Rating: 
Summary: One of the best you'll ever read
Review: George R. R. Martin has written a novel that is larger than life. With an enormous cast of well done characters and a keen eye for conflict, he has delivered a story that a reader of any genre will be enthralled by.
Plenty of knights, nobles, lords and ladies in a rich tapestry with a rich history! He balances the elements of fantasy in a manner that never over-powers the characters or setting, but that always lets the fancies of the mind take flight. Political intrigue has seldom been so good, and his characters keep true to themselves and you follow them eagerly through the wilds, across seas, down hall-ways, and into the depths of their hearts, ever anxious just to see what happens next.
Rating: 
Summary: Not just Fantasy
Review: Why not just fantasy? Well, there is so much more to this fantastic ( slight pun intended) series. Firstly, although you do have fantasy elements ( dragons, the rather disturbing and hard to kill "Others"), you do not have any of the other tired cliches- there is no happy elves dancing in the forest, no missing sword/ring/stone that needs to be found, and no cute teenage characters who will soon gain power and blah blah overcome anchient evil and save the world. Put another way, this saga has none of the cliches that have so dogged modern fantasy. It is in short, gentle reader, turned the whole concept of fantasy upside down.The novel is best described as a remarkable historical epic with fantastical overtones. Very few novels, and fewer yet fantasy novels have the sheer sweep and grandeur of this book. The plot is intricate yet dare I say it believable, the places well sketched, and the characters in turn lovable or loathsome. No other book has led to such heated discussion amongst readers as to which charcters they like or hate the most- and I am sure that you will find one that you identify with. Martin is a very talented writer. Despite the vast sweep of the saga, the numerous and complex subplots, and incredibly writing the same action from the point of view of over a dozen central characters at no stage does the plot lag, or a unbelievable plot device inserted. He richly descibes scenes and characters, battles and places. Any one who has trawled trying to regain the sense of delight from when you first read "the hobbit" or the Belgariad before it got tired would love this book. Even a general ready looking for a "fairy story" for adults would enjoy this. As highly recommended as one can get. Grade: A++
Rating:
Summary: Continuing one of the best fantasy series ever
Review: Just wanted to chime in with everyone else. This book picks up where A GAME OF THRONES left off. It continues with it's amazing detail, action, and gritty reality. I love this series and can't wait until "A Feast For Crows" comes out.
Rating:
Summary: George R.R. Martin, A Song of Fire and Ice Books 1 thru 3
Review: George R. R. Martin builds well rounded characters. He keeps the reader on the edge with his many twists and turns. All three books were real page-turners. His style of following several characters is made easy with each chapter focussing on one main character's events. I and my teenage son can't wait for the forth book to come out in April 2003.
Rating:
Summary: Honk! Bandwagon... coming through!
Review: I know I'm just jumping on the bandwagon at this point, but I love this series so much! If you're going to write a 900+ page brick of a novel and your plan is to plump it out with tedious descriptions of clothing, relentless introduction of characters never to be seen again and annoyingly overused mannerisms, you'll eventually lose my respect as a writer. On the other hand, if those 900+ pages are totally crammed with character development and plot advancement, action and intrigue... you must be George R.R. Martin! How this man does it I'll never know, but he hasn't once faltered. There's never a smidgen of doubt that he is totally in control of the plot, the characters, and the mood. Every novel moves the story forward; every character develops and matures -- unless he is cut down instead. Sometimes a beloved character gets the axe and you have to put the book down till you get past your anger at the author; sometimes a hated character gets his comeuppance and you hiss an exultant "Yesss!!!", disturbing the person sleeping next to you. What never happens is that you get bored and give up on the series. At least, that never happens to me. Write on, GRRM! Five more books? Fifteen? If they're all half this good, I'll be in line to buy them.
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Summary: The battles begin..
Review: "A Clash of Kings" keeps going where Martin's other book "A Game of Thrones" left off. This book, like his others, has plenty of action, intrigue, adventure to keep any fantasy fan hooked. Martin does a wonderful job bringing us to terms with the characters that he has created. His unique character-based chapters don't take away from the story at all, they only succeed in planting the action right infront of the reader. There are now four kings buying for the rulership of the kingdoms. Stannis, Renley, Joffrey, and Robb Stark. All of them want what the others have. But to make matters more exciting, the blood of the old rulers is returning. Dany, Mother of Dragons, is returning to reclaim her rightful place on the throne. The kingdoms seem to be in chaos, who will come out on top. While "A Game of Thrones" seemed more of a precurser to future events. This book actually brings those events to life. Armies meet, kings fall, there is no end to the action. "A Clash of Kings" succeeds in bringing together real life emotions, with everyday horrors. This book moves the epic story along, and some things are solved, while other problems are just beginning. Who will come out on top? What of the problems in the North? And what about those words that should freeze the blood of the battling kings... "Winter is coming..."
Rating: 
Summary: From epic to dragging
Review: The sequel continues to draw the epic pictures of the wall, the kingdoms etc.. You also find the parallel development of several story line quite interesting - fow a while. But after a while you start wondering
- how many story lines are developped ?
- which are meaningful in the end (there is at least one partial story which does'nt matter at all)?
- would I like to read the single stories if they weren't cut into slices (although the cutting mostly means nothing because when you read the following slice of one story line you more than once find out that the sclices of other story lines you read up to that didn't interfere)?
So after a while you get the feeling that the book starts dragging to an (undefined) end
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Summary: The continuation of a masterpiece
Review: George R.R. Martin's A CLASH OF KINGS continues where A GAME OF THRONES left off. With this second installation of the series, there is no question that A Song of Ice and Fire establishes itself as one of the premiere fantasy epics ever written. For those who enjoyed A GAME OF THRONES, A CLASH OF KINGS is an absolute must-buy. The only downside might be that you will do nothing but read it (which doesn't bode too well for your social life or you personal hygiene). The second book contains some of the same elements as the first: (1) a very realistic world comprised of believable characters, none of which are purely good or evil;
(2) bad things do happen to the main characters;
(3) a captivating and flowing style written from multiple points-of-view, each of which has a unique voice;
(4) more details about the continent of Westeros and the Seven Cities beyond the sea;
(5) the same gripping plot, which once again explodes with unpredictable events (which are still believable!); In short, BUY THIS BOOK NOW if you have read and enjoyed A GAME OF THRONES. You will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent! No let down...
Review: A friend of mine suggested I pickup George RR Martin during a "downtime" of reading. Boy, what a great suggestion! The first book in the series, The Game of Thrones, was excellent. As is my wont, that tends to make me a little suspicious. After all, with such a high level having been set by the predecessor, it's very difficult to maintain the level of excellence. My fears quickly abated, though, as I delved into this book. It is darker book than book1-- perhaps because, after the success of book 1, GRRM decided to expand the series? No rousing finish here. Instead, the book grimly, stupendously, marches onward hewing characters (*mostly* minor in this tome) as timber. In the process, "major" characters are fleshed out giving life and breadth and breath to their motions, intuitions and actions. Cersei becomes less wooden, Catelyn more human, Sansa less "doll"-like, Arya more rogue-ish (and the perspective GRRM obtains in writing as a "10yr old" is excellent). Jon? Tyrion? The best.... Bottom Line? An excellent edition in an excellent series. Wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: A relief in most ways
Review: Of all the things that annoy me in books and movies, probably the one problem that grates on me the most is the fact that main characters never die and that all the evil characters have no motive or real train of thought beyond 'Be evil'. Whereas the good characters will be painfully good. A Clash of Kings was a welcome breath of relief. Main characters die and there were no truly good characters. Most the time I didn't know who to root for though I knew who I wanted dead (Joffrey and Joffrey again). About the sex and violence: Violence I've never minded unless it's exaggerated, unrealistic or pointless. The sex isn't needed but those parts are generally short and can easily be skipped over. This book went somewhere, at least one king and maybe two are disposed of in its pages and I see an end for it closer than the Wheel of Time at least.
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