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Summary: Fantasy Just Grew Up
Review: I had stopped reading Fantasy book for some time because I found them to be formulaic and simple to the point of being childish. A friend of mine insisted that I read this to the point of buying it for me. I'm glad he did. This is complex, unpredictable and completely captivating. Don't look for everything to be tied up in a nice neat package and don't get too attached to any character. Martin does not shy away from adult themes or actions and the story is better for it.
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Summary: Why Robert Jorden is better .............
Review: Yes, I am aware that Robert Jorden needs to get his act together but at least he dosen't have to resort to characters with a vocabulary limited to four letter words. I was disapointed to find that every other word in this series was a cuss word. I think a real writer can develop his character's thought and feelings without using bad words. For example, Robert Jorden uses almost no foul language or explict sexual situations in the 'Wheel of Time' series. For those of you who like a good clean book, stay away from George R.R. Martin.
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Summary: Best in Years!
Review: Finally, good fantasy written so well that you just can't stop reading! The characters are real - so real you cheer,cry and get angry. This is not a simple good/evil story with outrageous magic and the "good guys" winning every step. There are heros you will love and characters you will hate, with plenty of people struggling in between. Martin tries to give various points of view by alternating chapters around different characters. He succeeds in drawing you into each character - they become familiar and alive. This is the best I've read in many years - keep it coming!
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Summary: A wonderful edition for a great novel
Review: With drawings every 2-3 pages this edition is illustrated. The images are reused throughout the book, but are generic enough to fit in multiple areas. The borders around the text are a bit thin, since space is needed for the images. Although a bit steep in price, this edition surpasses the Bantam edition in quality. With Meisha Merlin signing Charles Vess for A Storm of Swords, I'm looking forward to the future books in the series.
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Summary: Hook, line and sinker!
Review: I am totally hooked and I have now signed up for the sequels. This is the very best of fantasy literature. It is fast paced and exciting with a huge cast of charachters in a sprawling and diverse landscape.At first I was despairing at the sheer number of people I was trying to follow, but Martin manages the characterisations very well so that each individual stands out clearly in the mind. This is more a "sword" than a "sorcerer" fantasy book, and that is something I appreciate. But don't despair, there were dragons once and there is a possibility that there will be dragons again. Don't you just love possibility. I can't wait to get into the next book. I just hope Martin can write fast enough to keep me interested. For lovers of Tolkien, Eddings, Jordan and Feist come aboard and read this one. You will not be disappointed. Buy it now - winter is coming.
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Summary: The new "King of Fantasy"
Review: Hail to the new King! In all my years as a fantasy reader, I have never read a series as captivating as George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire". Having read the masters, (Tolkien, Jordan, Goodkind, etc..) I politely promised to read "A Game of Thrones" upon the recommendation of a friend. Was I suprised as I tore through every page to finish the book in record time! Martin tells a realistic tale (Realistic for Fantasy) based on elements of real life. There is no good guy, bad guy distinction is this book. Martin plays with your emotions by first making you love his heroes, then killing them off, them causing you to think "Well this guy (the killer) isn't really a bad guy, He is just misunderstood." I would recommend this series to any reader that is in the mood for a change from tradition good versus evil fantasy. This is truly a five star series!
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Summary: A Game of Thrones--amazing!
Review: This is a fantastic book. I had heard that George R. R. Martin was a good writer, so I picked up "Game of Thrones" and did not regret it! This book is just wonderful. The characters are great, and I loved how the chapters alternated points of view. That way, I never got tired of the characters, and I could see the events from all points of view. I was never bored with this book. If you like epic fantasy, or any kind of fantasy, read "Game of Thrones"!
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Summary: Excellent Book!!!
Review: Don't buy this book or start reading it if you are not prepared at the least to stay up all night reading it, and at the most to call in sick to work so that you don't have to put it down! This is a great story, with well-crafted characters and believeable dialogue and events. Even the 'bad guys' have many character dimensions, and the story's sleight of hand will keep you guessing and delightedly reading.
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Summary: Pretty Bad
Review: It had been a long time since I read a fantasy novel, so I figured I'd pick one up for old time's sake. I chose this one based on positive reviews. The result? I hated it! The first thing you should know is that little of interest happens until the last third of the book. There is just no way to avoid it due to the huge number of characters involved. Now it's not too bad if one keeps in mind that this is book one of three, but I certainly did not enjoy such a long exposition. The bigger problem is that the characters, every single one of them, are essentially savages, brutal and dumb as doorknobs. All they know is how to destroy. Why should I care which one of them wins the "game of thrones"? As a result, this is not so much a story as a monotonous recount of events. And then there is the preposterous writing style. He "roared with laughter". Who roars with laughter?? Again, the impression I got from the bizarre behavior of the protagonists and the sparse clues about their world (which apparently has not changed in thousands of years) is that of great crudeness and stupidity of everyone involved. Lord Toranaga in Clavell's "Shogun" they surely ain't. They possess zero sophistication and zero interest in anything beyond war and satisfying their most basic urges. What the deal with the incest is, I don't even want to know. Ugh. All in all, a thoroughly mediocre, below average book. No fun at all.
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Summary: Big Let Down
Review: Well people really this is your book...... only if your are into early teens have sex with thirty year olds and incest. This is not a series that I would recommend to anyone that I know for a couple of reasons. First, it did really keep your interest through the whole thing like other writers I have read, but to keep it truthful there is one or two spots that will grab your attention, but be ready for a big let down after you get past them. So it gets a one for effort. Secondly, the story line is decent at best (even if you can stay awake to read the whole thing). Also the characters are never really fully developed since he hardly ever spends two chapters in a row on the same one, so you'll finish a chapter wondering who is next, not about what happend or what will happen. To sum it up, this is only a book i would buy agian, if i was trapped on an island alone and this was all there was to do. Martin is not a fly on the back of Goodkind, and he isn't good enough to be compared to Jordan. They are able to hold one's interest so the book becomes a real page turner, this book I had a problem trying to stay interested.
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