Rating: 
Summary: The reviewers are right!
Review: The Game of Thrones is everything that a great fantasy epic should be, terrific characters, exciting and intruiging plots, war, sex, romance, and a little of the mysterious and the unknown. I remember feeling this same way when I first read The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan and thought, terrific! I have finally discovered a great new fantasy series to get lost within. Martin has a great talent for describing a scene, from the frightening, (John's battle with the Undead in his commanders room, to the heroic, (the final scene with Dany). His castles are large and forbidding, his line that draws good from evil is muted by the various shades that lie within them. I know, there is so much danger that Martin can succumb to, focusing on the wrong characters, introducing too many new faces in a never ending narrative, having his protagonists become too familiar and repetative, but I am confident that this won't happen here. As again, with early Jordan, the story seems to want to go somewhere, to tell it's tale and be economical with the lengthy introspective passages that tend to bog these kinds of stories down. There are many kinds of sword and sorcery stories out there, mostly generic, and recycled Tolkien, with poor plotlines, bad villans, and heros, and heroines, that have no flaws in them whatsoever. Martins book gives us so much more than cute elves, haughty gods, or invincible paladins. And it only promises to get better! The Game of Thrones is killer fantasy storytelling.
Rating:
Summary: best fantasy
Review: easily the best fantasy i've read. a bit slow in some areas, but these parts are vital in building and maintaining the suspense.
Rating:
Summary: A True Masterpiece!
Review: Mr. Martin has woven an unforgettable tale of political intrigue and military action that had me clamoring for more at its conclusion. To say that this book is a great fantasy novel is an injustice: Game of Thrones is one of the tightest and most rewarding stories I have read in any genre in many years.The story, in brief, focuses on different ruling houses, most notably the Starks who rule in the ever-winter North. Through some wonderful prose, Martin fills in the reader on the history of the Starks as the book's story unfolds. Each of Martin's chapters are named for a character and the perspective shifts from character to character as the chapters shift. Martin does this, however, while advancing the story at a great lively pace. You might think that a book from different perspectives (by perspective I still mean the third person, its just that the chapter looks at events through a certain person's eyes) would be slow and repeat events. Martin is too craftly to slow his story one bit. And what a story it is! Here you have it all! Intrigue, battles, a foreboding of evil to come, magic, and best of all: Characters that are real! No cookie cutter characters in this book. Characters are complex and show many different sides. The bad guys (and its not that easy to pick them out) are smart and anticipate. (some writers, Martin not one of them, can't write villians without making it clear that the person isn't just bad, he's "evil" No such clear lines in this one, folks.)This one is a true masterpiece of the genre. A Must Read for those of you yearning for a challenging, well plotted tale of the grasp for the throne and for survival.
Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: Its been a while since I read Game of Thrones for the first time, but I clearly recalled my reaction when I finished the book. *Finally!* I thought. *Finally someone who really enchants me again with this story!* I admit that I love intruiges and traitors and incest and royalty and all such things. I loved 'Mists of Avalon' by Marion Bradley, Ive read everything I could find about the War of the Roses, Imperial Rome, etcetera. I am a big fan of Robert Jordan's intricate plot, too. But Martin writes it all so naturally. Of course everything is not black and white. No one is the 'hero', no one is the 'villain', everyone's just striving for his or her own goal. Some characters you like better or less than others, some are just victims of the situation, some fail miserably, some have success... you get what I mean. This is enthralling, enchanting, this grabs you by the throat and will not let go. The storyline's intricate, the main characters interesting, the style is perfect, I *love* Martin's writing. With this book he suddenly sat right next to Robert Jordan on top of my personal hit list. Read! :)
Rating:
Summary: The opening chords in an axe-grinding series.
Review: I picked this book on a markdown table for six dollars at a bookstore. It was not much to look at, but I found that looks can be deceiving. From the first page, I was hooked. I was thrown headfirst into a world shattered by civil war and divided by old feuds. A world populated by dyanmic characters with as many flaws as good qualities. Characters you could love one minute, then hate the next. This book (and series) tells it like is and does not try to disguise the violence of war. Instead it lays right there in front of you. Murder, betrayal, love, hate, blood, guts and then some. This book was a gritty, nasty, dirty, bloody and very welcome suprise. I kept reading faster and faster until I had swallowed every last page and was left craving for more. If you are looking for an enthralling read, this book will not let you down. You will not regret buying it.
Rating:
Summary: A Game of Chance?
Review: Have you ever had one of those days where you go to your local book store and scan up and down the various bookshelves in search of something to read? Constantly looking for a book that will hook your interest and never let go until the read is complete? Well, that's exactly what I was doing when I came upon George R. R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones". Two weeks ago, I decided 'what the hey' and bought the book, and although I've only read over 300 pages, I had to write a review. This book is the BEST in fantasy fiction I have read since R. A. Salvatore's "Dark Elf Trilogy". The writer has a great talent where his use of the english language is so rich that you constantly crave the book. Don't get me wrong, though. This is not your typical fantasy book with monsters, dungeons, and dragons. But please don't let that fool you! This book is only a few years old, and it has already become an instant classic from day one. I'm so excited to have found a real "page-turner" that I had to express my thoughts. Five stars go to "A Game of Thrones" without a second glance. Take a chance and buy it NOW!
Rating:
Summary: Written as if it were a literary classic, not pulp fantasy.
Review: I second the emotions of most other reviews - George Martin leaves behind the mold of Tolkien, favoring a novel rooted more in the history and cultures of our own world than in its mythologies. This is a direction I would like to see more fantasy authors take; not only is Tolkien's formula tired by now, but it does a disservice to the man and his works by lamely repeating his story in new disguises. But this novel stands out for another reason - the writing is actually good! Rarely can an author bring a place or character alive with so few words; certainly there are very few fantasy authors that take the time to carefully construct their writing. I too am frustrated at the slow pace of the novels' appearance on bookshelves; but, if the reason is writing that is worth reading and re-reading, by all means George - take your time!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent but painful
Review: I was extremely glad to find out that this wasn't a stand alone novel. The depth of character will take many more novels to wind its way out. This book had me nashing my teath at the stupidity of some of the "heroes", but its brutal style left me unable to put it down. Well done!
Rating:
Summary: Virtual Reality?
Review: This book, as well as the second in the series is totally and completely engulfing. The method of storytelling creates an environment that is practically inescapable. Each chapter follows one character and then leaves them at a crucial moment. But you don't care about leaving because you're anxious to find out what's happening in the next chapter. Because of this you can't put the book down. You keep thinking "Just one more chapter." The only criticism I have of the series is IT'S NOT FINISHED! I can't wait for more books, and waiting three years between books is difficult. My only suggestion is to put this on your TO READ list and then wait for the series to be completed. Waiting for the next book is agony. 800 pages reads like 200. They'll go fast. And then you'll be left wanting more.
Rating:
Summary: A sin not to read
Review: Wow. This is easily the best book that I have ever read. The author, George R.R. Martin, does away with the tired fantasy cliches that started with the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Instead, he tells an incredibly complex yet very readable story from the eyes of eight distinct characters. It is truly fascinating to see so many different viewpoints, and the level of depth to these characters' personalities is almost frightening. I was also delighted to see that this book breaks the "good guys always win" trend which seems to have an iron grip on most fantasy novels. The last few chapters in particular are refreshingly unpredictable. Finally, this epic is capped by a stunning ending that somehow manages to provide a great lead-in to the sequel without being too much of a cliffhanger. The pages of this book are worth infinitely more than any paper in your pocket.
|
