Rating: 
Summary: Refreshingly spontaneous fiction
Review: Reading these books has been one of the most refreshingly new experiences I have had in the world of fantasy in a long time. The plots are fascinating and multi-tiered, drawing the reader in by making them guess as to what's happening next. The realism is extraordinary, with a careful attention to detail that manages to come across as an improvement, not an obsession. Martin is a genius at throwing little clues out to his readers, drawing you onward as you put the puzzle pieces together. The particular genius, however, that places this book on a level with authors such as Tolkien and Asimov is the storytelling method.
Martin destroys the convention of simply following a character around and swamping the reader in unnecessary background. Instead, he vividly brings his world to life through small details: the heraldry of noble houses, the scholar-doctor "maesters" and other little things. By constantly switching perspectives, Martin puts a story together that could almost be real, building piece on piece, all from different (and biased) points of view. And what points of view they are! The characters are works of genius, some of the most three-dimensional people I have ever read in fantasy literature. From the scheming, acid-tongued dwarf Tyrion Lannister to the troubled but dutiful wife Catelyn Stark, each character is believable down to the last detail.
All in all, I would not hesitate to recommend this story to every reader I know.
Rating:
Summary: good start
Review: this book is excellent and all around entertaining. the story starts a little slow, but the final 200 pages are awesome. the only thing i was not a fan of was the graphic sex. i am an adult, but i thought some of the in depth descriptions of sex organs (especially male) was a little tasteless. However it was a small problem and overall this is a great story, if you have the patience for a series over 2000 pages long in only 3 books.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow, I am in a serious minority..
Review: I agree though, with all the bad reviews.It took me 2 weeks to read this because I kept throwing it in the corner in disgust. There isn't one truly sympathetic character in the entire book. The author's need to obsess over ever detail appeals to some I suppose, but he should have at least tried to stick to some semblance of realism thru a little bit of research. His incredible lack of knowledge in all things martial led to me shaking my head over and over. The plot appears to be a simple action-reaction device. No real continuity is developed, and no hard distinctions are drawn giving me a reason to root for one side or another. The sex scenes are completely gratuitous, seemingly only there to titillate his reader's baser instincts. The author has not learned that a story can be made finer, a scene more solemn or horrific or suspenseful, by leaving some details unspoken. A few specific problems I had that just jumped out at me for being so unrealistic: Making a midget in poorly fitting armor who has trouble just walking some kind of invincible warrior is utterly ridiculous. Jon severely burning his hands in the zombie fight. Puhlease... the author might at least have lit some cloth on fire and noticed that it is pretty hard to burn yourself from a quick snatch and grab as described in the book. Arya tripping in a wheel rut and breaking a nail after so much physical training which implicitly included tumbling. It is completely unrealistic that she would have been so emotionally shaken as to trip in a wheel rut and hurt herself. Muscle memory is a wonderful thing. That scene was so at odds with the training she'd been recieving, and for the life of me I could see no purpose. It detracted from the story because it instantly invalidated all the hard training. No HEROES. Not only are their no flawed heroes...there are NO HEROES at all in this book. The closest thing to heroes are Robb and Jon. Robb being some kind of great strategist in command of a bunch of war-hardened veterans is of course beyond belief, because no real context is given that would have led us to believe he has a head for strategy. And Jon is constantly second guessing himself like a ww2 era frenchman. In the end, this book strikes me as being written at a young-adult level in regards to the "child-heroes" and the simple-minded plot, but with an attempt to make it palatable to adults with it's sex and it's contrived complexities. I suppose I'm spoiled by the likes of Tolkein, Asimov, Heinlein and Herbert. This dreck goes on the "target" pile for my next range day.
Rating: 
Summary: A Game of Thrones
Review: Do yourself a favor and read this book. The next two are just as fantastic. Best books since the Bible! (J/K) However, they are my favorite books; I just can't get enough of the story. I highly recommend this book, as well as the other two (soon to be more), to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Grim, realistic, epic, brilliant
Review: (...) the violence and sex: yes, this novel is incredibly brutal. The opening chapter sees an 8 year-old boy witnessing his father decapitating a traitor. If this doesn't tip you off, nothing will. Some parts of the novel are so violent and downright -mean- that they made me cringe. But you know what? That was a good thing. Martin's words is not filled with honorable heroes and scheming, Batman-style villains. His heroes are tormented by difficult choices, and his villains act with cruelty and without any mercy. And that's what's so great about it: it gives a believeable aura to Martin's world, one that will make you wonder why he is the only one to take this road. Compared to Martin, other fantasy authors seem to be writing about benign fantasy lands filled with gentle people and unimaginative villains. This overall brutality translates many times into shocks as you read through. No, heroes and loveable secondary characters do NOT always make it to the end. And when they die, they don't necessarily make a redeeming sacrifice that saves the land. Sometimes they die alone, unavenged, at the ends of cruel people. This made me reel from shock in some parts, making Martin's world so much more -dangerous- than any other fantasy world. All this to say, "A Game of Thrones" deserves to be called a modern masterpiece of fantasy, and it does stand very high in the genre. It's low-key approach to fantastic elements is refreshing, and the characters are exceptionally engaging, whether they're deluded little girls or cunning dwarves. Is it better than Tolkien? Do yourself a favor and don't think about it. For sure, it is certainly more in tune with the demands of modern fans for gritty, action-packed adventures. If you thought the LotR movies were better than the books because they packed more of a punch, then you'll think Martin is better than Tolkien. My own opinion is that they both deserve to feature on the shelf of any fantasy fanatic, and leave it at that.
Rating:
Summary: Historical Fantasy meets Machiavelli and Steven King
Review: I generally don't like long drawn out plots. But GRRM doesn't write long boring prose, too much filler conversation or too much unbelievable fantasy. Even though they are long, they move quickly. The Lannisters seem to take their clues directly from Machiavelli. The characters are simply wonderfully revealed. You love many and hate many. Others you love and hate at the same time. Many characters display amazing courage at times, yet they all have typical human flaws. North of the wall everything reminds me of a Steven King experience. There are no elves, hobbits or fairies, but there's hope of returning dragons. So far, this is my favorite series ever. I have read the first three books. I like it better than Tolkien, Jordan, Brooks, Eddings, Douglas, and others. Sometimes, great characters die too quickly, which can be discouraging, but there are so many great characters, that you still have friends to read more about.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This book is really excellent. Martin is the best writer in this genre I have seen.
Rating: 
Summary: requires patience, and a bottle of "No-Doz"
Review: The first chapter really grabs you and was good enough to make me read on, and on, and on until well into the third book to get to more of the same. The author certainly has created a host of excellent and compelling characters. Maybe too many to keep track of. He really keeps the reader guessing who should I be rooting for? I kept finding myself dreading another sub-plot and another side character that I think ruins the pace of this series. I think Mr. Martin needed a bit more discipline with the story to keep the readers level of interest. Overall the series is great, but I could do without the rape and sadistic themes that keep coming up. I think Martin wanted to keep these books dark, gritty, and cruel. The chapters on Jon Snow, Arya, and Bran are some of the best I read in a "fantasy" book. Maybe I should have skipped/skimmed the others.
Rating:
Summary: The Standard of Modern Fantasy
Review: JRR. Tolkien's LotR, the Hobbit and the posthumously published Silmarillion were the harbringers of modern fantasy, what started it all. But now, half a century later, most GOOD fantasy has moved away from Tolkien's world of elves and hobbits into more of a "fantistorical" world, that while not as magical or wondrous, is grittier and a bit more lifelike. No one commands this new way to write fantasy better than G.R.R. Martin, and his A Song of Ice and Fire books should set the standard now for all modern literature set in the same vein. His greatest strength is his use of characters: Jon, Tyrion and the others are all unforgettable and easy to cheer for. But just as strong as those who are in supporting roles: people like Jeor Mormant, Littlefinger, Barristan, Sandor Clegane. The list could go on. His characters are so rich, so multileveled, and ultimately so gray (rather than black and white) that ASoIaF is absolutely enthralling. His use of politics in the storyline is also first class, and his battle scenes are descriptive while still fast paced. Perhaps the only weak point is that the books lack an overhall cohesiveness...there is really no direction to the books, where the plot is actually moving forward, all the plot lines in concert with each other. But perhaps that is only a personal preference. Anyhow, the book is stellar, and all lovers of fantasy, or good literature in general, should read A Song of Ice and Fire.
Rating:
Summary: Best Epic series ever
Review: A Game of Thrones and the entire Song of Ice and Fire series have moved me in a way that no books have since I was exposed to the Lord of the Rings in fourth grade. I have read A LOT of fantasy novels - 2 to 3 a week, not to mention a large number of the literary classics, and this is the finest reading of any kind I have ever come across. As an aspiring author, Martin has totally altered my idea of what one can do with a story. The plot itself is compelling, but what makes these books truly stand out is the character development. There are countless noble families, each comprised of many people, all of whom somehow manage to have their own personalities. While most fantasy series' have a handful of main characters and thousands of faceless grunts, this series contains scores of distinctive characters who the reader comes to care about. Everyone has their own nickname and personality, and it means something to the reader when they die. That's the other remarkable thing in Martin's books. Everyone is expendable. In most novels, the reader knows that one or two peripheral characters may be killed, but that the quest will have a happy ending and most of the good guys will be there at the end. With Martin you don't know anything. You can never predict what's going to happen next, no one is sacred, and even the villians and good guys aren't consistent in how they are perceived. This is real; it's like reading history, not fiction. You feel like this could really happen, and that's what sets it apart from all the rest.
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