of focus on a main subject as it goes from the subject of magical winter to that of electing a new king for the kingdom and to each characters' personal concerns.
It seems now-a-days that Martin plans to make this series seven-book long when I honestly believe it would have been better to make it a trilogy so that readers could actually see a development in the "big-picture" of the main themes of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Best Fantasy Novel I've read
Review: If you like mature storytelling not typical good vs evil, give it a try.
Rating: 
Summary: Book 3 does not reach expectation
Review: I had as many other readers great expectations regarding the development of the plot. Only I have come to realize that besides more murder and hopelessness there has been little advance in the story considering the large amount of pages!
I fear the author started with a great idea that could have made a true piece of literature but that finally has become a product.
Rating:
Summary: All Gravy, Baby
Review: There simply aren't enough adjectives in our language to describe the magnificence of this series. After I began reading, I was sucked into a vortex where I was unable to stop reading, yet dreading the moment when the words run out. The huge scope of the story is brilliantly told from the points of view of the heroes and villians, and it's left up to you to figure out which is which. As soon as you have it figured out, Martin reveals some hidden motivation or plot twist that turns all your theories to dust. There was no point during my read where I was waiting for something to happen. The story moves along in a stately fashion, with all the numerous details fleshed out in full color, smello-vision, and 3-D.
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