 "Reluctance..." | 2009-09-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2FJUNH9VDZO8E |
After seeing the thousand plus reviews with majority good reviews I went out and purchased this book (with the little money that I had) and read the book. I finished the book in 2 days. It was a good read. I would recommend it. But here is why I give it 4 stars...
I gave it 4 stars because it is not my cup of joe. I love fantasy books but I felt this book was way TOO epic. There were a lot of people to follow. It literally was like a mapping of characters and their stories. I had no trouble keeping up but I would have liked to follow two or three characters. Here we have over ten. Martin does an excellant job in giving life to his characters so I didn't mind the amount of characters, kinda. Would I preferred he write it another way? ... No becuase then it would take away the point and purpose of this story. Wars and fallen countries usually do not happen with just a few people, it involves countless hundreds. But again like I said this series is a bit too epic for my taste hence the 4 stars.
Oh and I would have liked to see a little more magic. But I guess magic will come later in the series...
Great story and intrigue. I would recommend it to those who like epic fantasy. When I say epic I mean EPIC. Because this is such a grand scale of story telling I am making myself wait with reading the next books. One chapter at a time between other books. If you like a focal character then this is not for you. This series is focal on the gears of wars. What makes wars happen and how they begin and their effects. The feel I got for this book was: the characters don't make the story, the story makes the character kind of sense, in a very good way. |
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 "The way a fantasy book is supposed to be written." | 2009-09-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A39IKRJIEGH886 |
| Disclaimer: I don't read a lot of Fantasy books. That being said, I do read a lot books that are considered classics and I can safely say that this book is of very high quality. The writing is great, the plot (although hard to follow at first) is very detailed and action packed, while the characters briskly move it along. I thought it was fantastic. I should say however, that the subject matter at times is very mature (think XXX). To my mind, I agree with one reviewer when he states something to the effect that this is what makes it so good. It's as though Martin has said, "what if we treat Fantasy characters like REAL people for once?" Therefore, people eat a lot, pee, crap, have sex (and yes, it was a very common practice throughout history for brothers and sisters to marry and make babies...one reviewer seems to think that this was strange) and all that other fun stuff that people do to fill the days. I loved it, highly recommend it and can't wait to read the next book. |
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| "Epic fantasy with the depth of Tolkien and the insightfulness of Herbert" | 2009-08-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2RV4TTS4B5ECW |
George R.R. Martin writes epic fantasy with a depth and completeness of plot and universe that is rarely found. Time magazine aptly calls him "The American Tolkien." In his first novel of A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin spins a tale that is fantasy in the way Dune is science fiction. His writing is magical with little magic, providing social implications and a complete society with characters, politics, and militaries that seem disturbingly real.
Not for the faint of heart, A Games of Thrones begins an epic saga that is thick, somewhat heavy, but well worth reading. Whether one is looking for the politics inherent in his tale, the strong family stories, the romance, the action, the societies, or the overall plot A Game of Thrones weaves together numerous threads with a masterful story providing insight into a world as thoroughly developed as Middle Earth. Centering around families in the nobility, A Game of Thrones singles out the Stark family, led by a lord whose greatest strength and greatest weakness are his dedication to honor.
Like Ned Stark, each character has sympathetic aspects as well as flaws, which leads readers on a wild emotional journey as Martin leaps between sides in every conflict, capturing the thoughts and actions of players in the game of thrones ranging from children to kings. |
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| "Good read" | 2009-08-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: AYN9CZX62JJQ4 |
This series is basically a really, really good soap opera. If you want some well written and finely plotted escapist fantasy to dive into for a little while, you may like this book. However if your tolerance for melodrama is thin and you demand sophistication, style, and deep meaning from your fiction I recommend you stay away.
This book is told by switching through a series of 8 points-of-views. Each chapter is from the perspective of one POV character and each is like a mini-episode of a TV show, usually with a cliffhanger ending. The action is normally fast placed and unpredictable, and the plot clips along, although--given that this is a soap opera--don't expect much resolution to anything. But if you like the ASOIAF world and get invested in its characters, the book is a very engrossing and enjoyable read. (The truly grand scale of the world & the cast is another bonus for those who like 'epic' fantasy.)
As a prose writer, Martin is highly competent though not especially inspired--his prose lacks lyricism or much imagination and his descriptions are typically pedestrian. However the writing works well for its purposes. The words flow together nicely and Martin paints vivid, memorable pictures of his settings and characters. Overall I found the prose to be very efficient and effective. |
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| "Magical story without even using much magic" | 2009-08-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2XCV02UBTWBT1 |
I have no doubt anything I will say here has already been said, but I am making a point of reviewing the books I read in the possible hope it will help others, and also for myself.
I'll start with the negatives/reasons you might not want to read this. If you are a fan of Robert Jordan, I would consider his books to be rated the equivalent of a PG to PG-13. This book is at least R, if not NC-17. There are many disturbing things that happen in this book, including torture, rape, incest, and many other pretty disturbing images. The language itself isn't too bad compared to many books, but certainly covers the spectrum of bad words. There are some vivid sexual descriptions as well, at least compared to what I am used to reading. I mainly note all of that because someone like my sister would throw away a book she loves if it had any of the prior things in it. Myself, I couldn't care less.
Now onto the good things. The author does a great job of creating an entire world that seems quite realistic (in the sense of a fantasy). There is a rich history to the world, but of course it isn't just told to us. You hear bits and pieces of it as the story goes along, which also shows different viewpoints on the same events. The author creates great characters who you hope to see through to the end, yet he also makes it clear early on that none of them are safe and he is willing to kill important characters. Another great feature of this book is that there is a lot more gray area in the whole "good" vs "evil" concept. There are certainly good guys and bad guys, but a number of characters are a bit less clear. Finally, the story line itself is not entirely predictable. Sure, a lot of events you can see coming and are even foreshadowed. Yet other times when you think you know what will happen, something different will come along and completely change that entire story line.
The story is based in a land of knights and lords. There is very little magic performed in this book, nor are there many "magical creatures" (but there are some important ones). There is one king who rules the entire continent. There are many houses and lords who are higher ranking (some of whom descended from kings before the lands were united), who ultimately control the majority of the plot. Meanwhile, to the north of the continent is a giant wall, beyond which is a lot of unknown. Legends speak of magical creatures, who have invaded the lands in the past (hense the need for a wall), usually during winter. The current summer has lasted for years, but legends say the longer the summer, the longer the following winter.
The story itself is told through the viewpoint of a number of characters, mostly all members of the Stark family. They are lords of the North, who used to rule the north-lands. The story mostly follows this family (each chapter taking the perspective of a different character) as the events of the book cause them to end up on their own separate paths. There is Eddard, lord of Winterfell and the North, and his wife Catelyn. Their daughter Sansa the perfect lady who dreams of meeting her knight in shining armor. Their daughter Arya who is pretty much the opposite of Sansa, constantly getting into trouble and wandering off. Their son Bran who wishes to one day be a knight serving his father or his older brother Robb (Robb and his younger brother Bran do not have chapters based around them). Eddard's bastard son Jon who is raised with the others, but always knows he doesn't truly belong. Then there is Daenerys Targaryen, one of two remaining kin from the last king who was deposed by the current king, who are in the free lands (across the sea from the main story). Finally, there is Tyrion Lannister, the brother to the Queen who unfortunately was born a dwarf. Each character is likable, yet flawed. They all go through their own tests in the story, with different results for each. |
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| "Loved that the book surprised me so much and so often" | 2009-08-13 |
| - Reviewed By pcekman |
I believe this and the second book are by far the best in this series.
When I read this book I was on vacation with the second book in the back of the van in a suitcase. I was riding in the van when I finished the book and was so engrossed I immediately climbed to the back, dug through the suitcases, and foud the next book so I could continue. I'm afraid I ignored my family for the duration of the trip as I just couldn't put the book down.
The book has multiple complex characters. The author spends chapters building plots and setting you up for an obvious end result, the BOOM! one of the main characters is killed! Total shocks and surprises. What about the plans that were set in motion, what about the people they were affecting? All of a sudden everything you think is going to happen turns upside down and your anxiously reading to see what will happen next.
The later books in the series are a little more tedious and get a little weird - but are well worth reading. My biggest complaint is that the author is VERY slow in getting the books out. Wondering if the next in series will ever be available.
If you like fantasy and want something totally different and love a long complex book- give this one a try. I've read it twice and will probably read it again. |
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