A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sensational, complex, multi-layered saga – and that’s just book 1 in this incredible series. I have been one of those people who have avoided Game of Thrones (the TV series), so I had no idea what this book was about before I read it. I’m not a big reader of fantasy – I read Lord of the Rings (loved it) years ago and the first book in the Wheel of Time series (it was okay). A Game of Thrones is an incredible feat of world-building (on a par with Lord of Rings and SF classic Dune), but more importantly in ‘people building’. These characters are utterly real and utterly compelling. They behave in unexpected ways, and Martin continually springs surprises. The canvas is vast, the concepts mind-expanding, and the human drama completely engrossing. The best book I have read in many many years.
Vaseem Khan 