Rating: 
Summary: Not for the kids
Review: Suffice to say, from the top marks I'm awarding this book (and the whole series thus far) I found it to be an excellent read. No, that's insufficient, this is not only the best written Fantasy series (by far surpassing Tolkien in my opinion) I've read, it's almost certainly the most enjoyable book of ANY kind.
The writing style is intelligent and treats the reader accordingly, which is a refreshing change in the Fantasy genre, and the sheer bloody-mindedness of the plot subverts every preconception the reader may have while maintaining the traditional escapist elements familiar from 'lesser' works. The world of Fire and Ice is so fully realised it's hard to keep track of the history and vast array of characters but Martin guides you through it effortlessly and seems to have known from the first line exactly what is going to happen in every subsequent paragraph. His attention to detail is almost scary. The series also (incredibly) manages to improve with subsequent readings as the reader gets to grips with the innumerable plot developments and realises that the most unexpected of events was probably sign-posted ten chapters back.
One note of caution to perspective buyers however is that despite it's Fantasy trappings this is NOT a series suitable for children. Mr Martin does not shy away from explicit descriptions of horrific violence and sex and the language is frequently of the four-letter variety. Equally disturbing is the brilliant realisation of the multitude of characters in these books where the 'Heroes' prove capable of horrendous atrocities and the 'Villains' sometimes act with compassion and honour. And these characters can DIE; If a situation looks likely to be fatal, chances are it will be, which is almost unique in an on-going series and means every violent encounter is almost excrutiatingly tense.
So, not for the faint-hearted but certainly a series that sets entirely new standards for fiction, Fantasy or otherwise.
Brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: For Mature Audiences
Review: The "Fire and Ice" books by George R. R. Martin are written from an adult's perspective; if this were a movie, I would give it an R rating for sex and violence.
The plotting is cleverly done and involving. The geography and societal divisions are fictional, and yet are grounded in similar geographical locations and historical forms of Britain, Europe, and Asia. More importantly, the characters are finely crafted, well-rounded, and complete -- no two-dimensional, black and white definitions here.
While despising the evil actions taken, the character definition allows you to understand motivations and to some extent identify with even the worst individuals. At the same time, even the heroes have flaws, flaws which are intrinsic to the high standards they try to follow.
There are no "Disney deaths" in this series. Also, there is no guarantee that good or admirable characters will win; they are in real danger, from real evil, and it becomes apparent that there is some bad in even the best of us.
Rating:
Summary: Argh! I can't believe I have to wait 6 months!
Review: This is a wicked, wicked book. Not only does it leave you just ITCHING for the next installment, it makes whatever book you read directly afterwards seem shallow and unfulfilling. Martin's characterizations are profound, his plotlines are intricate, and he manages to somehow make plot twists both totally surprising and perfectly logical. At first, I was somewhat hesitant about giving this book my highest marks; it appeared to be falling into fantasy's most common pitfall. You know what I'm talking about -- the 'good guys' in fantasy tend to be shining and pristine, and the 'bad guys' are evil in every way. That's how it honestly looked for a while, but Martin soon pulled out of that particular nosedive. In the end, the book was more a tale of people fighting for their conflicting goals than outright good versus outright evil. (Other books which are exceptional in this respect are Guy Gavriel Kay's _Tigana_, where you never know who to root for, and of course Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series.) I'm tempted to advise an interested reader to wait until the series is completed before they begin on the first book, but it's just so darn good you might as well just dive right in and subject yourself to a painful wait.
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