I've read quite a few short stories over the years by George R.R. Martin, and several of his novels, and the only one that's really stuck in my mind was his vampire novel, Fevre Dream. Now, Martin has finally decided to come back to the realm of fantasy, and has given us the first book in an epic series, A Song of Ice and Fire, called A Game of Thrones. Martin has created an intriguing and elegant fantasy world, with all the trappings that that entails. There are mysterious legends, strange far-off lands, and all manner of beasties that one would expect to see in a good fantasy novel like this.
What sets Game apart from other fantasy novels of this ilk is the characters with which Martin has populated the world. The Stark family rule in the cold northern reaches of Winterfell, but sinister forces are massing beyond the northern, protective Wall. The story tells the tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, all of whom come together in a time of grim omens. Eddard Stark, the patriarch of the Starks, is a strong character and his family consists of equally strong characters. The Stark foes are equally memorable, some moreso than others, but by the end of the first novel of this series, every character that we have been introduced to has played a role of one kind or another, or we have seen inklings of the roles that these characters will play.
When it comes right down to it, Martin weaves a spellbinding story, starting with the slaughter of a scouting party by what appear to be a form of nifty undead, and ending with the determined last heir of a dynasty struggling to achieve what she wants, against the odds. Martin has put together a novel that intrigues and tantalizes us, even as it sweeps us along to its conclusion. The end of this novel clearly establishes that there will be at least one more in this series, but A Game of Thrones is a book that satisfies on all levels, makes us want more, and gives us a heroic tale of fantasy that raises our spirits one moment, and sends them plummeting the next. Highly satisfying, and a fine read.