Such a great story! Hard to find a sterotype character--good or bad. Several threads in the story that will keep you guessing throughout the series. You never know what is going to happen, who is going to get killed off, who is going to win or lose. My biggest complaint is that the series is not finished yet and it takes Martin FOREVER to write the next book--by which time you've forgotten some of the characters and where all the storyline threads were headed and need to re-read. It's hard to keep track of all the characters (and there are a LOT) and sometimes feels like you are reading three or four different books at once until some of the stories start colliding or diverging again. A keeper if he ever gets this finished! This is NOT a series for the squeamish...plenty of sex and violence. It is very well written and will suck you in!

This book feels very similar to ShadowMarch by Tad Williams, although The Game of Thrones characters are more fleshed out in my opinion.

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I just finished Game of Thrones, the first volume in the Song of Fire and Ice saga and am amazed. Any epic saga of this sort risks critical comparisons to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy but this one compares favorably. I've always felt that on some levels LOTR was a lament for the War in Europe and the ending of an old way of life in the aftermath. Conversely, this novel seems to set up a post-Watergate post-Viet Nam fantasy that is very different and very forward looking, although it cannot help but share some similar themes.

Epic is too small a world for the world and the conflicts established. None of the dozen or so major characters is simple. The world that has been created is an imperfect world and the characters we meet are dealing with their own demons as well as the main plot conflicts.

There are few entirely good or bad characters and I found myself identifying with many of the characters as we met them. I enjoyed the time I spent in this world and I look forward to seeing some of the characters I hate get what they deserve in later books, but am not entirely certain that they will. Although this is a work of fantasy, it doesn't seem to follow the same rules, and we are savagely reminded toward the end that no one is guaranteed a happy ending.

HBO did a great job of bringing this to the small screen with its 10 part series and it was so faithfully done that I've been swapping back and forth between reading this book and rewatching the HBO episode. While the book is a bit more complex and the characters are fleshed out a bit more, I didn't feel a sense of missing anything in either format. The HBO series does play up some of the pageantry a bit and the sexiness factor has been increased as well. I'm assuming that that is in compensation for the nerd factor associated with a fantasy series. Also the homosexual aspects of some of the characters has been adjusted as well. I've seen others complain of this and would just like to cast my approving vote in this regard.

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I found that reading this book was a lot like watching a television show and then I realized why once I read the author's history. It's a really interesting story, but I think that this author really loves do things to shock the reader and leave cliff-hangers that will just make you wonder what will happen next. He's not the type you want to pick up and read and bond with a character because you never know what he intends to do with them. ;P

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Amazing. Can't wait to read the rest. The show follows the book quite well. I am pleased with the adaptation.

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This was an awesome book! I can't wait to read the next one. I am hanging....

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LOVED this book. I watch the series on TV, and decided to read the books. I missed a few of the episodes in the first season, so reading the book has been helpful in filling in some of the blanks. It is a very LOOONNGGG book, but I honestly looked forward to cracking it open each night before bed. I really like Dany's character and The Imp, of course! Highly recommend it. I am not really into sci-fi or fantasy type books or shows, never could get into the LOTR for example, but really like this storyline in spite of myself!

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not my usual kind of reading material, but I've been watching the tv show and can't wait for next season so I thought I'd cheat and read the books!!

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Loved the characters and story lines!

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I didn't think I would like this book, it's been hyped so much. Not a book for a quick read. It is well-written, with a good story. Pretty intense on the political arena with lots of characters to keep track of. It's good to have the characters fleshed out, as opposed to just watching the acting, if you're just watching the series on TV.

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I remember hearing about this great new series of books that HBO was making into a series in 2011. I started watching the show and started thinking; I remember that wall of ice, I remember this Jon Snow character and many other things.
Well turned out the series wasn't new and I had read the first book in the late 90's.
Saying this it is now 2021 and Martin has still not written the final books of the series.
I have since reread the books and I loved the HBO series at least until those last seasons when the series did not have the books to follow any longer.

I wish Martin would do what Robert Jordan's family did and let someone else finish the series for him. I would love to know what his original ending for the series was.
For great character development and characters you will always remember few surpass this series. I must for lovers so dark fantasy. But this series is responsible for my newest rule of reading "Do not start a series until the author has finished it."

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Great read; helpful character lists; good appendix. I appreciate Martin's super character development. The TV casting is mostly perfect except Ser Jora who Martin described as swarthy and hairy. Fun to read this book series to amplify the TV season episodes.

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Well I'm not actually done yet (it's a freakin huge book!) but thank you for asking how it is, PaperBackSwap. It's actually qhite good. A lot is exactly like the show, obviously, but I'm learning a lot of the little back-stories that either weren't mentioned on the show or that I didn't pick up on somehow. It's making this gigantic world that Martin created a little but easier to understand! 😄

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I loved it!!! Never wanted to put it down! Strongly suggest everyone to read it!

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Great read. I watched the hbo series first, the book popped in my mind, characters more alive.

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