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| Tags: | george martin game thrones 4-book bundle song ice fire series clash kings storm swords feast crows |
Editorial Reviews
George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series has become, in many ways, the gold standard for modern epic fantasy. Martin—dubbed the "American Tolkien" by Time magazine—has created a world that is as rich and vital as any piece of historical fiction, set in an age of knights and chivalry and filled with a plethora of fascinating, multidimensional characters that you love, hate to love, or love to hate as they struggle for control of a divided kingdom. It is this very vitality that has led it to be adapted as the HBO miniseries “Game of Thrones.”
This bundle includes the following novels:
A GAME OF THRONES
A CLASH OF KINGS
A STORM OF SWORDS
A FEAST FOR CROWS
This bundle includes the following novels:
A GAME OF THRONES
A CLASH OF KINGS
A STORM OF SWORDS
A FEAST FOR CROWS
Related Reviews
Paperback edition couldn't be better!
I think the formatting is fine!
I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about the formatting of this bundle -- my copy has a TOC at the front with links to each book and has a separate TOC for the chapters of each book -- so it seems like everyone else's probably has this too. When you open the bundle for the first time on your Kindle, it doesn't take you to the actual beginning of the book (I've found this to be true of basically all Kindle books -- what it considers "the beginning" skips the cover, table of contents, forwards, etc.). If you use "Go to" on the menu and then choose "Cover" (again, something I do at the start of every Kindle book), you will be brought to a picture of the box set. Three page turns brings you to the Contents page, which has links to the cover pages of all 4 books, as well as the bundle cover, title page, and the bonus material at the end (including the excerpt from A Dance with Dragons). If you don't choose a link from this page and instead turn 4 or 5 more pages or so (through the title and copyright pages), you'll come to the TOC for the first book. I would think that it probably doesn't give TOC as a choice on the Go To menu because there is more than one table of contents to choose from!
In addition, as you can see on the bottom progress bar, the start of each book is marked with a dot on the bar. So you can judge your progress through a particular book by seeing how far away you are from the next dot. Also, from the cover pages in the beginning, if you hit the right arrow on the directional pad, you will be taken right to the cover page of the next book. Hitting the left arrow takes you back to the start of the previous book. This will work from any cover page. If you are in the text of the book itself, hitting the left or right arrow takes you to the start of the next or previous chapter. If you have a Kindle 2, you would push the 5-way controller left or right.
I haven't begun reading this bundle yet (though I have read all the books previously -- twice), so I can't comment on the text of the actual bundle -- though of course the books themselves are fantastic! I have browsed through it, though, so I can tell you that the maps are all there as well as picture covers for each book as well as a picture of the box set. The beginning pages of each chapter all have an illustrated border at the top, and the text itself looks great (no problems with text formatting that I can tell).
I also can't complain about the price, since I preordered this for $17.99, which was a great deal for all 4 books. I would agree that the price is kind of high now, but it's really pretty much the same as the 4 books separately in Kindle editions. As it says at the top of the product page, the price was set by the publisher -- not Amazon.
So, in summary, I really don't see the problems that the other reviewers are pointing out. If you are wanting all 4 books for your Kindle, either because you haven't read them before or because you want your next re-read to be in Kindle format, this is a great way to get them!
Edit 3/31/11:
Amazon has updated this book set, and there is now a link in the Go To menu for table of contents, which brings you to the page at the front with clickable links to each book. This page was already there, but now you can get to it from the Go To menu instead of having to go to Cover and page forward.
In addition, as you can see on the bottom progress bar, the start of each book is marked with a dot on the bar. So you can judge your progress through a particular book by seeing how far away you are from the next dot. Also, from the cover pages in the beginning, if you hit the right arrow on the directional pad, you will be taken right to the cover page of the next book. Hitting the left arrow takes you back to the start of the previous book. This will work from any cover page. If you are in the text of the book itself, hitting the left or right arrow takes you to the start of the next or previous chapter. If you have a Kindle 2, you would push the 5-way controller left or right.
I haven't begun reading this bundle yet (though I have read all the books previously -- twice), so I can't comment on the text of the actual bundle -- though of course the books themselves are fantastic! I have browsed through it, though, so I can tell you that the maps are all there as well as picture covers for each book as well as a picture of the box set. The beginning pages of each chapter all have an illustrated border at the top, and the text itself looks great (no problems with text formatting that I can tell).
I also can't complain about the price, since I preordered this for $17.99, which was a great deal for all 4 books. I would agree that the price is kind of high now, but it's really pretty much the same as the 4 books separately in Kindle editions. As it says at the top of the product page, the price was set by the publisher -- not Amazon.
So, in summary, I really don't see the problems that the other reviewers are pointing out. If you are wanting all 4 books for your Kindle, either because you haven't read them before or because you want your next re-read to be in Kindle format, this is a great way to get them!
Edit 3/31/11:
Amazon has updated this book set, and there is now a link in the Go To menu for table of contents, which brings you to the page at the front with clickable links to each book. This page was already there, but now you can get to it from the Go To menu instead of having to go to Cover and page forward.
I received this book set the day it came out. Love this series! I would recommend looking at book #3 "A Storm of Swords" because I am having to replace mine as a result of publisher error. It is missing pages 561-592 and it has a double inclusion of pages 593-624. Make sure that your book set doesn't have the same publisher error! Otherwise, I am very happy with this purchase.
Why do people give the book bad ratings?!
These books are excellent. I bought the box set from Amazon at a great price, but when I got the books, they were really small, so I borrowed my brothers nook with the books on it to read them. For anyone that doesn't like to read small print, or that has adult sized hands, I would suggest finding these in another format. Maybe borrow an ebook from someone on your nook or kindle...
The books are great though! Please ignore the people complaining about the price giving the books bad reviews, they don't realize that they are rating the product and not the seller, when will Amazon start banning these crap reviews rating the sellers?
I'm not a big fan of fantasy books, but I saw the series for these on HBO and it was really good, so I wanted to read the books which are always better than the TV as they have more details. There is a lot of sexual content in these, so they are not for kids, but for the adult reader I would highly recommend them since the story is a great story and it keeps you hooked.
The books are great though! Please ignore the people complaining about the price giving the books bad reviews, they don't realize that they are rating the product and not the seller, when will Amazon start banning these crap reviews rating the sellers?
I'm not a big fan of fantasy books, but I saw the series for these on HBO and it was really good, so I wanted to read the books which are always better than the TV as they have more details. There is a lot of sexual content in these, so they are not for kids, but for the adult reader I would highly recommend them since the story is a great story and it keeps you hooked.
G.R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones
If you like this genre as I do, you will thoroughly enjoy it. G.R.R. Martin wrote each character, scene, place, setting with great detail and displayed his mastery with the language of that time. The story is full of intrigue and conflict. The heros fight against evil from several fronts, against evil doers in the south and north, then also there is the great terrible winter. The tale moves fast and is easy to read. And as far as its worthiness to read with the HBO series under way, I think it's better in the sense of how a book is nearly always better than the movie, which is saying a lot, since the HBO production is so well done. To those who find it hard to keep up with all the charactors names and roles, as well as the many different places they travel throughout the book, I will recomend the HBO Game of Thrones website that makes it easy to keep it all together in your mind.
please read.... the reviews below are not for this set
these books are really great!!
I am reading an ebook version (KOBO from canada)
but I am buying this paperback set for my daughter so she can read them too. The series is very good. One of the best fantasy series I have ever read.
I am looking forward to the HBO series which starts April 2011...can't wait!
Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings fame) plays Eddard Stark, the main character.
excellent!!!
(please dont mix the bad reviews, they seem to be for a badly done ebook version)
thank you
I am reading an ebook version (KOBO from canada)
but I am buying this paperback set for my daughter so she can read them too. The series is very good. One of the best fantasy series I have ever read.
I am looking forward to the HBO series which starts April 2011...can't wait!
Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings fame) plays Eddard Stark, the main character.
excellent!!!
(please dont mix the bad reviews, they seem to be for a badly done ebook version)
thank you
Glad I bought this for Kindle before HBO decided to do the series!
This is a great story if you are into the idea of political Intrigue of the medieval times. The back and forth between warring families and the way they send off they're own children like party favors to cement a new political alliance is extremely interesting as well as well written. There are so many main characters you first feel overwhelmed but the books are written well enough that you never seem to have any trouble keeping up with them. My only grievance with this set is the fact that I bought the books singly for the Kindle and now the four book set is more expensive by about 10 dollars since the books are being translated into an HBO series. I think this would be a wonderful set to incorporate into a series but I'd be damned if I'd buy this set for Kindle when the paperbacks can very readily be found for a fraction of the electronic price!
I love this series and I always wanted all the books. Yay! Dream come true!
If you have never read the books, the show on HBO is sticking fairly close to the main events right now. But if you don't watch the show, the best part of all of the books, is the rich description of a land steeped in history and culture. Someone described to me as a fantasy series for people who like Merlin and King Arthur a little more than orcs or fairies.
If you have never read the books, the show on HBO is sticking fairly close to the main events right now. But if you don't watch the show, the best part of all of the books, is the rich description of a land steeped in history and culture. Someone described to me as a fantasy series for people who like Merlin and King Arthur a little more than orcs or fairies.
The first four books of George R. R. Martin's best novel for 20 bucks. The quality of the printing and paper is fair for what you pay, I thought is was going to be worse for the given price. The covers are nice too.
In my opinion it's a pretty good deal.
In my opinion it's a pretty good deal.
Love these books! I'm winding up the second in the series now, and can't wait to see how everything resolves--or doesn't! The HBO series was my introduction to the saga; couldn't wait to get my hands on the books when I learned of their existence. If you're one of those readers who never wants the story to end, buy these. Great price,too!
I SO wish I'd found this set before I bought all the books separately! Great story, great writer, excellent deal.
I read the Game of Thrones in eighth grade (in college now) and this is still one of my favorite series. The first three were all entertaining from cover to cover, and yet were still all very multi-faceted. Political intrigue, action, suspense, likable, believable characters, these books have it all. I was a little less pleased with the last one just because some of the new perspectives I was less into, but if you like Terry Goodkind, Scott Lynch, or Patrick Rothfuss, these books may also appeal to you.
If you are looking for mass market paperback versions of these books, this set is a great deal at Amazon's price. For your money you get something like 3,700 pages of some of the best writing and characters modern fantasy has to offer.
I really like the new colors and cover art for the reissued editions (though I wish they all didn't carry the banner promoting the HBO series). I also prefer the smaller MMPB format for books this long.
I'm hoping that A Dance With Dragons will eventually be released in this format with matching cover art (I have noticed some publishers seem to be moving away from releasing MMPB editions at all, preferring larger, heavier -- and more expensive -- trade paperbacks).
I really like the new colors and cover art for the reissued editions (though I wish they all didn't carry the banner promoting the HBO series). I also prefer the smaller MMPB format for books this long.
I'm hoping that A Dance With Dragons will eventually be released in this format with matching cover art (I have noticed some publishers seem to be moving away from releasing MMPB editions at all, preferring larger, heavier -- and more expensive -- trade paperbacks).
Great books for a great price!
If you came here because you either saw the show or plan on watching, buy these instead. George R.R. Martin does a wonderful job of introducing you to a plethora of interesting characters. Each chapter is written from a different characters point-of-view. The characters and the land within the series is both detailed and damaged. Every character seems to have one issue or another going on; leading to some very personable story telling. I highly recommend the first book; as well as the first half of the second, beyond that I have yet to read. All I can really say is, best $20 I ever spent.
That was all about the books, here's what I have to say about Amazon. I started using Amazon to buy DVDs a few years ago, I then moved up to the video-on-demand feature. Now I buy anything I can from here, college texts, books, video cards, etc. Everything got to me in pristine condition and on record time.
That was all about the books, here's what I have to say about Amazon. I started using Amazon to buy DVDs a few years ago, I then moved up to the video-on-demand feature. Now I buy anything I can from here, college texts, books, video cards, etc. Everything got to me in pristine condition and on record time.
This series is one of the best ever. Yes George has been a bit tardy with this series, but id rather read the books and risk never getting to the end, than to pass up such a wonderful literary mind.
I read the 3 and 4th book on the Kindle. And I just wanted to say that on the new kindle there is no problems with formating. Maybe they re-formated it since it came out. But it was an incredible read and I have recommended it to a number of people who all read it and loved it.
I'm just reviewing the book quality and not the stories. I was a little nervous to order this set due to a bad review saying the pages were like newspaper. The books are normal mass produced paperback quality and are fine. I'm almost all the way through the first book and it's held up great and no pages have ripped. All my books have all the right pages in them too. I'm very pleased with this set especially for the price I paid. It would have been much more expensive to buy these seperately.
Defective; Missing 50 pages!!!!!
Be warned. My copy of book one "Game of Thrones" is missing several chapters (50 pgs) near the middle of the book. Unacceptable and may be a large scale problem off their presses.
I just started reading the first book of this series - "A Game of Thrones" and i'm surprised how well written and adult themed it is. It's been a great read thus far (i'm only on page 100).
The package appears just as the image would have you believe, 4 paperback books. Mass paperback edition quality, no worse and no better then a mass paperback you would buy in the store.
I think all the bad reviews are regarding the kindle edition and not the 4 book paperback bundle nor the quality of the writing/story itself.
If you're interested in starting the "A song of Ice and Fire" saga, pick this up, you won't be disappointed.
The package appears just as the image would have you believe, 4 paperback books. Mass paperback edition quality, no worse and no better then a mass paperback you would buy in the store.
I think all the bad reviews are regarding the kindle edition and not the 4 book paperback bundle nor the quality of the writing/story itself.
If you're interested in starting the "A song of Ice and Fire" saga, pick this up, you won't be disappointed.
Amazing series, mega cheap boxed set
All 4 books for this price is amazing. If you even remotely like the genre, its well worth the price... its a lot of excellent reading.
Okay so this set was bought for my mother and I have to say it is stunning! Beautiful and excellent quality for paperbacks! Besides you cannot beat that price, though I'm sure it will go up as I'm seeing more and more people reading these books everyday!! I read them all years ago and the paperbacks I had borrowed fell apart right away, these are meant to be read again and again!
Excellent Series, Excellent Product
None of the books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series are the best thing I've ever read. With that being said, the series itself is probably one of the most engrossing page-turners I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I was an avid fan of fantasy books over a decade ago, and I can't believe I missed this series. I'm not going to lie, I had only heard of George R. R. Martin in passing until I saw the commercials for A Game of Thrones and decided to check out the series.
The books themselves came on time and were in good shape. For 20 dollars it was well worth it. Not regretting this purchase at all, and I've already pre-ordered the upcoming book.
The books themselves came on time and were in good shape. For 20 dollars it was well worth it. Not regretting this purchase at all, and I've already pre-ordered the upcoming book.
I couldn't believe the price for this set, $20 dollars for the 4 books!! When I bought this, it also had the price for the kindle which was $36. Not sure why the books were cheaper, but I'm glad they were. As for the actual books themselves, they are great. Read other reviews about this book if you are not sure if you want to buy this book. All I say is "awesomeness."Buy them...
This was such a great deal, I had to buy it. Four books for 20 bucks! Can't go wrong!!
Currently on book two, a clash of kings. Enjoying it so far =)
Currently on book two, a clash of kings. Enjoying it so far =)
I must say that I was a little worried when I saw the 3 and a half stars on this book set, but than I saw that everyone was complaining about the Kindle edition and not the books themselves.
I bought the paperback set and couldn't be happier!
As for the content I must admit that I haven't read much yet (it took about a month and half for the books to get here), however I like very much what I've read so far.
Cheers,
Felipe
I bought the paperback set and couldn't be happier!
As for the content I must admit that I haven't read much yet (it took about a month and half for the books to get here), however I like very much what I've read so far.
Cheers,
Felipe
Great price.Great books.What more is there to say? This will make a great and cheap gift for any fantasy loving bookworm!
Just writing a short review so I can rate the product with 5 stars.
Being a newcomer for these series, and a die hard for printed books, I couldn't be any happier with this release.
The quality of paper isn't garbage at all, it's thin white paper, which is understandable due to the length of the books. No missing pages, and the box and new covers are just beautiful.
A great option for those who want to read the books and can't easily find them, specially in countries where the series aren't very popular.
Being a newcomer for these series, and a die hard for printed books, I couldn't be any happier with this release.
The quality of paper isn't garbage at all, it's thin white paper, which is understandable due to the length of the books. No missing pages, and the box and new covers are just beautiful.
A great option for those who want to read the books and can't easily find them, specially in countries where the series aren't very popular.
To the people who have been giving the Kindle edition of this bundle 1-star reviews because the Kindle edition was more expensive than the paperback edition:
PRICES CHANGE! As I write this, the Kindle edition is a few cents cheaper than the paperback collection, not twice as much, as it was when you wrote your 1-star reviews.
Also, when you give it a 1-star review, THAT APPLIES TO THE PRINT EDITION, TOO! So you think you're bringing down the rating for only the Kindle edition, but you're also bringing down the rating for the paperback edition of the bundle.
Lesson? Don't rate based on price. Complain about the price in your review, fine, but the star rating should be for the book itself, not a fluctuating thing like price.
PRICES CHANGE! As I write this, the Kindle edition is a few cents cheaper than the paperback collection, not twice as much, as it was when you wrote your 1-star reviews.
Also, when you give it a 1-star review, THAT APPLIES TO THE PRINT EDITION, TOO! So you think you're bringing down the rating for only the Kindle edition, but you're also bringing down the rating for the paperback edition of the bundle.
Lesson? Don't rate based on price. Complain about the price in your review, fine, but the star rating should be for the book itself, not a fluctuating thing like price.
This is the best fantasy series out there and its a must read, especially for those who are now hooked on the HBO show Game of Thrones.
But Amazon, can you please remove the user reviews? Im sick and tired of Kindle users giving low stars due to price. This really needs to be sorted out - perhaps a seperate ratings system for price or for kindle versions etc.
But Amazon, can you please remove the user reviews? Im sick and tired of Kindle users giving low stars due to price. This really needs to be sorted out - perhaps a seperate ratings system for price or for kindle versions etc.
The main problem with this series of books has been puting them down to go to work, feed the family and do house work!!
They are well writen and get you involved with the characters - it has been a while since I have been so involved with a
series of books. I would recomend them to anyone who is a fan of this genre.
They are well writen and get you involved with the characters - it has been a while since I have been so involved with a
series of books. I would recomend them to anyone who is a fan of this genre.
I was very happy to receive the first 4 books in the series. I have just finished the first book and I'm looking forward to reading the 2nd. book. HBO has done well in keeping up with the book series, too. I always seem to be chapter ahead of the series. Keep the books coming!!
Someone at Barnes and Noble suggested this series to me and i found it on amazon for 4 books in a set at the same price that one would have cost me at B&N. I fell in love from the first page and find myself staying up way too late at night just so I can find out what happpens next! Buy this series! You will love it. The box set is convenient and compact and it arrived in perfect condition!
A great item for a great price! I originally was going to purchase this item for the kindle, but after looking at previous reviews, I decided to go with the paperback. Item came quickly and in excellent condition.The story is absolutely gripping and I'd recommend it to anyone. Fantastic!
LOVE the series...on book 3 at moment. Pages are a bit thin but each book is well over 900 pages so makes sense.
The product came just as described! Great price too compared to the electronic copy... you would think the paperbacks would be more expensive than the electronic copies but its way cheaper! Great read too!
Good Book, Poor Quality Materials
Awesome, cheap book collection. The only hindrance to this product is the fact that the pages are made out of the same paper that they use for newspaper! I felt like I was going to rip the pages every time I turned a page. Worth the buy since it's so cheap, but if you wanted a set that would be more rugged skip this version.
The book series is AMAZING.
The 3 stars is for the physical books themselves. These books are a lot smaller than I expected them to be, almost impossible to read at the gym. Dimensions: 4" x 7"
The 3 stars is for the physical books themselves. These books are a lot smaller than I expected them to be, almost impossible to read at the gym. Dimensions: 4" x 7"
Incredible, cant wait for Book 5 in July Dance of Dragons
Martin is incredible writer,
these books even at 30 dollars more alone would be worth it for set of 4, their incredible and tons of pages per book in all chapters, Book 5 Dance of Dragons comes out and cant wait in July 2011, he orginally was doing 4 books then 5 then said 7.
Hes 62 I just Pray his health lasts and he doesnt have writers block gets book 6 done in few years and then book 7 final book after that.
Im also hopeing HBO WHO renewed Season 2 already, does all 7 of his books at the quality of season 1, some the books Martin has already said are so long that may take HBO 2 seasons to do each book or they have to do longer season like maybe 15 to 21 shows per season to do books right or split some the books up at 2 seasons each book for some them due to their length.
Also at 19.99 and change if have prime this box set paperback is steal mean steal, untill hardbook new book comes in July book 5 dance of the dragons.
these books even at 30 dollars more alone would be worth it for set of 4, their incredible and tons of pages per book in all chapters, Book 5 Dance of Dragons comes out and cant wait in July 2011, he orginally was doing 4 books then 5 then said 7.
Hes 62 I just Pray his health lasts and he doesnt have writers block gets book 6 done in few years and then book 7 final book after that.
Im also hopeing HBO WHO renewed Season 2 already, does all 7 of his books at the quality of season 1, some the books Martin has already said are so long that may take HBO 2 seasons to do each book or they have to do longer season like maybe 15 to 21 shows per season to do books right or split some the books up at 2 seasons each book for some them due to their length.
Also at 19.99 and change if have prime this box set paperback is steal mean steal, untill hardbook new book comes in July book 5 dance of the dragons.
A Game of Thrones: A song of Ice and Fire
This is the first of George R.R. Martin's books I have read and I'm impressed. I have an eclectic taste in reading material, not only fantasy sagas. Depends on my mood, I enjoyed this book immensely and will read other novels Martin has written. I enjoyed the way he portrays different characters personalities and the unpredictability of his plot lines. Martin kept me guessing and wondering, which are what all stories should do. I have also read the following novel that I enjoyed: Viking Sword Saxon Shield
A Game of Thrones 4-Book Boxed set
This collection of fantasy sagas has very readable and intriguing plots that make them worth buying in themselves. Martin has produced some excellent characterizations but spoilt this with stereotypical characters. Unfortunately the paperback set although well priced is too small and printed on cheap paper. I would have preferred the kindle version but the much higher E book cost put me off. Many of the storylines mainly of political intrigue, magic and supernatural aspects of another world although eminently readable are also confusing. Possibly this perplexity is caused by Martin setting the stories in a pseudo medieval landscape. On balance I much prefer actual historical fiction about the Middle Ages. Try: Viking Sword Saxon Shield
Two Disappointing Stories Produce Useless Bastard Child
There are two different stories here. The first is an outstanding geo-political intrigue set in a fictional earth-like late dark ages world. The second is a sword-and-sorcery epic. Both feature an almost equal mix of outstanding characters and utter stereotypes. The difficulty arises when the author intertwines the two stories. This results in an almost Deus ex machina use of magic to solve the 'real world' problems and advance the story.
The 'Song of Fire and Ice' books have ruined 'Game of Thrones' on HBO for me. The books might as well be called 'Screw you Reader, every character you like will brutalized in every conceivable manner.' I'm 1/3 of the way through the 3rd book and I'm quitting. Maybe it is not that awful, but let's just say that the author seems to be a fan of Thomas Hobbes. The two overriding themes seem to be "bellum omnium contra omnes" and 'the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.'
I came to the books AFTER the HBO series started. This is what might have soured my view of this book series. The first few HBO episodes were high production value thrillers. Even the Other in the opening scene wasn't implicitly supernatural in origin. It seemed like a solid period political drama, a sort of medieval Blue and the Gray/North and South/War of the Roses element. I eagerly bought the $20 value pack of the first four (all 800+ page) books and started reading.
Even before the magic starts happening the setting is questionable. These kingdoms have been around for 5000-8000 years and they are still developmentally circa 800-1200 CE, WTH is wrong with these people?
Then when magic starts occurring I was still willing to give it a chance because it could have been an interesting plot element. It wasn't. As I said earlier it became a crutch for an overwrought plot that doesn't seem adequately story boarded. They are only so many times you can see the same people maimed/raped/crippled/imprisoned/killed (not necessarily in that order) before the saga sours no matter how many unicorn riding-rainbow-pooping leprechauns the author pulls out of his 'hat'.
'Magic is returning to the world' is a weak plot driver. For example, one of the more sympathetic characters is solidly downstream on the river of poop. They do an action which saves someones life. A few chapters later they meet the person they saved and that person turns out to be a real BAMF. He gives the character that saved him the equivalent of 'three wishes' in the form of certain tasks that he will perform for the person that saved him. Instead of just making the BAMF a Navy SEAL-ninja-assassin meets the Scarlet Pimpernel, he turns out to be a shapeshifter from a faraway land that gives her a 'magic coin' and phrase to use if his help is ever needed one more time. Weak.
The 'Song of Fire and Ice' books have ruined 'Game of Thrones' on HBO for me. The books might as well be called 'Screw you Reader, every character you like will brutalized in every conceivable manner.' I'm 1/3 of the way through the 3rd book and I'm quitting. Maybe it is not that awful, but let's just say that the author seems to be a fan of Thomas Hobbes. The two overriding themes seem to be "bellum omnium contra omnes" and 'the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.'
I came to the books AFTER the HBO series started. This is what might have soured my view of this book series. The first few HBO episodes were high production value thrillers. Even the Other in the opening scene wasn't implicitly supernatural in origin. It seemed like a solid period political drama, a sort of medieval Blue and the Gray/North and South/War of the Roses element. I eagerly bought the $20 value pack of the first four (all 800+ page) books and started reading.
Even before the magic starts happening the setting is questionable. These kingdoms have been around for 5000-8000 years and they are still developmentally circa 800-1200 CE, WTH is wrong with these people?
Then when magic starts occurring I was still willing to give it a chance because it could have been an interesting plot element. It wasn't. As I said earlier it became a crutch for an overwrought plot that doesn't seem adequately story boarded. They are only so many times you can see the same people maimed/raped/crippled/imprisoned/killed (not necessarily in that order) before the saga sours no matter how many unicorn riding-rainbow-pooping leprechauns the author pulls out of his 'hat'.
'Magic is returning to the world' is a weak plot driver. For example, one of the more sympathetic characters is solidly downstream on the river of poop. They do an action which saves someones life. A few chapters later they meet the person they saved and that person turns out to be a real BAMF. He gives the character that saved him the equivalent of 'three wishes' in the form of certain tasks that he will perform for the person that saved him. Instead of just making the BAMF a Navy SEAL-ninja-assassin meets the Scarlet Pimpernel, he turns out to be a shapeshifter from a faraway land that gives her a 'magic coin' and phrase to use if his help is ever needed one more time. Weak.
So I loved these books. Read them a few times and have them in hard back. Being a complete-ist I ordered this compiled set with the HBO tie-in covers.
Immediately I was struck by how flimsy the box was for the set. Thin, thin, thin. As a result of this real flimsy box (and some poor packaging choices) the shipping resulted in a several dings in the book corners as the box was no protection for them. Additionally, the box is assembled via a folded tab system, much like putting together a shipping package. What this means is that whatever book gets placed into the fourth position will jam its cover and pages on the tab itself. Poor design that. Because the books fit so snuggly into this box you would have to remove the third position book, insert the fourth and then reinsert the third to avoid this from happening.
As for the books themselves, there is a strange tightness to them which makes me fear for them holding up to reading. Let me also say that is speculation on my part being an avid reader. Perhaps they will hold up fine. I just wanted to mention it as it occurred to me as I was examining the set.
With all that said, the fifth book comes out in months so I would wait for the next iteration of sets which will hopefully be of better quality all around. I would think a hardback compilation would be coming eventually (and deservedly so).
Final thought- Pass.
Immediately I was struck by how flimsy the box was for the set. Thin, thin, thin. As a result of this real flimsy box (and some poor packaging choices) the shipping resulted in a several dings in the book corners as the box was no protection for them. Additionally, the box is assembled via a folded tab system, much like putting together a shipping package. What this means is that whatever book gets placed into the fourth position will jam its cover and pages on the tab itself. Poor design that. Because the books fit so snuggly into this box you would have to remove the third position book, insert the fourth and then reinsert the third to avoid this from happening.
As for the books themselves, there is a strange tightness to them which makes me fear for them holding up to reading. Let me also say that is speculation on my part being an avid reader. Perhaps they will hold up fine. I just wanted to mention it as it occurred to me as I was examining the set.
With all that said, the fifth book comes out in months so I would wait for the next iteration of sets which will hopefully be of better quality all around. I would think a hardback compilation would be coming eventually (and deservedly so).
Final thought- Pass.
A new standard for the fantasy genre
I am always hesitant when it comes to reading fantasy...Tolkien is my favorite author of all time, and so many books fall short of being even remotely entertaining when compared against his work. That said, this is one of the best written, most addictive series I have ever read. I borrowed the first book from a friend and finished it in days. I was so ethralled I went ordered the last two from Amazon and picked book 2 up (Clash of Kings) from my local bookstore. The downside is that these books were so good that I have finished them, and now find myself wanting more. Pre-order Martin's next book coming out this summer!
Plot twists, deep character development, political intrigue, and bloody battles are just a few of the surprises that await the reader. If you enjoy the books, HBO has also started a series based on the first book, with a second season for the second book in the works.
Plot twists, deep character development, political intrigue, and bloody battles are just a few of the surprises that await the reader. If you enjoy the books, HBO has also started a series based on the first book, with a second season for the second book in the works.
Definately a good purchase. I only gave it three stars because the last book is so horrible. It is actually quite laughable how good the first three are and how bad the last is. It was obviously just a ploy to make more money and not push forward the plot. I will probably get the next book from the library. Thanks George, you almost had me thinking you were different.
The reason I purchased this set of books is because I am loving the tv series on HBO. You know what they say, "the book is always better than the movie". I probably would enjoy the books except I do wear glasses and even with them I am having a problem seeing the words because they are so small. I am sure the books are great but with such small print and over 1000 pages in them I am having a problem seeing the words. I'm sure someone with good vision would love this set of books and it was a great price. I am going to get a magnifier but thats just something else to slow down what is going to be an already long process. So I am not one who can give a fair review on the content of the book other than if it's half as good as the tv show then anyone would love it.
I don't really like fantasy, but I love Song of Ice and Fire. These books are worth reading for Tyrion alone, but there are so many great characters.
Paperback 4 Book Bundle - $19.78, Kindle 4 Book Bundle - $35.99. Really??
Like, really?? Why in the world would a set of four digital Kindle files be priced higher than the set of four physical books? And only about four dollars shy of double the price at that!!! I love this series, and I wanted to get a new set of the books to reread before the fifth one comes out, but I hope other people will stand against this blatant overpricing and refuse to buy the Kindle set until the publisher figures out that people aren't dumb brutes who don't know how to compare prices. The insinuation is more than a little offensive. Amazon could also do their part by notifying the publisher of such an obvious math problem, and ask them to adjust the price by a reasonable amount to maintain a good business relationship. If a box set of four physical books is $20, then I sure as heck don't expect to have to pay one cent more than that for the set of electronically delivered files to my Kindle. Not when everyone knows that the publisher is saving tons on fuel and paper costs by selling digital files. Quit trying to screw people over, Random House Digital!!! >:(
I nearly passed on this series when I saw it had over 100 1 star reviews
Don't make that mistake! Whenever you write a review, it is suppose to tell others about the quality of the product itself. Do not give 1 star because you dislike the price for the digital version. You're not punishing Amazon; it is a blatant disservice to the author of the series!
With my rant out of the way, allow me to say that this series is fantastic! It is well written with a thoroughly though out plot.
Don't make that mistake! Whenever you write a review, it is suppose to tell others about the quality of the product itself. Do not give 1 star because you dislike the price for the digital version. You're not punishing Amazon; it is a blatant disservice to the author of the series!
With my rant out of the way, allow me to say that this series is fantastic! It is well written with a thoroughly though out plot.
I was a little puzzled when I came on to Amazon to just see if I wanted to download any books to my Kindle. I just finished the first book, in this wonderful series. I give it five stars. I didn't notice one thing wrong with my Kindle version. Maybe they have fixed the problem. I wouldn't base my opinion of an author on some formatting and mistakes on the part of the people who format the digital books. It's not fair. This is going to be a classic the enire series.
It Depends Upon What You Want.
The five star rating is for the physical product. The books are nice; they're in a box. The box is shrink wrapped. No complaints and, for these days, the price is right.
The content, however, is complete dreck. The story is predictable. It is delivered in a teasing, bait & switch style. Epic fantasy? "A Song of Fire & Ice" is more like "The Sopranos With Swords".
The content, however, is complete dreck. The story is predictable. It is delivered in a teasing, bait & switch style. Epic fantasy? "A Song of Fire & Ice" is more like "The Sopranos With Swords".
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Highly recommended for:
-Someone who's never read A Song of Ice and Fire. This is the place to start, and a great value too (4 loooong books for $23).
-Longtime fans whose old paperback copies are worn from reading and re-reading in anticipation of A Dance With Dragons.
-Hardcore series collectors who want to own the best versions.
I lent my older copies of this series to my ex-girlfriend, and since I never got them back, I decided that this box set was a worthy purchase. I'm so satisfied with it, I can honestly say that I don't miss the books I lost, not even one bit. I've posted some pictures of the box set so you can decide for yourself if you like its look enough to drop the money.