Rating: 
Summary: A phenomenal book. Can't wait for the next one.
Review: This book is one of the best I've ever read. Thoroughly enjoyable. The characters fairly leap from the pages into three-dimensional reality. And the plot! Simply amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good hard read. (Prepare yourself for sleepless nights.)
Rating:
Summary: Gripping through the last page.
Review: Gorge R.R. Martin does a wonderful job in A Game of Thrones. It is a book you should plan your weekend aroung, because you won't be able to put it down. Martin mixes believable characters with some that are unbelivibly evil. You can't take your eyes off of this book. A must-read!
Rating: 
Summary: Good read
Review: This is not the best fantasy story ever written, but Martin has the storyteller's ability to draw you into his world. I thought the characters were fairly well developed and usually not one-sided. I liked how even the "good" queen had a nasty streak when it came to her bastard son, and the "bad" characters can be almost likeable at times (the Imp, for example). Interestingly, the really bad characters are mostly spoiled children drunk on power. Overall, a very entertaining story and I'm looking forward to the second.
Rating:
Summary: A welcome respite from the run of the mill fantasy
Review: If you're looking for the usual mixture of wizards (or Aes Sedai or whatever) whipping spells at every little orc that runs their way, this book is not for you. This first installment of Martin's new fantasy -- a potential classic -- involves a feudal struggle for power among seven noble houses -- some good, some bad, some both -- following the death of the king. Meanwhile, the deposed son and daughter from a deposed former king plot in exile, and an invasion of (some) supernatural creatures from the wintry North "beyond the Wall" looms ahead. Fast-paced, this story takes a number of unexpected twists and does not sugarcoat the violence inherent in such a society. As an added bonus, we have the novelty of rooting for an entire family -- the hardy and noble Starks of Winterfell who guard the North-- rather than the stereotypical orphan. Subsequent volumes promise more traditional fantasy elements, including dragons, but the road Martin seems to have mapped out may avoid most cliches. An excellent story that I would heartily recommend to those who have become jaded by the current state of the fantasy market. This book probably deserves a five, but I'm just trying to avoid dissapointment if the sequel doesn't measure up.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Fantasy
Review: I have read more fantasy books than I can count over the last 20 years, and A Game of Thrones is simply the best. George R. R. Martin has created a superb story in which the plot is clearly driven by characters, rather characters being pulled along to fulfill a plot. He is not shy about playing through realistic consequences of his characters' actions. While this is what I consider the most outstanding aspect of this novel, it is also a careful, polished work in both literary and stylisic senses. The author avoids some of the foiables found in other authors recent works; repetition, slightly unrealistic "character blindness" for the sake of plot, and so forth. This book (and hopefully its sequels) has taken the top spot on my fantasy list, moving everything else down a notch.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic!
Review: This is one of the best sci-fi/fantasys I've ever read. The characters were superb, the plotting amazing and the writing itself magical. I can't wait for the second in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Isn't it a crime to write this good?
Review: A book that grabs you by the throat and chokes all life out of your soul. Multiple storylines and points-of-view (which I see as a plus; it gives you the whole picture), fascinating politics and a very original world make this a must read. This is definitly on a level with Jordan and Goodkind.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent work, with a few minor flaws
Review: I was told by a friend to read this - he claimed that every chapter was better than the previous. This is a very complex book, and I can sympathize with those who felt that their "favorite" character was shorted, or for whom the number of characters was overwhelming. Luckily for me, I endeavored to read this book quickly, and I found that I did not lose the vast plot. It is clearly set up for a long run - there are at least three major plot points to resolve - although I must say that Mr. Martin seems to be able to resolve extremely complex plots quite quickly and in quite unexpected ways. There is a lot to admire about an author who will kill of a main character, instead of relying on some sort of annoying plot twist. There is also a lot to admire about an author who will spend multiple chapters building up what appears to be a character and a sub-plot of amazing signifiance, and then suddenly kill the character and end that plot immediately. Highly recommended - but be prepared to either read quickly or take notes.
Rating:
Summary: I was entranced.
Review: I was browsing through the fantasy section and I picked this book out by chance. I had never heard of George R.R. Martin before so I said what the heck, I will give him a chance. I am so grateful that I did. The book was incredible. There were cerain passes in the book where I just got shivers up my spine. I am trying to do whatever I can to pass my time until the A Clash of Kings comes out. It seems that everything I read now just doesn't compare.
Rating: 
Summary: shallow
Review: I found the work to be vulgar and mellowdramatic. Characters had no substance and very little personality. It is nothing that I could not have found in the impulse-buy section at the supermarket. I will not read another and try to forget I was conned into wasting my time on this.
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