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Summary: A Storm of Swords
Review: George R.R. Martin definitely provides entertainment to the reader. His books provide unexpected twists and turns, in which the reader is always undecided upon the content of the next chapter. I would recommend this series to any reader of Robert Jordan, because though Jordan has talent, the end of his books has already been told and there is no point in reading further, while Martin leaves you in mystery about the ending to the story. This man can write.
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Summary: Does not disappoint
Review: This is the latest and best installment of Mr. Martins fine series. The characters are deep,multifaceted, and extremely complex. Unlike most of the dreck in this genre, you cannot predict the ending in the first 50 pages. I enjoyed all the seperate storylines and was knocked flat by the last paragraph. Is the next one out yet?
Rating: 
Summary: Frustrated
Review: Like the first two this one is well written but it's not going anywhere fast enough. Please wrap things up better Mr. Martin. It's like watching a very well crafted night time soap but you have to wait a year for the next episode. By then how can we remember the vast array of characters and and their complex inter-dealings? I wish you would conclude the Big Clash while still leaving room for a sequel. I feel like the books just end in the middle, leaving me robbed.....especially after forking over the $$ for a hard bound edition, as I did this time. Before I buy the next one I'll wait and see if things are wrapped up better ( by reading reviews) or I'll move onto other series. Had there been a more completeness to the main parts of the storie I could have easily gone 5 stars......I'm just to FRUSTRATED!!
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Summary: A renaissance for the fantasy genre...
Review: This series does what a truly great fantasy should always do. Rather than playing up the fantastic elements of the series Martin concentrates on his characters, sculpting them all into true three dimensional living beings. This is why Martin's fantasy world feels so real. I don't believe a book or series has ever been written with more Byzantine plotting, with more twists and turns and strange coincidences that sometimes end up being more than coincidences. While the first two books had their share of climactic events, they really served a dual purpose of fleshing out the characters for the intense events of this third book. Even most of the villains garner a touch of sympathy as nearly all the characters are victimized by the "game of thrones" they play. If you haven't started reading this series go out and buy the first book and start on it right away. Other books will seem inadequate to you after you finish this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost a Classic
Review: A Storm of Swords is undoubtedly the best 'epic' fantasy out on the market. Although I would say its a bit lower than the previous two, it is truly some good fantasy writing. The series is almost a classic.I really like Martin's characters (or most of them anyway). They are well-portrayed and diverse; however I was struck by the lack of a real Hero, as such. While I don't want some perfect hardly mortal character, I wish there was a truly admirable character. This is a personal quibble, however, and he has plenty of time to fix it. The book is, if anything, exciting throughout. The battles, though grim, are tense and very well-drawn. A few problems are there here as well, however. The book has less plot and more fighting than the previous books, and the sex, although rare, is crudely depicted. Also the book is more than a little tragic. Tons of people die, in my opinion a little too many, and the overll outlook is about the most depressing fantasy I've read. The series is also moving to less fantasy, more fighting. Nonetheless, any fan of the series would pick these up. Thrilling and involving, they hardly ever stagnate and definitely sweep you up. Forget Wheel of Time, the Wheel that hasn't turned in 4 books. Forget Sword of Truth. Looking for a good fantasy novel? I suggest you try this series.
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Summary: I can only say WOW!
Review: Let's start off by saying that this book is not your normal fantasy story with happy endings. Nothing happens as expected. I've been a fantasy fan for over 24 years. No author puts a story together like Mr. Martin. I've read Tolkien, Eddings, Goodkind, Jordan, Salvatore, and too many more to name. No one out there on the market today keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting more. After reading Clash of kings, I thought the story just couldn't get any better. Boy was I wrong. A Storm of Swords is what fantasy is about. This isn't your run of the mill swords & sorcery type story. It's full of plots and people. There is no real good and evil. If his books stay this good, I'll be waiting impatiently for a Dance of Dragon.
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Summary: Simply better than the rest.
Review: I, too, reviewed the previous volumes and only add my voice now to confirm what everyone has said. This third installment is everything the first two were and more. It is the first time in my experience that a series has so approached The Lord of The Ring's standard of conflicted characters and intertwined destinies, set against a backdrop of medieval action and only _hints_ of the magical. I hadn't realized how tired I was of reading the same basic story of a male hero tromping off to some absurdly spectacular destiny with only the details needing to be filled in, until I began these novels. If you're bored by the bloated tedium of Jordan's 97th Wheel of Time book, or the unremittingly strict good/evil character categories of others such as Eddings or Brooks, welcome. You will not be disappointed. My only complaint, albeit a very minor one, is that as the plots in this third volume are shredded and rewoven during its telling, Martin does loose his grip a bit by allowing each viewpoint chapter to end with a cliffhanger. Predictably unpredictable, you find yourself dreading that last paragraph simply because you know something terrible is going to happen. This is likely intentional, as befitting the chaos of the time, but it is a departure from the earlier books. Finally, I wish to point out (as others may have) that you may find a short story written by Martin and set about 100 years before The Song of Fire And Ice in 'Legends 2' ("The Hedge Knight"). This is the softcover version of 'Legends', and contains only two other short stories in addition to Martin's. This is fine, however, because Martin's tale is so superior I felt glad that no other people were forced to share the fate of being outshone by him.
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Summary: Would George R. Martin get to the point?
Review: How can such a talented writer make an epic tale so painful to read? After completing book three I once again am frustrated that there has been little movement to the grand battle that has been forshadowed for so long. Aside from killing off some characters that were getting hard to keep track of anyway (thank you George for the 45 page appendix of names and houses -- I still didn't keep everyone straight) there has been little progression towards a closure in the plotline. After 2000 pages I'm starting to wonder if there ever will be. George R. Martin is as I said, a very talented writer. He managed to keep me gripped and on the edge of my seat throughout most of his book. Unfortunately, now that I've finished, I'm still on the edge of my seat and I'm starting to understand that the hero's in this series are destined for a never ending series of torments and defeats. "A song of Ice and Fire" has the potential to be a great fantasy epic. I'm sorry to say that next time I'm going to wait for the paperback. I'm just too tired of waiting for the hero's I've invested so much time in to accomplish something besides surviving through misery and pain. If the next book is the same I might just give up on the series entirely.
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Summary: Robert Jordan Should Take Lessons from This Guy
Review: When I got this third volume, I was a bit dubious as the story was 924 pages long. While I thought the first two books were fantastic, I was concerned that Mr. Martin might pull a Robert Jordan and lose track of his plot and allow his characters to meld into one indistinct quagmire or monotony. I should have known better. Despite its size, Storm of Swords is tightly written, logical, and despite the many points of view that move the plot, not at all confusing. There are loads of surprises contained within these pages. It was great getting to read chapters from Jaime's point of view. His meeting with Tyrion toward the end of the story broke my heart. And the epilogue... Wow. It's going to be a long wait until 2002.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent continuation
Review: I was entranced by the first one. So gripped by the second one, I thought I would go crazy waiting for the third. And the third did not disappoint me. The books in Martin's epic get longer and better. Your breath is literally taken away many times, and it's torture waiting for the conclusions of the parts you were interested in when he wisks you away from a certain character's plight. The only problem I have with the novels as a whole is - there's going to be too many! It'll be way too many years until we reach the conclusion .. I don't think I can stand it! A minor difficulty is, I mentioned before, it's maddening to be taken away from an interesting storyline for sometimes far too long. However, I could never dare to criticize any of these books for they have brought me way too much enjoyment.
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