Rating: 
Summary: Storm of Swords
Review: A fast paced book with lot's of action and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I recommend it highly, but for adults only. Some of the violence, incest and possibly some of the other sex would be inappropriate for young teens (at least in my opinion). The book is very well written and is unusual for a fantasy in that it is unpredictable and a number of well developed main characters get killed off. A really good read.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning
Review: I just finished book 3. I almost wish that I had not learned of this series until years from now, when it will be complete. Others have described its contents, its scope, the author's style and the unexpected twists in the story....no, it's not a story...it is a saga, an epic, a song of ice and fire.There were times when I had to close this book and catch my breath. Or cry a little. There were times when I put it down for fear of what I would 'see' on the next pages. Because you do see it. And smell it, and feel it. Do yourself a favor: Devour these books. Let yourself be whirled away into the storm. Experience this epic on a visceral level. Then reread each book as critically as possible. Catch the clues Martin has sprinkled throughout them. Who are Jon Snow's real parents? Who will be the dragonriders? Who will wield the Red Sword? Who, or what, is the power behind the Others? What did Bran see when he flew with the three-eyed crow in the first book? And while you read, marvel at the economy, the lyricism, the pounding brutality, the complexity, and the sheer life and truth of Martin's words. This is a stunning achievement.
Rating:
Summary: Forever Ruined
Review: I have a personal library of over 4,000 fantasy and science fiction books. After reading A Storm of Swords (and the first 2 books in the series), I am ruined! My library has no interest for me, and every book I pick up is but a poor shadow of these 3 by Martin. In his Acknowledgements, Martin says, "This is an awfully big wall I'm building here...". Labor on, George, labor boldly on! I'm waiting for another book to read!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: What are you doing reading this review, go out and buy the book. Don't you worry, I'll still be here.
Rating: 
Summary: Desperately awaiting the fourth installment
Review: I had yet to read a series that gets better with each installment. I say "had" because that was before I read "A Song of Ice and Fire". One knows a series has hooked them when one begins to dream of the characters at night...and I'll admit that I have. Also, when I found myself crying because a beloved character dies, I knew that I was truly hooked. Martin plays the dualistic God in this series: He creates characters that come alive to the reader, shows the reader the person in all their glories and faults, then with a paragraph or just a short, heartwrenching sentence, either destroys them or leaves them horribly maimed or worse. He also lets you into the thoughts of some of them, leading you to begin questioning yourself and all you've been taught like Jon, feeling angry at the world and wanting to run free with Arya, cheering for the well intentioned Daenerys, and hurting at the abuse of Tyrion one minute and laughing hysterically at his wise cracks a moment later. You even find yourself attatched to the more minor characters, heroes and villains, such as Dolorous Edd, Sandor Clegane, Sam Tarly, Princess Margerey and the Queen of Thorns, Ygritte, Mance Rayder, the Brotherhood without Banners, and a plethura of others too numerous to count. Not many authors can juggle so many personalites and still give them distinct voices, but Martin is one of them, if not their master. So hooked on these books am I that only one complaint can I make: I want the fourth installment, and I want it NOW!
Rating:
Summary: A Storm is Coming and it's Awesome!
Review: I first start this review with the statement I might learn to hate George R.R.Martin! Why? you may ask because he gets us hooked on his drug, A his saga of A Song of Ice and Fire and now when you finished the last page; a terrible realization hits you.You won't be reading another book in the series for at least a year in a half and now you must suffer through less authors like Jordan.Now I've gotten that off my chest here is my review. Martin has transport us back to Seven Kingdoms, a beautiful land torn with brutal warfare, sinister intrigues and terrible dark magic.Three kings still struggle for power: King Joffey, a spoil and cruel boy who holds the irone throne, King Robb of the north and King Stannis.All scheming and struggles for power will come to naught because barbaric wildings are planning to overrun the kingdom and most terrifying of all a army of the undead are poised to invade the Seven Kingdoms and nothing can stop them! You will watch in awe as Martin's plot twists in every conceible direction as characters you hate like Jaime Lannister and clegane nicknamed the hound find unexpected nobility.Martin has the ability to shock with violent deaths of beloved characters and he knows how to described a battle scene in a cinematic quality.This novel is what I describe is realistic epic fantasy, in that take away the magic from in and you have easily had real medieval history with tangled politics, bloody battles and people who are neither good or evil but are trying to survive.The lyrical prose of the novel heightens the tension and atmosphere.So pick up this book and return to the place of dark magic and darker deeds where noble imp Tywin Lannister battles his corrupt family for survival, and brave jon Snow goes uncover to the wildings and lose his heart and his innocence and treachery can come from the most happiest of places and of chilling revenge.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece...
Review: First things first - This is a masterpiece, in every sense of the word. Creating a world with it's own glorious history that could stand next to our own. I can truthfully think of only one flaw, and that is that this series is not, in truth, a series, as much as it is one book, designed to be read as one book, yet taken into four parts. It would be quite possible to transfer directly from one book to another in one sitting, and it produces the most massive cliffhangers. If I as a reviewer can give you one piece of advice, then do not buy this book right now, unless you are a slow reader. Wait until all of them are finished, and then buy the whole set at once. Otherwise, you will basically be putting down the book at an abstract spot, leaving it there for 2 years, and then coming back later. But, if you have them all in sequence, then this is the greatest series I can possibly perscribe. As Strong Belwas once said... "Strong Belwas cares not for tinkly bells. Strong Belwas wants liver and onion!" And I guess he was right.
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't let up for a second.
Review: Geroge R. R. Martins, _A Song of Ice and Fire_ series keeps getting better. While other epic fantasy writers drag stories on without end, Martin writes and epic that I don't want to end. _A Storm of Swords_ is a very big book and would be completely incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't read to first two books. And some reader find it too violent. But to me it is simply realistic. And the reality of a fuedal society with Seven Kingdoms sharing an island and united under a high king is that there is going to be a lot of violence, a lot of treachery, and a lot of suffering. And it is the realism that makes this such an incredile series. Martin's universe feels more historical than fantastical. Though there are familiar fantasy elements like dragons and magic these take a back seat to human characters with complex personalites and relationships. One of Martin's strongest points is his ability to create multifacited charcters: bad guys who do good things or become sympathetic, good buys who do bad things, selfish characters that behave nobly, and generous characters who are forced to think of themselves. The story itself takes a number of twist. And the very interesting back story of how the former royal house fell and the significance of Eddard's sister continue to unfold throughout this volume, but the mystery remains far from revealed. The current events in _A Strom of Swords_ center aound the esculating conflicts as various kings fight for the Iorn throne, and Dany still in exile attepts to raise her own army. It's all very excting and thare are a number of suprises along the way. Highly recommended but only after you've read the first two.
Rating:
Summary: ...In the Theater of Tolkien
Review: Much of what I'd like to say has already been said -- and better! -- by others here on amazon.com. I will share a comment that I included in a letter that I sent to Mr. Martin. "At the risk of seeming like a rabid, obsessed fan, let me say this: not since I read Tolkien some 20 years ago have I been so in awe of a writer of fantasy. To be certain, Tad Williams, Stephen R. Donaldson, and Robert Jordan have done some terrific work, but I have always held that Tolkien is the "untouchable" Shakespeare of this genre. Your work is worthy of being performed in his theater." I'll touch a little on Robert Jordan here. I swear that Winter's Heart was a better book -- finally! -- and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was because of Martin, who has -- to use that horrible corporate phrase -- raised the bar on contemporary fantasy. He is telling a lengthy tale, but even in 900+ pages, he is doing it with an economy of words. He tells what needs to be told, and then moves on. Who creates beautifully realized, popular characters, moves ahead with a story line with that character at the center, and then "sends" the character off? And THEN comes back just as strong, with another character, and another storyline, still interesting, still fresh, still vital? So far, only Martin. Let's see who else follows.
Rating:
Summary: Vivid, intensely gripping, tragic
Review: I think I read "A Storm of Swords" over the course of three days. George R. R. Martin is an amazing storyteller, and is particularly skilled at (a) bringing the medieval era to life; (b) getting you emotionally involved with the characters; (c) putting the characters into great danger. If you have even an ounce of sympathy for the characters, you can't help but be intensely involved in what happens to them. (The scenes with the Queen of Thorns and the Red Viper of Dorne -- both minor characters -- come to mind.) What further differentiates Martin's work is his sense of tragedy. There's a saying that to the young, life is a heroic adventure; to the middle-aged, a tragedy; to the elderly, a comedy. Martin definitely takes the tragic point of view. As many people have noted, sympathetic characters often die. I'm awestruck by the amount of work that Martin's been putting into this series -- it's basically a 10-year commitment. I hope the rest of the series continues to go well. For people who aren't sure whether to commit to reading this six-volume epic, I'd suggest trying Martin's story "The Hedge Knight" in the Legends anthology. (For fellow readers who are impatiently waiting for the next volume in the series, might I suggest some historical reading? In particular, Robert Graves' "I, Claudius" and Edward Gibbon's "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" -- different historical period, but filled with intrigues and battles.) One final comment for fellow reviewers: could you please refrain from including plot spoilers in your reviews?
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