Rating: 
Summary: Really good but too long
Review: I like the fact that a lot of the good guys do die in this book.The violence depicted is totally justified considering the period that he is trying to emulate.I do hope the other two books in the saga are as gripping as this one. The biggest problem I had with this book is the fact that the pace in the initial 500 pages is really slow compared to the other 300 pages. It would have been much better if he had kept it a little shorter especially the parts where the Daenerys appears which seem to go on and on......
Rating:
Summary: Unrelenting
Review: This book is unrelenting. And that is both its strongest point as well as its biggest drawback. The writing is very powerful, the characters finely drawn, and the historical context and background quite complex and a nice parallel to the War of the Roses. However, this book will hit you like a sledgehammer. It is depressing. Very little "good" happens, which of course, is largely what makes it interesting. I had to take a break from it halfway through, because, frankly, I just needed a little breather from all of the doom, double-crossing, and anticipated deaths by battle. Moreover, as you get further into the book and start to figure out where some of the storylines are going (and start to figure out who is not going to make it much further in the series) you will also be a little disheartened. Again, in large part this is why this book is interesting. Martin is seemingly unparalleled at gradually revealing his characters' thoughts, political mistakes, and wrong assumptions in a way that makes you wince when you suddenly realize what repercussions will ensue from the characters' frailties. Martin has mastered the art of letting you in on the secrets without actually revealing them outright. Most of the secrets though lead down the path to gloom and doom. And while I haven't yet read the following two books in this series, I suspect there will be more of the same and I look forward to it. This is indeed something different than the usual fantasy pot-boiler in which it is presumed that good will win out over evil with a minimum of tension, muss and fuss. Martin has crafted an original and heartless universe and storyline that has definitely lived up to its billing. This is for the thinking fantasy reader (sometimes I wonder how many of us are really out there). While you are reading this book, just remember to step outside every so often to clear your head and blow away some of the bleakness that will rub off on you.
Rating: 
Summary: This is the one
Review: After searching through epic fantasy, I must say this is the one. Totally unpredictable, real non-virtuous characters, sex and violence. This has it all. After getting partway through other "famous" fantasy epics (wheel of time, sword of truth come to mind) which left me thinking "why do I keep reading this stuff???" this book provides the answer. It is possible to write interesting, unpredictable, imaginable fantasy. Thanks, Mr. Martin, I look forward to the rest of your series, and I hope at some point in my life to find other fantasy again that it this compelling. (why is it sci-fi can so easily break the mold of storytelling and plot, but fantasy is always forumlaic: super-virtuous nobody becomes most powerful person in world fighting most evil entity imaginable???) Let me know if anyone has the answer...
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Stunning
Review: I came across George RR Martin by browsing the Fiction Fantasy section of my favourite bookstore. Since the book received some good reviews, even by Raymond Feist, I decided to give it a try. Was I surprised! After the first two chapters I was totally hooked. George writes with such compelling conviction and style that it was very hard to put the book down. He introduces us to a world that is imaginative, where the characters are richly described and developed that they almost seem tangible. It is in the characters many individual facets of development that I find myself astonished as to the extent that George is prepared to take them. He thus masterfully sets the scene for a haunting and intriguing saga that will stay with you long after you read the book. A GAME OF THRONES introduces us to four main families: The Starks, the Baratheons, the Lannisters and the Targaryens. Even though these are the main ones, there are others as well weaved within the above families, and plenty of smaller independent families. These pave the way later for some great plots and sub-plots. Lord Eddard Stark, the Warden of the north, is instructed to be the Hand of the King in the south. Since Lord Eddard is a man of honour, he finds himself torn between his friendship for the king and the treachery that is evident at court. He finds it difficult to choose in that the choices are not as simple as right or wrong, but rather it becomes a choice between the lesser of two evils. It is here that Eddard learns of the rumoured murder of his predecessor, the imminent danger to his family, and the vile secrets that threaten to destroy the kingdom. I read with wonder as evil defeated the innocent, yet it was heartening to see the innocent grow strong in the midst of their defeat. The one drawback I found in this story was the introduction of too many characters. This, at times, made it difficult to follow the development of these characters. A GAME OF THRONES is well written and the characters are memorable. George RR Martin has become one of my favourite authors in the Fiction Fantasy genre. I proudly display his work next to LORD OF THE RINGS and THE MAGICIAN. It is a masterpiece of epic proportions that sets a new standard in Fiction Fantasy writing. I look forward to more.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This one and the others in the series make the best story I've ever read. It draws you in. Shortly, you don't even notice the length and your done in no time.
Rating:
Summary: A level of complexity rarely equalled
Review: For those who relish complex stories and who do not complain whenever they have to make the excruciating effort of reading more and more books as a story advances, "A Game of Thrones" will simply delight them. In this first installment of A Song of Fire and Ice series, George R.R. Martin demonstrates that he masters a sense of organization and complexity that not many authors can boast of. Indeed, Martin's is one very complex story, which could probably compare only with Jordan's Wheel of Time on that level. Yet, Martin's fine skills at organizing the story are such that it is but impossible to get lost in the story. For those who might be fed up with far-fetched ideas of wizardry and magic, the story will not disappoint you on that level. So far, only a small spec of magic is introduced in the story. Instead, what makes the story so interesting is the development of many interesting characters and their various houses, some forming alliances and others plotting against each other. Yet, what strikes me the most of this first installment is how Martin will constantly go against what most readers will think or at least hope. I mean, and please don't hate me for that, but even in this first installment some major characters that readers will quickly get to like will die. And I almost forgot, don't expect Martin to pull some impossible unlogical trick to save your dear character; it just won't happen, and I for one am thankful for that. Too many authors will use some "Deux Ex Machina" tricks to save some favorite characters who had been placed in an uncomfortable yet unreasonable spot in the first place. Well, it just won't do for Martin. So, for those who liked series such as The Wheel of Time or The Sword of Truth, this first installment of this new series will not disappoint you. A Song of Fire and Ice promises to be the next big series we will cherish and so eargerly every next book to come.
Rating:
Summary: Probably the best!
Review: One of the best fantasy novels ever! George R.R. Martin writes much better than Robert Jordan and his characters are great!
Rating:
Summary: Well "Met" George R.R. Martin!
Review: I had given up on tome like fantasy epics... Until I read a short story by Mr Martin in the "Legends 2" collection, called "The Hedge Knight", and I was hooked! I've read all the 3 available books of the Song Of Fire And Ice series. Simply put, this is incredibly well written fantasy/adventure series for those who enjoy the genre, but really don't care for a children's book. This is adult reading, and rather habit forming (I can't recall the last time I bought a hardcover fiction book, but I couldn't wait for "A Storm Of Swords" to come out in paperback! 3 great books so far, and I would give 6 stars to each one in this series. Adult readers, who want to get into this story won't be dissapointed. There's enough intrigue to rival histories of the Hundred Years War & the War of the Roses to keep the reader interested & reading till the wee hours of the morning, and often making it difficult to make it to work on time! Enjoy! Try this first one. I believe you will like it!
Rating:
Summary: Waiting for Jordan to get on with it? Try this one!
Review: If I had to sum this book up in two words, they would be 'A Masterpiece'. The flow of Martin's writing allows the reader to go from character to character without becoming frustrated (at least, not too frustrated). The story in itself is historical in our world; the tale is one of gripping reality. Martin begins the book with a 'I've-got-you-now' prolouge, and proceeds to lead you around his world, allowing you to form your own assumptions and then completely astonishing you. It's great the way the Martin spares the reader nothing; he captivates you with the harshness of real life, detracting from classic fantasy but somehow adding to it at the same time. From Lord Eddard Stark to Princess Danaerys, he creates a story so poweful that the reader cannot justify "the bad guy" without seeming like a fool. As the story draws you in, the better it gets. Definately not one to be missed, I promise!
Rating:
Summary: Going were fantasy rarely has gone before
Review: The one thing that always puzzled me about fantasy (and i'm an ardent fan of the genre) is the lack of fantasy shown by many of it's authors. Too often the same old plot is reworked, peopled by the same cliched characters. Fortunatly is recent years a crop of Authors has arisen that follows new pathes. George Martin is the foremost of those. Game of thrones seems to start in your usual pseudo-medival fantasy world with knights, castles, and heroic nobles. But that appearance decieves. Almost from the start Martin shows a ruthlessnes that's sadly absent from more "Disneyesque" fantasy. People die and it doesn't matter if they are good and bad, not that you could tell who is good or bad anyway, for Martin writes real people not cardboard-clippings. In this first installment of what will be a six-part series we are introduced in the world of the 7 kingdoms. In technology and society it's similar to a late medival Great Britain, though far bigger. Magic seems absent, though we learn that dragons once existed, and there are hints that magic will appear in later volumes. Also an important point is that seasons last years and vary a lot in length. Martin writes from multiple points of view, centering on, but not staying exclusively with, the Stark family, rulers of the north. The head of that family is a friend of the current king and was one of his main supporters in a civil war ca. 15 years back. Now he is called to court and thereby drawn into intrigue and strive among the great noble families of the realm. I don't want to give away to much, especially as Martin's greatest skill (and he has many) is the ability to surprise even shock.
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