A Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire and Ice, Book One)

Never read fantasy, didn't think I'd like it. This book is awesome! Intrigue, great characters, totally loved it! I've since heard that the later books in the series are more fantastical, but I don't care cause I'm hooked!

This book is as near to perfection as can be anything using movable-type print. Without a doubt the finest book of fantasy ever written, almost certainly one of the best books I've ever read. Both the characters and the world they live in are entirely believable and unprecedented in scope and depth. One actually begins to care about these characters, something that seems to be lacking in many...more

This book is as near to perfection as can be anything using movable-type print. Without a doubt the finest book of fantasy ever written, almost certainly one of the best books I've ever read. Both the characters and the world they live in are entirely believable and unprecedented in scope and depth. One actually begins to care about these characters, something that seems to be lacking in many books written recently. The world is presented carefully and in a realistic manner, and it becomes entirely too easy to believe that this world may perhaps exist. The story is complex and (often) tragic, narrated through the points of view of a cast of various characters. The narrative style is fantastic, weaving together the various plot lines with expert precision. You must read this book.   hide

So far so good, I bought the book because of the series and I find the series faithful to the book: dialogues are taken straight from it. I bought the first four (I understand a fifth one is due soon) so I'm looking forward to a nice reading summer... I like the changing points of views though we are never with the Queen or her twin. Beware: winter is coming...

I never honestly thought that I would like any fantasy besides Redwall and Lord of the Rings, but Martin has proved me wrong. I have first heard of the series from the Something Awful forums, and decided to pick up the first book. Wow. There are no words to describe it. The series sucked me in and left me begging for more. Martin's writing style is very good, and with everyone else I now...more

I never honestly thought that I would like any fantasy besides Redwall and Lord of the Rings, but Martin has proved me wrong. I have first heard of the series from the Something Awful forums, and decided to pick up the first book. Wow. There are no words to describe it. The series sucked me in and left me begging for more. Martin's writing style is very good, and with everyone else I now have blue balls waiting for A Dance With Dragons to come out. I warn you (as well as my comrades here do), that this is a very dark series, and if you were expecting a light read, or something almost like Harry Potter, you will be disappointed. But for everyone else who wants a long and engrossing read, who enjoys watching the death toll in the series rise, who isn't afraid to read the next chapter to see what happens next, this book is for you.   hide

When browsing the racks I have never, ever, voluntarily picked up any book that (judging by it's cover, *sigh*) smacks of pelt-wearing, sword fighting, pseudo-Renaissance-festivally antics. However, a friend recommended it to me whose judgement has been proven reliable, so I looked at the read-it-now pages on Amazon. I was apparently in the right frame of mind to be receptive or maybe was...more

When browsing the racks I have never, ever, voluntarily picked up any book that (judging by it's cover, *sigh*) smacks of pelt-wearing, sword fighting, pseudo-Renaissance-festivally antics. However, a friend recommended it to me whose judgement has been proven reliable, so I looked at the read-it-now pages on Amazon. I was apparently in the right frame of mind to be receptive or maybe was just bored at work, but, I ordered it. After reading the first (A Game of Thrones) I couldn't WAIT to get delivery of the second, and after that one, I was amped to get the third. A Game of Thrones and the next two volumes are great stories, and told entirely without the sentimental, overwrought clap trap one can encounter in other titles in the genre. In fact Martin doesn't spare any character from any outcome, no matter how beloved or seemingly intrinsic to the plot. If you need some escapist fiction, and are okay with encountering violence -- such as someone getting run through with a sword -- every chapter or two, then this is a great book to pick up.   hide

AGOT is an excellent book and the start of an excellent series. First, a criticism. Martin has poured an incredible wealth of detail into this series; there are very few 'minor characters' and perhaps 20 major characters in the series (with one book yet to be published, maybe there are more major characters) and the world they live in is as well made as that other "R.R"s world, MiddleEarth. ...more

AGOT is an excellent book and the start of an excellent series. First, a criticism. Martin has poured an incredible wealth of detail into this series; there are very few 'minor characters' and perhaps 20 major characters in the series (with one book yet to be published, maybe there are more major characters) and the world they live in is as well made as that other "R.R"s world, MiddleEarth. Sometimes though, it seems as if the problems characters face -and no one has it easy - have been added to take up space. Four books, each around 1000 pages (and one more yet to come)? I found the books overly convoluted. But I am still eager to buy the next book. This book is so good, I acted out a cliche; Reading while riding a bus, I missed my stop and had to run to catch another bus. As you read the books, you worry about every character; no one is safe in Martin's world. From the moment a lead character dies in the middle of the first book, you recognize that this book has no guarantees. More, you will care about every character. Everyone is human in this book; a few are more heroic than others but all have their problems and their strengths.   hide

George Martin's "A game of thrones" in my opinion is simply the best fantasy book that I have ever read. He revolutionalize the literary style and elevates it to a new dimension. He steers aways from the typical stereotypes that have plagued most fantasy authors nowadays. The story is very unpredictable with numerous twists. George Martin's writing style falls at the other end of the spectrum...more

George Martin's "A game of thrones" in my opinion is simply the best fantasy book that I have ever read. He revolutionalize the literary style and elevates it to a new dimension. He steers aways from the typical stereotypes that have plagued most fantasy authors nowadays. The story is very unpredictable with numerous twists. George Martin's writing style falls at the other end of the spectrum compared to Steven Eriksson's Malzan Empire. He describes a completely believable realm where magic is almost non existent and does not play an active role in the flow of events. An epic plot where no characters are truely invincible or completely good or evil. Lots of political struggles and maneuvers. In terms of character development, George Martin's story is in a league of its own. On the downside, the story is relatively weak on the romance aspect. Also, it seems to take several winters before the release of each sequeal. By then, most of the brewing or half executed plots from the previous books would have been forgotten.   hide

I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series. George RR Martin is a masterful writer of characters. You are given back story and motivations for even the most insignificant people in his books, which results in a personal emotional investment in the plot that is seldom seen in the genre. He does not, ever, give you a cardboard cutout to be killed off pages later, which separates him...more

I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series. George RR Martin is a masterful writer of characters. You are given back story and motivations for even the most insignificant people in his books, which results in a personal emotional investment in the plot that is seldom seen in the genre. He does not, ever, give you a cardboard cutout to be killed off pages later, which separates him from most of his well-established peers. Another trait that sets him apart is his willingness to kill off his characters. None of the people in his books have a permanent lease on life, and he teaches you this very early in the series. This immerses the reader even more in the story, because you honestly don't know if your favorite characters will be around for the next book. George RR Martin has no Richard Rahl or Rand al'Thor or Drizzt D'ourden, no characters that you are certain will never die for the sake of continuity. If you go marching off to war in a George RR Martin novel, well, there is a good chance that you might not come back. This is a series of novels that I highly recommend to anyone, whether they are fans of fantasy or not. Out of an even dozen people I have convinced to read these books not a single one has regretted it.   hide

This book has it all - not your average stereotypical fantasy. Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of a different character so you can see that nobody is all good or all bad. There's swearing, sex, and all the stuff that makes it seem gritty and real. It has a plot full of twists and turns, and Martin is not afraid to kill off his characters. Game of Thrones is being made into an...more

This book has it all - not your average stereotypical fantasy. Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of a different character so you can see that nobody is all good or all bad. There's swearing, sex, and all the stuff that makes it seem gritty and real. It has a plot full of twists and turns, and Martin is not afraid to kill off his characters. Game of Thrones is being made into an HBO series (er, a pilot anyway), it's that good. Just don't start reading it if you don't like waiting. He's been working on Book 5 forever with no publish date in sight.   hide