Rating: 
Summary: Slave to technique
Review: My problem with CofKings is the same with the other books(I'm on Storm of Swords at the moment);I find the authors copied (or perhaps influenced) technique of changing the character at the end of every chapter prevents me from really getting into the characters or the book.Some of these characters are quite boring and it's frustrating when you've read 5 or 6 pages of a character like Jon Snow,are just getting into it and suddenly the chapter ends with sometimes a quite contrived formulaic hook.Then you turn the page and the next chapter is entitled 'Catlyne' and you groan inwardly.All of these books are written like this and I will persevere and finish them but,my god,they're hard work.No depth to the characters or storyline.The names of the chief characters are different but we still have the trekking from one place to the other-prisoners escaping and trekking,children escaping and trekking,trekking,trekking! Heroes being outnumbered two to one but winning etc.I've recently read a novel (Birdsong) about WW1 and the depth of characters and reality of the battlescenes puts Mr Martin to shame.Perhaps I've just read too many fantasy books and I should switch genres-I will complete his serier first though but I won't recommend them to you!
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Summary: This is the Series that Brought Me Back to the Fantasy Genre
Review: It used to be (and may still be) that you could read Tolkien, Jordan and maybe a few more authors and you would discover that you had read all the fantasy reading that was worth talking about. I don't claim to be an expert, but some fantasy authors just have no business writing books. So when I picked up George R.R. Martin's first book in the popular A Song of Ice and Fire series, I was understandably wary. Something happened along the way though, I found myself immersed in Martin's storytelling and falling in love with the characters, creatures and worlds he created. I couldn't put down the first book and after finishing, quickly purchased the next two books in his famous series. Not since the first three books in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series had I read a fantasy series that so completely overwhelmed me. Eagerly awaiting the fourth book which will hopefully reach publication by spring of 2004 and looking back on the first three books, I think there were three critical strongpoints that made me love these books:1) Characters, Characters, Characters - How many fantasy books have you read which had all the great genre elements such as dragons, swords, magic, and so forth, but never one single interesting character to bring life to the novel? Martin doesn't just give us one hero, he surrounds us with an epic geneology of lords and kings. And not just heroes, Martin gives the villainy just as much attention and usually clouds the issues not providing you with a fine line of good and evil. Everyone is human in his stories and it may be the first fantasy series I've ever read where a cripple and midget play a huge role in the story. (No, not a halfling-hobbit midget, a real human dwarf!) No one is perfect and no one is free of error. Martin's characters surround themselves in epic power struggles that would make Shakespeare proud. 2) Detailed Geography and Histories - When I read the first book in Martin's series, I was almost overwhelmed. There were so many new people and places I needed to know but luckily the books are included with appendixes that you can easily flip through to keep you updated on all family and political ties. Also, how many fantasy books have you read in which travel feels like a day on a 21st century highway and the map doesn't seem to have a realistic scale? Martin avoids the common mistakes and not since Tolkien have I read a book in which so many details inhabit the lands inbetween cities and rivers. 3) Realism - Sometimes I'll pick up a fantasy novel and while I enjoy the story and central characters, I feel like "Joe Average" in today's world could easily fit into the author's world. In other words, I think a lot of fantasy authors rely on boring medieval cliches, that is if they even try to give their characters on authentic period feel. In Martin's books, I feel as though I'm exploring a world not too far removed from medieval Europe. Too often with today's popular fantasy material, creators add liberal amounts of magic and common fantasy elements. With Martin, I discover a world which has obtained the same balance that was felt in Tolkien's worlds. As one reviewer put it, wielding magic isn't the equivalent of blowing off a machine gun in Martin's books, even though most fantasy books today want to write it like that. Maybe the best part about Martin's books is that I know there is an impending grand finale. Remember when you read Jordan's Wheel of Time series and felt that way only to give up seven to ten books later? In A Song of Ice and Fire, you can sense everything getting closer to one final epic confrontation instead of the all too common trend of fiction authors to try and cash in on one more book to prolong the series. Martin has even announced that only six books are planned in his series and it's good to know that a compelling best-selling fantasy series actually has an ending in mind. All three books are in softcover now and Martin fans are anxiously awaiting the next addition. My advice would be to pick up the first book quickly because you'll find some of the best fantasy writing in recent years and a terrific story regardless of your interest in the fantasy genre.
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Summary: Deep psychology
Review: This is truly an exceptional work of fiction. What I find most interesting are the insights into human psychology that are developed in these very realistic characters. There is a realism to their behavior that is remarkable for a fantasy book, perhaps akin to Tolstoy's writing. There is also a deep wisdom displayed in some of the characters. All in all, it was completely absorbing.
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Summary: A Clash of Kings ( A Gem of Books )
Review: A Game of Thrones ( Book 1 ) made all the other Fatasy novels I have read, less thrilling. A Clash of Kings simply blew the everything out of the water. The in the beggining I thought the series wasnt so great after all, as it lingered on a character I didnt know. But A Game of Thrones was so good that I decided to read on. Im glad that I did. I highly recomend this book ( After A Game of Thrones, of course ), to all that have an open mind and can handle some explict content. This series will have you clenching your fist, it will make you sad, happy, mad, and you may even throw it down in disgust at some points ( In a good way ). The overall design of the books and chapters are amazing. You know each character so well and you choose sides, for both sides seem good. Tyrion Lannister steals this book as the main character. His clever wits and his disablities are his weapons, and he rules Kings Landing, for the evil. But you also feel for him, for his past has made him what he truely is. The only downside to this book is the lack of Robb Stark. I would have rather read his thoughts and feelings of the war more often. I also belive Rickton should have a chapter or two in there. But none the less this book is fatastic by all means and to learn a Book 4 is going to be released has made my day. Go out and read it, it will make whatever your favorite novel is, seem less.
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Summary: An excellent sequel
Review: A Clash of Kings is as good as the first installment of this series. Continuing in the shifting first-person perspective, the level of detail and care put into these novels does not go to waste. Slightly longer than it's predecessor, Game of Thrones, and slightly shorter then the third book in the series, A Storm of Swords, this is a book worth reading. Having read and enjoyed other epic series, like Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, this series is at the top of it's genre.
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Summary: Wonderful Read
Review: I have never been a great fan of fantasy literature. I do enjoy an occassional vampire novel or historical novel. Mr. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series is wonderful. This series is so real. It is like reading a well written historical novel. The world he constructs is a lot like England in the middle ages. In fact I think it is mentioned somewhere that the novel is loosly based on the War of the Roses. Unlike some series where one cannot turn a page without reading about a fairy sparkling with magic. Mr. Martin keeps the supernatural at a distance. It is the stuff of myth. But slowly it is inching to the foreground. If you are into a more realistic novels where the fantasy is at a minimum, read this series. They are made up of a lot of pages but they are so fast paced that you'll wonder where the time went.
Rating:
Summary: more more more
Review: Let's get a few things straight. If you liked the first book then you will like this book, if you didn't like it, then don''t bother. This books progresses in the same manner as the first and is just as good, maybe even better. You must read the first book before getting this. So jump on board one of the best fantasy series in the making, and continue with this book. It does not disappoint.
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Summary: A worthy sequel to Game of Thrones
Review: George R.R. Martin picks up where he left off on A Game Of Thrones (quite literally) and further expands his epic masterpiece. In this second volume, A Clash Of Kings, Martin again pits lords and ladies, armies and rogues, and warring factions against one another in a sprawling tale. At some 970 pages and featuring a tremendous cast of characters, this tome is dense, maybe moreso than A Game Of Thrones. More subplots are thrown into the mix and more storylines are twisted together, expending the scope of the already massive tale. Like the first volume, Martin pulls this off by using fairly short, punchy chapters, each of which serves to move the plot forward and keep this otherwise hefty book moving along at a rapid pace. That's not to say Martin doesn't stumble slightly here and there. Unlike A Game Of Thrones, which was the leanest 900-page book you'll ever read, not every page in A Clash Of Kings was vital. A few of the subplots are given too much time, developing over a longer period than they needed to, and otherwise serve only to slow the narrative. The lengthy looks at Theon Greyjoy's trials stand out in this regard. Also, several chapters appear to fill time rather than push the plot forward or offer an important revelation. But these criticisms are minor and the instances when they stand out are few and far between. Martin weaves and twists plots as well as any, paints characters we can truly believe, and builds builds builds to a rousing, thrilling and surprising climax that is superior to the wrap up of volume one. All in all this installment lives up to the expectations set by the first. Lofty expectations indeed. Without question George R.R. Martin has once again given readers one of the best fantasy novels to hit the bestseller list in a long, long time. Don't let the huge page counts and ongoing nature of the series fool you into thinking this is another Robert Jordan or Terry Goodkind clone. Far from it. This is the best the genre has to offer right now and is a must read for any fan of epic, gritty high fantasy.
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Summary: A World Beyond Imagination
Review: The second part of George R. R. Martin's saga, _A Clash of Kings_ is an astounding continuation of _A Game of Thrones_ but also a breath-taking literary masterpiece of its own. Before approaching it, though, you would do well to read the first book: although I have to give Martin credit for giving brief explanations in the beginning that would account for some of the characters and action in the second part, it's impossible to grasp _A Clash of Kings_ in all its magnitude without having read the first part of the saga beforehand. A boy kings sits in the Iron Throne surrounded by a cohort of Lannisters trying to preserve his feeble reign over a kingdom thorn by wars and bloodshed. With two Baratheon brothers questioning his right, the Stark heir ruling the North in the name of its people and a turn-cloak prince fighting for yet another king's claim, the Seven Kingdoms are bleeding worse than ever: death and plunder, atrocities and suffering, and approaching winter threatening to last a generation, coming with its own dangers and unspoken horrors. Black sorcery and out-of-legend cold creatures emerge to devour the realm of men, while a young girl, the mistress of the last living dragons in the world, makes her way through blood and fire to reclaim her father's throne. The blood-red comet that shone in the sky and drew ominous predictions was left unheeded; the terrors it warned of are free to loom over the realm of men. The book starts with a riveting prologue that throws the reader in a new dimension, more mystic than one would have suspected. The rest of the book lives up to the promise of the first pages. Graphic, realistic, convincing in more ways than one, it reaches out of the pages, grabs your brains and squeezes tightly...and you're hooked. Page after page, you will most likely complete the entire thing (which, be warned, approximates 1000 pages) in a heartbeat. It presents a series of betrayals and unexpected friendships, and a world where the closest of allies could turn against you, and the seemingly vilest become your friends. More kings and more violence than a kingdom can bear, and way more dynamism than you've ever seen in a fantasy book. Martin is a master of details-compelling, overpowering details-when he needs to, but he also shrewdly changes the speed of narration to build up suspense. He also continues the successful practice to tell his narrative from the points of view of those characters that survived in _A Game of Thrones_, and adds a few new ones, that come as a pleasant and refreshing surprise, and come to play essential roles in the plot. True to his promise in the first part, Martin continues to build understandable and very human characters that you can feel with and relate to. The complexity of the book is sometimes impossible to grasp, and I cannot begin to think what sort of suprahumanly imagination Martin must have to create it. Magic, one of the most important elements of the fantasy genre that seemed to lack in the first part, is now returning to the Seven Kingdoms, with dragons coming back to life and also mystic sorcery that accounts for a few of the numerous shockingly unanticipated twists in the plot. This renders _A Clash of Kings_ more than a mere tale of medieval tradition. Although, to be sure, the political element is overwhelmingly present, and shrewd and unexpected moves give the reader further delight at this wonderful work. An absolutely thrilling masterpiece and a great continuation to what promises to be the greatest phenomenon in the genre after The Lord of the Rings. Five stars to this one without the slightest hesitation!!!
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Summary: The hits keep coming!
Review: I LOVE this series! This is high fantasy at its best; full of intrigue, rich detials, realism and a plot that keeps you hooked. As one who never went in for "high" fantasy (the thought of Tolkein makes me shudder - ugh), I was suprised how quickly the first pages of this book grabbed me - I've been eagerly awaiting each installment ever since. Its a rare thing for someone to create such complex characters; you really feel for each and every one of them, whether it be love, hate or something in between. Simply fantastic. I've read all three books in the series and can find no faults with any of them!
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