A Game Of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Is there anyone left who hasn't heard of this novel; the first tome in the massively successful Song Of Fire And Ice series by George R. R. Martin?  This first novel was released in 1996 and I read it shortly thereafter.  I have all five novels but stopped reading after the third, as I wanted to wait and read the entire series.  As with most Martin fans, I've given up on that happening and decided I needed to read the series now before the HBO screen adaptation overtook my progress.

For anyone who doesn't know, The Land Of The Seven Kingdoms is the world that Martin has created.  Various Houses vie for power.  There is the Stark family of Winterfell.  It is ruled by Ned and his wife Cat with their five children; Robb, Sansa, Anya, Brandon and Rickon.  The King is from the Baratheon family, and King Robert is Ned's old friend.  He has two brothers, Stannis and Renly and is married to Cersei.  Their son Joffrey will inherit the throne after Robert's demise.  Cersei is from the Lannister family.  Tywin Lannister is the richest man in the world and his three children are Jaime, Cersei and Tyrion.  Daenerys is the last heir of the once powerful Targaryens, now in exile.  Then there are the Rangers of the Wall, who serve to protect all houses and men from that that lies beyond.  Stark's bastard son, Jon Snow, serves at the Wall.  There are other houses, less influential than these main ones and pledging allegiance to one of them.

The houses clash and war erupts with the death of Robert Baratheon.  There is betrayal and stunning acts of violence, treachery, lies and layer upon layer of secrets.  The reader is continually surprised and shocked at what occurs as the story unfolds.  It is even harder to read as a reread, as one knows the horrible things that will happen and reading slows as the individual gets closer and closer to various tragedies.  This series is an amazing achievement, one of the landmark series that all fantasy must be compared to and recommended for all fantasy readers and any reader willing to suspend time and enter the Game Of Thrones.