The characters are rich and fantastic
How is the character?
Two friends of mine kept bugging me, "Read Martin!" but I was skeptical. I'm not a typical fantasy reader. All the swords and sorcery stuff usually bores me. I've tried on numerous occasions to put a dent in Jordan's first book but usually I fall asleep or my mind wanders. Give me King, Gaiman, De Lint, Tolkien, Keyes, Fforde, and Salvatore... any of these guys and I'm a happy man. But I try to stay away from straight D&D; fantasy. "He's not like that," they told me.Then, A Game of Thrones came in to our bookstore with a special price of $3.99. So I bought it. I'm a sucker for a good deal!Now, a few weeks later, I've finished it. And HOLY CRAP! That was GOOD! It was better than good it was GREAT! The characters are rich and fantastic and devious and wonderful and heart-breaking and maddening. This is character-driven fantasy. There are no huge plot points that are not created by the characters' interaction. Whether they are warring, backstabbing, screwing, avenging... everything in this book is driven by an amazing cast of characters. I found myself taking my time but wanting to know what happened next so damn bad my slow reading pace was killing me. Also, there are hints at things in side stories and small glimpses of what to come. And I can't wait! I'm going to take a small break from Martin but I've already bought Clash of Kings and can't wait to leap back in.If you've been hemming and hawing about reading his books, stop, and read them. You will not be let down. 