Rating: 
Summary: outstanding but...
Review: This has got to be one of the best books that I have read in a long time. It has an excellent plot, great character and a superb writing style. My only complaint is that I really could have done without the raping scenes and other vulger aspects. They did nothing but detract from the story. If not for them I would have given this book 15 stars!!
Rating: 
Summary: What can you say? It's simply marvelous!
Review: I knew George R.R. Martin was a wonderful writer, for I had read one of his shortstories, entitled the Sandkinds. Also, the late Roger Zelazny had previously sung his praises. Yet nothing could have prepared me for the stunning novel, A Game of Thrones.The novel is an instant classic, if you'll have the good grace to allow that oxymoron. It's drawing, from its world to its characters, and absolutely drowns you in the twisting stortline. It makes sure to not typify itself as typical fantasy, but trancends genre with the clever way it reveals itself. Not a friend I know, who has read this novel, has complained of its prose. Please, do not deny yourself the pleasure of reading this literary achievment! One problem. I read this book, knowing it would and will have a sequel, (and another after that), and therefore was left with a gnawing need to read on into A Clash of Kings. Then I found out the sequel wouldn't be coming out until 1999! Gods, must I suffer such agony? Ah, well. I guess I'll have to be content reading A Game of Thrones over again.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Fantasy Novel I've Read
Review: When I first started reading fantasy, I thought there was no possible way for anything to be better than Weiss and Hickman's Dragon Lance Chronicles or their trilogy of Raistlin & Caramon. Then I found Feist and his Magician Series, and I thought that nothing could top that. Then I discovered Jordan and his Wheel of Time series and I knew, for sure, without a doubt, that it was the greatest thing I'd ever read. And then comes A Game of Thrones...and now I have to change my mind again. I loved everything about this book: the richly detailed world, characters you can really care about, and an engrossing and unpredictable plot. NOW...now I know, I'm absolutely positive, that I'll never read anything better than this. Can't wait for book 2.
Rating:
Summary: Not your "Young-Readers" book.
Review: When I first started reading "Game" I feared I was gambling on just another "youth" fantasy(Lackey) or endless plot repetitions(Eddings). I was gratefully mistaken. This book has left me with such a yearning for the second volume of suprises, intrigues, depth of characters, and reality twisted to exquisite fantasy that I find myself suffering irately as the publication date is moved (*&%&#@!!). END
Rating:
Summary: Very good, but very long
Review: This is one of the best fantasy books I ever read. It has struck a fine balance between magic/epic style and hard realism that I was looking for. It has two detriments: in my opinion there are far too many principal characters, and the book does not lead anywhere. Just a lot of things happen. To be sure, a lot of things that we enjoy reading about, but I also like a sense of a certain closure in my books. This one has feel that is broken in the middle for us to wait for a sequel. And despite the above I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing! A nice change of pace...
Review: What? The good guys don't always finish first? Hero's actually do have flaws? Good guys actually die? How refreshing! Especially in the wake of the...7th?...27th? Wheel of Time series... it is nice to read about characters that actually have more to do than listen to the incessant whining of leading female characters (who are so similar that they could be one!). There are no "cliches" at all in this book... if anyone wanted to get picky, they could find cliches in all fantasy: the wizened old wizard, the "dark hordes" massing, the "regretful" young hero, the "final" battle... yadda yadda yadda. I find none of this in this book. Now, if only Mr. Martin can write faster than Mr. Jordan....
Rating:
Summary: Absolutly Fantastic
Review: Absoulty the best fantasy I have read. Tolkien, Jordan, Feist, etc, I have enjoyed them all. But those books where/are adolescent. With one book Martin has made the genre reach Adulthood in an outstanding manner. Bring on Book 2
Rating:
Summary: Will this review be lost in the masses?
Review: Most likely. I have finally found another author (Teresa Edgerton being the first) whom I can compare to the Almighty Mr. Guy Gavriel Kay. When I saw this science fiction author's attempt at fantasy, I thought to myself, why the hell would I waste $5.99 on this paperback. I'd already given up on finding another really good fantasy author (they have all disappointed me to some degree---some more, some less---since Kay and Edgerton), so I figured, what the hell, the cover looks good. And WOW! This guy is AWESOME. His characters are as deep (or shallow) as Kay's...but he actually let's you understand them better since he puts you behind each character's minds at each chapter. The writing is superb. Nothing, absolutely NOTHING makes me happier than a well-wrought plot and a carefully crafted style, and this is it. I'm so glad he chose to make it lengthy because I thought I'd cry when I came to the end. WHERE'S THE SEQUEL????? I WANT THE SEQUEL DAMNIT.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book - can he keep it up?
Review: I thought this book was great. Character development was top notch -it incredible how Martin can get into each character so fully. For example, one chapter is told from the point of view of innocent,'good girl, Sansa, and a few chapters later, the point of view is from bawdy outspoken 'bad' dwarf Tyrion! And who is good and who is bad? Is Sansa really all that good? Tyrion all that bad? Read the book, and you'll see - no way! Each character has mixed motivations; (like normal people) sometimes (S)he is honorable and other times (S)he behaves terribly. Anyway, I cant wait for the second book. The big question is, can Martin keep it up? (Please, please Martin, keep it up, otherwise, there is nothing fun out there to read!!) I still think the finest fantasy book out there is the Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, but he clearly could not keep it up!
Rating:
Summary: Climb on board for the ride of your life.....
Review: Martin sets up and then puts forth on this book of political intrigue filled with drama, romance and a fair share of blood-shed. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat late at night because I could not put this one down, wondering how Martin would pull all the story lines together by the end of the book....AGHHHHHHHHHH I now find myself counting the days waiting for the second book to be released. I injoied this one so much that I can hardly wait for the next. If you enjoy a great fantasy this book is for you. ENJOY.
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