Rating: 
Summary: Waiting for book 4 is going to drive me crazy!
Review: I absolutely love this series! The story is intricate and well-written, the characters are great, and you really never know what might happen next. Don't assume anything when reading these books. You are bound to be surpised. I do have to say that what I like best about these books are the characters. Just as in real life, the characters aren't 100% good or 100% bad - they are very complex, and you just may find yourself really caring about one of the "bad" guys. Each new book will introduce at least one new point of view, and you really get to see many facets of each character. George RR Martin does not scimp on words - these are all hefty novels, but in my opinion well worth it. I could not put them down (in fact my husband was relieved when he found out that the 4th one was not out yet, because he could not get me off of the couch while I was reading the first 3). And that brings me to the worst part of the whole thing - we have to wait until June 2004 for the next book. Every book I have picked up since I finished 'Storm of Swords' has paled by comparison. I have not found anything that even comes close. So if you are starting this series, be warned: the wait for the 4th book could very well make you crazy. I guess it's time to start reading the first book again!
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: I just finished "A Storm of Swords" and was impressed. This is the first book that absolutely pissed me off in terms of what the author was doing and yet kept me reading all the same. Bad things happen and Martin sure doesn't mind letting it happen to good characters.
Martin has an excellent writing style and his vision of his world and the plot he has created is amazing. While I won't go into any Tolkien comparisons, I will say this is the best series I have read in years.
It does not follow the standard fantasy plot that find in most books. What it does is create a history that is actually realistic and shows the good and bad in life with ALL his characters. There are no "undefeatable" characters. And don't get close to any of them either cause Martin has no problem killing them off if it furthers his story.
I couldn't put this book down. It was amazing and I can't wait for the next book. I just hate the fact that there is a 2 year time span between each book.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Lord of The Rings
Review: This book is my favorite book of all time. And yes it is way better than anything Tolkien ever wrote. While it is true that Tolkien was the founding father of good epic fantasy, he still pales in comparison to the genius of this series. Saying that Tolkien is better is like saying that the lightbulb is a more complex invention than the personal computer simply because it was created first. All things must evolve and this is the best that the evolution of fantasy has to offer. One of my favorite parts of this book was deffinatly the last few chapters. The sudden betrayal and the cliffhanger ending made me frustated that the next book wasn't out yet but that's the way I expect to feel after a good book. A side note that I would like to add is that this series is not for you if you don't like it when bad things happen to charectors you love(to the point that it makes you want to stop reading the book). I myself don't like to have my favorite charectors die but I think that it adds to the realism of the book. (I happen to also be a fan of a good sad story, so if you only want happy endings then read something else)
Rating:
Summary: melancholy
Review: After the first part of the first book very little good happens
to anyone. It is unrelentingly dark and perhaps
depressing. It is wonderfully written. It is well told.
It is interesting and engaging. Just be prepared to read
thousands of pages where hope remains hidden.
Rating:
Summary: The plot thickens
Review: In book three, the series takes a dark turn. It borders on depressing for the heroes lose so much and the villians seem to be doing irreperable harm to the world. When you finish reading it, you find yourself almost desperate to read the next book, just because things have to get better.
This is not a complaint about the writing, it is a wonderful as ever, but the grand adventure is going sour and forces of good seem nearly beaten. This effects a rather dark mood.
Rating: 
Summary: Long Winded
Review: I have just finished this book and am still in a daze. Actually I read all three of the "Song of Fire and Ice" books, one right after another and my eyeballs are ready to fall out. These are VERY long books! Not that I at all mind long, thick books. And let me say that there is something about the way that George R.R. Martin writes that is addictive. Despite my growing frustration with this series, I could not put any of the books down and walk away. He pulled me into whatever is going on at the time -- and often there isn't MUCH going on -- even if it is from the POV of one of my not-so-favorite characters. At first I resented the back-and-forth of the book. One chapter was about the Wall, the next was about Dany and her dragons... I was tempted to read all the "Jon" chapters, for instance, all at once and go back and read all the "Tryrion" chapters etc. Except that it became obvious that somehow they are all tied together and that skipping back and forth wouldn't work... After praising Martin's writing abilities, I have to say that the overall series is a big disappointment. Some reviewers insist it's "better than Tolkien". Not even close. The first book, "A Game of Thrones" started off the series in good shape. But by the second book, "A Clash of Kings" it was flagging badly. This book confirms what I dreaded -- Martin is really Robert Jordan and will never end this story. Jordon's never ending "Wheel of Time" series is on it's 10th 1000 page book. I read the reviews for those books and many recommended Martin's series instead. But what is the difference? Other than the fact that Martin is a better writer, that is. This series has bogged down. How can you not advance the plot in 3000+ pages?? Sure we saw some major characters get removed. But the plot itself -- i.e. who gets the iron throne -- is as far from resolved as it was in book #1. There are a couple fewer king wannabes running around but still no real king in sight. The remaining major characters go from one crises to another but never solve their own individual problems. And from the trends in book #3, they aren't likely to do so any time soon. I see there is a 4th book coming out (in hardcover, of course). I would be very surprised if this was the final book of the series. Why do these authors milk their cash cow to death? Jordan is still going strong and it looks like Martin is following in his 10+ book footsteps. When the 4th book comes out I'll get it from the library, if I read it at all. By the time it's published I'll forget who is on what side (not that that is clear anyway) and what "ser" has which sigil. Oh well. Another promising author lost to the money god...
Rating:
Summary: Keep them coming.
Review: The best fantasy novel I have ever read. This book brings the characters to life and makes them a real as any one I know. I have read the first three books and have hooked most of my family and half my friends on the series. We are all eagerly awaiting the publishing of A Feast for Crows. Whenever I talk with my family we can't help to have a discussion about these books or speculate on what Mr. Martin has in store for us all.
Rating:
Summary: best of the best
Review: In this book, Martin continues the saga he started in _A Game of Thrones_. Caution: If you have not read _A Game of Thrones_, start there. This series is contiguous, and you will spoil things for yourself if you don't read the books in order. That said, if there are ever textbooks written for fantasy literature, George R.R. Martin's _Song of Fire and Ice_ series (or some part of it) will be included. The writing is brilliant. Each word counts. Phrases that are supposed to be witty actually ARE. Events that promise to surprise you DO. Characters who are supposed to be clever do genuinely clever things. In addition, Martin produces countless unique turns of phrase with the casual ease of a master. As for plot, these books represent the very best of a budding genre. To call the series high fantasy and compare it to Tolkien is not quite fair. Tolkien based his work on myth. Martin bases his primarily on history, and his work should properly be called a fantihistorical. Although the series has elements of myth, the most astonishing facts are nearly always historical. The Targarian habit of marrying brother to sister to preserve the bloodlines, for instance, was practiced by the Egyptian pharaohs. You will actually learn real things about history if you pay attention in this series. Martin's meticulous details are dazzling-types of cloth and food, details of trade and political agreements, a proper proportion of elderly, mentally ill, and sickly people in society, and realistic process of infection from wounds. His medicines are also well-researched, many of them used in some society at some time. _A Storm of Swords_ is every bit as good as the other two books. The tension just builds and builds. Any hint of the contents would spoil something for you, but I think I can say without giving away any secrets that the addition of Jamie Lanister's viewpoint gives a very interesting tange to the story (believe it or not, he's now one of my favorite characters), and that several well-known characters die in this one. Martin has an absolute genius for making nearly all of his characters round and sympathetic. Even the ones we want dead are sympathetic, though that doesn't stop us from wanting them dead. Martin shows clearly that all of his characters, both good and bad, have suffered and have excuses for being cruel and bitter. His good characters, however, choose to remain honorable and ethical, while his bad characters allow themselves to become corrupt. Choice is the key. However, we see clearly that all of them have reasons (if not excuses) for what they have become. Now... Read, read, read!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Series!
Review: I could not put down all three books in this series! I am looking forward to book 4, A feast for Crows!
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: This book is as good as the first two. The characters continue to develop, the war continues, everyone is in peril... By now I have an emotional stake in the characters and, as with the previous ones, I was turning the pages as fast as I could to learn the outcome of each new situation. The plot twists had me holding my breath, and I nearly cried in several places. As with book two, the book ends in a maddeningly frustrating cliff hanger, and book four isn't due out until the fall. ARRGG!!!! This series is truly epic, and it's extremely well written. I can't stand it that the next book isn't out yet.
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