Rating: 
Summary: And they all lived... well, maybe not...
Review: George R R Martin is all over the place in here. Rival factions, murder, intrigue death, destruction, betrayal, and that's just the beginning. Not only will you read this, you will read it more than once. You'll get into arguments with your friends about who the better people are. You'll be happy when some characters are killed and shocked by what happens to others.Every time I think I really understand what is going on, something else rears it's ugly head and turns the world on it's ear. The relationships between all of the characters are developed better than anything I've read in years. If you don't like fantasy, read this. If you like fantasy, this will probably replace whatever your favorite series ever was. The hardcovers (and hopefully the trade paperback when it comes out have an additional thing worth considering dropping the extra money for, they have a detailed breakdown of all the family and group relations. With as many people as there are here, having the "program" to identify the players is a big plus. Spend the extra money, it's worth it.
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Summary: Have lots of time?
Review: I just finished A Game Of Thrones and have started A Clash Of Kings. They are both great if you like
reading books in a series. If you just want to read one book this isn't it. As soon as you finish this book
you really want to move on to the next one. There is very little supernatural stuff going on in A Game of Thrones
and a whole lot of plotting and backstabbing. There is no Hollywood [content] in this book. If they ever made it a movie
they would ruin it. Start reading this book far back in your chair because you be on the edge of it
soon enough
Rating:
Summary: Counter to the few poor reviews about this book
Review: I've read through many of the poor reviews here and have come to the conclusion that 99% of these people have only read the first book and know nothing of Martin's ultimate plan. Martin originally planned on a trilogy when he began writing these books. According to an interview with him, he had already written 1200 pages for 'A Game of Thrones' and wasn't even close to where he wanted to finish it. This is when he realized he would have to split the first book into 2. It appears the same happened with what would have been books 2 & 3 turning this into a 6 book series. So many of the poor reviews are based on the fact that he doesn't wrap everything up in the first book. "Nothing is resolved" is a common phrase in them. Well, guess what, book 1 is part of what is expected to be a 6 book series. My assumption is that things won't be all resolved until the end of book 6. I remember reading "The Sword of Shannara" by Terry Brooks. I loved it. The world is saved at the end of the book. I then read book 2 of the series "The Elfstones of Shannara." It was basically book 1 re-written. Evil tries to take over the world, good guys prevent it, all the heroes live, everyone is happy. Book 3 was the exact same. What's the point of making it a "series" if each book is its own story? Read 'A Game of Thrones' with an open mind and don't expect it to resemble any other Epic Fantasy you've read. You'll enjoy it. One last note...I noticed another phrase repeated in many of the poor reviews also. "For some reason, I couldn't put it down" Interesting... This was usually followed by an explanation as to why this was the case. The explanation usually mentioned expecting things to be resolved. To that I say, read book 2. Then read book 3. Expect things to be resolved by book 6. I think you will be happy you did.
Rating:
Summary: The BEST series I have ever read
Review: I would consider myself an average guy who appreciates a good book regardless of genre. Epic Fantasy happens to be my favorite. I've read some classics like those from C.S. Lewis and Tolkein. I've read some newer stuff like those from Robert Jordan and Terry Brooks. I have never read anything like George R. R. Martin's series 'A Song of Ice and Fire.' This is not your typical fantasy series. Do not expect magic swords & rings, all-powerful wizards, elves, dwarves, goblins, trolls, or the one evil entity bent on destroying the world. In fact, don't expect more than a hint of magic at all. It's dark and gritty, with sex and violence unmatched in any fantasy I have read. Your mind will boggle at the endless twists and turns it takes. You'll have love/hate relationships with every character as you bounce back and forth between who is your favorite. The story is very unpredictable. You'll think you have something figured out, only to be bounced back in some other direction. You've read many books where each chapter is about a different character. At the end of one chapter about your hero Bill Smith, you are left hanging and are disappointed to find out that the next 3 chapters are incredibly slow and involve characters you don't care about. Then you are so relieved when you get back to a chapter about Bill. I thought this book would be the same way. Then it turned out that after every single chapter, regardless of the character, I was left hanging and wanted to read more about that character. It was strange being that interested about everyone constantly. Only 3 of the series has been released at this point and the end of book 3 blew me away. I actually hollared out loud. I can't wait for the fourth one to come out. This is easily the best fantasy series I've read. I would call it a Political Fantasy because so much of it is centered around the decisions and betrayals of those vying for power. Try not to get your hopes up too much about anything. Even the best book or film in the world has trouble living up to the hype in your mind. Buy this book, look forward to reading it, then enjoy it. It will make you think and will keep you entertained for quite sometime.
Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't force myself to continue reading it
Review: [....]I enjoy fantasy and sci-fi writing a lot. Usually I can force my way through a fantasy/sci-fi book even if it's pretty bad. Heck, I finished Crichton's Airframe. However, there was just a certain impenetrable thickness to this book that only let me get about 100 pages in, both times I tried. I think a book should leave you wondering what happens next when you have to put it down to go to class or something like that. However, this book was so confusing that I found myself avoiding it whenever I had time to read. Don't get me wrong, I love stories of intrigue and mystery, and stuff that messes with your head, but this was different. It was just plain confusing; I think part of that is due to the fact that so many of the names Martin uses sound extremely similar so I never knew who's who. Not as in I never knew who was on whose side in a mysterious intriguing sort of way, but that I never could get the name with the right person. Maybe he should have gone more in-depth with each character, and maybe stretched it out to a five-book series. The story did not seem to be in any way lacking; it just wasn't written as well as it could have been. Oh, and what's with the graphic sexual stuff? seriously, I think we're all mature enough to know that it goes on and don't need to be reading about "the wetness between her thighs."
Anyway, try this book out for yourself; you may be able to get into it better than I did, and it may have some good things to offer as well.
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Summary: The New Era of Fantasy
Review: J.R.R Tolkein is a punk. Well, not really but in "A Game of Thrones" George R.R. Martin certainly raises the fantasy bar. Now my name isn't Mike R.R. Spivey, but I have read my fair share of sci-fi/fantasy books, and the Martin series is tops in the genre. Charismatic and nefarious personalities, swashbuckling and political intrigue, and oh yes your occasional fantastical beast all make for a sound read. Don't expect Martin to be pumping out sequels like Isaac Asimov or Tom Clancy, but thus far his books have been well worth the wait. A solid two ales raised into the air for "A Game of Thrones!"
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Summary: What fantasy should be like
Review: There are a lot of fantasy authors nowadays, but none compare to George R.R.Martin and his Song of Ice and Fire. In comparison their stories and plots are much easier to predict. Here when you think a soution to a problem is finally at hand, there will be another turn and you`re back in the scheemes and plots of the charachters, their triumphs and falls, may it be the young lord/king Robb and his mother Catelyn, the very clever Tyrion and his sister queen/regent Cersei or the exiled young queen Daenerys and her unusual destiny. There are many charachters in this book, and all are very well defined. It is a book you wish to read in a night, but can`t because you just have to pay attention to the many details.
It is not a classic "good fights evil" story, but a story of different interests and many sides that oppose eachother, alliances, family, friends and enemies, trust and betrayal, new found friends and values all mixed up in fabulous novel. Nothing in it is predictable. Good guys don`t always win, and bad guys don`t allways loose. They can even turn into a good guy somewhere in the story.
It is not a book you take lightly. You follow several charachters trough their trials, plots and subplots.
I have read authors like Tolkien and Ursula LeGuin, or even Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, Rymond E. Feist, Terry Brooks and others, and I find the epic Song of Ice and Fire far above these last and side by side with Tolkien`s Lord of the rings, wich has been my absolute favourite for the last 5 years. It is ofcourse very different and much closer to reality, well it is as real as it can be, but it is a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing and unpredictable!
Review: I knew from the moment I read the introduction that I was going to love this book. The first few pages after that were a little slow, but still kept my interest enough to continue to read. The characters are very interesting and intriguing, and one of the most interesting things about this book is that all characters are game. In other words, you have no idea who will live and who will die. There are no immortal, god-like characters who you know will survive. The fact that it is so unpredictable is probably my favorite aspect of this book. I can't wait to read the other books, and find out what happens to all my favorite characters. All fantasy lovers HAVE to read this book. I can't stress this enough.
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Summary: What Can I Say?
Review: As I write this, there are already over five hundred reviews of this book in ahead of me, so there would not seem to be much I can write about it that hasn't already been written. Given these circumstances, I'll cut right to the chase. This is a terrific book, and it is apparently just the first of six that will make up the entire "Fire And Ice" series. Tolkien is the standard by which I measure adult fantasy and, while my experience in this genre is limited, "A Game Of Thrones" is the most compelling and well-conceived tale I've found since Tolkien (and I liked Kay's "Tigana" and Brooks' Shannara books very much). It lacks Tolkien's deft touch of humor, but the plotting is intricate and multi-faceted and the characters have real depth, with elements of both good and bad in their personalities. Some are at once likeable but on the wrong side, and vice versa. Further, the "good guys" in this story are just as much at risk as the "bad guys". Death can strike down anyone, and it sometimes does so with stunning suddenness. The plotting is truly fascinating. Most immediately, the political and personal intrigue within the seven kingdoms is fast-moving and treacherous. But, beyond that, there is the Princess Daenerys, the last suviving member of the previous ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms, who dreams of returning from exile and reclaiming the throne for herself. Lurking beyond even that, however, is the ominous threat that "winter is coming". The great northern ice wall separates the Seven Kingdoms from a vague danger that is, as yet, only hinted at but which seems to be perhaps the greatest danger of all. This is great storytelling. A real page-turner. There's never a dull moment and, as a reader, I was always anxious to see what was going to happen next. I have the next book (#2), but book #3 doesn't come out in paperback for a couple of months and the remaining books in the series are farther down the line. I'm resisting the urge to plunge right into #2 for this reason, but I guarantee that I won't wait very long. Read this book. You'll be looking forward to more, too.
Rating:
Summary: Better than most anything else out there.
Review: Having read all of the books that are now available in this series, I must recommend it as one of my favorites in the genre. The plot is dynamic and varied, and the characters shift in importance as the story progresses. Finally, a novel in which good does not always win the first round, the hero is just as liable to get knocked off as the bad guy, and the bad guy can be the hero in the next chapter. This series keeps you interested, and I must say, is one of the only series out there that I still have no idea how it will end. Buy this!
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