Rating: 
Summary: It just got better
Review: With the Wheel of Time came a series like none other, with a scope of unimaginble size and amazing characters. While this series still remains great today, many have lost faith as the latter books have begun to go downhill, dragging the series on and providing no hope of a conclusion any time soon. But now a series has come that may have taken all of Jordan's wonders and left out all of the nightmares, leaving us with an epic masterpiece that just keeps getting better and better. With three great voumes already out and three more promised to come, A Song of Ice and Fire has provided what it has promised, and has promised to continue what it has started. A Clash of Kings was an awesome follow-up to A Game of Thrones, bringing in more plot threads, more magic and more battles to provide an intruiging story line. The first book only begun to explain how great this series is. THe third book, which I have just started today, seems like it will continue the pace, and just jacket cover makes me wish taht I could read ten times faster. I already can't wait for the rest of the series to come out. Like the Starks said, Winter is Coming.
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Summary: A great series in the making
Review: The sheer anticipation of cracking open this book as soon as I got it home is evidence of how big an impression the first book "A Game of Thrones" left upon me. Every character is unique, not without flaws or petty habits. Take Dany for example. Here was a girl whose story stated slowly, and after she married the warrior, I thought to myself...Hmmm another version of Nynaeve and Lan, the wide eyed innocent girl meeting the gruff old warrior. But, her husband dies, leaving her practically alone and helpless with three small dragons to care for. But Martin nurtures her character, giving her a soul as she trekks across a hostile continent aiming for the ultimate recapture of her throne. I foresee a possible alliance between her and Robb, or maybe Jon. But that's the beauty of Martin's writing. It leaves open many questions of who will survive the wars, and who will join forces against whom. The writing is crisp and fast paced, never dull, not a page wasted. Arya travels north to find her brother and mother, and loses most of her companions along the way. Theon hopes to return home to seek help to capture Winterfell and finds his sister far more in control than he ever could be. Each side is well represented, and though we tend to side with the Stark family against the Lannisters, both sides have to deal with treachery, prejudice, hatred, and loss in equal terms. In a land where so much evil exists, and where good people are often reduced to committing cruel acts to survive, the series offers the reader so much in the way of entertainment. The pages and chapters will fly by much too fast. Too bad, there aren't more like Martin who can write such interesting and passionate stories. But then again...maybe that is why books such as this are so valued by fantasy readers.
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Summary: George R. R. Martin is KING
Review: This book leaves me breathless, it leaves my eyes tearing; it wrenches my heart with cold fear, it sends bolts of electricity through my head. As I approached the end of this book, I am torn and shattered with almost every chapter Martin unveils to us of his wartorn, heartbreaking world. It is so beautifully real, so emotionally sympathisable; the characters live and kill with such incredible human frailty, such strength.This is not just a historical novel, since it is not true history. Yet, as history, it goes beyond just the history of events, but becomes a history of human emotion and spirit. This is not exactly a fantasy novel, since its fantasy elements are gracefully subtle, or isolated (yet terrifyingly direct when they surface). Yet, as fantasy, it refuses to use the overused clichés of the past - instead, it only draws what is necessary - and makes VERY good use of that. This is fantasy history, historical fantasy - whatever you want to call it - at its best. Martin's ability to make readers realise *for themselves* what has happened, WITHOUT actually describing the action/event to you is a stroke of ingenius "cruelty"... like, you have to read a paragraph indirectly speaking of events elsewhere - and then you shake yourself to check if you've read correct, and read it again. Oh my gawd, this is not true. You read a few more paragraphs... and then, two chapters later, you realise it *IS* true. Martin's plot twines and untwines this way - stories do not just race by in linear fashion, but touch you at one point, and then thoroughly WHACKS you several chapters later... with the same point! Do you get what kind of literary genius I am trying to describe? No? Forget this review! Read the book! Six stars!
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Summary: There couldn't be a more fitting title...
Review: You might expect another roller-coaster ride, having read the outstanding first book "A Game of Thrones". While I believe that novel has the edge on this one, this is still an excellent book. Where "A Game of Thrones" is Star Wars, "A Clash of Kings" is The Empire Strikes Back. Sorta. Thematically, you know? :) Its not as pure fun as the first one, but it's a deeper novel where not everything happens as you hope. And of course, nothing ever happens as you expect it to (thank you george thank you). The future of the series notwithstanding, this is hands down the best fantasy series I have ever read. My suggestion: read one chapter at a time, so you can savor it... PS. My favorite character is still Arya!
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best fantasy since Tolkien...Maybe better
Review: Martin is a refreshing change from the rote boredom that has become much of fantasy writing in the last ten years. The Song of Ice and Fire series is the first adult fantasy I have seen since Stephen Donaldson. To say this series is as good as Jordans, Goodkinds, or Eddings does not begin to do it justice. The reality is that Jordan and Goodkind are pulp fiction written for the masses who want their stories simple, their heroes heroic, and the bad guys deplorable. The concept of depth of character and moral ambiguity is lost on them. Martin has given us fantasy that eclipses all of this. His characters are real; with real concerns, real motivations, real biases, and very real mistakes. Martin is writing outstanding fiction that happens to be set in a fantasy world. Too many authors forget that the story drives the novel, not the setting.
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Summary: This is what Robert Jordan's books COULD have been.....
Review: Face it, people - Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series has become very ponderous and overwritten, and it should have been finished long ago. You'll be lucky if you can find one nugget of interesting plotline in his latest books, and any action at all. I used to buy each of his books when it came out in hardcover - but no more. Now, Martin's series, on the other hand, shows a lot of promise. The first book, "A Game of Thrones", and now this one, are loaded with characters who never made me lose interest. And while there seem at first glance to be a few too many plotlines, Martin does an excellent job of holding all the threads together. I'm looking forward to the third book. I want to find out how Danerys' story ties in with the others (there were hints toward the end of this book), as well as Jon Snow's. And I have a sneaking suspicion about Hodor, the dimwitted strongman who's become Prince Brandon's legs. Don't ask me why, but I have a hunch he'll become extremely important to the story as it goes on.
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Summary: No doubt, one of the best fantasy series in years...
Review: In A Game of Thrones we were first introduced to the Seven Kingdoms. We met Joffrey, Robb and Robert. This time around we get a look at the other contendors as well as the old ones. That's right, we get to see Balon, Renly and Stannis, in what seems the neverending quest for the Iron Throne. But in this case, never ending is a good thing. We also get two new viewpoints on top of the seven remaining from AGoT. Davos Seaworth is a once smuggler and Theon Greyjoy, the funny, miserable and other things son of Balon. Both of these new characters are wonderful additions and both have some of the finest, funniest and original chapters. Trust me, if you thought AGoT was great, then read this one. It is by far the strongest of the series. For those who haven't read AGoT, get it now, or may the Other's take you.
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Summary: Epic Fantasy at Its Best!
Review: George R.R. Martin is a wonderful author. I would have to say that his work ranks right up there on my list with Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind. I will say up front that if you are easily offended then do not read this book. As with any good book, there are evil characters. Martin goes in depth into all of his characters personalities, including their flaws. Murder, incest, and treason play no small part in this series. The plot is intricately entwined. There are six different factions fighting over the control of the Seven Kingdoms. It's a free-for-all, with brother fighting against brother, princesses in disguise, knights plotting treason against their lords, and every man declaring himself king over this or that bit of land. I have to admit that Tyrion Lannister, AKA The Imp, is one of my favorite characters in the book. He's small and malformed, but he's got a caustic wit and genuinely cares for the people that are close to his heart. My only problem with this book was that it was so long. Which I do not mean in a bad sense, but in the sense that I wanted to know what happens to everyone at the end of the book that was still hundreds of pages away! You really need to have the time to sit down and get into this book or you will not enjoy it too the fullest.
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Summary: Fantasy Authors have something to learn from Mr. Martin
Review: The two books I have read in this series have been some of the best books I have read in this genre and all others in a long time. Fantasy authors can take a lesson and realize that not all Fantasy novels have to be formulated from the same mold. I have now read 1800+ pages and I am chomping at the bit to get at the third.
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Summary: Can you top the best? - seems you can
Review: I am an ardent reader of fantasy, and even though I must have read more than a 1000 books in the genre and found many of them great, I always knew, I hadn't found my favorite... till I read "Game of thrones" the first volume in this series. It had ALL I ever wanted of a fantasy series. Accordingly I awaited this second volume with a mixture od anticipation and dread. Often middle novels in a series are slow and transistory, the exposition is done in the first part the resolution of the plot lines left to the final volume. Often fans of a series defend that as a necesarry build up, a good example would be the "wheel of time" series by Robert Jordan which consisted of "necesarry build-ups" for the last 5 volumes without resolving anything. George R.R. Martin proves that isn't a necessity. If anything Clash of kings surpasses Game of thrones. Clash of Kings is fast, things happen, plot lines are resolved, not to say decapitated. At the same time new characters and plotlines are introduced to fill the gaps left, but never in a number too great. The most interesting part though is originality. Martin is finally an author that has grasped that humans can be more diverse, strange, exiting and interesting than any fantasy creature. He also doesn't follow rules. Anyone can die, even characters he seemed to build up as heros, that makes us care all the more for the survivors. ***Spoiler Warning*** Don't read on if you didn't read game of thrones* "Clash of kings" starts were "game of thrones" ended. Catelyn tries to find a compromise with Renly, Arya is still on the run, Theon Eddard's ward is sent to his father, to bring him to the Stark's side, Tyrion takes over as hand. Newly introduced as a "point of view" character is the onion knight a follower of Stannis, one of Martin's best creations, but then Martin has few second best ones. All in all a masterwork of modern fantasy.
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