The Armageddon Rag by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by Sherwood Smith
Youth, anger, and rock and roll -- three things with the power of magic, especially for those of us who were young
in the sixties. In this combination murder mystery and road trip novel, George R.R. Martin evokes that vividly, and then
ponders where it all went.
The opening swiftly sets the scene: as the hippie generation swelled into student protests in the late sixties,
the rock band called Nazgûl became the voice of a generation. Their rise to fame peaked on September 20th, 1971,
at an enormous outdoor concert in West Mesa, New Mexico, then abruptly fell with the shooting.
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by Dominic Cilli
Westeros is a ravaged and war torn kingdom. House Lannister still controls King's Landing under Tommen's
rule although it is tenuous at best. The Lannisters have earned themselves many enemies throughout the
seven kingdoms and just about all of them are contending for the Iron Throne so the plotting, scheming
and backstabbing are in full force. In the far
north, Jon Snow has been promoted to Lord Commander of the Night Watch. He not only has to deal with the
massive army of Wildings at his doorstep, but winter is coming.
Busted Flush by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
First published in the late 80s, the Wild Cards series is resurgent, and this title marks a welcome
return to form. This time around, instead of veering
madly away from what made this series such a huge success, the editor has coaxed his writers into playing to the
strengths of the world. This includes a few long established characters, used in ways that are fresh enough not to alienate
any new readers, yet enticing enough to captivate original fans of the series.
Dreamsongs by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
What you get here is a whistle stop tour through the author's career, from fanboy to a best-selling author, who has
been called the American Tolkien. Perhaps that is an unfair comparison. Tolkien was a crusty old codger, who kept
rarefied company, and wrote his master-work as an academic exercise. Whereas Martin has always been in close touch with the
needs of his audience, and the real world. Fortunately for that audience, he is also in close touch with umpteen imagined worlds.
The Armageddon Rag by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by Katharine Mills
Sandy Blair, blocked novelist and refugee from the 60s shellshocked by the materialism of the 80s,
receives a telephone message from Jared Patterson, Sandy's former editor at the Hedgehog. The Hog was once
a counterculture music magazine, but has now sold out like everything else. Jared wants Sandy to come back and write an
article for the magazine, about a murder. It's not just any murder, though.
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A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by Amal El-Mohtar
The Seven Kingdoms have a tumultuous political history, but have been at peace since Robert Baratheon slew the Mad King Aerys
Targaryen some ten years earlier and took his throne. He accomplished this thanks to the other noble families of the realm, but
most notably the Lannisters, to whom his Queen belongs, and the Starks, led by his best friend Eddard. When the Hand of the King,
John Arryn, dies under suspicious circumstances, King Robert summons Eddard from his northern stronghold of Winterfell to become
the new Hand and help him rule the realm.
The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by Adam Volk
Taking place a hundred years before the events in the A Song of Ice and Fire, it
chronicles the misadventures of Dunk, a burly and somewhat oafish commoner who has spent his life as a squire
to Ser Arlan; a now elderly hedge knight who earns his living wandering aimlessly from both jousting tournament and
battlefield alike. Dunk naturally longs for the day when he too can take up the mantle of a
knight; a chance he is finally given when Ser Arlan finally passes away on a mud splattered road in the middle
of nowhere.
Windhaven by George R.R. Martin & Lisa Tuttle
reviewed by Wayne MacLaurin
Flight... for eons man has longed to fly. From the Greek myths of Daedalus
to the sketches of Leonardo Da Vinci to the triumphs of the Wright
brothers, our literature and culture has been filled with tales of man
conquering the skies. Here is a tale of a world of small islands, vicious
storms and dangerous oceans, a world peopled by the descendants of a crashed
colony starship. The inhabitants scavenged the solar sails of the starship
to create metal wings that enable people to fly (the light gravity and dense
atmosphere help, too).
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by Wayne MacLaurin
While the author does continue to follow the saga within the Seven Kingdoms, he also spends a bit more time beyond the Wall with
Jon Snow and across the sea with Daenerys Targaryen. Daenerys' tale, in particular, moves the plot ahead significantly and
offers some intriguing possibilities for the next book or two. It is particularly impressive that while jumping back
and forth amongst the characters, no one character really takes over. Every story is given more or less equal billing
(with respect to intensity and importance).
A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by Wayne MacLaurin
Once again the author treats us to a magnificent tapestry that is, at once, both
stunningly detailed and amazing in its ability to draw the reader in.
He juggles several distinct storylines -- one tale follows Jon Snow in the north,
another is the battle of four would-be-kings for the Seven Kingdoms,
and the third tells of the fate of Daenerys Targaryen a continent away.
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
reviewed by James Seidman
Warning! Warning! This is the first book in a series. It ends with unresolved
plot lines, and whole chapters seem to exist as setups for future books.
Yet James still found it a marvelous, exquisitely written
work. Martin is one of those rare authors who can create truly vivid characters.
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