Rating: 
Summary: Quite impressive? This book RULES
Review: WOW,
this book is amazing. Thats what I have to say in my first sentence. George R. R. Martin takes you into a well thought out world with well thought out characters with very interesting lives. The cahracters are just amazing, Tyrion, Arya, Eddard, Caitlin, Peytr, I just can't get enough, some people complain because there's too much sex, rape, gore etc. but I'm sure that we can all handle it. The blurring between good and evil is superb, by the second book I was totally confused about who was good and who was evil (mellisandre and the lord of the light and Danaerys Targaryen, if you've read the second and third books you'll understand). Also I like the fact that the starks dont win every battle and that eeven some of the main characters die. There are also plenty of battles in this fast moving book with strategies and logistics of armies. One thing that disappointed me was the lack of magic but there still was a small amount and all the battles made up for it and more ( i was always a bigger fan of the sword rather than sorcery) This is a great book and I would beg you read it. i have read Jordanl, Feist, and Goodkind and i have loved them also. I would suggest this but one things for sure....Dont reccomend this to your mother.
hehe
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Read
Review: In the tradition of "Mists of Avalon," Martin's series of books really propel the reader with exquisite character development, intelligent style, and the ability to hold the reader's "suspension of disbelief" so well that I have started to use vocabulary only found in Martin's imagination in everyday life! The story of several warring nobles houses is compelling due to its sense that no one house is just. Each family has a certain amount of good and evil, and because of that, relating to them is not so difficult. I often find that in reading books about the fall of nobility (think "Gone with The Wind"), I have trouble identifying with the characters, but in Martin's novel, I certainly do not. I highly recommend this book and hope you found this insight helpful.
Rating:
Summary: He has no mercy and I love it.
Review: It is easy for a fan of fantasy to be drawn to what sets the genre apart from others-the magic, the UNreality. But Martin will remind you that it's not just about the swords and sorcery but creating an entirely new world in itself, something that Tolkien started. It takes more than a unique magic system in a medeival setting to create a new world. It takes great sophistication to have the depth to make it come to life. It takes much more skill to bring the emotions of his characters out as vividly as he does and brings us to his world. This is the beginning of an epic fantasy series so I won't go into the details of the specific story. It has the appropriate complexity of an epic fantasy series and then some! I will say that it is a complete book with a climax and resolution and does a very good job of 'intruduction' to the series very quickly. There are two things that makes him one of my two favorite authors in all of fantasy. The first is that he is ruthless. He is not restrained by any of the rules of a normal fantasy story. I could hardly believe what he was willing to do to tell his story. I love him and I HATE him and I love him for it. The other thing that sets him apart (and I suppose it's the same thing in the end) is his ability to write so fludily and drammatically. It seems to me as if writing ability is not as important in the genre of fantasy than other genres as if the creativity in magic will make up for this failing. Long ramblings and weak books are still snapped up by the fans of fantasy, digested, and lead to the next volume. Martin breaks the norm. There are no weak points in this book (well... the first chapter was a little cheesy, but it actually makes sense, honestly!) and his books only grow more exciting. He has never let me down in writing or in plot. This is the best book in any fictional genre I've read in a very long time and his next two books are just as amazing. If there's any series to be addicted to, this is the one.
Rating: 
Summary: Quite impressive
Review: The world described in the book appears quite impressive and the story keeps you reading. Every now and then you may find it too many parallel partial stories.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent, Fast-Paced Fantasy Novel
Review: George R. R. Martin writes from the point of view of multiple characters in this amazingly wonderful fantasy book. An intricate plot and fascinating characters are portrayed across a well-developed world. GRRM's writing includes the outcasts that bring gritty realism to his story: bastards, cowards, a dwarf, and criminals. There are no solely "good" characters; even the extremely honorable Lord Stark of Winterfell has a bastard son, and the king himself is surrounded by plots and conspiracies that threaten to control him, or perhaps even kill him. This book has violence, sex, love, betrayal, and death. GRRM writes a world beyond imaging, though it's only barely fantasy. It's definitely not full of fairies and unicorns and happy perfection. This is an excellent book, and I recommend it VERY highly.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece of Modern Fantasy Literature
Review: In A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin has created a masterpiece in fantasy literature. Martin's epic tale is, without a doubt, the best fantasy series being produced today. The author has taken a fantastic world and added pure and gritty realism. He digs deeper into the lives of his characters than many authors ever do, revealing the human side of all of them. His use of point of view is remarkable as is the world that he paints for us. His work is monumental in the fact that it revolutionizes fantasy literature. Martin transforms us from the perfect fantasy world that Tolkien created, into a fresh, new, more real world where no one is really defined as good or evil. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys any sort of fantasy or historical type fiction. It is, put quite simply, amazing.
Rating:
Summary: For God's sake read it, but be prepared...
Review: This series has got to be one of the best things I've read in a very long time. Everyone is comparing George Martin to Tolkien, and that comparison is definitely justified. His storytelling is definitely as masterful as the Master himself, and God, those characters! Catelyn, Tyrion, Arya, Daenerys, all of them! They are as solid and unforgettable as Tolkien's bunch, even if they aren't quite as comfortable to read about. Therein lies the caveat...this is not a white-light twinkie, pixy-fairying through Hobbitland and Elfheim kind of fantasy. This is ROUGH STUFF. Lotsa blood, lotsa sex and lotsa downright medieval vulgarity. But its all a part of this astonishing world he has created, one that ... in even an old softie escapist like me and thrusts me forward into the dark uncertainties of his tale. Get this series, devour it, and curse George Martin's name for not getting it done fast enough even as you praise his genius, because A Song of Ice and Fire far exceeds your average fantasy. It will stand with The Lord of the Rings and Dune as a true benchmark literary acheivement above and beyond even the most pleasant tales spun by the human imagination. Utterly unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: Prepare to be swallowed into George R.R. Martin's world...
Review: I originally picked up this book not really knowing what it was about. The blurb on the back is, in essence, a bit fluffy and doesn't speak about this book like it should. But as soon as I started reading, I could not put this down! George R. R. Martin has simply blown me away with this book (and every other book in the series). Be prepared, because once you dive in, you won't be able to work your way back out! Game of Thrones centers around one family, the Starks of Winterfell. Each chapter is written from the perspective of a different family member -- Bran, Catelyn, Sansa, Arya, Ned, and Jon Snow. Instead of having one main character, Martin has a whole slew of them. Don't let this put you off though--the book is carried through marvellously and you manage to love and hate each one seperately! Each character is wonderfully fleshed out, and they all act and react together beautifully. The world that Game of Thrones is set in is remarkably detailed as well -- from the Wall to Winterfell to King's Landing. You will truly believe in the world that he has created. I can't give this book enough high marks -- wish that I could give it 10 stars! It deserves it!
Rating:
Summary: Simply Unbelievably Complex and Good!
Review: Initially, when I first read this book I thought it was pretty good. Maybe 3 1/2 to 4 stars good.
However, I have almost completed the second book and my opinion of the entire series, and the author, have risen much higher. I will have to give it some time to digest after the next novel, but so far this is the *best* series that has ever graced my eyes. I was a bit disappointed that there was very little magic in the first novel, but just wait. The presence of magic grows stronger as the story continues in the second book. I was also disappointed that this series is not a trilogy, but rather a 6 book mammoth. I thought that I would be able to read the entire series together, which I tend to do with triologies. Now that I am hooked, I will have to wait with the rest of the peasants to read it all. I guess this is a good thing, if your only real complaint is that the entire story is not coming out quick enough. I only hope that I live long enough (longer than GRRM characters at least) to read the ending. The first book sets the stage for an immense undertaking. There is intrigue, prophecy, cunning, evil, good, lust, rape, etc -you name it -This series has it all! You will hate some of the characters, cry when horror strikes, and sometimes rejoice. On the surface, there is a good story. But the true genius of this book goes much deeper. If you search the internet for Fire and Ice theories, you will find all kinds of websites with musings about what happened in the past, what is happening now, and what will happen in this series. Much of this story is a mystery - I found myself going back to different passages to see if I could figure out what will happen based on characater's thoughts, dreams, prophecies - some false & some true. The author has given us clues here and there as to what truly is. He is an artist to say the least. His study must be littered with plot after counter-plot to keep it all straight. As a reader I have a hard enough time. As an author - oh my! Anyway, this series has become my life - I love it so much. I read and read and read until my eyes go blurry. It is highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: I admit that at first I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I got this book. I was looking for an epic adventure to read. This stood out on the bookshelf and my dad recommended it when I was thinking about it. He runs a bookstore. He ought to know what's what. This is a pretty good story. It's well-written and thoughtful. The characters are wholly believable and details good.
|
