Rating: 
Summary: This is a fantastic fantasy book.
Review: I have nothing but praise for this book. This is a prime example of great fantasy writing. It has great characters, an interesting plot, and a lush, detailed environment. This book completely pulled me into the world of the seven kingdoms and kept me engrossed in it from beginning to end.
Rating:
Summary: Best Fantasy Book I have ever Read!
Review: I bought this off the shelf of a bookstore that was closing out its inventory. This was about the only book left on the shelf. I opened the cover, started reading and fell in love. Martin has a way of making you feel the cold wind blow on your neck as you walk the wall with Jon. The only drawback is waiting for the next book. This is the only series I will buy in hardcover w/o even looking at the price. I feel the characters pain ,triumphs, fears and laughter. I am truly impressed by this series and am constantly checking for the 4th book...I had also read the other author. So if you are looking for a great book, read this series, but I warn you.... the wait for number 4 is a killer!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Slow!
Review: I ALMOST gave up on this book about halfway though. I was thinking to myself, "where is this book going?" Towards the end something DOES actually happen! Wow! I don't see how people can say WoT books are so boring then say this is great? There is so little action in this book, I truly believe there is more [harlets] and [intercourse] in this book then anything else. Believe me, this book isn't terrible, but if you don't read it, you're not missing all that much.
Rating:
Summary: MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE
Review: George RR martin has really outdone himself, this is the most riveting and the best written fantasy i have ever read. The characters are done so well it's hard to beleive that this is an epic fantasy and not a history. the entire story is real to the reader, the plot is perfectly crafted with unexpected twists and turns. i would STRONGLY recomend this book to ANYONE, you don't have to be a fantasy reader to enjoy the song of ice and fire series.
Rating: 
Summary: You know what - I liked this story
Review: This story was like a mix of Fiest, Goodkind, and Jordan -but maybe better. The story was well told and then characters were first rate. He goes into more of established cities and lands like in Fiest, and has a wide open epic like Goodkind and Jordan. What I really liked abou this book was the way the magic took a backseat. It was well put into the story, but didn't over power it. Unfortunately for Mr. R.R. Martin, I have weaned (sp?) myself off of all multiple book sagas until the last one comes out, and then I read them all at once. (Thank you Mr. Robert Jordan and Mr. Terry Goddkind.) I find I have such a busy life, I forget what happened in the books prior. Maybe that's my fault for being a bad reader, or maybe thats the writer's fault for not writing memorable fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Genius Book
Review: This is an excellent book, full of twist turns and memorable characters. Unlike other corny fantasy epics, even the best hero and vicious evildoer can die here.
Rating: 
Summary: Complete waste of time and money
Review: The first few pages are great, then the story stalls. I couldn't even finish it because it bored me to tears. I kept waiting for there to be some sort of action but it NEVER happens even more than halfway through the book. Maybe the end is great, but I'll never know because I can bare how slow it moves.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: This is the first book of a fantasy epic that is based in a time and place that will seem very similar to some of England's history, particularly the Hundred Years War or the War of the Roses. The magic is very low key... no mysterious rings or happy little elves in these books. Each chapter is written from the perspective of a different character. The story unfolds as you read the different points of view, and you will find yourself identifying with characters that you started out hating and hating characters that you started out liking! There are no archetypes in these novels... every character has their own agenda and their own motivations... the characters are well developed and complex... the dialog is fantastic... the plots and subplots are delicately interwoven, and the outcomes are entirely unpredictable. The titles of Martin's books may sound contrived, but the writing is top notch. I am eagerly awaiting the fourth book in the series (due out fall 2002) called "A Feast for Crows."
Rating: 
Summary: Little better than average
Review: I've read fantasy my whole life, Jordan, Brooks, Tolkien, Feist, McCaffrey, to name a few. I also understand the concept of a trilogy or a series and don't expect one book to answer everything. My opinion is that Martin is a capable writer, but ultimately I didn't really care about the characters or feel that they had any depth. It was a struggle for me to finish the book, and I feel no compulsion to finish out the trilogy.This book is all mildly interesting political intrigue with very little action. I have no problem with this except that neither the plot not writing style made this work for me. The author did nothing new or unique, and has used a lot of rather trite techniques to advance the plot. Everything in my review covers why in my opinion this book is neither great nor outstanding, BUT it is a solid read. I'm open minded enough to know that some may find this a good book, but I personally would never rave about or recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: Stunning, amazing, beautiful, astonishing, mindblowing. The beginning of what is without doubt the great fantasy series ever written. Like many others I had thought that Jordan's Wheel of Time was the crowning acheivement of the genre. This changed my mind. I have never read a fantasy novel written with such depth and maturity. On with the review. What you've heard about every character being vulnerable is true, to a certain extent. I went into this novel expecting main characters to be dying left and right. That doesn't happen. When Martin kills someone, it makes absolute sense in the story, and you will never be able to predict when it happens, and to who. A second thing commonly said is that it's based on the War of Roses in England. I don't agree with this at all. Surely there are parallels between the Starks and the Yorks, and the Lannisters and Lancasters. But it is not dramatized history at all. Another thing that should be mentioned is that no one is 'good' or 'evil' in this book, except perhaps Joffrey. They all have their own reasons, some justifiable, some not. You will sympathize with certain characters (the Starks and Tyrion Lannister), but that's only because that's who Martin is writing as. As Martin shows in the next two books, he can make you like anyone.
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