If you have HBO, you may have discovered the Game of Thrones series.  That hit show is based on a series of books considered by many to be the best of the fantasy genre, up there with Tolkien and the rest.  A Song of Ice and Fire is the first book in a series that is slated to become seven books total.  As of this writing, five have been published and eagerly inhaled by yours truly.The thing that sets George R. R. Martin apart is his total willingness to be brutal.  He can heartlessly rip your favorite character out of your clutches, giving no heed to the heartbreak he is leaving behind.

Based on a world of his own creation, the plot revolves around politics and royalty.  His grasp of complex political scheming and subtle by-plays makes it interesting even for people who have no remote interest in anything to do with politics.

Book One starts out with the family of Ned Stark, a banner man and close friend to the king.  Martin takes us on a journey from Winterfell, a territory in the north, to King’s Landing, the seat of the royalty.  Through a series of jaw-droppers, heart-wrenchers and other drama, we first love and then lose many of the main characters thus far.  I mean it – Martin is brutal!

His skill at drawing the reader into the story is almost unsurpassed, and this series is to date my favorite series of all time.  If you like fantasy that feels real, characters who have depth, and a plot that thickens to the consistency of yesterday’s gruel, you owe it to yourself to pick up A Song of Ice and Fire.