Rating: 
Summary: My all-time favorite...
Review: ...George R R Martin deservesto be spoken off among so great writes as Tolkien, McKiernan, Donaldson and of course one of my other favorites... Robin Hobb. This is intriguing, fascinating and absolutely wonderful, it has it all... danger, action, intrigues, magic, good guys that turn bad guys and bad guys that turn good guys and then of course heroes and heroines... and then it has wolves and strange characters and humor, not to forget. Read it and Enjoy it greatly!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Oh well...
Review: I bought his book on the recommendations of disenchanted Jordan readers. I wish I hadn't. While not poorly written, I thought his plot was trite and rather predictable (though there were a few surprises), his characters shallow and unlikable (even the "good" guys), and as a whole unsatisfying. I do not intend to read this series, nor would I recommend it to anyone else.
Rating:
Summary: Intuitive and Well-Written
Review: George R.R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones" certainly has a lot to compete with, especially with talented writers such as Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind's caliber dominating the epic fantasy scene. But George R.R. Martin has achieved a individuality in his writing that is hard to ignore. His style is far different than that of Goodkind and Jordan, and his story-telling much more intricate. George R.R. Martin has created a breathtaking world full of feuding houses and lords, a world where there is no one who is wholly good or evil, a world where a dark threat looms to the cold wastelands in the north. His writing is just right. It doesn't become needlessly descriptive in areas that don't really matter, but it somehow accomplishes painting a picture that is perfectly clear in your mind. I found that Martin seems to accomplish more in a chapter than, say, Jordan who sometimes takes pages and pages just describing characters clothing or facial expressions. Martin uses the english language beautifully. Conversation between characters seem much more realistic and natural as opposed to other books where conversation seems stiff and contrived. This makes the text seem very believable, and a whole new world opens up in front of you. The intricacy of this work, as I mentioned before, is astronomical. Martin is controlling a lot of information here, and he does it masterfully. The pages just flew by as I read, and I finished this book very quickly. Sometimes I would be so caught up in the land of Westeros that I would read for hours and hours without becoming fazed. Only a select few can do this for me, and Martin is at the top of that list. In conclusion this is a book that no one should miss, whether you are a fan of Epic Fantasy or not. Read it, enjoy it, and become a George R.R. Martin fan.
Rating:
Summary: Direwolves and Lions
Review: Still wondering if to buy and read this or not?
Luckily I did the first and mainly because others were so nice to share the knowledge that this book is worth my time here at Amazon.
Very realistic characters,political intrique,richly detailed background,the fact that winter is coming and the threat of what winter will bring along with it into the seven kingdoms.
Friendship and loyalty lures Eddard to King's Landing to serve the king or better said... to rule the Seven kingdoms in the name of the king.
But this is just one of the storylines developing in the Game of Thrones and it becomes even more interesting with numerous plots and sub-plots so that you will get a real sense of involvement in the lives of the characters only strengthened by the possibility of losing your favorite character...
If for some odd reason you don't like Eddard don't worry you just choose some other character because there's plenty of them.
Martin does a good job of evading the usual problems so that all
characters now remain equally interesting and not making the story too long for no particular reason.Of course you will probably like some characters more than others but not in a way so that you're willing to skip chapters.{Each chapter tells the story from a point of view of one specific character}
It has to be said that Martin's writing skills combined with the unpredictable story itself makes it difficult to put the book down.
Ofcourse all these things have been said before but they are true so don't hesitate longer but read and read and read because it is a {unfinished}serie of books.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!!
Review: Tears and goosebumps. Loud, involuntary exclamations. When a book can elicit such reactions from me as I read it, I know I have a true winner on my hands. When it is possibly (with the exception of 2 Harry Potters) the first fantasy novel I have ever read, and it makes me want to read MORE then I know for sure I have a winner. I started the book carefully, and read carefully for the first 100 pages.....then I started looking forward to Jon's chapters only....then I was just trying to gulp the book down whole!! Well drawn characters I cared about and a setting I felt like I could walk into and know.....WOW!!
Rating:
Summary: Unnerving, Unflinching, Unsurpassed
Review: It's very rare that I can make myself type up a review, but in this case, I'll make an exception. Because, to be frank, this is the best fantasy novel I've read since Tolkien, and everyone should hear how good it is. I just hope I can give a truly convincing argument for why you should read this book as well. With prose that balances just the right amount of description and narrative flow, Martin introduces you to a world where seasons last for years, noble Houses bid for power and glory, and threats loom from all directions. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character; usually, one of the Stark family, whose members provide the moral linchpin of the novel. Through this narrative style, you are gradually introduced into the thoughts and opinions of each chapter's guiding character, until you feel that you almost know them. Startlingly enough, even "minor" characters are well fleshed out - there are no flat stereotypes in this novel, and you'll soon find that even people like the beastly Hound are more than just cardboard cutouts with "villain" stamped on them. Ultimately, it was the characters more than anything else that made this book for me. Really, I don't see how you can fail to love them, or at the very least love to hate them. As many, many other reviewers have said, this is no typical "everybody lives" story. People die, tragically and brutally, but this should not turn you away from the book. If anything, it makes you more attached to the characters than ever; rather than self-confidence ("Harhar, wonder how Mat will get out of THIS one?"), you (or at least _I_) feel real fear for them. Their next misstep could be their last, and that's enough to keep anyone on the edge of their seat. This series also features a departure from the "cleanliness" of most "high fantasy", and at the risk of sounding like some sort of an ignorant brute, I mark that a good thing... Seeing characters actually curse like real people instead of rambling on about "goat-kissing woolheads" was positively delightful in its originality. Although this definitely means that younger readers should beware, Martin's unflinching (and mature) approach towards such subject matter should be admired, or at the very least, tolerated. This is most definitely NOT cookie-cutter fantasy (which is enjoyable in its own right). Oh, to be sure, there's the usual battling, a touch of magic, and a few otherworldly creatures, but there's also a good deal of intrigue and betrayal. The plot twists and turns on itself, always revealing new surprises. The line between good and evil is a blurry one; there is no Sauron or Warlock king or Mad God Torak. There is only the evil that resides in the heart of men and emerges sometimes from the purest of intentions. As I read along, sometimes I felt myself asking the question, "Who should I be supporting? Who's really right?" Thank you, George RR Martin, for giving your readers such an interesting struggle. Really, there's not much more I can say to recommend this book to you. But, as someone who has read a TON of fantasy - from Tolkien to Eddings, to Brooks, to Jordan to McCaffrey to Bradbury etc. - I can confidently say this is the most refreshing, well-written, and just plain ENTERTAINING work I've come across in recent memory. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: The Next Tolkien? No.
Review: George R.R. Martin has been feted as Tolkien's successor in TIME Magazine and in newspapers, heralded by his fans as being better than Robert Jordan, and all the accolades inspired a jaundiced attitude in me as I read "A Game Of Thrones." I will say this: it's nowhere as bad as anything by Jordan or David Eddings, both of whom write on a 7th-grade level with flat characters. I couldn't finish either of the novels I started that were written by the forenamed authors. But I finished "A Game Of Thrones" and look forward to the rest of Martin's series. Why, because the man's press is true? Well, no, it isn't. Martin is better than Jordan and Eddings, but that's like comparing the junior high valedictorian to the rest of his class. His writing is brisk, gets the story moving, flows well; it's also pedestrian, and I doubt there are any phrases that'll stick to mind when I'm finished with his series. He doesn't seem to have much love or regard for language. So is he Tolkien's heir in spite of this? No, because, in spite of the fact that Tolkien's language is antique and often overdone, Tolkien was a master at worldbuilding. Most Tolkien fans would love to find Middle-earth. I wouldn't pay two cents for a stay in the Seven Kingdoms if I had dragons for bodyguards; it's a cold, unpleasant place. But Martin brings it to life, which makes him a superior storyteller to Eddings, Jordan and company. Did I like the story? Yes, in spite of the fact that it's a retelling of the Wars of the Roses. I rather suspect I know who'll win in the end. I've gotten attached to certain characters-Jon, Bran, Arya, Tyrion, Daenerys, Sandor Clegane and, oddly, Loras Tyrell-and hate others (Cersei, Catelyn, Sansa, Gregor Clegane, Janos Slynt, almost anybody named Lannister or connected to them, Alliser Thorne). The language is blunt; so are the situations. I'm grateful. Enough fantasy is whitewashed and Disneyized; thank goodness Martin shows a medieval world so real you can smell the mud and garbage as well as the flowers and spices. "Song of Ice And Fire" is not a masterwork, but it's a good read. And it looks as if it will have a real conclusion. I'll stick with it until I find something better or it ends.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent story
Review: I found myself getting caught up in the individual lives of the various characters, it was great. There is plenty of action as well as meaningful dialog and it managed to keep my interest thoughout the book. My largest problem with the series so far is that there are a lot of loose ends that never seem to get tied up by the end of the book.
Rating:
Summary: A surprising whim.
Review: I had been given a border's books and music gift card by my father and I planned to use it to buy some new books. Well, I was browsing the book store and happened upon a "Clash of Kings" which as we all know is the second book in the trilogy. After picking it up and reading the front page, I noticed there was a first book. I found the first book and bought them both, based mainly on the reviews on the book. I must say I am ASTOUNDED at how well George Martin writes. The man has the ability to surprise you, keep you in suspense and even draw you so deep into the storyline that you dream about being there in the ice, running from the Others and hiding from the Lannisters. Good show.
Rating:
Summary: unstoppable, what a great start
Review: A friend recommended, and I thought okay, what the heck - probably another Robert Jordan. Boy was I wrong - this is a fantasy light fantasy book - it reads almost like a historical novel, and there's no magic (a nice touch). You won't miss the magic as the characters are so well rounded and interesting. there is magic referred to in various legends, but nobody walking through walls or unexplained plot twists. I found the direwolf an intriguing animal to use as foreshadowing of events to unfold. As always will such epic stories, there are many characters to try to keep track of - i just ignored and followed the main houses as history was made. all in all, a great book, and I hope he can match the quality of the story and characters for the sequels.
|
