Rating: 
Summary: Massively Outstanding. A Pure joy to read.
Review: So I read the reviews here and decided to pick up the book..Even the glowing reviews here don't do this book (or the one that follows) justice. Simply one of the most entertaining and addictive reads I've come across in years. I'm not even a huge fantasy fan but the world Martin created has got me hook, line and sinker. I go to bed thinking about the characters and eager to find out what befalls them the next day. Pure entertainment of the likes you'll rarely see.
Rating:
Summary: Godlike
Review: In my top 0.3% of all books read out of around 1200 or so. Enlightened. If you like fantasy, this one is hard core. Probably for mature readers. Realistic portrayals of human behavior. Gritty, yet beautiful.
Rating: 
Summary: very very good series
Review: I guess that one of the reasons why this series is so addicting is that it does not succumb to the normal storytelling dynamics (though some storytelling maniacs could probably fit the template as they usually do... ;) ) Anyway, the many small stories in which we follow the different characters adds a lot of suspense to the books.
Rating:
Summary: A truly brilliant novel! Don't miss it!
Review: I have read a great deal of books in my life, the majority of which have been in the Fantasy genre, and I can say without a doubt that A Game Of Thrones is the best Fantasy book I have ever read. And possibly one of the best that I have read in any genre. Martin is truly gifted; a Master of storytelling. I cannot begin to say how much I loved this book, and how thankful I am to the friend who recommended it to me. In A Game Of Thrones, Martin has woven a truly fascinating and extremely complex story. At first I thought that it would be difficult to follow, and to keep everything straight. There are a huge amount of characters, so many different locations, and plots within plots. But it must be Martin's talent, in the way he writes, that makes everything come together naturally, and flow smoothly. I've had no trouble at all with following the lives and adventures of all the characters. Huzzah! Brownie points to Martin. Not only is there an incredible amount of world building going on here, but what I love most of all is the way Martin portrays his characters. No one is either completely good or evil, they all have very complex personalities. There is no black and white, only shades upon shades of gray. And just when you think you've understood the way a character thinks, and what his actions will be, guess what? You were wrong! This book takes so many twists and turns, not only in character development, but in the storyline and plots, that it is always refreshing and exciting ... never a dull moment! I am completely enthralled with this series! I have just started the second book in the series, A Clash Of Kings, and so far the quality is right on par with the first one. It picks up right where A Game Of Thrones left off, and does not go through pages or chapters of unnecessary back-story ... thank goodness! But for those of you who like that kind of thing in a series, don't worry. This is one story that will be so vividly imprinted on your mind that you will not forget what has happened in the previous books. Or at the very least, as soon as you begin reading again, it will all come flooding back. This book was truly phenomenal. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves, or even just likes Fantasy. In fact, I would even recommend it to people who have never even read Fantasy. I had heard there wasn't much magic in these books, but was pleasantly surprised to see that there was more than I had expected, or at least a lot of references to magic or magical beings. A wonderful set-up, and delightful teaser of what is to come I imagine. Unlike other novels where the magic, and magical abilities, is 'in your face', Martin takes a more subtle route and makes it all seem so real! So believable!
Rating:
Summary: Great story!
Review: It's a good book! Make no mistake: It's long. Mr. Martin is telling truly EPIC fantasy here. It has a large cast of characters, a far-ranging domain, an extensive backstory, and lots of politics. Martin's rotating point of view works well, particularly when you see several sides of the same events. Some of the stories of charactres are mainly to illuminate other characters. Ned's daughter Sansa is one for sure. Other characters stories are rivetting, compelling, and moving. The story of Jon Snow. The story of Tyrion Lannister. The story of Eddard Stark.
Rating:
Summary: Fantasy but no Fairly Tale
Review: Rather than call this a fantasy book for adults I would like to think of this as a fantasy book for people who think. There is a difference. I read with some surprise some of the more critical reviews of 'A Game of Thrones' there were complaints of graphic sex scenes and gratuitous violence. I couldn't find any graphic sex scenes. Sex was presented but it was not graphic or gratuitous, I thought it was a little refreshing; far too many fantasy books avoid sex like the plague. I also found far less violence in this book than in most other fantasy novels where anything that is inhuman or ugly is hacked apart with massive swords by the beautiful people. The book is about politics, which sounds horrifically boring but is presented in such a way as to make the intricacies of court and the multitude of players become vivid and real. 'A Game of Thrones' tells an epic tale of honor and treachery, love and vengeful hatred, intrigue and heroism set in a world where summers and winters can last for years, even lifetimes. The main story line involves Eddard Stark, lord of Winterfell, and his investigation into the death of another noble. Along the way there are dozens of interwoven plots, subplots and fascinating characters. This is not a book about conflict between the elemental forces of good and evil. Rather than a drab world of black and white Mr. Martin has opted for a more realistic world of grays and innumerable colors. Rather than having simplified reasoning for actions the characters all have understandable motives or at least understandable rationalizations for their actions. This is a feature lacking in 95% of other fiction I have read. 'A Game of Thrones' is filled with interesting, fully fleshed out characters. I searched in vane for cardboard or clichéd characters and every time I thought I found one I was proven wrong as these characters developed and grew in front of my eyes. Attention to detail in creating the Kingdom of Westeros is remarkable. Westeros is a large island off the coast of the main continent (Think the British Isles) that was at one time divided into seven separate kingdoms but in present day is united under the banner of a single King. These individual domains all have their particular customs, traditions and ruling classes. The history of this land is presented with great care, one never feels lectured at or bored with background detail provided. Magic is happily kept to a minimum. This is a book about people and politics and intrigue, not about wizards tossing around bolts of lightning. The minimal placement of magic and fantastic beings in the book serves to make their appearance all the more interesting and also serves to carry the story forward rather than solve all the character's problems with a wave of the hand. I have the second and third installments of the series and am looking forward to the fourth book, reportedly due out in 2003
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING!!!
Review: AMAZING!!! Its hard to believe how good this book is!!! the best part is how Marin lets main characters get killed off...
No one and nothing is sacred for him!!!!
and they dont get killd in the predictable cheesy way...in the "oh my god NO!!!...that was my favorite character how could this be" kind of way...(he does the same in future books) nothing and no-one is safe in this series...the only sure this will be a high level of enjoyment and suspense... BUY THIS BOOK!! Its AMAZING!!!
Rating:
Summary: At last - something really new
Review: All the great epic fiction - be it LotR or WoT or Shannara or StarWars, or even the much praized Harry Potter - evolve around some unsuspecting village boy destined to overcome the ultimate super-villain (who had usually once been defeated but regained strength), and always our unsuspecting boy is guided by some wizened and powerful mentor, at least in the beginning: Frodo guided by Gandalf to destroy Sauron, Rand al'Thor guided by Moraine to face the Dark One, Skywalker guided by Kenobi to challenge the evil embodied by the Emperor and his right hand, the gruesome Darth Vader, or Harry Potter guided by Dumbledore on his way to battle Voldemort.
Not so with Ice and Fire. G.R.R. presents us with a multitude of deeply developed characters, non of them belonging to the group of unsuspecting village citizen. On the contrary, almost each of them is in his own way struggling for power, for himself, his beloved or any of purposes worth fighting for, driven by a variety of motives ranging from honor to greed, from revenge to desparation, employing methods as straightforward as warfare or as subtle as intrigue.
Heroism comes to these characters by nessecity of survival rather than impressed upon them by some greater cause or destiny, and it is far from being a guarantee to survive, either. All of this makes this epic so real, that you are reminded it is fiction only by the unfamiliar geografy of the world and - well - some sparsely but effectfully deployed mystery, such as bits and pieces of magic, some curious disbalance in the seasons, and an ominious but growing threat from the far north.
If you want to read something where you really could imagine yourself in the midst of it, this series is the right thing for you. Beside all things I said so far, it should be mentioned that between the covers of this books is packed the densest suspense, and a lot of surprises, not all of them pleasant.
Rating:
Summary: A Murder Of the Norm
Review: This is by far, the most realistic me·di·e·val fantasy that you'll ever find. It's better than Lord of the Rings! The reader is immersed in a culture of knights and peasants, of warriors, zombies and Hounds...the trials of many to struggle for power, to stab in the front as well as the back - a political fiasco that forces one to question the answers; and reminds us that life is ever fleeting. This series killed me, and brought me back all the wiser. As with most things the first book sets it all up...you CANNOT read these out of order!
Rating:
Summary: A true achievement and must read
Review: Alright, I'll cut to the chase...this is an outstanding book. I'm not an avid reader, mostly because I have a hard time paying attention to a lot of books when I could much more easily be watching a movie or working on the computer. But not here. A Game of Thrones is one of the most gripping books I have ever read with a complex, though easily followed, plot and superb character development. I found myself not being able to put the book down because I had to know what was going to happen to the Starks, Lannisters, and other families in the book. And when things went bad for some of them, it actually affected me, so well drawn out are the characters. If you are someone who like to read at all, and especially if you like fantasy, there is no way you can go wrong with this one. It's not sorcery and dragons, altough there is a little of that. But it is political intrigue, knightly valor and honor, terror, and romance. And above all, it is an accessible, complex, thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
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