LOVED THIS BOOK! A bit of Lord of the Rings, a smidge of Codex Alera, a whole lot of intrigue, suspense, and adventure. A Game of Thrones is big and dense, with an immense cast of characters, but absolutely worth the effort. I'd heard that George R. R. Martin is brutal, showing no compunction about killing off the good guys as well as the bad, and it's absolutely true. I couldn't put this book down, despite the heartache along the way, and can't wait to get my hands on the 2nd in the series.