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Summary: May Become A Major Work of Fantasy Fiction
Review: Martin appears to be on his way, with "Game of Thrones" and "Clash of Kings," to writing what may become one of THE major works of fantasy fiction. Both works are among the best fantasy fiction written in the past 20 years, and certainly stand among the handful or so of serious fantasy fiction. The plot is complex, the world medieval with living detail, characterizations multidimensional and mature, with intrigue that is Machiavellian and a plot that never flags nor loses itself in its intricacy. A great amount of realism exists, not only in the midieval description of culture and customs, but in the ambiguity of action and character. Both male and female figures are prominent, perspective is varied, and sometimes good people die and malicious people prosper. And the main characters are not immune to tragedy. There is a well-developed mythology here, as well as history: Both are original and inventive. Magic and religion play a role, but neither are intrusive or overstated. And, for once, the presence of dragons is believeable.If you are a fan of fantasy at its best, don't miss these!
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Summary: The best book I've read in years.
Review: I was a little hesitant to start another huge series (over 800 pages to book ONE), but so far this one is well worth the time and effort - I find myself hoping for at least 3 or 4 more books. The cast of characters is long but manageable and you'll never get tired of any of them. The setting is vast and realistic. There is violence to be sure, but rather than it seeming repulsive, it adds a sense of urgency to the actions of the characters. Our own medieval period was a dangerous time and Martin really captures that sense of danger in book 1. If you like detailed, involved worlds with great characters and large doses of intrigue - you'll love this one.
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Summary: An Incredibly Deep Fantasy Novel With Wonderful Characters
Review: I am personally a Robert Jordan fan, when it comes to fantasy. So, I was very glad to see the Jordan enjoyed this book himself. However, what Jordan probably does not realize is that George R.R. Martin has a leg up on him. For one thing, while this book is long, it never drags, while Jordan's most recent book was hundreds of pages in which nothing actually happened. The way Martin organizes the book, in short snippets which serve as windows into each character, keeps the book from dragging. Not enjoying a chapter? They're relatively short, compared to the book. Another reason attributing to Martin's supremacy is the fact that he doesn't save all the fireworks for the end. In each entry of Jordan's Wheel of Time series, he creates some huge battle at the end of the book in which brings all of the main characters together. Not only is this obvious and contrived, but it makes one want to skip to the end of the book which is usually the most interesting part as well. Martin, on the other hand, beautifully disperses action sequences throughout the novel; I do not wish to say that they are the only interesting part; far from it. Martin manages to display the politics of his universe without making it seem tedious, something Jordan has failed to do. Fantasy fans: read this book. Fiction fans: read this book. Literate humans! READ THIS BOOK! Unless of course you are one of those poor saps who does not like long books. Even so, get your hands on this book as fast as possible. You will not regret it.
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Summary: The devils in the details and this book has many devils
Review: The first few hundread pages of this book are fragmented, complex and slow moving, it seemed to be leading no where interesting. I almost gave up on this book, untill the genius of story, jumps at you. By this stage I was unable to stop reading. I cant believe how satisfing the second half of this book is. The boring details of the first part become, the highlights of the second. Top book can wait to read the sequel!
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Summary: First Class Fantasy
Review: I am generaly not a fan of fantasy, but this book was one of the most exciting and interesting books I have ever read. The plot is great and the dark style is refreshing and makes the book unpredictiable. There are a lot of names and sub-plots to keep track of, but the author does a good job of presenting enough info so the reader can keep track. I did have two things I did not like about the book though. The first one was the fact that most of the characters are so young, yet act so mature. You get used to it, but at first it is strange to think of. The other thing I did not like was the way the book is broken down into chapters around a single main character. Because of this, (espicaly in the second half of the book) you read about what is going on with that character, then have to wait 100 pages to find out what happnes next. I have not read the second book yet, but I hope the author keeps the dwarf alive. I love that character and the way he thinks. This is a great book. If you like fiction, you will like this book. Buy it!
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Summary: A violent, cynical tale
Review: This one came highly recommended to me, but I found I had to force myself to finish it. It was much too brutal for my taste, what with all the rapes, beheadings and slayings. Not to mention the rather misogynistic way the female characters are portrayed. But then most of the main characters in this fantastic-history are hostile, devious and unlikeable, giving the reader little to hang onto that is appealing. A couple of the characters were wonderfully written, Tyrion and Jon Snow, and it was for their plot threads that I even finished this heavy-handed story. It's too bad, as many of the place descriptions are wonderful, coming from an obviously talented writer. Just too grim for my liking.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't bother if you are over 13....
Review: Poor character development and plodding plot. The author brings in interesting events (like the dire wolf discovery) and never really develops them in time to keep you interested. Female characters especially are poorly done. Yuck!
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Summary: eh hum WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!
Review: Browsing through a booksotre with my mother, who would have thought that at the last minute I would pick up a book that would keep her and I fighting to read it, and on the edge of our seats for the next one? We both love Jon Snow, who couldnt? And also Robb and Bran. I have a soft spot for Arya because she reminds me so much of me. And When Eddard got his head whalloped off, i about tore the book into that time and killed the people who did it! Now we both share ideas for the upcomig book on who Jon's REAL parents are, what Arya will become, how Sansa may not live longer (seeing how her direwolf who were to protect her was killed), and who will take the throne!
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Summary: Like fantasy?
Review: This book is without a doubt the most gripping and readable I have ever read. I was raised on Weis and Hickman, grew through King and Straub, was taught the lessons of life through Jordan and Feist, but honestly, this is the best. Hands down. The best novel of the 90's.
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Summary: Great book, one warning
Review: I agree with everything people have stated here, and couldn't put it much better myself. It's great. Read the rest for specifics. However, I give one warning to readers: This is a GRAPHIC novel. The sceans are rich and pull you into the world, but the battle and sex sceans are also very...descriptive. Almost to the pointless point. I think that Martin could have done without them, but it's a great book, so I can overlook it myself. But don't start into this book expecting to see violence and sex of the Robert Jordan variety, i.e. as people die, the story just says 'they die by the hundreds' and the sex sceans consisting of 'they kiss and start tearing at eachothers shirts' and then leaving the chapter. George RR Martin is descriptive and immersing, and his sceans are not for the easily offended reader. However, the brilliance of his writing overshadows any such problems.
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