An epic fantasy about rivaling kingdoms and the greed for power that runs through the ruling and exiled families.
8/10 (only because not everyone would enjoy the whole series)
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1)
One Sentence Summary:
The Stark family tries to hold onto power and secure positions for their allies
Review:
This is the first book in an epic series, in it you are introduced to a world where summer can last a life time and very few people are left alive who remember the last winter. Snow is a thing of legend. In the land of Westeros families are battling for power. You will meet characters you come to love and characters you come to hate (my favourite is Daenerys... I want to be her BFF). Martin describes the world in such detail that at times I got lost in it. The strongest element of his writing is the characters, the plot is a bit muddled in the first book because of how many characters are introduced, it gets a bit confusing at times (use the maps and family trees in the front of the books to keep on track).
10/10
"A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge."
"There is only one god and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: “Not today."
"Fear cuts deeper than swords."
"Wind and words. We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy."
A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2)
One Sentence Summary:
The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are still fighting for power.
Review:
I didn't think the second book was as strong as the first. It introduced more politics between the kingdoms. I find the subplots hard to keep track of so that may be the reason why I don't like it as much as the first which focused more on character. Also there are no happy endings (or beginnings) in this volume, nothing really "good" happens. The plot set up in the first novel is expanded up on in the second, the civil war bringing to a conclusion various points that were left open after the first volume in this epic. That being said the plot does continue to develop toward a climax it just pairs down to fewer threads. Well worth reading if you liked the first one at all.
8/10
"There's no shame in fear, my father told me, what matters is how we face it."
"People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up." "The brightest flame casts the darkest shadow."
A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3)
One Sentence Summary:
The civil war is still going on and chaos is wracking the remaining kingdoms of Westeros
Review:
I got so angry reading this volume I quit reading more times than I care to admit. But I always went back to it because I wanted to know what happened next. Martin did such a great job of making me care about the characters that even though I hated half of them I kept reading to see what happened to the other half. Martins writing style is stronger and the Kingdoms continue to hurtle towards an epic conclusion.
8/10
"All these kings would do a deal better if they would put down their swords and listen to their mothers."
"My sister has mistaken me for a mushroom. She keeps me in the dark and feeds me shit."
A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4)
One Sentence Summary:
The competition for power continues.
Review:
My least favourite Martin had too much material so made two books out of the one manuscript, for this one he chose to use the point of view of all of the people I hate. So while it is well written it kept making me irrationally angry. I want Cersei to die in a fire.
7/10
"The man is as useless as nipples on a breastplate."
"I prefer my history dead. Dead history is writ in ink, the living sort in blood."
"We all dream of things we cannot have."
A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire #5)
One Sentence Summary:
Everyone is still vying for power and trying to come to terms with their losses and gains
Review:
This is my favourite book in the series so far, because it has Daenerys as a point of view character and I missed her after finishing A Feast of Crows. Well written, though Martin is beginning to get a bit repetitive, but this many pages in it is to be expected. The plot keeps moving but the descriptive terms are beginning to be recycled.
9/10
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one."
"Keep walking. If i look back I am lost."
"she would die as she had lived, with an axe in her hand and a laugh upon her lips."
If you enjoyed this you should read:
The Kingkiller Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss
The Wayfarer Redemption - Sarah Douglass
Kushiel Legacy Series - Jacqueline Carey
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