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A Song of Ice and Fire (A Song of Ice and Fire #1-5)

by George R.R. Martin

4.63 · Rating Details · 32,114 Ratings · 1,326 Reviews

For the first time, all five novels in the epic fantasy series that inspired HBO's "Game of Thrones "are together in one boxed set. An immersive entertainment experience unlike any other, A Song of Ice and Fire has earned George R. R. Martin--dubbed "the American Tolkien" by "Time" magazine--international acclaim and millions of loyal readers. Now here is the entire monume ...more

Mass Market Paperback, Re-Packaged Edition, 5216 pages

Published July 22nd 2011 by Zatpix (first published 2000)

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Community Reviews

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Dec 03, 2013 Richard Sutton rated it it was amazing

Right up front — no spoilers, here or bite-sized impressions…

This morning, I laid down the last volume of George R.R. Martin’s great opus, A Song of Fire and Ice. After reading the first volume, ushered in (for me at least…) through the graces of HBO’s series, A Game of Thrones, I decided to read the series in hardbound version (probably to add some help for my tired, old eyes, as newsprint covered with small point sized type is not something I can easily settle into). And settle in, I did. My w ...more

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Dec 05, 2014 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2014

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

“In the game of thrones, even the humblest pieces can have wills of their own.”

When I first heard about the Song of Ice and Fire series I assumed it was for supernerds who reside in their mother’s basements and only dare to venture into the daylight in order to L.A.R.P. on the weekends (my apologies to all basement-dwelling-L.A.R.P.E.R.S. for the previous comment). When rumors of the books becoming a series on HBO started, I deci ...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Mary rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction, young-adult, science-fiction

It's never master prose, but the first three of these novels--eh, particularly the first two--are just so thorough and imaginative that I devoured them, and book three...and, more slowly, book four...and then sort of skipped through book five with the despondent sense that Martin may never finish this series. Honestly, all I want is for Arya to become the Number One Badass Ever and I will be happy. Be warned when you start this series: You'll get invested in the handful of characters you start w ...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Karen rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, fantasy, adventure, medieval-period

Great story cycles usually come in threes (“The Lord of the Rings,” “Griffin and Sabine,” “The Hunger Games”). I wish George R. R. Martin, the author of “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, had confined himself to a trilogy, too. Okay, maybe five books, at the most.

Instead, I’m afraid this series which started out so well is going to turn into one of those interminable, overly-ambitious epics that collapse into a big, sprawling mess before finally limping to a conclusion. (Remember the “Earth’s Chi Great story cycles usually come in threes (“The Lord of the Rings,” “Griffin and Sabine,” “The Hunger Games”). I wish George R. R. Martin, the author of “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, had confined himself to a trilogy, too. Okay, maybe five books, at the most.

Instead, I’m afraid this series which started out so well is going to turn into one of those interminable, overly-ambitious epics that collapse into a big, sprawling mess before finally limping to a conclusion. (Remember the “Earth’s Children” series by Jean Auel?) At this rate, the successful HBO TV series based on these books is going to overtake the author and his fans will start to lose interest.

I tore through the first three books of this series (“A Game of Thrones,” “A Clash of Kings,” and “A Storm of Swords”). Usually I’m not much of a fantasy-genre fan, but even I liked these first three books. The stories, which take place in an unspecified time period which seems medieval, chronicle the exploits of the Stark, Lannister, and Baratheon families and the other houses that follow them during their battles over who will rule the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. In a separate storyline set on another continent, there’s also an exiled princess who hopes to come back and reclaim Westeros. There’s just enough dragons, magic and sorcery to qualify the stories as fantasy, yet they are also realistic enough to be totally believable. There’s also lots of brutality, gore and sex in them, so be forewarned if you’re squeamish about those things.

The best thing about these books is the rich and complex characterization. The dwarf Tyrion Lannister, the knight Jaime Lannister, and the Lady Catelyn Stark are some of the most complicated, morally ambiguous, yet ultimately likeable fictional characters that I’ve encountered in a long time. I also liked the positive, diverse portrayal of women in this series. There are several strong female characters who use their wit and cunning to get what they want in spite of the restrictions of their societies.

However, the series starts to bog down in the fourth book, “A Feast for Crows,” and gets worse in the fifth, “A Dance with Dragons.” Just as we get caught up in the fates of familiar characters we’ve come to know and love (or hate), Martin introduces a whole slew of other characters in whom we’re also supposed to make an emotional investment. (We do in some, but not most.) There’s also way too much exposition that doesn’t do much to move the plot forward.

Martin is certainly an imaginative and talented writer. I just hope he doesn’t sacrifice cohesiveness on the altar of creativity. It also takes great discipline to know when enough is enough and wrap things up into a satisfying conclusion. The only modern writer who has been able to successfully create a series of this scale in a timely manner without losing its fan base is JK Rowling with the “Harry Potter” books. And even she almost ran out of steam by the last book.

There’s supposedly two (maybe even three) more books to go in the Ice and Fire series. I sincerely hope Mr. Martin proves me wrong and finishes up this series in the way it deserves.
...more

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Jul 19, 2014 Jeremy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy-stuff

I'm going to start my review of this 5000+ page, still-in-progress monster by saying something that will probably piss off a lot of fantasy fans. High fantasy, as a literary genre, badly needs to be reconstituted. For over 50 years now people who write in this vein have been held in the thrall of writers like Tolkein and C. S. Lewis, writers who for all their imaginative prowess, were far too obsessed with cheap religious parables (Aslan=Jesus, etc.) and linguistic dicking around (made up langua I'm going to start my review of this 5000+ page, still-in-progress monster by saying something that will probably piss off a lot of fantasy fans. High fantasy, as a literary genre, badly needs to be reconstituted. For over 50 years now people who write in this vein have been held in the thrall of writers like Tolkein and C. S. Lewis, writers who for all their imaginative prowess, were far too obsessed with cheap religious parables (Aslan=Jesus, etc.) and linguistic dicking around (made up languages) to really create and focus down on actual human characters. They fell so in love with the archtypes and mythos of their world(s) that they forgot the humans at its core, and quite simply they seemed not to care, as has often been the case with subsequent writers of high fantasy. We have all read and watched enough media about chosen ones, dark lords, tediously byzantine systems of magic, creepy sexual bonds with dragons, etc to even pretend to be surprised or engaged by this stuff on anything more than a painfully superficial level anymore.
That, to me is what makes a song of ice and fire so incredibly refreshing and engaging throughout its many many many pages. Martin puts the people in his world, no matter how awful or broken they may be (and everyone in these books is an awful, broken person at one level or another) at the center of his writing, he makes westeros about them and their struggles, instead of forcing them to revolve around some clever clever tropes that he simply regurgitated from someone else (cough christopher paolini cough). Not only that, but he is able to sketch out descriptions that flesh out his world without burying the reader in tedious, unnecessary details but which still conjure up the dark, sad history of the 7 kingdoms. Honestly, I think his world building has more akin to the 19th century novelists like Hugo and Tolstoy than it does with his more obvious, obtusely prudish fantasy predecessors. And god, can he write women well. More serious literary novelists should take notes on the chapters written from the points of view of Catelyn, Cersei Arya, etc. The real emotional core of these books, the profound sense of violence and loss that comes with living in such a militantly unfair civilization really comes to the fore in the chapters about women. How many writers of any kind of fiction are able to do that? Not many, and certainly not many of the kinds of fiction writers who would be inclined to thumb their noses at a fantasy epic. In terms of the immediacy of his prose, his ability to orchestrate literally hundreds of characters and seemingly tens of thousands of plot points, all while creating fully realized, fleshed out characters and giving them space to breathe and live within their world, Martin is the single best, most original writer of fantasy fiction currently active. When the dust settles and the series ends, he will probably prove to be even better than the stodgy predecessors he owes so much to. (There, I said it.)

...more

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SW I totally agree that fantasy genre fiction needs serious revision (I dare you to try and read Patrick Rothfuss. DARE YOU.) I grew up on this stuff, an ...more
Dec 12, 2012 03:55PM

Robbie Bruens people say it's better than Dickens...maybe I will have to give it a look
Jan 05, 2013 06:28PM

Ida Koric This is an amazingly thorough and astute account. I disagree on one instance though - as wickedly impressive as his world building is, it doesn't mere ...more
Mar 27, 2014 04:43PM

Apr 11, 2012 Susan K rated it it was ok

I've been contemplating my response to this series; it's complicated. On the one hand, since receiving the 1st of the series, I've read all 5 published books. On the other hand, I am continually disappointed in the books.
I have not yet seen the vision behind this series; although each POV chapter can "hook" you, I don't believe the author has a clear vision of where he wants his characters to be. There are some truly horrible characters in this series: folks I have absolutely no connection to; f ...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Heather Harris rated it liked it

I'm torn on this. I'd like to do 3.5 stars. On one hand, Martin really does have an amazing ability to tell stories. His writing is often very prose-like and reads very easily. He's excellent with details and creating characters that are very believable and easy to get attached to. His characters are very human: some good, some bad, all flawed but very well developed and with motivations. He also tends to kill off many, many characters that by traditional storytelling standards you'd never actua ...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Gareth Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: game-of-thrones

Like most I know, I discovered this series when the HBO television adaption aired on Sky in 2011 and was instantly gripped. Since then I have read all of the books back-to-back and wow... they are AMAZING!

I am NOT a typical fantasy fan... in fact the idea of goblins and wizards going off on some good vs evil quest of grand proportions does NOTHING for me. But this is no typical fantasy novel. The story spans several view-points from across the fictional lands of Westeros and beyond. It is a stor ...more

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Mar 29, 2016 Abhishek rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The five stars are for the series. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It's a rich world that you get transported to, detailed enough to lose yourself in completely as you immerse yourself in these five thousand pages of fantastic imagination.

G.R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire contains everything a reader craves in a story - Easy to read (despite a complex plot structure), rich language, vivid poetical descriptions of beautiful alien landscapes, kick-ass characters you instantly relate with, grim violen ...more

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Jun 04, 2014 Tony rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

From a distance the Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire series looked hypermarketed, blockbusterish, clichéd.

No. Real quality.

Well, the books are blockbusterish in some ways - the pseudo-medieval setting, padded out with extended descriptions of secondary people, events and situations. But the series has attracted readers far beyond fans of this genre, due to the rich characterisations, plot, and imaginative depth, garnished here and there by passages of very good writing. It is further enhan ...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Jonathan Ralph Whittaker rated it really liked it

I hopefully won't spoil anything for anyone that even bothers to read these reviews, I'm just writing for my own satisfaction and to get my own thoughts of these books out of my head really.

I admit I was drawn into these because of the tv series however despite that I've grown fonder of the books, you can't really put the tv series and books into the same category. The books are so in depth to almost, and I say ALMOST, rival Tolkein (note the R R in both Tolkein and Martin, coincidence?)
the pol ...more

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Jun 24, 2015 Lysmerry rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2013, lots-o-death, fantasy

There were so many things wrong with this series. The prose was sub-par,and there were too many characters to remember, let alone care about. The scenes in the slave cities felt tedious and unnecessary.It seemed like GRRM dangled us with no true purpose, cutting us off from an interesting storyline and then forcing us to slog through a dull one. One of my greatest gripes were the cliffhangers. I like to see my characters react to a powerful event- I want to hear what they're saying and thinking. There were so many things wrong with this series. The prose was sub-par,and there were too many characters to remember, let alone care about. The scenes in the slave cities felt tedious and unnecessary.It seemed like GRRM dangled us with no true purpose, cutting us off from an interesting storyline and then forcing us to slog through a dull one. One of my greatest gripes were the cliffhangers. I like to see my characters react to a powerful event- I want to hear what they're saying and thinking. I want to experience their terror or elation first hand- at that moment. Instead we hear about the event several chapters- or several BOOKS- later, and often in retrospect, after the characters have settled down and found themselves in an entirely new situation. It annoyed me that the evil queen stereotype appeared not once, but twice- with Melisandre as the real power behind Stannis, and Cersei, who seemed to degenerate in the novels from deliciously wicked, to incompetent and foolish as well.
But....
This is the first fantasy series that I could really love and care about (or, to be honest, actually read). After five books, the characters and setting seem real. The perspectives are unique, and precociousness aside, GRRM does a great job with children and their heartbreaking loss of innocence. The history was powerfully ingrained and informed the actions of the book and the motivations of the older characters. I was not as great a fan of life outside Westeros, with the exception of Braavos, which seemed to me at times an Orientalist mishmash of various stereotypes (the evil slavers, the bloodthirsty horse lords, countless eunuchs, the 'seven sighs'). The use of disparate religions and the characters adherence to them was incredible. I loved the bleeding Weirwood trees, Melisandre and her Red God, and the songs dedicated to the Seven. I appreciate the realism of the book, with the plight of the smallfolk, the greyness of the characters, and the plausible deaths and romance. In this world magic is rarely a glorious solution to problems, but an interesting plot device that often leads to more problems. I also enjoy the magic systems that may or may not be real, such as prophetic dreams or the promises of the Red God. Most of all I loved that I had no idea what would happen next. Rarely do I come across a book so wildly unpredictable. I don't know what the outcome will be, but I can't wait to find out. ...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Sarah rated it it was ok

I didn't give these a poor rating because of the genre; I've always liked fantasy novels. And these are certainly engrossing - I read them straight through. But with each twist, turn, and cliffhanger, it seems more unlikely that this will wrap up in a satisfying way. In fact, it seems like he's just making it up as he goes along. And that's hard to stomach after putting in this much time.

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Mar 12, 2012 Sarah rated it liked it

Shelves: adult-fiction

So...I'm a little late to the Game of Thrones party. We don't have a TV so I was unaware that this was a hit TV series based on a 7-book series. Now that I've read it, I can see why.

It took a while to get accustomed to the POV switching with each chapter, but after a while this blended in and stopped being jarring.

What I like the most about this series is the characters. I love the spit-fire Arya and her dutiful yet somehow willful mother Caitlyn. Jon Snow has so many layers I could read about h So...I'm a little late to the Game of Thrones party. We don't have a TV so I was unaware that this was a hit TV series based on a 7-book series. Now that I've read it, I can see why.

It took a while to get accustomed to the POV switching with each chapter, but after a while this blended in and stopped being jarring.

What I like the most about this series is the characters. I love the spit-fire Arya and her dutiful yet somehow willful mother Caitlyn. Jon Snow has so many layers I could read about him for days. Each character has so much depth to them and despite only hearing from some of them only a few times each book, I was able to see growth in them all. That being said, Martin keeps killing off my favorite characters leaving me with ones I'd rather not hear from.

When I picked this set up, I thought the series was four books, so I was really surprised to learn that there are seven books total. To be honest, I'm not sure I'm up for more books. I'm about 1/4 way through book 4, and I'm starting to lose interest. The story lines are slowing down and I'm reading too much about characters moving from this place to that place.

I'm all about plot twists and the unexpected. The red wedding was genius. But some of this is getting a little too out there. Every time a character gets to a situation that might be a good thing for them, something else horrible happens. Now, I understand that conflict drives a story, but as a reader I need to see the occasional good thing happen for a character I like otherwise it's just depressing.

My biggest complaint is that this is not a series of 7 books, but rather one long book broken up into 7 parts. None of the books could stand on their own. None of them have any sense of resolution. Since I'm reading on my Kindle I don't have a good idea of when I'm reaching the end. So the end of each book takes me by surprise. The end of a book should be a surprise in what happens not that the end happened.

Despite what are some major flaws in my book, the story is still enjoyable. I'm just not sure that it's enough for me to finish the story. ...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Anna rated it liked it

I loved reading this series and really got into the books after watching the first season on TV... cut to 8 months later and finally finished. The series was great, and the 2nd half of each book full of twists and turns, happiness and anger. I had moments of wanting to throw book three across the room when something very unfortunate happened... but I restrained myself.

My main reason for giving this series a good solid 3 stars is because of the heavy description and character development I had to ...more

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Feb 09, 2015 Adam rated it really liked it

5 ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS on GoT, now that I have finished A Dance with Dragons.

10.) I finally forded the Trident, crossed the Dothraki Sea, braved the Brazen Beasts, sang "The Rains of Castamere," and made it safely home to write this review beside the hearth fire, although chances are that in my coffee is an exotic poison.

9.) Reading a series like this or LoTR makes me think that we must be created in the image of a creative God. If one human can create a world so rich and diverse with nothing bu 5 ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS on GoT, now that I have finished A Dance with Dragons.

10.) I finally forded the Trident, crossed the Dothraki Sea, braved the Brazen Beasts, sang "The Rains of Castamere," and made it safely home to write this review beside the hearth fire, although chances are that in my coffee is an exotic poison.

9.) Reading a series like this or LoTR makes me think that we must be created in the image of a creative God. If one human can create a world so rich and diverse with nothing but his mind, what could an omnipotent being unbounded by time-space do?

8.) The loveliest character still lives.

7.) The most abhorrent characters lives, too.

6.) Hodor.

Thoughts on a Five Book Series. Game of Thrones: books, not HBO series.

1.) Sometimes the series tastes like medicine, sometimes poison, and sometimes sand, but I have a hard time swallowing the medicine, spitting out the poison, or getting the gritty taste out of my mouth. You build up a tolerance though--and speed read. I fly through SANSA but slow down for JOHN or especially ARYA.

2.) I haven't finished A Dance with Dragons, and I'm not sure which characters will be left standing when the book closes. Martin already killed off (several names withheld). He is a fearless writer.

3.) Martin mapped so many characters so fluidly and deeply. I would never play chess against this man. He invents deeply flawed saints, sage madmen, endearing patricides. So few characters seem deeply pure, and while this is disturbing at times, it makes perfect sense why they are who they are. No great redemptive force binds together the fabric of this world--glimmers of hope, but there is no ring to drop into a mountain of fire, no eagles to save us, no Gandalf to rise from the pits.

4.) Connected to #3--"The American Tolkien"? It doesn't feel right to me. Tolkien's characters fight World War II--they fight so as not to be conquered. Martin recreates a Vietnam War, with characters simply looking to stay alive in a jungle of motivations, multiple meanings, and unforeseen skirmishes, ending in what? I'll find out soon.

5.) Recommend? Yes, but you won't find yourself reading this aloud to your children or significant other. It's not the book that makes you say, "Ah, I'm glad I went there tonight!" It's the book that leaves you saying, "I can't believe I went there again. Maybe I'll never return. Okay, maybe one more chapter. As long as it's not REEK. I can't handle him right now."
-A ...more

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Sep 28, 2013 Charity rated it liked it

I’m not sure what to say in this review, but here goes.

This series is excellent if you like:

- Extremely slow moving plots
- So many characters you can’t tell most of them apart
- Watching people you like die
- Waiting for the people you hate to die
- Seemingly endless and, for the most part, pointless sex scenes, references to genitalia, incest, and so forth

Like a lot of people, I got sucked into these books after the HBO started up. I figured, “Hey, why not find out what happens so I won’t be caugh I’m not sure what to say in this review, but here goes.

This series is excellent if you like:

- Extremely slow moving plots
- So many characters you can’t tell most of them apart
- Watching people you like die
- Waiting for the people you hate to die
- Seemingly endless and, for the most part, pointless sex scenes, references to genitalia, incest, and so forth

Like a lot of people, I got sucked into these books after the HBO started up. I figured, “Hey, why not find out what happens so I won’t be caught off guard next time when a character I like gets his head whacked off?” So, I started reading. And I found out I like a lot of the characters way more in the books than on the show. I also found out that my assumption that hey, the books must be cleaner than HBO was wrong—HBO actually kept clothes on people during some scenes, which I very much appreciate. I hope they keep it up.

Many people love this series, and I can see why – starting off, it has beautiful writing and is very engaging, but later gets bogged down in its own unimportance. If you thought Tolkien overdid it in his slow-moving epic, he has nothing on Martin, who can devote entire chapters to absolutely no progress in the plot whatsoever. I’m a bit of a mover and shaker. I like to read stuff that gets to the point. In some ways, I think Martin should have devoted one book each to one or two characters, and then tied them together in book seven. From an editor’s perspective, it would have made more sense and kept him concerned with a more limited number of characters (such as: The Lannisters, The Starks, Danny/Her Dragons, Arya/the Hound, Sansa/Littlefinger, etc.) For one thing, you wouldn’t have to read the books revolving around characters you don’t like, and for another, you’d actually remember where lesser-seen characters ARE the next time you run across them… unlike in this format, where it can be 500 pages between installments for Arya.

It’s not all bad. Not by any means. He has a good plot… when it’s going somewhere. And a lot of these figures are unforgettable. He also does some nice “shock ‘n’ awe” moments… the best being Joffrey’s comeuppance (which I waited and rooted for endlessly… and am now bitter over the fact that HBO is making us wait for it), Tywin Lannister’s death (… really?!?), and Littlefinger’s unexpected betrayals. The final chapter in the third book is a thing of brilliance. Shame the rest of the novels didn’t hold my interest nearly as well.

I read the first two books chapter-by-chapter (but not word for word, because frankly, I don’t care what each of the castle dinner courses are like, or particularly care about large chunks of information that doesn’t much matter). By book three, I was starting to skim some chapters and skip others. When I realized book four was almost completely Jamie and Cersei, I only read about a fourth of it and then turned it back in to the library. The true tragedy of it is that the third book ends on a brilliant chapter about Sansa, Littlefinger, and snow castles, but we don't get to see much of them in the next book.

As someone who has systematically liked all the characters less and less as the series goes on (apart from Tyrion, Littlefinger, and Sansa) and has, as a result, become less and less interested in their fates, this is well nigh unforgivable. At this point, I don’t care about anything other than who wins the Iron Throne, and the fate of the Stark girls. But I have a sneaking suspicion that in twenty or so years, when the books are finished, I can just look up the information online and not have to bother slogging through the last two volumes. And that’s… not good. But the HBO series should end before then, and presumably have an actual resolution of these events, so maybe I won’t have to wait after all. ...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Marie rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone; See Comments

Recommended to Marie by: Someone on an airplane. :)

I could not put these books down. Though 600-700 (or many more) pages each they are absolutely great. I highly recommend them to anyone who likes the time of kings and knights plus enjoys a fantasy twist. Each book had a "stunner" moment and you wonder how the series can go on, yet it does & does so wonderfully. George RR Martin created a cast of characters that are compelling and he expands upon them in different books so the stories are told from, & about, multiple angles and people. T ...more

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Apr 28, 2015 Margery Blue rated it it was amazing

This is my number 1 best series/books that I have ever read!
Still I can't find the words to describe it other than..
BEST. THING. EVER!!!

-Beautiful writing
-Amazing, complex story
-Very deep memorable characters
-it has everything; Action, Drama, Romance, Magic, and a lot, lot more!

Why have you not read it yet?!
..
...
Well you should.

But do not be intimidated by its monstrous size, trust me you wont feel its length ;)

And one VERY important word of advice while reading this is; DO NOT google ANYthin ...more

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Apr 20, 2015 Rita van Eck rated it it was amazing

A great fantasy series that will take over your life. The detail and extent to which Martin has gone to create this world will enthrall you on every possible level. Be prepared to shed many tears for fictional characters and become obsessed with the world of Westeros.

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Mar 08, 2012 Sara rated it it was amazing

It took me a little less than 5 months to read this series. Probably the best 5 months of my life. I love dragons, I love lords, I love direwolves, but most of all I love Tyrion.

When HBO's Game of Thrones Season 2 starts on April 1, I plan to host a Dragon party. Interpret that how you will?

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Feb 13, 2015 Scribal rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, defiesgenre

I hesitate to write a review for several reasons--the series isn't finished; it's a really complex book deserving a complex review that I'm not ready to write; and R. Sutton said a lot of it already.
But I'll say a few things anyway.

My number one criteria for loving (rather than liking) a book is how well it conveys a sense of place- a quality for which contemporary tastes seem to have little patience. A Song of Ice and Fire, like LOTR, delivers on place. Plus fully fleshed-out characters!! Hurr ...more

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Jun 28, 2013 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: i-own-this, medieval-reads, fantasy

I wanted to save my review for the last book and review the entire series. This is a series that should be read in order because it is really one continuous story. I have fallen in love with George RR Martin through these stories, mainly because of my fascination with someone who isn't afraid to push the boundaries of storytelling. Before Martin came along few, if any, authors would dare break the convention that says good guys eventually win, even if it is their sons who win. An author would no ...more

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May 21, 2013 Lucretiarowena rated it it was amazing

One of the most epic, graphic and magnificent series of recent times.

I was completely pulled in by the depth and intricacy of the world George Martin has created. The way the characters are interwoven through war, politics, intrigue and lust for power, life or love is spellbinding. Once started I could not put any of the books down and I found myself constantly wanting to know more.

The realism of the characters emotions made them easily accessible, despite the medieval time period and this app ...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Laura rated it it was amazing

I read all 5 in a row. Book one is fantastic, and is very well represented in the HBO series. Book 2 is almost as good, maybe I was just a little frustrated with the peril of all the characters. By book 3, I was used to the peril, and the writing kept me enthralled. Book three is by far the best of the series (so far, still waiting for 6 and 7 to be written). Book 4 is a little difficult because you are introduced to many new characters, and become frustrated not reading about some of your favor ...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Ann Bateman rated it did not like it

I enjoyed the first book in this 5-book series, A GAME OF THRONES. While I had trouble keeping the dozens of characters straight initially (should have looked in the back of the book first!), the descriptive writing kept me going. The second book, A CLASH OF KINGS, kept my interest up enough to put the next one STORM OF SWORDS on reserve. And with this one, the wheels fell off the wagon. The plot and characters became uninteresting enough that I would pick up the book, read a few pages, become d ...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Laura McMillan rated it liked it

I have a love/hate relationship with these books. I love how engrossed I became in this other world and how attached to many of the characters I felt. I hate how everything is so dragged out. If a character meets someone on the street and has two lines of dialogue with them, you can count on the story forking off while we learn everything (everything) about this new arrival. I don't know how the man is going to wrap this series up. The war with the "white walkers" hasn't even begun yet and we a ...more

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Nov 03, 2015 Kyriakos Sorokkou rated it really liked it · review of another edition

25/08/15 - 03/11/15
2 months, 1 week, 2 days= 70 days of reading, of living in Westeros, Essos and beyond. More than 2 months of reading G.R.R. Martin's magnum opus, "A Song of Ice and Fire". Fantasy, politics, history, all of them blended together, bounded as one great story set in a fictional world with more than real politics, and deceptions, and deaths of important characters. An enjoyable read, more deep and dense in information than the series (of course) but I enjoy the series as well. My ...more

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May 31, 2015 Farzin Souri rated it it was amazing

Genius...

if he would just write the rest before he dies of a heart attack it would be even better.

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Jun 19, 2015 Maria rated it it was amazing

I seriously I feel like I'm in an elite group of people now. Those who have read all 5 books in this insanely long series! It took me almost an entire year (where I had to put aside most other books and forget that the outside world existed) but I have completed the entire Song of Ice and Fire series. Books 1-5, to give you an idea, are nearly 5,216 pages combined. Just a tiny number, really!

Still, I need to tell you how amazing these books are. If you're a fan of the show, than you've already g I seriously I feel like I'm in an elite group of people now. Those who have read all 5 books in this insanely long series! It took me almost an entire year (where I had to put aside most other books and forget that the outside world existed) but I have completed the entire Song of Ice and Fire series. Books 1-5, to give you an idea, are nearly 5,216 pages combined. Just a tiny number, really!

Still, I need to tell you how amazing these books are. If you're a fan of the show, than you've already gotten a great glimpse into the mind of George R. R. Martin. But the show is literally just a taste of the incredible imagination you'll find within these books. The world of Lannisters and Starkes is written in such great detail that you can't help but feel like you're reading an accurate history of an actual era. The food -- oh, the food -- is painstakingly described for you at nearly every meal. And although I can see people thinking that it might be overkill, it's actually my favorite part of the book. We live so much of our lives through food. And when you're reading these books, you can tell who's poor vs. rich, stuffed vs. starving, etc just by seeing what a character eats. Protagonists are constantly poisoned with their food (not the ideal way to die), and food was how you showed off your wealth -- at the Purple Wedding there were 77 courses at the reception!

Besides the food, you have a seriously amazing and talented author who is able to make you hate and love all characters equally. Because of the length of these books, you get to see in-depth pieces of each character through their thoughts and actions. So when the king you hate (because he's such an a**hole) feels scared or sad, you actually feel bad for him. It's such a weird feeling! Or when Tyrion Lannister (a dwarf born into a royal family) makes a long speech on the horrible life he's lived as a dwarf, you easily seem to forget about all the disgusting acts he himself has committed that would normally make you hate him. Each character (and there are A LOT!) is thoroughly fleshed out and so authentic. Each one has their motives and we understand them all.

Finally -- the part that has made this one of the best novels (and tv shows): the violence. Characters (whether beloved or not) tend to be poisoned, stabbed, decapitated, choked, thrown off walls/cliffs, eaten by wolves, frozen by dead things (not quite sure what those are yet), whipped, hung, and shot by arrows. There's probably a lot more that I'm forgetting in that mix! You simply cannot beat the way R.R. Martin has made no character safe and each death as violent as the last. It's exhilarating! I never find myself angry that he's killed someone off -- just jaw-dropped and maybe a little sad. But then you realize, that it's all part of the world he created. If our favorite characters never died, it would no longer be true to the story and the moment would seem false -- causing us to jump right out of that behemoth of a book. I, for one, cannot wait to get my hands on the next in the series. I'm so excited to see who lives, who dies, who gets betrayed, who does the betraying, and ultimately, who wins this incredible Game of Thrones!

5 out of 5 stars! (Well worth your time and effort, I promise!) ...more

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For Love of a Book: A Song Of Ice & Fire Series	37	28	Sep 02, 2016 07:52AM
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About George R.R. Martin

George R. R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, George R. R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: "The Hero," sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.

In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.

As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.

In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.

Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.

Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.

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Other Books in the Series

A Song of Ice and Fire (7 books)

Books by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)

A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)

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“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness.” — 3252 likes

“May I leave you with a bit of a riddle, Lord Tyrion?” He did not wait for an answer. “In a room sit three great men, a king, a priest, and a rich man with his gold. Between them stands a sellsword, a little man of common birth and no great mind. Each of the great ones bids him slay the other two. ‘Do it,’ says the king, ‘for I am your lawful ruler.’ ‘Do it,’ says the priest, ‘for I command you in the names of the gods.’ ‘Do it,’ says the rich man, ‘and all this gold shall be yours.’ So tell me—who lives and who dies?” — 2 likes

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