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Summary: Fabulous book and series
Review: This is a very well written, fabulous opening book, and the series justs keeps getting better also. Great subplots and twists that will have any reader completely taken by surprise. However, if you only like books where the good characters always survive and evil perishes, you had better choose a different series to read. I Highly recommend this series to any fantasy lover.
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Summary: actually original
Review: a game of thrones is actually original, something that makes it especially compelling considering the rest of the relatively similar fantasy epics out there right now. the plot is intricate, but interesting and unexpected. without giving too much away, people actually die. the twists and turns are NOT predictable, people are not who they seem, and every aspect of this wonderful novel is carefully calculated by this genius author. although the multiple viewpoint style that martin employs to tell the story might annoy some people, i found that even for the people i really and truly disliked, the prose was compelling enough to hold my attention. the story is loosely based on the war of the roses, but dont expect it to be a rehashing of those actual events. the only real complaint i have about a song of fire and ice is the lengthy waiting period between books. if you cant stand not knowing what will happen, i suggest you wait until all the books are published (but till then, youll be missing out on one of the best fantasy series of all time--and thats not an exaggeration)
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Summary: One of the better Fantasy Series to come out in years
Review: An excellent start to the series. The first two books are very strong while the third is a bit weak. Would recommend it as great read. Fresh and new.
Rating: 
Summary: satisfaction!
Review: I've been waiting to read and review this book for about 2 years while I have plodded along in the Wheel of Time series. But I am not here, like so many others, to bash Mr. Jordan and revere Martin. In fact, I was just as excited to get my hands on "The Great Hunt" as I am to get my hands on "Clash of Kings". Quickly I must say that I still very much enjoy Jordan's imagination and scope of story, and I continue to read them despite times of frustration for certain qualities that the books have. But onto praise for Martin!Martin writes a mean and compelling tale which flows nicely and which had me equally interested in every chapter. The writing never really gets dry, and while it isn't jam-packed with endless fighting either, it has enough intrigue, disaster, conflict in each chapter to keep the reading enjoyable. I am finding in Jordan's books that I am reading through some pretty drab stuff to get to a chapter which gets my heart pounding again. Indeed, Martin's pacing (so far!) cannot be beat. The character development is incredible, and I already care for many people in Martin's world, loathe others, and mourn for one or two as well. This book is so HUMAN, and therefore less imaginative than some fantasy I have read. For anyone here who has read Steven Erikson's "Gardens of the Moon", it may be noted that while Erikson's pacing is good too, the level of fantasy is much more involving and indeed detracts somewhat from the human/emotional element of the story. This is not the case with "...Thrones". This is not to say that a fantasy element doesn't exist in "Game of Thrones". Like a good, seasoned chef, Martin knows how to hold back, using careful discernment and subtlety, adding just the right spices in just the right amounts so that the over-all flavor benefits. There is magic and fantasy, but it is more believable in that it is less overt and is treated with mystery. There is no hurling of balefire or magical bolts, at least not yet, but a more suspenseful allusion to magic and monsters than in many of the best fantasy books out there. And the reader is left knowing that there is more, much more, magical and mythical revelation just around the corner, which of course leaves him/her hungry for more Martin! My only critique regards the level of violence in this book. For the most part it is fun to read about, but not when it comes to the gratuitous rape scenes which I found a bit vulgar and unnecessary. Being that this review is sandwiched between nearly a thousand others, I thank you for choosing mine to read. If you like Jordan, Goodkind, and Erikson, you will love this book. It compares to Jordan's original appeal and character development, Goodkind's gratuitious violence and grit, and Erikson's lack of dull moments. I do think, though, that it does raise the bar a little bit for all fantasy writers, and I hope that the series remains as compelling in the books to come. "Game of Thrones" is definitely one of the most satisfying fantasy novels I have read.
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Summary: Start of an incredible fantasy series.
Review: George R. R. Martin has done fantasy right. He weaves an incredible narrative full of thoroughly engaging characters, intricate plots and plot-twists, spooky supernatural elements, an immense and detailed landscape and setting, and holds the readers interest throughout this 800+ page tome. Martin succeeds where many fantasy authors fail because he is able to tell an interesting story within a fantastic setting. He is most concerned with the story and its characters and the elements of the fantasy world build those characters and plots up rather than detracting from them. Too much of modern fantasy is focused on the mystical wonders of the world and not enough on the inhabitants of the world. George R. R. Martin's characters are the center of the book and that is why this is such an incredible read. I can not wait to go on to read the rest of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: What's left unsaid
Review: All of the other excellent reviews of this series are correct. The writing is wonderful. The characters are real. The plot is intricate, fascinating, and never predictable. Et cetera. But none of the reviewers complained about the one thing that has led me to stop reading after plugging through the first two books: This is the darkest, bleakest, most depressing book I have ever read! You must never, ever let yourself bond with a hero, a good, kind, strong, resourceful person who in a 'normal' book would win a gratifying victory at the end of the book. This is because chances are your hero will soon die, most likely brutally. Most (eventually all???) of the good guys die in this book! And everyone is always having to look over his shoulder to see which one of his supposed friends is plotting his death. Innocent children are brutally murdered and their heads put up on pikes. Innocent peasants are slowly hanged, kicking, their eyes bulging out. Their rescuers, instead of pulling off a valiant rescue, are themselves captured and tortured. There are innumerable rapes, including several fairly explicit portrayals of vicious gang rapes of peasant women by invading troops. Every time I finished a reading session I felt depressed. I've never seen so much plague, betrayal, death, and destruction in a novel. It's unrelenting. I don't care how wonderful the writing is. I simply couldn't take it anymore. I want to be uplifted by a book, made to smile and feel vicariously triumphant. I don't want to be beaten down and defeated over and over and over. I had to stop reading.
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Summary: Read at your own peril!!!!
Review: I had given up on the fantasy genre years ago. After going through the Xanth novels, all of Tolkien (including the lost tales etc.), Terry Brooks, and others, I found myself bored with the genre. Flat predictible plots were becoming pr for the course with the newer novels. Yes, the writing was occaisionally good, but the series always ended in the same place and had little real depth. This book, however, is complicated. I would compare it favorably to Michael Chabons pulitzer prize winning "Adventures of Kavalier and Clay". The writing is good and the plot is thick. Beware of this novel if you do not want to get too involved!!! NOTE: READ THE NOVEL CAREFULLY (AS WELL AS THE SEQUALS) THERE IS A GOOD DEAL OF FORESHADOWING, PROPHECIES, AND HINTS OF WHAT MAY COME.
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Summary: Excellent Work of Fantasty!
Review: This is an amazing novel by Martin, with an engrossing plot and unique characters. Once you pick it up, you will not be able to put it down! Highly recommended for all lovers of fantasy!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, brilliant writing style
Review: George R. R. Martin's story is brilliant, heart-wrenching, enthralling, and definitely worth reading. The reviewers who found it boring seem to have totally missed that they're supposed to read between the lines. (You get all the hints to figure out who Jon's mother was, for one, which puts an entirely different slant on his exile.) But if you'll permit me, I'd like to take a step aside from that style of review. The story is not what I want to talk about.
What impressed me most about this series was the writing itself. I'm an amateur writer struggling to be a professional author. If you're in the same position, I beg you to GET THESE BOOKS and study Martin until your eyes ache. He will take your prose to a whole new level. How can a good story be turned into a masterpiece of fiction? There are dozens of considerations: viewpoint and narration, characterization, focus, setting, pacing, journeys and motivation, suspense, conflict, and so on. It is utterly amazing, then, that Martin gets it ALL right. Every single sentence testifies to his literary talent. Not a single word out of place, not a single reply out of character. Perfect, every bit of it. For example, adjectives, adverbs, and comparisons are usually ongoing trials for writers. Readers may suffer through sophmoric descriptions such as "He was fat," or slog through awkward attempts at comparison, like "He was so big he reminded her of a whale that she had seen washed up on a beach once." If you're reading a fairly decent author, you may get "burly" or "stout." But Martin makes it WORK: "He was built like a keg, and had a similar capacity." Wonderful work, clever twists on phrases that make my breath catch, and they're in every single paragraph. Go on, click "Look inside the book," pick a random page, and see what I'm talking about. I'm in heaven. If you're a writer, your style will profit from studying this series. If you're an average reader, you probably won't notice the technical aspects of his story... but the fact that they're there means you're in for one of the most interesting, unforgettable reads of your life. In short: get it, get it, get it.
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Voice in Fantasy
Review: I'll admit that Martin's epic may not be for everyone. Certainly those fantasy readers who enjoy orphan children who are secretly heirs to a kingdom and wizards who shoot fireballs from their hands will find little to love here. But it would be a shame if you denied yourself, as a reader, the compelling read Martin offers. I don't use the word compelling lightly either, this is an utterly enjoyable read. Its quick, complex, exciting, and it defies expectations repeatedly. In many ways it stands alone in the genre, but I wanted to highlight three virtues of this book and, by extension, the series. First, the female characters are treated with respect and empathy. Within Martin's books are princesses forced into political marriages, sisters who inadvertently do greater harm than they intend through their bickering, and mothers who are completely devoted to their children. It's a far cry from the petulant temptresses and the masculine amazons who inhabit most other fantasy novels. Second, the violence in the story carries a weight absent from most fantasy novels. Martin captures the casual, sudden, and unexpected nature of violence. Horrible things happen so quickly that one stops to reread sentence, almost as if, like the characters, we can hardly believe what we've just seen. There's gut-wrenching injuries and accidents. A character thrown from his horse breaks a leg and swoons with pain instead of hopping up to fight on. In Martin's imagination, just as in reality, these things, these ignominious accidents, happen. Finally, Martin does a fantastic job portraying magic. The book's detractors will disagree with me strenuously here. Martin handles magic subtly, it happens in caves and forests, in dank places where few witness it. The use of magic is fantastic, beyond the belief of most characters in the novel. Magic doesn't happen often. Each time, however, it is completely memorable. There are other great touches in the book. Martin takes the time to name the games children play, uses heraldry and feudal politics extensively, and devises a clever set of surnames for children born out of wedlock. There are plenty of sources for high adventure as well: sworn brotherhoods, zombies, deft swordsmen, poisons, intrigues, and dragons. In short, this is an absolute classic.
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