I’ve written about a couple of books on here before, but my all-time favorite fantasy series as of this moment is A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin. It’s not exactly hard to quantify why I love this series in words. It’s a bloody, visceral thrill ride of a high fantasy story full of three dimensional characters, gritty and fantastic writing, and an engrossing political/revenge plot that so far has spanned four epic and fast-paced books.
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about this great series is that there are lasting consequences for characters. Whereas other series might see the heroes in the face of danger time and time again, only to ultimately come out unscathed, A Song of Ice and Fire eliminates main characters liberally. Seriously, every time you think you’ve found a new character, Martin Whedonizes them like Wash and completely yanks their thread out of the story. It’s shocking, hard to read and totally refreshing. Continue reading →