Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Melancholic fantasy, 1 Sep 2006
I bought this book on the strength of previous reviews and am pleased to say I was not disappointed. As has been stated, GRRM's style is one of multiple viewpoints (initially confusing although by the middle of the book you know who's who, and in which 'house' they belong), within a continuous time thread. The writing is dark, gritty, and melancholic.
This isn't a 'quest' book; more of a history. And a realistic one at that. Although there is a complete lack of elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins etc, this book should be classed as high fantasy. Dragons, monsters, and magic exist in this world but they are relegated to the background. Nine tenths of this book deals in the down to earth machinations of the various courts. Heroes and villains do not exist. Everyone is painted in shades of grey. (Some greyer than others).
In the last 20 years there have been two books that completely blew me away. The first was Magician by Raymond E Feist, the second was Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. A Game of Thrones is the third. If you enjoyed either of the first two you will surely enjoy this.
Having read the rest of the books in the Song of Fire and Ice sequence, I can reassure you the standards set by A Game of Thrones are maintained.
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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprised - But in a Good Way!, 6 April 2003
By A Customer
Anyone who has read a lot of fantasy knows how each book tends to meld into another until, on looking back, you realise that you've lose track of exactly what characters are in which book, where they live, and what's going on. Every now and then though, you find an author who somehow manages to make you feel a closeness to the characters, and a geniune fascination in their lives. It's this that makes a fantasy novel or series stand out - and which means you may just remember it a few months after reading it! Despite having been reading fantasy for years, I neglected George R.R. Martin when A Game of Thrones first came out, and have continued to do so until a few days back. I now discover my mistake. The novel is superbly written, the characters diverse and original, and despite it's seemingly typical fantasy plot - political battles, a bit of magic here and there, honour, betrayal etc etc - Martin's approach leads me to believe I will not only remember, but come back to re-read his series when a few months have passed me by. Excuse me, must go buy the second book....
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94 of 97 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not for the kids, 3 Jul 2002
Suffice to say, from the top marks I'm awarding this book (and the whole series thus far) I found it to be an excellent read. No, that's insufficient, this is not only the best written Fantasy series (by far surpassing Tolkien in my opinion) I've read, it's almost certainly the most enjoyable book of ANY kind.
The writing style is intelligent and treats the reader accordingly, which is a refreshing change in the Fantasy genre, and the sheer bloody-mindedness of the plot subverts every preconception the reader may have while maintaining the traditional escapist elements familiar from 'lesser' works. The world of Fire and Ice is so fully realised it's hard to keep track of the history and vast array of characters but Martin guides you through it effortlessly and seems to have known from the first line exactly what is going to happen in every subsequent paragraph. His attention to detail is almost scary. The series also (incredibly) manages to improve with subsequent readings as the reader gets to grips with the innumerable plot developments and realises that the most unexpected of events was probably sign-posted ten chapters back.
One note of caution to perspective buyers however is that despite it's Fantasy trappings this is NOT a series suitable for children. Mr Martin does not shy away from explicit descriptions of horrific violence and sex and the language is frequently of the four-letter variety. Equally disturbing is the brilliant realisation of the multitude of characters in these books where the 'Heroes' prove capable of horrendous atrocities and the 'Villains' sometimes act with compassion and honour. And these characters can DIE; If a situation looks likely to be fatal, chances are it will be, which is almost unique in an on-going series and means every violent encounter is almost excrutiatingly tense.
So, not for the faint-hearted but certainly a series that sets entirely new standards for fiction, Fantasy or otherwise.
Brilliant.
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